Getting to Tokyo
There are many ways you can arrive in Tokyo: by air, rail and by bus. As the capital city of Japan, Tokyo is very crowded with millions of tourists visiting Tokyo each year, making the city one of the most populated urban areas in the world. It is no surprise that there is an excellent public transport infrastructure in place.
By air
People travelling to Tokyo by air will arrive at either Narita International Airport or Haneda Airport. Narita receives international flights, while Haneda services domestic flights and flights to Seoul in South Korea.
Haneda Airport is about 30 minutes drive from the heart of Tokyo. The easiest way from Haneda to the city is via the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho, from where you can connect to almost anywhere in Tokyo on the JR Yamanote line. The airports facilities include restaurants, bars, shopping areas, postal services, bureaux de change, a business centre and facilities for passengers with special needs. Services to Seoul use the small separate International Terminal, which is connected to the main domestic terminal by a free shuttle bus that runs every 5 minutes.
Narita International Airport is about 70kms from Tokyo. The journey from Tokyo to the airport takes about an hour. The largest airport in Japan, it is modern and efficient, but can get overcrowded. The airport is fully-equipped, boasting a post office, medical clinic, a dentist, baby-changing facilities, childrens play areas and sleeping rooms. There are also internet services, mobile phone hire and telephone, fax and photocopying services on offer at both terminals.
Transportation to and from Narita Airport is taken care of by the Narita Express train, which stops at Tokyo, Shinagawa, Yokohama, Shinjuku and several other locations; the Keisei Skyliner train, which stops at Nippori and Ueno; and the Airport Limousine bus service, which stops at a variety of hotels in Tokyo.
There are plenty of taxis waiting outside both airports to take passengers to their destinations.
By rail
Some tourists choose to arrive in Tokyo by train. There are three types of train that run in and out of Tokyo: shinkansen ('bullet train'), Japan Railways (JR) trains and private trains. Most of the major train lines terminate at Tokyo Station on the JR Yamanote line. Private trains also operate to areas such as Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone and Yokohama.
By bus
Taking a bus is also another option for visiting the capital city of Japan. Buses connect Tokyo and various other parts of the country using expressways. Most of the time the buses run directly to Tokyo, so you can relax until you reach your destination. Overnight buses to Kyoto and Osaka, and direct buses to Nagoya, Nara and Kobe leave from Tokyo Station, next to the rail station. From Shinjuku Station, there are buses to the Fuji and Hakone regions.
By train and subway
If you are planning to travel by train in Tokyo, you are likely to use the JR Yamanote Line, which runs in a loop around central Tokyo. Almost all inter-regional JR lines and private lines start at a station on the Yamanote. There are also 12 subway lines operated by two companies, Tokyo Metro and Toei. The subway services are essentially the same and have good connections, but you have to buy separate tickets for each companys services. Many stations are served by both JR lines and subway lines, but to get to some places such as Roppongi, you can only use the subway.
By taxi
Taxis are very expensive in Tokyo and they tend to get stuck in traffic jams for hours. But, if you travel with two or three people, using taxi services might be a better choice than the subway. The last trains stop at midnight and services start running again at 05:30, meaning hailing a taxi is often the only way to get home after a night out clubbing.