Shibuya Afternoon and Other Pictures

This article is based on a visit made on Sunday, 20 May 2018.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I took my grandmother to visit the Sanja Festival in Tokyo's Asakusa district.  That was pretty much the last big event for the rest of our holiday together, but we still did other stuff for the rest of the afternoon and evening, so I'm putting them together in one last article which will finally, after two years, wrap up my fourth Japan vacation on this blog.

From Asakusa in the northeast of Tokyo, we took Tokyo Metro's Ginza subway line across town, to Shibuya in the southwest.  This was all the way from one end of the line to the other, although not a terribly long ride at under 35 minutes. 

In Shibuya, I escorted my grandmother on a search for some kiriko (切子) glassware, which she had seen a picture of during our calligraphy lesson earlier that day and fell in love with.  When we got there, I introduced her to the famous Hachiko statue in front of the station.

I also introduced her to the Hachiko scramble crossing, and the Starbucks that provides one of its best viewpoints.  The last time I saw the crossing, it was on a sleepy weekday morning, so coming back on a weekend afternoon made for a better contrast between its "stop" state...

...and its "go" state.

There was yet another festival going on in Shibuya that day, around the Center-gai avenue, but sadly it was wrapping up by the time we came down to get a closer look.  It wasn't all bad, though.  When we went to one of the many department stores in the area, my grandmother picked out a lovely blue stem vase.

After taking her safely back to the hotel, I went on one last shopping trip of my own, to Ameya-Yokocho and Akihabara.  In the former, I found a small sight I had never discovered before, a temple by the name of  Marishiten Tokudai-ji (摩利支天徳大寺).  It is located just a block from the market's south entrance at Okachimachi station.

Finally, on my way back "home" to the hotel, I passed by this closed alcove illuminated by pink lighting.  An odd sight, but no less cool for it.

All that was left for us the next day was to pack up and catch our flight home.  My grandmother had us reserve a taxi to take us down the road to the monorail station; it was a short ride, but with both of us taking suitcases with us up to the station platform, I'd say it was a good idea.  Early on, the Tokyo Monorail passes the Rainbow Bridge, which I have crossed numerous times before on a different rail line, the Yurikamome.

One of the stations on the monorail serves the Oi Race Course.  If horse-racing isn't your things, the site also hosts a flea market on weekends, and the Tokyo Mega Illumination, the city's largest nighttime illumination park, which takes place daily from October through December, and on weekends from January through March.  More information: (English)

And with one last moment's rest at Haneda International Airport, it was time for me to bid farewell to Japan once again.  Will I come back here upon my next return?  It's certainly likely, now that even more flights to this airport have been added since the last time I was there, including one from my mainstay Newark.  But that reunion will have to wait.  I still have many adventures planned for Japan, but when I will be able to fully realise them depends on many factors.  How soon I can save enough money is perhaps the biggest one, as well as when their borders will re-open given the current state of affairs.  And that's if my attention isn't stolen by one of the many other countries I've been looking into.  As a matter of fact, I have recently taken another holiday in the United Arab Emirates.  I would like to write about it, but since my past 178 or so articles have been focused entirely upon Japan, I think it would be best if I transitioned into talking about other countries with some high-level articles, talking about the country as a whole and offering some itinerary ideas.  Whatever comes my way, here's to many more posts on Sekai Ichi, and even more experiences of my own in Japan and elsewhere around the world.  *clink*  Kanpai!

Haneda Airport and How to Get There

Edit 9 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.
Edit 24 March 2020: Updated to reflect the International Terminal's renaming to Terminal 3.

The departure lobby of Haneda Airport's Terminal 3, formerly the International Terminal.
Taken on Monday, 21 May 2018.

Haneda Airport (羽田空港, Haneda Kūkō, IATA code: HND), officially known as Tokyo International Airport (東京国際空港, Tōkyō Kokusai Kūkō), is one of two major airports serving the Tokyo metropolis, the other being Narita Airport to the east.  Originally serving both domestic and international flights, Haneda started serving domestic destinations only when Narita was opened in 1978.  This focus changed once again in 2010, when a new international terminal was opened at Haneda, and some overseas flights returned to the airport.  This includes the new Tokyo-New York route which brought me into Japan for my new voyage this past May.

Compared to Narita, Haneda is far closer to central Tokyo.  Located in the Ota ward of Tokyo city, it is 15km (9 miles) south of Tokyo Station.  Because of the shorter travel times, there are no limited-express services from Haneda.  Rather, there are two local train services, the Tokyo Monorail and the Keikyu line, both of which end at different stops on the JR Yamanote line within 15 to 25 minutes.

Times and prices are calculated between Haneda Airport Terminal 2 and Hamamatsucho (Tokyo Monorail) or Shinagawa (Keikyu) stations, unless otherwise specified. Subtract 5 minutes if leaving from / stopping at Terminal 3 Station.

