Tokyo, Japan - Getting There

Get in

In Japan, all roads, rails, shipping lanes and planes lead to Tokyo.

By plane

Tokyo has two large airports: Narita for international flights, and Haneda for (mostly) domestic flights.

Narita Airport

Tokyo's main international gateway is Narita#By plane|Narita Airport (成田空港) [1], located in the town of Narita nearly 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo and covered in a Narita#By plane|separate article. A brief summary of options for getting there and away:

• Easiest: Limousine bus direct to major hotels, ~120 minutes (subject to traffic), ¥3000
• Fastest: Narita Express to Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama, 55 minutes, ¥2940 (Japan Rail Pass valid)
• Cheapest: Keisei Limited Express train to Nippori/Ueno, ~80 minutes, ¥1000
• Most expensive: Taxi to the city, more than ¥30,000

Haneda Airport

Haneda Airport (羽田空港 [2], officially known as Tokyo International Airport, in Tokyo/Ota|Ota is the busiest airport in all Asia despite being (almost) entirely limited to domestic traffic. Terminal 1 houses the JAL group including Skymark and Skynet, while Terminal 2 is home to ANA and affiliate Air Do. Shuttle services to Hong Kong, Seoul-Gimpo and Shanghai-Hongqiao use the small separate International Terminal, which is connected to the main domestic terminals by a free shuttle bus that runs every 5 minutes.

The easiest and most scenic way from Haneda to the city is the Tokyo Monorail [3] with a station in each terminal running to Tokyo/Hamamatsucho|Hamamatsucho (16 min, ¥470), from where you can connect to almost anywhere in Tokyo on the JR Yamanote line. The other, slightly cheaper alternative is the private Keikyu (京急) line, which has a single station between the terminals and runs to Tokyo/Shinagawa|Shinagawa (19 min, ¥400) and Yokohama (27 min, ¥470). Keikyu also runs trains to Haneda from the Toei Asakusa subway line, and even a few direct services to Narita. Note that there is no JR service to the airport, and the "Airport Terminal 2" station that pops up in some route search engines is located in Narita, not Haneda!

Expect to pay anywhere from ¥4,000 to ¥10,000 for a taxi to central Tokyo.

Chōfu Airfield

Chōfu Airfield (調布飛行場 Chōfu hikōjō) serves only some turboprop flights to the Izu Islands south of Tokyo. The nearest railway station is Nishi-Chōfu on the Keiō Line, a 15-minute walk away. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Chofu or Mitaka stations.

By train

There is a frequent intercity Shinkansen service to and from Tokyo Station (東京駅 Tōkyō-eki) in Tokyo/Chiyoda|Chiyoda, from where you can easily connect pretty much anywhere in the city on the JR Yamanote or Metro Marunouchi lines. For all northbound trains, you can also hop on at Tokyo/Ueno|Ueno, while most (but not all) westbound trains stop at Tokyo/Shinagawa|Shinagawa.

For non-Shinkansen services, Tokyo/Shibuya|Shibuya and Tokyo/Shinjuku|Shinjuku stations offer local connections to the west. Ueno and Tokyo/Ikebukuro|Ikebukuro stations connect you to the northern suburbs; and neighboring prefectures.

By car or thumb

While you can drive into the city, it's really not recommended as the city can be congested, signs may be confusing and parking fees are astronomical.

Hitchhiking into Tokyo is pretty easy, but hitchhiking out is considerably more difficult. It's definitely possible for determined cheapskates though, see Hitchhiking in Japan for a detailed list of tested escape routes from the city.

By bus

Highway bus services link Tokyo to other cities, resort areas and the surrounding prefectures. There are JR and private bus companies. Bus service may be cheaper, but the train is probably more convenient. If you have a JR pass, then you should generally stick with the trains.

Long-distance buses use a number of terminals scattered throughout the city, but the main JR depot is at Tokyo Station's Yaesu-minamiguchi (八重洲南口) exit, while Keio and some other private companies use the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal (新宿高速バスターミナル), opposite Yodobashi Camera near the West Exit.

• The JR Bus Group [4]. A major operator of bus services to and from Tokyo. Seat reservations for JR Buses can be made in train stations at the same "Midori-no-Madoguchi" ticket windows used to reserve seats on trains. Moreover, the Japan Rail Pass is valid on all bus runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.

• 123bus [5]. A company that has nightly bus services to and from Tokyo. Its bus services link many cities in Japan. Online booking available in English.

By boat

One of the great ports of the world, Tokyo also has domestic ferry services to other points in Japan. However, none of the regular international ferries to Japan call at Tokyo.

The main long-distance ferry terminal is Ariake Ferry Terminal, located on an artificial island adjacent to Tokyo/Odaiba|Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. The nearest station is Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon on the Yurikamome line, but it's still a bit of a hike. You can also take a direct bus from Shin-Kiba station on the Metro Yurakucho line. The main services from this terminal are:

• Tokyo-Tomakomai (Hokkaido): Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen, 03-3528-0718. This ferry has no passenger facilities, so it can only be used if you have a car; fares for a car and driver start at ¥25,820.
• Tokyo-Tokushima-Kitakyushu: Ocean Tokyu Ferry, 03-5148-0109. Tokyo-Kitakyushu passenger fares are ¥14,000 for second class, ¥26,600 for first class.

Ferries to the Izu Islands|Izu and Ogasawara Islands leave from Takeshiba Terminal (竹芝客船ターミナル), adjacent to Takeshiba station on the Yurikamome line. Cruise liners tend to use the Harumi Terminal (晴海客船ターミナル), best accessible on bus 都05(To-05) from Tokyo station Marunouchi South Exit or 東12(Tou-12) from Tokyo station Yaesu exit. International ferries and cargo ferries that also take passengers can leave from other terminals too, enquire with your shipping company.