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Transportations
In Japan
Japan has one of the world's most highly developed transportation
systems. The rail service alone covers almost all possible
destinations. In addition, there is a national highway
system, and a well developed domestic air service. Buses
and taxis provide connections around the clock in the
cities, while ferry boats link Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe with
the main ports on Hokkaido and Kyushu.
In addition, Japan offers comprehensive international
air service through its four airlines, Japan Airlines,
All Nippon Airways, Japan Air System and Japan Asia Airways,
as well as a host of foreign- based carriers which fly
to all corners of the globe.
Railways
Railways in Japan include Japan Railways (JR), a group
of six railway companies covering the entire country,
plus a variety of companies which operate in many of the
larger cities. JR especially is renowned for its extreme
punctuality, with the heavily traveled trains on its Tokyo
commuter lines making stops at stations at 1.5-minute
intervals during peak periods.
And of course its Shinkansen, or "Bullet Trains,"
provide ultrafast and highly reliable rail links for almost
all the length and breadth of Japan. The network consists
of the Tokaido Line, the Sanyo Line, the Tohoku Line,
the Nagano Line, the Akita Line, the Yamagata Line and
the Joetsu Line.
JR's long-distance services include super express, limited
express, express, berth and reserved seat, with charges
varying according to distance and type of service. Within
cities, buy tickets for local lines at the vending machines
at each station, and approach the "green-striped"
windows ("Midori-no- madoguchi") for tickets
of different classes, as well as for long-distance travel.
Japan Rail (JR) Pass
For the visitors, JR's Japan Rail Pass offers excellent
value and convenience. The Rail Pass is available only
to sightseeing visitors and must be bought outside of
Japan. It gives the bearer unlimited travel on JR lines
and affiliated buses and ferries. (The Pass cannot be
used on the new super express Nozomi.)
Additional
Benefit of Japan Rail Pass
For those who possess a Japan Rail Pass, JR offers a special
discount rate at JR Group Hotels. If you show your Japan
Rail Pass at check-in, you will receive a rate discount
of about 10%.
Regional Japan Rail Passes
For the regional travelers, the following JR Passes
offer reasonable prices and convenience; JR EAST PASS
for northeastern Japan from Tokyo except the island of
Hokkaido, JR-WEST RAIL PASS for western Japan from Kansai
International Airport and JR-KYUSHU RAIL PASS for all
of Kyushu Island. They also offer additional incentives
to the respective purchaser.
Intra-city Transportation
Subway lines are available in all major cities,
and provide prompt, efficient transportation. JR's Yamanote-sen
loop line in Tokyo and its Osaka- Kanjo-sen loop line
both circle the centers of their respective cities. In
Tokyo, JR rates start from ¥130, subway fares at ¥160
for the Eidan(TRT A) and Toei(Metropolitan) lines, and
both increase with the distance traveled.
Almost all stations have vending machines for tickets
and automatic ticket-checking machines at their entrance/exit
gates.
Bus service is available
in all cities, but can sometimes be a bit difficult for
non-Japanese speaking visitors to use.
Taxis, on the other hand, are also widely available
and can usually deliver customers to addresses written
in Japanese or on business cards. If the red light in
the lower left corner of the windshield is lit, then the
cab is free and it can be flagged down. Be careful when
approaching a taxi's left rear door: it is opened and
closed automatically from within by the driver.
Car Rental services are available in most large
and medium-sized cities as well as at airports and major
train stations, with international driver's licenses recognized.
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Airport Information
New Tokyo International (Narita) Airport and Kansai International
Airport are the two main international airports in Japan.
Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport handles mainly domestic
flights linking these airports to various other cities
across Japan.
Airport fees are included in the flight fares to all overseas
destinations if departing from Narita Airport or Kansai
Airport (Adult: 2,650 yen and Child (age 2 to 11): 1,330
yen). Airport fees are not charged at Haneda Airport or
any other airport in Japan. There is no need to pay airport
fees if leaving Japan within 24 hours from your arrival
time.
Narita Airport
The largest airport in Japan, New Tokyo International
Airport, is located 60 km to the east of central Tokyo.
Airport Services:
Tourist
Information Center
Stop at the TICs located in the arrival lobby of Passenger
Terminal 1 and Passenger Terminal 2 for information. They
are staffed by multilingual travel experts who can answer
questions and provide free maps and brochures. A stop
at the TIC saves travel-planning time in advance. Office
hours are from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, every day all year-round.
Money Exchange
Japanese public transport, stores and restaurants are
legally forbidden to accept foreign currencies. You do
need small amounts of yen currency for immediate needs.
If you have foreign bank notes other than U.S. dollars,
it is wise to convert some of them in to yen while at
the airport. Traveler's Checks can be cashed quickly at
banks, but few stores or restaurants accept them. Unused
yen (bank notes only; no coins) can be reconverted into
foreign currencies at the airport with no limitation,
provided the exchange center has sufficient funds for
re-conversion.
For handing currency exchange,
there are 16 banks and 2 post offices at the airport,
with one or more open from 6:30am to 11:00pm
Japan Rail Pass Order Exchange
Obtain your Japan Rail Pass by exchanging your Exchange
Order at the airport's Japan Railway (JR) ticket counter
(open daily 6:45 am to 9:30 pm). The date of validation
of your Pass can be any day within 3 months of the issuing
date of your Exchange Order. You can use the Pass for
the JR train trip between Narita Airport and Tokyo.
