Tokyo Rail Typing turns a rail line into a typing sprint: choose a line, set a start station and a direction, then type each station's name to move the train forward, stop by stop, until you finish the route. Here is everything you need for a good first run.

The idea in one line

Every station name is a short typing target. Type it correctly and the train glides to that station; reach the end of the line and you get your time, characters-per-minute (CPM) and accuracy. On a loop line like the Yamanote, "the end" means a full lap back to where you started.

Choosing how you type

You can play in three input modes, and they change what you type — not how the train moves:

  • Romaji — type the Hepburn romaji of each station on a normal keyboard. The friendliest place to start.
  • Kana — also typed as romaji, but the board fills in kana as you go. No IME, so there is no kanji auto-conversion to fight.
  • Kanji (IME) — use a real Japanese IME and commit the station's kanji. The most authentic, and the fastest ceiling once it clicks.

Your personal best is tracked per line, per mode, so switching modes never overwrites a record you set in another.

Reading the station board

The big sign shows the station you are heading to. A wrong key is simply rejected — the train does not move and you do not need backspace to fix a typo; just keep typing the right key. When you pull into a station you will hear a Suica-style tap, see a "到着" stamp, and get that leg's split time compared with your best.

Your first run, step by step

  1. Pick a line from the home page — the Yamanote Line is the classic starting point.
  2. Choose a start station and a direction.
  3. Wait out the countdown, then type the first station's name.
  4. Keep going until the train completes the route, and read your result.

A few tips

  • Accuracy beats mashing: a rejected key costs you nothing but time, so aim for clean keystrokes.
  • Learn the line's rhythm — hubs like Shinjuku and Shibuya are longer names and good places to steady your pace.
  • Chase the split times. Beating your per-station best is where the game gets addictive.

That is the whole loop. Pick a line and see how fast Tokyo goes by.