Airport to the City in Japan: Train, Bus or Taxi? | Take the Train from Narita, Haneda or Kansai, Unless You Land Late, Travel Heavy, or Your Hotel Has a Bus Stop

When you enter the arrivals lobby, signs for trains, bus ticket counters and taxi stands all appear at once. Each one seems to say, “This way.”

This article is for anyone unsure which to choose. We will keep the explanation short and give the answer first.

The answer first — this is our short answer

If you are unsure, take the train. Choose one direct service to the area where you are staying. That would be our first choice.

Choose a bus or car only in these three situations.

• You land too late for the last train → From Haneda, take a late-night bus or a flat-rate taxi from the taxi stand. From Narita, take a late bus to Tokyo Station or a taxi (a taxi from Narita to central Tokyo is a major expense at around ¥30,000)
• You have many people and bags (more than two suitcases per person, small children, and so on) → Take a car. For a large group, reserve a large vehicle in advance
• An airport limousine bus stops in front of your hotel → Take the limousine bus (up to two checked bags per person)

Base your choice on three things: arrival time, people and luggage, and where you are staying. We do not use price as the deciding factor here. Train and bus fares are per person, while taxi fares are per vehicle, so they are difficult to compare on the same scale.

Here Is the Reasoning

Trains have predictable times and arrive in the city center

Airport trains have clearly separated destinations: Tokyo Station, Ueno and Shinagawa. Once you know where you are staying, the train to take is usually almost decided.

The limousine bus company itself warns that buses can be delayed by road traffic during weekday rush hours and tourist seasons. Because trains are not affected by road congestion, we think they make it easier to plan the rest of your arrival day.

We list the train for each airport in “Airport to City by Train in Japan.”

A taxi from Narita is a major expense

Even though both are called “Tokyo airports,” fares to the city center differ considerably. For example, a limousine bus to Shinjuku costs ¥1,400 from Haneda and ¥3,600 from Narita.

Both airports have flat-rate taxis.

• Haneda → Flat rates apply to most destinations in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture (government-approved fares; some areas use the meter), with tolls charged separately
• Narita → To Chiyoda or Chuo Ward from ¥29,000, and to Shinjuku or Shibuya Ward from ¥31,500 (via the Keiyo Road), plus expressway tolls. A surcharge applies from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

A taxi from Narita to central Tokyo costs around ¥30,000. This is why checking the last bus first is especially useful when you arrive at Narita late at night.

If You Arrive Late at Night

After your flight lands, you still have immigration procedures and baggage claim. Compare the last services below with the time you expect to enter the arrivals lobby, not your landing time.

Haneda — Late-night buses and flat-rate taxis continue after trains stop

• Last trains → From Terminal 3 Station, Keikyu departs for Shinagawa at 0:08 and the Tokyo Monorail for Hamamatsucho at 0:10 (weekdays)
• Late-night buses to Shinjuku and Ikebukuro after that → Four buses from stop 3 at Terminal 3, at 0:20, 1:00, 1:40 and 2:20. The fare to Shinjuku Station West Exit is ¥2,800. Buy a ticket before boarding at a ticket machine or bus counter
• To Yokohama Station (YCAT) and Sakuragicho → Departs stop 7 at Terminal 3 at 1:20. ¥2,000
• Taxi → Stop 21 on the first floor of Terminal 3. Flat rates apply to many destinations in Tokyo’s 23 wards and Kanagawa Prefecture (some areas use the meter)

Haneda Terminal 3 is open 24 hours, and passengers arriving on international flights can wait inside until morning.

Narita — After the 10:00 p.m. hour, check the last bus to Tokyo Station

• Train → Narita Express services run until the 9:00 p.m. hour (some services do not run every day). The last JR rapid train for Tokyo is at 22:57
• Bus to Tokyo Station (AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT) → The last bus departs Terminal 3 at 23:20, Terminal 2 at 23:25 and Terminal 1 at 23:30, arriving at Tokyo Station at 0:38. Times differ by terminal. There are no reservations and seats are unassigned, but capacity is limited. If it is full, you take the next bus; there is no next bus after the last service. Services from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. cost 3,000 yen
• For this last bus, go directly to the stop and pay on board with cash or a transit IC card such as Suica. Credit cards are not accepted
• Taxi → Stop 15 at Terminal 1; stops 28 and 31-A at Terminal 2; and the taxi stand at Terminal 3. Flat rates are set by central Tokyo ward, and no reservation is required. Tell the driver you want the flat rate before boarding. Expressway tolls cost extra

If you miss those too, you can wait until morning at Narita. The international arrivals floors of Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are open 24 hours. Parking area P2, connected to Terminal 2, has a 24-hour capsule hotel; advance booking is recommended because it may be full on the day.

If you need cash in yen for the last bus, see “How Much Cash Do You Need in Japan?.”

If You Have Many People and Bags

On a train, you carry all your luggage yourself. If you transfer, your suitcases go with you through stairs and corridors. The more people and bags you have, the harder this becomes.

• On a limousine bus, suitcases go in the luggage compartment, but the limit is two per person, each up to 50 × 60 × 120 cm and 30 kg
• More than that, small children, or wanting to reach the door → Take a car. Taxis are priced per vehicle, so the per-person cost falls with a larger group
• For a large group, reserve a large vehicle in advance (through the airport-transfer service below or directly with a taxi company)

You can also send your luggage ahead and take the train unencumbered. It usually arrives the next day, so keep what you need that night with you. See “Luggage Forwarding in Japan: Sending Your Luggage from Hotel to Hotel (Hands-Free Travel)” for sending luggage from the airport to your accommodation.