Luggage Delivery
If you do not wish to carry your luggage, you can arrange
to have it delivered to your hotel in Tokyo the next day.
Delivery service counters at the airport include ABC Co.
Ltd., Kamataki Unyu Co. Ltd. (QL Liner), New Passenger
Service (NPS), Sky Porter and Green Port Agency (GPA).
Charge per piece up to 30kg is 2,000 yen.
Access:
Access to Tokyo metropolitan area from New Tokyo International
(Narita) Airport Map
Trains:
Narita
Express - Japan Railways (JR)
53 min. 2,940 yen non-stop to Tokyo Station.
Some trains go to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Yokohama.
Sobu Line Rapid Train - Japan Railways (JR)
83 min. 1,280 yen to Tokyo Station.
At Tokyo, the Sobu Line becomes the Yokosuka Line
for Yokohama and points beyond in the Miura
peninsula.
Skyliner - Keisei Railways
60 min, 1,920 yen to Keisei-Ueno Station.
Stops at Nippori Station.
Limited Express/Express
- Keisei Railways
80 min, 1,000 yen to Keisei-Ueno Station.
JR
East
TEL: (03) 3423-0111
Kesei Railways
TEL: (03) 3831-0131
Limousine Buses:
The limousine bus service departing from Narita Airport
has a vast network of routes across the Tokyo metropolitan
area. It links the New Tokyo International Airport at
Narita with the Tokyo City Air Terminal (T-CAT), the Yokohama
City Air Terminal (YCAT), Haneda Airport and most major
Tokyo hotels. Buses leave from in front of the arrival
lobby at Narita Airport, taking you directly to the entrance
of major hotels in Tokyo together with your baggage. The
buses operate every day leaving every 5 to 30 minutes.
Tickets can be purchased at the 1st Floor Arrival Lobby.
Shinjuku Area: 85 min, 3,000 yen
Ginza Area: 80min, 3,000 yen
Shinagawa Area: 85min, 3,000 yen
Tokyo Disney Resort Area: 60-80 min, 2,400 yen
Haneda Airport: 75 min, 3000 yen
Tokyo City Air Terminal (T-CAT): 55 min, 2,900 yen
Yokohama City Air Terminal (Y-CAT): 90 min, 3,500 yen
TEL: (03) 3665-7220
Taxis:
About 90 min to central Tokyo.
Fare: about 25,000 yen |
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Kansai Airport
The second largest airport in Japan, Kansai International
Airport, is located in southeast Osaka Bay, 5 km off the
coast and about 60 km. from JR Shin-Osaka Station.
Airport Services:
Tourist Information
Center
Stop at the TIC located on the arrival lobby (first floor)
for information. They are staffed by multilingual travel
experts who can answer questions and provide free maps
and brochures. A stop at the TIC saves travel-planning
time in advance. Office hours are from 9:00 am to 9:00
pm, every day all year-round.
Money Exchange
Japanese public transport, stores and restaurants are
legally forbidden to accept foreign currencies. You do
need small amounts of yen currency for immediate needs.
If you have foreign bank notes other than U.S. dollars,
it is wise to convert some of them in to yen while at
the airport. Traveler's Checks can be cashed quickly at
banks, but few stores or restaurants accept them. Unused
yen (bank notes only; no coins) can be reconverted into
foreign currencies at the airport with no limitation,
provided the exchange center has sufficient funds for
re-conversion. For handling currency exchange, there are
nine banks at the airport, with one or more open from
6 am to 11 pm.
Japan Rail Pass Order Exchange
You can obtain your Japan Rail Pass by exchanging your
Exchange Order at the JR Information Counter in the International
Arrivals Lobby (1st floor, open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 7
p.m.), the TiS-Travel Service Center (open daily, 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m.), or the Green Window (Midori-no-Madoguchi)
Reservations Ticket Office (open daily, 5:30 a.m. to 11
p.m.) at JR Kansai Airport Station. The date of validation
of your Pass can be any day within 3 months of the issuing
date of your Exchange Order. You can use the Pass for
the JR train trip between Kansai Airport and Kyoto/Osaka.
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Area |
Destination |
Transport |
Time |
Fare |
| Osaka |
JR Shin-Osaka Station |
JR Limited Express Haruka |
45 min |
2,980 yen |
| JR Rapid Train |
70 min |
1,320 yen |
| Taxi |
80 min |
18,500 yen |
| JR Osaka Station |
JR Rapid Train |
65 min |
1,160 yen |
| Airport Bus |
60 min |
1,300 yen |
| Taxi |
60 min |
16,900 yen |
| Nankai Namba Station |
Nankai Railway Limited Express Rapit |
29 min |
1,400 yen |
| Express |
43 min |
890 yen |
| Osaka Airport (Itami) |
Airport Bus |
80 min |
1,700 yen |
| Taxi |
70 min |
21,000 yen |
| Kyoto |
JR Kyoto Station |
JR Limited Express Haruka |
75 min |
3,490 yen |
| JR Rapid Train |
100 min |
1,830 yen |
| Airport Bus |
105 min |
2,300 yen |
| Kobe |
JR Sannomiya Station |
JR Rapid Train |
90 min |
1,660 yen |
| Airport Bus |
70 min |
1,800 yen |
| Taxi |
70 min |
22,000 yen |
| K-CAT on Port Island |
Jet Foil |
25 min |
2,400 yen |
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