Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [128]
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GETTING AROUND
Tokyo has an excellent public transport system, with everything of note conveniently close to a subway or JR station. Bus services are difficult to use if you don’t read kanji, but the average visitor to Tokyo won’t need the buses anyway.
To/From Narita Airport
Narita airport is 66km from central Tokyo, and is used by almost all the international airlines and a small number of domestic operators. Travel to or from Tokyo takes from 50 minutes to two hours, depending on your mode of transport and destination in town.
Depending on where you’re headed, it’s generally cheaper and faster to travel into Tokyo by train than by limousine bus. However, rail users will probably need to change trains somewhere, and this can be confusing on a jetlagged first visit. Limousine buses provide a hassle-free direct route to a number of Tokyo’s top hotels, and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to use the buses.
If you’re seriously desperate or have money to burn, taxis from Narita will run you a cool ¥30,000 or so.
TRAIN
Two railway lines run between Tokyo and both terminals at Narita airport: the private Keisei line (3621-2232; www.keisei.co.jp) and JR East (050-2016-1603; www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex/index.html).
At the time of writing, the Keisei line has two services and will add a third in 2010. The Keisei Skyliner does the trip between Narita and Ueno (¥1920, 56 minutes) or Nippori (¥1920, 51 minutes). It’s worth noting that it’s much easier to transfer to the Yamanote line at Nippori station. Keisei tokkyū (limited express; ¥1000) services are much more frequent than the Skyliner, and add another 15 or so minutes to the trip (to Ueno, it’s 71 minutes; to Nippori, 67 minutes). The third, highly anticipated service is the Skyliner Airport Express, which at 160km/h will whisk passengers from Narita to Tokyo station in a mere 36 minutes (check www.keisei.co.jp for current fare information).
JR East runs the Narita Express (N’EX) to Tokyo station (¥2940, 53 minutes), to Shinjuku station (¥3110, 1½ hours), to or from Ikebukuro station (¥3110, one hour and 40 minutes) and to or from Yokohama station (¥4180, 1½ hours). The N’EX services are fast, comfortable, and include amenities like drink-dispensing machines and telephones. N’EX services run approximately half-hourly between 7am and 10pm, but Ikebukuro services are infrequent; in most cases you’re better off heading to Shinjuku and taking the Yamanote line from there. Seats are reserved only, but can be bought immediately before departure if they are available. ‘Airport Narita’ trains cost ¥1280 and take 1½ hours to or from Tokyo. Trains only run approximately once an hour.
The Keikyū rail line runs between Narita and Haneda airports (¥1560, two hours), but you’ll have to transfer to or from the Keisei line at Aoto station.
LIMOUSINE BUS
Airport Limousine Bus (www.limousinebus.co.jp/en) actually runs ordinary buses that take 1½ to two hours to travel between Narita airport and a number of major hotels. Check departure times before buying your ticket, as services are not all that frequent. The fare to or from hotels around Asakusa, to or from Ikebukuro, Akasaka, Ginza, Shiba, Shinagawa, Shinjuku or Haneda airport costs around ¥3000. There’s also direct service between Narita airport and Yokohama (¥3500, two hours).
To/From Haneda Airport
Most domestic flights and JAL, ANA, China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Air China use the convenient Haneda airport.
Transport to or from Haneda airport is a simple matter, as the Tokyo Monorail (www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp) runs from 5.15am to 11.15pm between the airport and Hamamatsuchō station on the JR Yamanote line (¥470, 22 minutes, every 10 minutes).
Taxis from the airport to places around central Tokyo cost around ¥6000. Limousine buses connect Haneda with