If You Want Someone Waiting at Arrivals with Your Name

After a long flight, finding the taxi stand in an unfamiliar airport and explaining your destination while carrying luggage is hard. Kiwitaxi airport transfers are useful if you want someone waiting at arrivals with a board showing your name, then taking you directly to your booked destination. They can also suit families with children, travelers with many bags, and anyone who does not want to search for the pickup point after landing.

You can also reserve directly with a taxi company. For example, MK Taxi’s flat-rate airport taxis require reservations and offer large vans. They serve major Japanese airports including Narita, Haneda and Kansai (according to the Kansai Airport information).

If a Limousine Bus Stops in Front of Your Hotel

Airport limousine buses operated by Airport Transport Service stop in front of major hotels in Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ginza and elsewhere. For example, Narita buses stop at the Keio Plaza Hotel and Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku. If you are staying there, the bus is the easiest option. You arrive at your accommodation’s entrance while remaining seated.

• As a rule, people not staying at a hotel can also board or leave at its bus stop. The “hotel next door” to yours is fine
• Seats are capacity-limited, and you cannot board if the bus is full (no standing). Without a reservation, it is first come, first served. Reservation availability differs by route and stop; services that accept reservations can be booked online without membership and changed until five minutes before departure
• Buy tickets at an airport counter or ticket machine. Credit cards are accepted at Narita and Haneda limousine bus counters, but not on the bus
• Sample adult one-way fares: Narita → Shinjuku hotels ¥3,600 / Haneda → Shinjuku ¥1,400

The route timetable on the limousine bus website shows which hotels it stops at. Hotel names appear directly in the list of stops.

At Kansai Airport

At Kansai Airport too, our answer is the train: the Haruka limited express to Kyoto, the JR Kansai Airport Rapid to Osaka Station, and Nankai trains to Namba. See “Airport to City by Train in Japan” for details.

If you take a bus or car, this is all you need to know.

• Bus to Osaka Station (Umeda) → No reservation; first come, first served. ¥1,800 and about 60 minutes from Terminal 1. There is also a late-night service after trains stop, departing stop 1 at Terminal 2 at 0:02 and stop 5 at Terminal 1 at 0:15, arriving at Osaka Station (Hankyu Sanbangai) at 1:13. The late-night service is cashless only, and no extra bus is provided even if it is full
• Bus luggage → Up to two pieces per person in the luggage compartment, with a combined weight of up to 30 kg
• Taxi → A guide price to Osaka’s Kita Ward is about ¥24,400 including bridge and expressway charges. A 20% surcharge applies from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. A reserved flat-rate taxi from MK Taxi starts at ¥16,400 per vehicle to Umeda, excluding expressway tolls

Do Not Take a Car That Solicits You at the Airport

In Japan, it is illegal to transport passengers for payment without government permission or registration—an illegal private taxi known as shirotaku. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism warns travelers about vehicles soliciting customers at airports. Even a licensed hire car is not permitted to solicit customers at an airport.

Take either a taxi from the official airport taxi stand or a vehicle reserved in advance with a taxi or hire-car company. The ministry also advises passengers to board at an official stand and to reserve hire cars in advance. When using a booking service such as Kiwitaxi, follow the “Before You Book” box above and check on the day that the vehicle and driver match your reservation.

In our editorial team’s experience, we think there are many cases where there is no need for excessive concern when a transfer is provided by a legitimate Japanese taxi or hire-car company. On the other hand, regional transport bureaus affiliated with the ministry warn about illegal shirotaku carrying international visitors at airports and tourist sites. Cases arranged through apps and social media before arrival in Japan have also been reported. The issue is not the driver’s nationality, but the actual operator, its permission or registration, and the vehicle.

Licensed taxis and hire cars have green license plates. Some white-plate vehicles are lawful exceptions, including vehicles that a hotel uses to transport its own guests free of charge and vehicles operating under the government-approved Japanese rideshare system. Simply going to a hotel does not make a vehicle an exception.

Chubu and Fukuoka

Take Meitetsu from Chubu Centrair International Airport to Nagoya, and the subway from Fukuoka Airport to Hakata or Tenjin. Each reaches the city center on one train. See “Airport to City by Train in Japan.”

Before you go, just these things

• Compare your flight’s arrival time with the last train from that airport
• If arriving at Narita late, check the last bus from your terminal to Tokyo Station (in the 11:00 p.m. hour; cash or transit IC card)
• Search your hotel’s name among limousine bus stops
• If you have more than two suitcases per person, decide whether to take a car or send your luggage
• For a large group, consider reserving a large vehicle
• Decide not to take a vehicle that solicits you at the airport

More details

• Which train to take, limited express tickets and discount tickets → “Airport to City by Train in Japan”
• Cash needed on arrival day → “How Much Cash Do You Need in Japan?”
• Sending luggage from the airport to your accommodation → “Luggage Forwarding in Japan: Sending Your Luggage from Hotel to Hotel (Hands-Free Travel)”
• Where to stay in Tokyo → “Where to Stay in Tokyo on Your First Trip”

If you are unsure, take the train. Unless you are arriving late, have many people and bags, or have a bus stopping in front of your hotel, simply follow the train arrow in the arrivals lobby.