Planning one Tokyo sightseeing day in the middle of your Disney trip? The best route depends on which station your hotel is near. This area has two rail lines: the JR Keiyo Line (Maihama and Shin-Urayasu stations — the Disney-area and bayside hotels) and the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (Urayasu Station — the downtown-Urayasu hotels). Below, the seven classic sights with routes and fares from both lines, side by side. Times and fares are rough estimates (transfer walking included; fares are IC-card, adult, one-way).
The cheat sheet
| Destination | From the Keiyo Line (Maihama) | From the Tozai Line (Urayasu) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asakusa | ~50 min, 2 transfers ¥473 |
~40 min, 1 transfer ¥252 |
Tozai: easier & cheaper |
| Tokyo Skytree | Direct bus ¥1,000 |
~40 min, 1 transfer ¥252 |
Bus for ease, Tozai for price |
| Tokyo Tower | ~45 min, 1 transfer ¥431 |
~45 min, 1 transfer ¥252 |
Tie on time, Tozai on fare |
| Imperial Palace | ~35 min, no transfer ¥253 |
~30 min, no transfer ¥252 |
Both direct |
| Akihabara | ~35 min, 1 transfer ¥253 |
~30 min, 1 transfer ¥252 |
Near tie |
| Shibuya | ~55 min, 1 transfer ¥440 |
~45 min, 1 transfer ¥252 |
Tozai: easier & cheaper |
| Harajuku | ~55 min, 1 transfer ¥440 |
~45 min, 1 transfer ¥252 |
Tozai: easier & cheaper |
The surprise: for central-Tokyo sightseeing, the humble Tozai Line often beats the Keiyo Line. It plugs straight into the subway network at Nihombashi, Otemachi and Kudanshita, so transfers are simple. The Keiyo Line’s trump card is a one-seat ride to Tokyo Station — but as explained below, its platform at Tokyo Station is far from everything else.
Fares favor the Tozai Line too. Because it stays entirely on Tokyo Metro, it’s a near-flat ¥252 to the major central stations, while the Keiyo Line runs on JR fares from ¥253 to ¥473. From Shin-Urayasu, add about 4 minutes and a few tens of yen to the Keiyo routes.
Destination by destination
Asakusa (Senso-ji Temple & Kaminarimon Gate)
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Maihama → (Keiyo) → Tokyo → (Toei Asakusa Line) → Asakusa | ~50 min | ¥473 |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Nihombashi → (Ginza Line) → Asakusa | ~40 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: Tozai. One transfer at Nihombashi, then the Ginza Line straight to Asakusa, for ¥252. In a hurry? Switch to the Toei Asakusa Line at Nihombashi instead — about 5 minutes faster, but ¥359.
Tokyo Skytree
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Direct “Skytree Shuttle” bus (Tokyo Disney Resort ⇔ Skytree Town, Tobu/Keisei Bus, IC cards accepted) | ~45–60 min | ¥1,000 (child ¥500) |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Otemachi → (Hanzomon Line) → Oshiage, under the tower | ~40 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: the bus for ease, Tozai for price. From the Disney side the zero-transfer direct bus is the easy button (departures are limited — check the timetable). By train, the Tozai + Hanzomon route reaches Oshiage (right below Skytree) for ¥252.
Same-day tickets to the observation decks (Tembo Deck 350m / Tembo Galleria 450m) exist, but on busy days a date-and-time ticket bought ahead lets you skip the entry line.
Check Tokyo Skytree tickets on Trip.com →
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Tokyo Tower
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Maihama → (Keiyo) → Hatchobori → (Hibiya Line) → Kamiyacho → ~7 min walk | ~45 min | ¥431 |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Kayabacho → (Hibiya Line) → Kamiyacho → ~7 min walk | ~45 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: tie on time, Tozai on fare. Both routes merge onto the same Hibiya Line with one transfer, then a gentle 7-minute uphill walk from Kamiyacho Station.
The Imperial Palace (East Gardens & Nijubashi Bridge)
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Maihama → (Keiyo) → Tokyo Station → 10–15 min walk from the Marunouchi side | ~35 min | ¥253 |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Otemachi → ~5 min walk to Ote-mon Gate | ~30 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: both direct — the easiest day trip on this list. The East Gardens (the old Edo Castle grounds, free entry) are entered via Ote-mon Gate by Otemachi Station. Closed Mondays and Fridays.
Akihabara
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Maihama → (Keiyo) → Tokyo → (Yamanote/Keihin-Tohoku, 2 stops) → Akihabara | ~35 min | ¥253 |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Kayabacho → (Hibiya Line) → Akihabara | ~30 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: near tie. One transfer either way. Exit at the Electric Town gate and you’re in the middle of anime-and-games country.
Shibuya (Scramble Crossing)
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Maihama → (Keiyo) → Tokyo → (Yamanote Line) → Shibuya | ~55 min | ¥440 |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Kudanshita → (Hanzomon Line) → Shibuya | ~45 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: Tozai, easier and cheaper. At Kudanshita the transfer is inside the same gates, and the Hanzomon Line runs straight to Shibuya. From the Keiyo side, the walk to the Yamanote platforms at Tokyo Station is long.
Harajuku (Meiji Shrine & Takeshita Street)
| From | Route | Time | Fare (IC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keiyo Line | Maihama → (Keiyo) → Tokyo → (Yamanote Line) → Harajuku | ~55 min | ¥440 |
| Tozai Line | Urayasu → (Tozai) → Otemachi → (Chiyoda Line) → Meiji-jingumae ‹Harajuku› | ~45 min | ¥252 |
Verdict: Tozai, easier and cheaper. Meiji-jingumae Station on the Chiyoda Line sits right beside JR Harajuku Station, steps from both Meiji Shrine and Takeshita Street. Shibuya and Harajuku are a 15-minute walk apart — most people do them as a pair.
How to pay: tap your own card vs. Suica (2026 update)
You ride Tokyo trains by tapping a card or phone at the gate — and since March 2026 there’s a second option that will feel familiar from home: on many lines you can now tap your own contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Amex (or your phone), no local card required. The catch is which lines.
- Tozai Line (Urayasu), Toei subways, most private railways and the Narita Express: tap your own contactless card or phone straight at the gate — no Suica needed (adult fares only).
- JR lines — including the Keiyo Line from Maihama and the Yamanote Line — are not in this network. For JR you still need a Suica or PASMO: add one to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet before you travel, or buy a physical Welcome Suica at the airport.
- For this guide that means the Tozai routes work with a tap of your own credit card, but anything on the Keiyo Line (Maihama) needs Suica/PASMO. Traveling on both in one day? Put everything on a mobile Suica — it covers every line here, JR included.
- Kids can’t use the contactless-card tap — it’s adult-fare only. Get each elementary-schooler their own child IC card (or a paper ticket).
Three local tips
- Treat Tokyo Station’s Keiyo platform as a separate station. It’s a 10–15 minute walk (moving walkways included) from the rest of Tokyo Station. Transfer apps often underestimate it — build in slack.
- Avoid the Tozai Line’s weekday morning rush (roughly 7:30–9:00 toward central Tokyo) — it’s one of the most crowded trains in Japan. With kids, leave after 9:00, and skip the evening crush out of the city around 17:30–19:00 too.
- On very windy days the Keiyo Line stops easily (it’s an elevated line along the bay). If you’re stranded, the local workaround is the Tozai Line to Urayasu Station plus a taxi or bus — see our taxi guide.