Travel planning guides

Routes · 7 min

Tokyo route test: the proposed order cut straight-line distance by 15.2%

We fixed four coordinates, compared the original and proposed orders, and found that the model’s own 8.5 km total did not match our independent calculation.

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How this guide was made

  • We fixed the same four Tokyo coordinates and compared the original input order with the order proposed by an AI route pass.
  • We independently calculated coordinate-to-coordinate straight-line totals instead of treating the model’s distance estimate as a verified road distance.

We tested route ordering with the same four Tokyo coordinates in both cases. The original order totaled about 8.54 km in coordinate-to-coordinate straight lines. The proposed order totaled about 7.24 km, a reduction of 1.30 km or 15.2%. This does not mean the walking or transit route became 15.2% shorter; it means the proposed sequence was spatially cleaner under one limited calculation.

The input was fixed before comparing the order

The four places were Tokyo Station, Tokyo Skytree, Sensoji, and Ueno Park. The original list moved from Tokyo Station to Skytree, then back through Sensoji to Ueno.

We used the coordinates below only to reproduce the order comparison. A straight line between coordinates is not a route through streets, stations, or rail networks.

Coordinates used in the controlled comparison
Original orderPlaceLatitudeLongitude
1Tokyo Station35.681236139.767125
2Tokyo Skytree35.710063139.810700
3Sensoji35.714765139.796655
4Ueno Park35.714755139.773431

The proposed order moved west to east

The proposed sequence was Tokyo Station → Ueno Park → Sensoji → Tokyo Skytree. Under the same straight-line method, that order reduced the sum from about 8.54 km to 7.24 km.

The percentage belongs to this exact place set, start point, and distance definition. It should not be presented as an expected saving for other trips.

Independent straight-line calculation
VersionOrderTotalDifference
OriginalStation → Skytree → Sensoji → Ueno8.54 kmBaseline
ProposedStation → Ueno → Sensoji → Skytree7.24 km1.30 km lower
ReductionSame four coordinates15.2%Straight-line only

Why we rejected the model’s distance number

The response also reported an estimated total distance of 8.5 km for the proposed order. That did not match the 7.24 km straight-line sum, and the response did not provide enough detail to reproduce its distance definition.

We therefore kept the ordering insight but did not treat the reported total as verified road distance. A traveler should calculate each segment with the actual mode—walking, transit, or driving—using a current route service.

When the human-edited route should be longer

Timed tickets, restaurant reservations, hotel location, luggage, and accessibility can make the shortest-looking sequence impractical. Ueno in the morning and Skytree at a booked evening time may be reasonable even if another order is shorter.

Use optimization to identify unnecessary backtracking, then lock the constraints that the calculation did not know. In TripNotePlan, the proposed order can be edited after the map review instead of being accepted as final.

  • Include the hotel or real starting point.
  • Lock timed reservations before moving other stops.
  • Check every segment with the transport mode you will use.
  • Keep meals, rest, and station navigation in the day.

Action checklist

  • Hold the place set and starting point constant when comparing orders.
  • Label straight-line calculations separately from real routes.
  • Reject distance totals that cannot be reproduced.
  • Edit the final order around bookings, hotel, meals, and access needs.

Sources checked

  1. Google Maps Platform · Routes API documentation (checked )