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Guide

Reading a mapof travel times

A travel time map does not show distances, but how long it takes to get somewhere by train and subway. Here is how to read the maps on Ikeruka, and how they are calculated.

The colours

Pick a starting point: Ikeruka colours every place in the city by the time it takes to get there, walking included. Colours run from yellow (very close) to midnight blue (over an hour).

The zones form “blobs” around stations: you reach a well-served station quickly, then you have to walk. That is why two neighbouring points can have different colours.

< 15 min
A short ride, often without a transfer.
15–30 min
Comfortably within half an hour.
30–45 min
Usually needs a transfer.
45–60 min
A real trip, often out to the suburbs.
> 60 min
Over an hour: the colour fades into the base map.

Isochrones

An isochrone is a line joining the points reached in the same time, just as a contour line joins points of equal altitude. On the map, lines labelled 15, 30, 45 and 60 min separate the colour bands.

Example: from Tokyo Station, 42% of the 572 station hubs in the covered area are under 30 minutes away, and the median time to reach them is 32 minutes.

Using the map

  1. Choose a start

    Search for an address or a station, use your location, or drag the starting point.

  2. Read the zones

    Spot each neighbourhood’s time band from the colours and the labelled isochrones.

  3. Choose a destination

    Click a point or search for a destination: the detailed route appears (walking, waiting, lines, transfers).

  4. Reverse and share

    Colour the city from the destination (who can easily come to you?) and share the page address: it keeps your start and destination.

How it is calculated

Times are calculated from weekday timetables between 7 am and 8 pm: walking at 4.5 km/h to the station, 1 minute to reach the platform, a wait equal to half the average interval (at most 15 minutes), the ride itself, a 1.5-minute margin per transfer, then the walk to the destination.

These are averages, not a timetable planner: no delays or real-time data, no fares. For a specific train, check the operators’ official information.

Frequently asked questions

What is an isochrone map?

It is a map that colours each place by the time needed to reach it from a starting point. Isochrones are the lines joining the places reached in the same time, for example 30 minutes.

How is the travel time calculated?

It adds up the walk to the station (4.5 km/h), platform access, the average wait (half the interval between two trains, at most 15 minutes), the train ride, transfers and the final walk, based on weekday timetables between 7 am and 8 pm.

Are delays and real-time data taken into account?

No. Times are based on weekday timetables: they are orders of magnitude for comparing neighbourhoods, not journey forecasts.

What area of Tokyo is covered?

The 23 special wards and eastern Tama, with 572 station hubs and 119 train, subway, monorail and tram lines. Buses and distant airports such as Narita are not included.

Can I share a map?

Yes: the page address contains the starting point, the destination and your settings. Copy it, or use the map’s share button.

Why can a nearby place take longer to reach than a distant one?

Because trains are much faster than walking: a distant district on a direct line can be quicker than a neighbouring one that needs a transfer or a long walk.

Where does the data come from? Is the site free?

Timetables come from the operators via the Public Transportation Open Data Center (ODPT) and Mini Tokyo 3D. The site is free, with no ads and no account.

Further reading

Explore Tokyo