Blog
Guides, notes and stories from Tokyo Rail Typing.
The Station You Start At Is Now the First One You Type
A Yamanote lap is 31 station names now, not 30. The station you start from has become the first thing you type, so a run begins outside the ticket gate — with a pictogram figure running onto the platform at exactly your typing speed. What changed, and why every leaderboard started over.
Sapporo Joins the Game: Three Lines That Run on Rubber Tyres
Sapporo is the game's fifth city — the Namboku, Tozai and Toho lines. Why this subway rides on rubber tyres astride a single central guide rail, why it writes さっぽろ in hiragana when JR next door writes 札幌, and which of its station names will catch your fingers out.
Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line Guide: 27 Stations, and the First Private Railway in the Game
A player asked for 田園都市線 because the station names are pretty, and they were right. Here is the route from Shibuya to Chuo-rinkan, why Tama-plaza and Suzukakedai type unlike anything else in the game, and the one station whose official reading forced a change to the romaji engine.
Toranomon Hills, Zoshigaya and Five Wrong Readings: A Station Data Fix
Two players wrote in about station data that did not match the real railway. All of it checked out: five kana readings were wrong, the Hibiya Line was missing Toranomon Hills, the Fukutoshin Line was missing Zoshigaya, and the Yamatoji Line stopped short of Kamo. Here is what changed and why the readings matter.
Share Your Rail Typing Result as a Card: PNG, QR Code and More
Rail Typing’s new result share card turns your time, WPM, accuracy and route into a polished PNG. Pick a wide or tall layout, switch themes, and let friends open the same challenge from the link or QR code.
Restart a Run With One Key — and Never Set Up Twice
Two small changes to the practice loop: bind a key that restarts a run instantly from anywhere, and let every line remember the start, direction and input mode you chose last time. Neither one costs you anything if you never touch them.
London Joins the Game: the Victoria, Jubilee and Bakerloo Lines
The first city outside Japan is playable, and it types nothing like the others — Latin names, straight off the keyboard, no kana engine involved. Here's what changed under the hood and why these three lines went first.
A keyboard tester for US and Japanese layouts
Press a key and it lights up on screen. A new tool for checking every key on an Apple Magic Keyboard — and for seeing exactly which five keys a JIS board has that a US one does not.
Kyoto Joins the Game: the Karasuma and Tozai Subway Lines
Kyoto Municipal Subway is now playable — the arrow-straight Karasuma Line and the awkward-to-read Tozai Line. What is on each route, why 四条/五条/九条/十条 will catch you out, and why Kyoto is its own network.
Japanese Typing Test, Kana Drills and a Generated Romaji Table
Four new practice pages: a 30-second Japanese typing test, a kana trainer you can drill row by row, the complete romaji table generated from the typing engine, and per-kana weakness analysis of your own runs.
New Station Announcements: Hear Japanese Station Names as You Arrive
Turn on Japanese station announcements in Rail Typing and hear each station name when your train arrives—without interrupting the race.
Japanese IME Typing Practice: Try the New Kanji Input Mode
Practice Japanese IME typing with real Tokyo station names. Learn how the new Kanji mode gives live reading, conversion-candidate, and error feedback as your train moves.
What Is a Train Typing Game? A Beginner's Guide to Densha Typing
A train typing game turns real Japanese station names into a typing sprint—learn what densha typing is, why it builds speed, and how to play Tokyo Rail Typing.
How to Ride the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line: A Practical Guide (and Why to Type It)
A rider's guide to the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (symbol G, orange): how to ride Asakusa to Shibuya, key stations and transfers, and why this 19-stop line is perfect for first-timers and typing practice.
JR Keiyo Line Guide: Route, Stations, and the Deep Tokyo Platforms
The JR Keiyo Line runs from Tokyo Station along Tokyo Bay to Soga, past Maihama for Tokyo Disney. Here's the route, the stations, the famously deep platforms, and why it's great to type.
Chuo Rapid vs Chuo–Sobu Local: Orange vs Yellow Chuo Line Trains
Two trains, one Chuo Line name. Learn the difference between the orange Chuo Rapid and the yellow Chuo–Sobu Local — shared tracks, color coding, key stations, and how to type both.
