Traveling to attend NORTh 6

• From Narita Airport (Tokyo) to Tokyo Station
• From Kansai Airport (Osaka, KIX) to Tokyo Station via Kyoto Station
• From Tokyo Area to Fuji-Zakura So (at Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi prefecture)

From Narita Airport (Tokyo) to Tokyo Station

1. Take JR Narita-line from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo Station. There are two kinds of trains, one is the limited express called "Narita Express (NEX)", in which all the seats need reservation; the other is the rapid service called "Airport Express", which has no reserved cars. Note that Tokyo Station is NOT the terminal for both trains.
   By NEX, it takes approx. 60 minutes from the airport to Tokyo Station; the fare is about US$27.
   By Rapid Service, it takes 90 minutes; the fare is about US$12.

2. There are also another possibilities to use private lines from the airport to Tokyo area, which may be slightly cheaper.

3. From Tokyo Station to your hotel in Tokyo (if you need to spend a night before going to Fuji-Zakura So), JR Yamanote-line (circular line) or subway lines are available. On these lines, trains will run every 5 or ten minutes, so you do not have to care about the time tables. The fares are around US$1 - US$3.

4. The following is the list of relevant URLs in English.

   • Narita Airport Official Page / Ground Transportation to/from Narita Airport
   • JR East (JR lines) ; JR = Japan Railway / Map of JR lines in Tokyo area (PDF), including Yamanote Line.
   • Tokyo Metro (subway lines) / Map of Metro Network (PDF)
   • Tokyo tourism information
   • Map of Tokyo (very simple, but it has correct distance) / Map of Tokyo (in Japanese)

From Kansai Airport (Osaka, KIX) to Tokyo Station via Kyoto Station

1. Take JR line from Kansai Airport Station to Kyoto Station. There are two kinds of trains.
   One is the limited express called "Haruka", which I recommend strongly. The terminal is Kyoto Station with only two exceptions in a day. There are both reserved/non-reserved seats, but according to my experience, non-reserved one is OK.
   The other is rapid service, which has no reserved cars, but it only takes you to Osaka Station. You should change the train to Kyoto Station, using local trains ((super) rapid service).

2. By HARUKA, it takes approx. 90 minutes from the airport to Kyoto Station. The fare is about US$32.

3. From Kyoto Station to your hotel in Kyoto (if you need to spend a night before going to Tokyo), please take a taxi. The are is around US$5 - US$30 depending on the distance. No tip is necessary.

4. From Kyoto Station (or Shin-Osaka Station) to Tokyo Station, please take Shinkansen-line. The super express called "Nozomi" will take you to Tokyo for 2 hours and 20 min. (2 hours and 35 min. from Osaka). The fare is about US$120 (this is rather expensive). I recommend to reserve your seat.

5. The following is the list of relevant URLs in English.

   • Kansai Airport Official Page / JR West Kansai-Airport-line
   • JR West (JR lines) ; JR = Japan Railway / Route Map of JR lines in Kansai district
   • Kyoto tourism information
   • Map of Kyoto (simple) / Map of Kyoto (in Japanese)

From Tokyo Area to Fuji-Zakura So (at Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi prefecture)

1. Very convenient guide from Shinjuku to Lake Kawaguchi: Traffic guide to Mt. Fuji

2. The best way to visit Fuji-Zakura So is as follows:
   ==>Narita Airport (Tokyo International Airport)
   ==>Tokyo (by train, 60-80 minutes)
   ==>Kawaguchiko (by train or highway bus, appr. 2h)
   ==>Fuji-Zakura So (by bus or taxi, 10 minutes?)

3. Highway Bus (recommended):
   Take Chuo-Kosoku Highway Bus (run by Keio Bus Corporation) from JR Shinjuku Station. It takes 2 hours from Shinjuku terminal to Lake Kawaguchi Fujikyu-Station Stop (this is NOT the terminal; almost all the buses will stop there, but you should be careful). Bus will start every 30 minutes and the fare is about US$16.

   Up to now ([Mon Jul 12 17:56:26 JST 2004]), the time table of the bus in September is not clear. When the dates are drawing near, I will list the time table on this web-page.

   From Lake-Kawaguchi Station, take a taxi to Fuji-Zakura So.

4. Train: JR Tokyo Station -> JR Shinjuku Station -> JR-Fujikyu Ohtsuki Station -> Fujikyu Lake Kawaguchi Station

   1. Take JR trains from Shinjuku Station to Ohtsuki Station (Chuo-line). There are lot of trains here in Chuo-line, but you may have to change the train at Takao Station (i.e., Shinjuku -> Takao -> Ohtsuki). It takes 80 min. from Shinjuku to Ohtsuki, and the fair is about US$12.
   2. Change the line from JR line to Fujikyu line at Ohtsuki Station.
   3. From Ohtuki Station to Lake Kawaguchi Station, there are trains in every 30 minutes. It takes 1 hour from Ohtsuki to Lake Kawaguchi. The fair is about US$10.
   4. From Lake Kawaguchi Station, take a taxi to Fuji-Zakura So.

5. The following is the list of relevant URLs mainly in JAPANESE!!

   • Chuo Highway Bus / Time Table of Highway Bus (Japanese) / Map of Shinjuku terminal
   • JR East (JR lines) ; JR = Japan Railway / Map of JR lines in Tokyo area (PDF)
   • Fujikyu Line / Time Table at Ohtsuki Station / Time Table at Lake Kawaguchi Station
   • Tourism TV on Mt. Fuji and 5 Lakes / Lake Kawaguchi Station
   • Home of Mt. Fuji / Map and traffic guide to Mt. Fuji
   • Fuji-Zakura So At last, here we are!!

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