Tokyo Monorail

A Tokyo Monorail 10000-series train approaching Ryutsu Centre Station.
By Nyohoho [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

The first of these trains I wish to cover is the Tokyo Monorail (東京モノレール, Tōkyō Monorēru) (MO), which opened in 1964 for the first Olympics in Tokyo.  Among its twelve stations, there is one stop for each of the three terminals.  On the other end, it terminates at Hamamatsucho Station, allowing for transfers to the JR Yamanote (JY) line.  In addition, Hamamatsucho is also adjacent to Daimon Station, serving the Toei Asakusa (A) and Oedo (E) subway lines.  There are three types of service on the Monrail: local trains take 26 minutes end-to-end, rapid trains take 21 minutes, and the Haneda Express takes 19 minutes, stopping only at each of the terminals and at Hamamatsucho Station.  All services cost ¥500 between the terminals and Hamamatsucho.  Despite not being fully owned by Japan Railways, the Monorail is nonetheless free to use with the Japan Rail Pass and JR East area passes.  On Monorail cars, there are multiple open compartments for passengers to leave their luggage.

Num.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Local	Rapid	Haneda Express
MO01	Monorail Hamamatsucho	モノレール浜松町	X	X	X
MO02	Tennozu Isle	天王洲アイル	X	X	I
MO03	Oi Keibajo-mae	大井競馬場前	X	X	I
MO04	Ryutsu Centre	流通センター	X	X	I
MO05	Showajima	昭和島	X	I	I
MO06	Seibijo	整備場	X	I	I
MO07	Tenkubashi	天空橋	X	I	I
MO08	Haneda Airport Terminal 3	羽田空港第３ターミナル	X	X	X
MO09	Shin-Seibijo	新整備場	X	I	I
MO10	Haneda Airport Terminal 1	羽田空港第1ターミナル	X	X	X
MO11	Haneda Airport Terminal 2	羽田空港第2ターミナル	X	X	X

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Keikyu Lines

A Keikyu 1000-series "Airport Express" train approaching Heiwajima Station.
By E56-129 (七之輔) (Own works / 投稿者自身による撮影) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The other railway serving Haneda Airport is the Keikyu (京急, Keikyū) network, short for "Keihin Kyūkō" (京浜急行, lit. 'Tokyo-Yokohama Express').  Their Airport Line connects to their Main Line (KK), providing through-services to Shinagawa Station and the Toei Asakusa (A) subway.  Shinagawa is also a stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the JR Yamanote Line, and others.  On the airport side, Keikyu has one station for Terminals 1 and 2, and another for Terminal 3.  Of all the through-services available, Airport Express (エアポート急行, Eapōto Kyūkō) trains take 23 minutes from the domestic terminals to Shinagawa, limited-express trains take 17 minutes, and Airport Limited Express (エアポート快特, Eapōto Kaitoku) trains take 15 minutes; all cost ¥300.  Unlike on the Tokyo Monorail, this is a regular commuter line, so cars do not have dedicated spaces for luggage storage.

Num.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Airport Express	Limited Express	Airport Ltd. Exp.
Through service to Toei Asakusa (A) line
A07	Sengakuji	泉岳寺	X	X	X
KK01	Shinagawa	品川	X	X	X
KK02	Kitashinagawa	北品川	I	I	I
KK03	Shinbanba	新馬場	I	I	I
KK04	Aomono-Yokocho	青物横丁	X	I	I
KK05	Samezu	鮫洲	I	I	I
KK06	Tachiaigawa	立会川	X	I	I
KK07	Omorikaigan	大森海岸	I	I	I
KK08	Heiwajima	平和島	X	I	I
KK09	Omorimachi	大森町	I	I	I
KK10	Umeyashiki	梅屋敷	I	I	I
KK11	Keikyu-Kamata	京急蒲田	X	X	I
KK12	Kojiya	糀谷	X	I	I
KK13	Otorii	大鳥居	X	I	I
KK14	Anamori-Inari	穴守稲荷	X	I	I
KK15	Tenkubashi	天空橋	X	I	I
KK16	Haneda Airport Terminal 3	羽田空港第3ターミナル	X	X	X
KK17	Haneda Airport Terminal 1-2	羽田空港第1・第2ターミナル	X	X	X

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Buses
Because the train options are somewhat limited in what places they serve, the various bus services may be attractive for those seeking a more direct route to/from their hotel or other destination.  Operators include Tokyo Airport Limousine, which also serves Narita Airport, and Keikyu's "Haneda Airport Limousine" brand.  Outgoing buses depart first from the Terminal 3, followed by Terminals 1 and 2, and vice-versa for incoming buses.  (Subtract 10 minutes from the times listed if leaving from Terminal 1, and 15 minutes from Terminal 2.)  Below are some sample routes for both Airport Limousine and Keikyu buses:

• T-CAT: 45 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥840
• Tokyo Disney Resort*: 40 minutes, every 10-15 minutes, ¥850
• Yokohama*: 50 minutes, every 10 minutes, ¥590
• Tokyo Station: 55 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥950
• Ikebukuro Station: 55 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥1,250
• Shinjuku Station Bus Terminal: 60 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥1,250
• Tokyo Skytree: 60 minutes, 1 per hour, ¥940
• Shibuya: 60 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥1,050
• Narita Airport: 90-100 minutes, 1-3 per hour, ¥3,200
• Hakone (Togendai): 2 hours 45 minutes, 5 per day, ¥2,300
• Kawaguchiko/Fuji-san Stations: 2 hours 50 minutes, 6 per day, ¥2,520

* Most marked buses skip Terminal 3.

Websites
Airport Limousine: (English) (Japanese)
Keikyu Airport Limousine: (English) (Japanese)

Taxis
While not quite as prohibitively expensive as from Narita, taking a taxi from Haneda Airport directly into Tokyo still costs a pretty penny ("pretty yen"?).  Expect to pay anywhere between ¥5,000 and ¥10,000, depending on your destination.  A surcharge of 20% is applied between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM.

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So now you’ve decided your mode of transportation for leaving Haneda Airport. The question now is, how do you actually get to that mode of transportation?   If you are arriving at Terminal 3, the arrival lobby will be on the second floor.  After going through customs, the Tokyo Monorail gates will be ahead on your left, the Keikyu gates across that to the right, and the bus platforms beyond both.  There will be a JR East Travel Center beside each of the Monorail gates. Use the Travel Center if you need to exchange a voucher for a pre-purchased pass, such as the Japan Rail Pass; otherwise, the ticket windows will suffice.  For those riding to the airport, both lines will put you out at the departure lobby, on the third floor.

In both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the arrival lobby is on the first floor. If you are departing by bus, the bus stops are right outside at street level. The train platforms, on the other hand, lie on the basement floor, so find a set of stairs or escalators and go downwards. On floor B1, you will find the Monorail and Keisei gates.  You cannot pick up a JR pass at terminals 1 and 2; only from Terminal 3.

If you are taking the Tokyo Monorail to or from Hamamatsucho, it is easier to go through the World Trade Centre building as opposed to JR's Hamamatsucho station, which is poorly-equipped for passengers with luggage.  As for Keikyu services, they primarily end at Shinagawa Station. It is relatively straightforward to navigate.  The gates for the Keikyu lines are on the western end of the concourse, near the Takanawa exit, opposite from the JR lines on the east side.  If leaving from Shinagawa, remember to check your train's terminal stop to make sure you're going down the right line; it should say Haneda Airport (羽田空港).

One last thing: you can also pick up your JR Pass at Tokyo and Shinagawa stations, among others, so if you don’t want to wait at the airport for longer, you can do so afterwards. A full list of exchange locations is available here: (English)

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Edit 24 March 2020: In March 2020, further upgrades have been made to the airport and its schedules.  The International Terminal was renamed to "Terminal 3", with some international flights by All Nippon Airlines being handled at Terminal 2.  Because of this, and the approval of a new air route for planes to arrive and take off along, Haneda Airport has expanded its selection of international flights, some of them having moved from Narita Airport.  The following flights will be added in the coming months as part of this expansion:

Airline	Country	Alliance	Airports
All Nippon Airways (ANA)	Japan	Star Alliance	Delhi*, Ho Chi Minh City, Houston*, Istanbul, Milan, Moscow-Domodedovo, Qingdao, San Francisco, San Jose*, Seattle/Tacoma*, Stockholm, Washington-Dulles*
Japan Airlines		Oneworld	Chicago-O'Hare*, Dalian*, Dallas/Fort Worth*, Delhi*, Helsinki*, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Sydney*
Qantas	Australia	Oneworld	Melbourne*
Virgin Australia		N/A	Brisbane
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)	Denmark/ Norway/ Sweden	Star Alliance	Copenhagen*
China Eastern Airlines	China	Skyteam	Beijing-Daxing
China Southern Airlines		N/A	Beijing-Daxing
Alitalia	Italy	Skyteam	Rome-Fiumicino
Finnair	Finland	Oneworld	Helsinki
Aeroflot	Russia	Skyteam	Moscow-Sheremetyevo*
S7 Airlines		Oneworld	Vladivostok
American Airlines	United States	Oneworld	Dallas/Fort Worth
Delta Air Lines		Oneworld	Atlanta*, Detroit*, Honolulu*, Portland*, Seattle/Tacoma*
United Airlines		Oneworld	Chicago-O'Hare*, Los Angeles, Newark, Washington-Dulles*

*Marked flights have been moved from Narita Airport.