Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Airport Limousine buses
T
03 3665 7220,
W
limousinebus.co.jp) are prone to tra
c delays, but
can be useful if you're weighed down by luggage
and staying at or near a major hotel. Tickets are sold
in each of the arrival lobbies; the buses depart directly
outside (check which platform you need) and stop
at many major hotels and train stations around the
city. Journeys to central Tokyo cost around ¥3000 and
take at least ninety minutes. Once you factor in the
cost of a taxi from one of the train stations to your
hotel, these buses can be a good deal. Their ¥3100
Limousine & Metro Pass
combines a one-way bus
trip from Narita to central Tokyo and a one-day metro
pass valid on nine of Tokyo's thirteen subway lines.
Taxis
to the city centre cost around ¥20,000, and
are no faster than going by bus. If you're really in a
hurry, and have ¥260,350 handy, charter a
helicopter
(
W
heli-express.com).
From Haneda Airport
, it's a twenty-minute
monorail journey to Hamamatsuchō station on the
Yamanote line (daily 5.20am-11.15pm; every 5-10min;
¥460). Alternatively you can board a Keihin Kūkō-line
train to Shinagawa or Sengakuji and connect directly
with other rail and subway lines. A taxi from Haneda
to central Tokyo costs around ¥6000; a limousine bus
to Tokyo station is ¥900.
By bus
Long-distance buses
pull in at several major
stations around the city, making transport connec-
tions straightforward. The main overnight services
from Kyoto and Ōsaka arrive at the eastern Yaesu
exit of Tokyo station; other buses arrive at Ikebukuro,
Shibuya, Shinagawa and Shinjuku.
By boat
Long-distance
ferries
from Tokushima in Shikoku
and Kitakyushu in Kyushu and the Okinawan islands
arrive at Tokyo Ferry Terminal (
౦ژϑΣϦʔλʔϛφϧ
)
at Ariake, on the man-made island of Odaiba (see
p.84) in Tokyo Bay. For details see Ocean Tōkyū Ferry
(
T
5148 0109;
W
www.otf.jp) and A Line Ferry (
T
03
5643 6170;
W
aline-ferry.com). Buses run from the
port to Shin-Kiba station, from which you can catch
a subway train or the overland JR Keiyō line. A taxi
from the port to central Tokyo costs around ¥2000.
City transport
Tokyo's public transport system is
e
cient, clean and safe, with trains and
subways the best way of getting around;
a lack of signs in English makes the
bus system a lot more challenging. For
short, cross-town journeys, taxis are
handy and, if shared by a group of
people, not all that expensive. Sight-
seeing tours are also worth considering
if you are pushed for time or would like
a guided commentary.
By train
Shinkansen trains
from western Japan pull in to
Tokyo station
(
౦ژӺ
) and
Shinagawa station
(
Ӻ
), around 6km southwest. Most Shinkansen
services from the north arrive at Tokyo station,
though a few services go only as far as
Ueno station
(
্Ӻ
), some 4km northeast of the Imperial Palace.
Tokyo, Shinagawa and Ueno stations are all on
the Yamanote line and are connected to several
subway lines, putting them within reach of most
of the capital. Other long-distance JR services stop
at Tokyo and Ueno stations, Shinjuku station on
Tokyo's west side and Ikebukuro station in the city's
northwest corner.
Non-JR trains
terminate at different stations:
the Tōkyū Tōyoko line from Yokohama ends at
Shibuya station
(
ौ୩Ӻ
); the Tōbu Nikkō line
runs from Nikkō to
Asakusa station
(
ઙӺ
), east
of Ueno; and the Odakyū line from Hakone finishes
at
Shinjuku station
(
৽॓Ӻ
), which is also the
terminus for the Seibu Shinjuku line from Kawagoe.
All these stations have subway connections and
(apart from Asakusa) are on the Yamanote rail line.
For JR and non-JR trains alike, the best online
information source is Hyperdia (
W
www.hyperdia
.com), which also offers a helpful smartphone app.
By subway
Its colourful map may look daunting, but Tokyo's
subway
is relatively easy to negotiate: the simple
colour-coding on trains and maps, as well as clear
signposts (many in English), directional arrows, and
alpha-numeric codes for all central subway stations,
make this by far the most
gaijin
-friendly form of
transport. You'll have a much less crowded journey
if you avoid travelling at rush hour (7.30-9am &
5.30-7.30pm).
There are two systems, the nine-line
To k yo
Metro
(
W
www.tokyometro.jp) and the four-line
Toei
(
W
www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp). The systems
share some stations, but unless you buy a special
ticket from the vending machines that specifies
your route from one system to the other, or you