Toei Subway vs Tokyo Metro: What's the Difference?
Tokyo has two subway operators, not one. Learn how to tell Toei and Tokyo Metro apart by line letter and logo, which lines each runs, and why crossing between them costs more.
What Is the Toei Subway? Tokyo's Four City-Run Lines Explained
A beginner's guide to the Toei Subway — the four city-run lines (Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku, Oedo), their letters and colors, airport access, and how Toei differs from Tokyo Metro.
Kana vs Romaji Keyboard: Which Japanese Input Method Should You Use?
Romaji input vs kana input explained: how each Japanese keyboard method works, the speed and learning trade-offs, who should pick which, and how to drill kana without IME kanji conversion.
Keiyo Line to Tokyo Disney: How to Reach Maihama from Tokyo Station
Take the JR Keiyo Line to Tokyo Disney: ride about 15 minutes from Tokyo Station to Maihama, plus the deep-platform warning every first-timer needs.
Tokyo Subway Pass Guide: One Ticket for Metro & Toei
Tokyo's subway is two companies with two fares. Here's how the combined Tokyo Subway Ticket (24/48/72-hour) and the Metro & Toei one-day pass work, how the hour clocks tick, why JR isn't covered, and who actually saves.
Japanese Keyboard Layout Explained: How to Type Japanese on Any Computer
A learner's guide to the JIS Japanese keyboard layout, the 変換/無変換 and 半角/全角 keys, romaji vs kana input, and how to set up a Japanese IME on a normal QWERTY keyboard—no special hardware needed.
Live typing battles: race a friend station by station
Create a private 1v1 room, share one link and race through a Japanese railway line in real time—with live progress, rematches and spectators.
Type across Japan: 54 railway lines in one typing game
Explore 54 Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto rail lines, from the Yamanote loop to the Tokaido–Sanyo Shinkansen, while improving typing speed and station-name recall.
Explore Japanese railway maps and the 3D train gallery
Learn how Tokyo Rail Typing turns real station order, operator colors and original 3D train art into a browsable railway reference.
Three ways to practice Japanese typing: Romaji, Kana and Kanji
Choose the right Tokyo Rail Typing mode for your level, then progress from accessible romaji drills to authentic Japanese IME practice.
How to type faster: raise your WPM with Tokyo Rail Typing
Practical drills, warm-ups and split-time tricks to boost your typing speed while running trains across Tokyo.
Romaji vs Kana vs Kanji: which typing mode should you pick?
A complete guide to the three input modes — what each one is, who it suits, and how to progress from romaji to a full Japanese IME.
Getting started with Tokyo Rail Typing
Pick a line, tap in like you are through the gate, and type each station to move the train — here is everything you need for your first run.
The Yamanote Line: a complete guide to Tokyo's iconic loop
Thirty stations, one endless loop. Meet Tokyo's most famous rail line — its hubs, its two directions, and why it's the perfect line to type.
Learn Tokyo station names fast (and type them faster)
Memory tricks, kanji meanings and split-time practice to turn a wall of station names into instant recall.
Tokyo Metro vs Toei vs JR: understanding Tokyo's rail network
Three operators, dozens of lines, one dense map. Here's who runs what — and how to tell Tokyo's rail lines apart at a glance.
Reading Japanese station names in romaji: a Hepburn cheat sheet
Kana to romaji made simple — the tricky sounds, double consonants, long vowels, and the alternate spellings the game accepts.
The Ginza Line: Asia's oldest subway, station by station
Opened in 1927 and still running orange from Asakusa to Shibuya — a guide to the Ginza Line and its 19 stops.
Practice Japanese typing with real Tokyo stations
Why real place names beat random drills — turn Tokyo Rail Typing into a structured Japanese typing trainer with a simple routine.
Chasing the perfect Yamanote lap: splits, pacing and strategy
Advanced tactics for the 30-station loop — read your splits, find your slow stations, and shave seconds off your best time.
The Chuo Line: Tokyo's orange express across the city
A straight orange shot from Tokyo Station through Shinjuku to the western suburbs — a guide to the JR Chuo Rapid Line.