Toei (Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation)
Toei (都営, toei) goes under the somewhat less catchy official name of Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (東京都交通局 Tōkyō-to Kōtsū-kyoku) and is the operator of the city's four underground lines. It should not be confused with Tokyo Metro, which is a private corporation jointly owned by the Metropolis of Tokyo and the government of Japan, and which operates 9 lines.
The reasons for the existence of two underground networks within the same metropolis have been lost within the mists of time, but it is a great way to confuse casual visitors to the city and fleece them for the privilege of changing between networks.
The four Toei lines are:
- Asakusa Line
- Mita Line
- Oedo Line
- Shinjuku Line
Fares
As a city-run operation, Toei runs a simple pricing scheme: expensive. The lowest fare is 170 yen, which will get you about four stations; personally whenever I pass through the Toei network I feel like my Pasmo has been smothered in chloroform and gently mugged. There is however a discount of 70 yen from the total fare if changing to / from a Tokyo Metro line (which, remember, is also part-owned by the city of Tokyo)