There are various ways to travel from Narita Airport to Tokyo city center. You can use dedicated railways, express trains, local trains, airport buses, and more.
For detailed information on how to travel from Narita Airport to the city center, you can refer to the link below:
- “Tokyo Narita Airport – City Center Transportation”: Getting from Narita Airport to Tokyo City
“¥1000 Bus from Tokyo City Center to Narita Airport”
There is a bus service that runs from Narita Airport to Tokyo city center or vice versa, known as the ¥1000 bus or commonly referred to as the “Cheapest Bus.”
Japan, unlike South Korea, has well-developed railway transportation, so even though there are highways, traffic congestion is not as common. This is probably because maintaining vehicles in Japan is relatively expensive, and highway tolls are quite high, making transportation costs unexpectedly high in Japan.
Thanks to this, when traveling from Tokyo city center to the airport by bus, you can enjoy a quick and economical journey due to low traffic.
“There were two types of ¥1000 buses”
At the time of my trip, there were two types of ¥1000 buses. However, they have now been integrated into one service called “TYO-NRT.”
At that time, there were two companies operating the ¥1000 bus: Tokyo Shuttle and The Access Narita.
“Tokyo Shuttle”
Tokyo Shuttle, operated by the Keisei Group, offered bus rides for ¥900 with advance reservation and ¥1000 for on-site purchase. However, during early morning and late-night hours, the price was ¥2000.
The operating hours were from 5:55 to 23:10, with buses running from Tokyo to Narita Airport until 20:20 at 20-minute intervals, totaling 113 trips per day. The route primarily connected Tokyo Station and Narita Airport, but depending on the time, buses also departed from Shinonome Garage, Ginza Station, and Oedo Onsen Station.
“The Access Narita”
Another bus service was “The Access Narita,” operated by JR Group. One difference from Tokyo Shuttle was that The Access Narita had a restroom on the bus.
This bus also charged ¥1000. While reservations were possible, there were no discounts for booking in advance. Additionally, the late-night buses departing from Tokyo Station at 1:10 and 1:20 required a payment of ¥2000, doubling the regular price, similar to Tokyo Shuttle.
The operating hours were from Narita Airport to Tokyo from 7:25 to 22:25 and from Tokyo to Narita Airport from 5:30 to 18:00. The frequency of buses varied by time, so it’s recommended to check the official website for accurate information. The website also provides information in Korean.
However, the reservation page only supports Japanese, causing a language barrier for making reservations. Luckily, there were available seats, so it wasn’t a problem. For on-site boarding without a reservation, passengers board on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Boarding Procedure”
Boarding is simple. Stand in line at the bus stop and board in the order of arrival. However, if you have made a reservation, you can board first. When boarding, pay ¥1000 in cash to the bus driver.
I took the bus departing from Ginza, passing through Tokyo Station to Narita Airport. I arrived at Terminal 1, then Terminal 2, and finally Terminal 3. I disembarked at Terminal 3 since my flight departure was scheduled from there.
It took approximately 70 minutes from Ginza to Narita Airport Terminal 3.
“Tokyo City Center – Narita Airport ¥1000 Bus”