Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By Boat
There are no international ferry services to
Tokyo, but domestic long-distance ferries
arrive at Ariake Ferry Terminal, located on
an artificial island adjacent to Odaiba in
Tokyo Bay; the nearest station is Kokusai-
Tenjijo-Seimon. Cruise lines usually dock
at Harumi Terminal.
45
Shinjuku Station, and Tokyo Station are
served by public transportation as well as
taxis. TCAT is connected to the Hanzo-
mon subway line via moving walkways
and escalators; Shinjuku and Tokyo sta-
tions are hubs for subway lines and com-
muter trains, but if it's your first trip to
Japan, you might want to avoid these big,
crowded stations.
Check with the staff at the Airport
Limousine Bus counter in the arrival lob-
bies to inquire which bus stops nearest
your hotel and the time of departure. The
fare to most destinations is ¥3,000. Chil-
dren 6 to 12 are charged half-fare; those
under 6 ride free.
Getting from Haneda Airport
to Central Tokyo
If you're arriving at
Haneda Airport,
also
called Tokyo International Airport (
&
03/
5757-8111;
www.tokyo-airport-bldg.
co.jp), located near the center of Tokyo
and used mainly for domestic flights, you
can take the
Airport Limousine Bus
to
Shinjuku Station, Tokyo Station, the
Tokyo City Air Terminal (TCAT) in
downtown Tokyo, and hotels in Shinjuku,
Ikebukuro, Shibuya, and Akasaka. Fares
run ¥900 to ¥1,200. Locals, however, are
more likely to take the
monorail
from
Haneda Airport 15 minutes to Hamamat-
sucho Station (fare: ¥470), or the
Keikyu
Line
19 minutes to Shinagawa (fare:
¥400). Both Hamamatsucho and Shina-
gawa connect to the very useful Yamanote
Line, which travels to major stations,
including Tokyo and Shinjuku stations. Be
sure to stop by the
Tokyo Tourist Infor-
mation Center
(
&
03/5757-9345
) in
Haneda Airport, open daily 9am to 10pm.
GETTING AROUND
Your most frustrating moments in Tokyo
will probably occur when you find you're
totally lost. Maybe it will be in a subway or
train station, where all you see are signs in
Japanese, or on a street somewhere as you
search for a museum, restaurant, or bar. At
any rate, accept here and now that you will
get lost if you are at all adventurous and
eager to strike out on your own. It's inevi-
table. But take comfort in the fact that
Japanese get lost, too—even taxi drivers!
Another rule of getting around Tokyo:
It will always take longer than you think.
For short-term visitors, calculating travel
times in Tokyo is tricky business. Taking a
taxi is expensive and involves the probabil-
ity of getting stuck interminably in traffic,
with the meter ticking away. Taking the
subway is usually more efficient, even
though it's more complicated and harder
on your feet: Choosing which route to
take isn't always clear, and transfers
between lines are sometimes quite a hike
in themselves. If I'm going from one end
of Tokyo to the other by subway, I usually
allow myself anywhere from 30 to 60 min-
utes, depending on the number of trans-
fers and the walking distance to my final
destination. The journey from Roppongi
or Shibuya to Ueno, for example, takes
approximately a half-hour because it's a
straight shot on the subway, but a trip
requiring transfers can take much longer.
Traveling times to destinations along each
line are posted on platform pillars, along
with diagrams showing which train com-
partments are best for making quick trans-
fers between lines.
3
By Train
If you're arriving from elsewhere in Japan,
you'll most likely arrive via Shinkansen
bullet train at Tokyo, Ueno, or Shinagawa
station. All are well served by trains
(including the useful JR Yamanote Line),
subways, and taxis.
