Japan transport guide
Airport to city: Narita, Haneda and Kansai in 2026
Last checked: July 2026
TL;DR
- Narita: Skyliner if Ueno suits you (36 min), N'EX if you want Tokyo Station or Yokohama, the ¥1,500 bus if you’re on a budget.
- Haneda: it’s close — the monorail (¥520) or Keikyu (¥327) gets you to the Yamanote Line in under 20 minutes.
- Kansai: Nankai to Namba (Rapi:t ¥1,490 or express ¥930); Haruka if you’re heading to Tennoji, Shin-Osaka or Kyoto.
- An IC card (Welcome Suica/ICOCA) works on all of these trains. Credit-card tap works on Keikyu and Nankai but not on JR East, Keisei or the monorail.
Narita → central Tokyo
| Option | To | Fare (adult) | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narita Express (N'EX) | Tokyo Station | ¥3,070 | ≈ 55–60 min | All reserved seats. Visitors can buy the N'EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket: ¥5,000 return, valid 14 days, passport required. |
| Keisei Skyliner | Ueno | ¥2,570 | ≈ 36–41 min | Fastest rail option. Online e-tickets available. |
| Keisei Main Line limited express | Ueno | ≈ ¥1,050 | ≈ 75 min | No surcharge, regular commuter train. Cheapest rail. |
| Airport Bus TYO-NRT | Tokyo Station | ¥1,500 | ≈ 60–70 min | Late-night/early-morning departures cost ¥3,000. Traffic can add time. |
Which to pick: the Skyliner wins on speed if Ueno/Nippori works for your hotel; the N'EX round-trip ticket (¥5,000 for ¥6,140 worth of travel) wins if you need Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku or Yokohama; the TYO-NRT bus wins on price. The Access Express (via the Skyliner’s fast track, no surcharge) is a solid middle option toward Asakusa — check fares on Keisei’s official site.
Haneda → central Tokyo
| Option | To | Fare (adult) | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Monorail | Hamamatsucho | ¥520 | ≈ 13–18 min | Connects to the JR Yamanote Line. |
| Keikyu Line | Shinagawa | ¥327 | ≈ 16 min | Cheapest. Through-trains continue toward Asakusa on the subway. |
| Limousine bus | Tokyo Station | ¥1,200 | ≈ 30–45 min | Good with lots of luggage; watch for traffic at rush hour. |
| Fixed-fare taxi | Central Tokyo | Area-based | ≈ 30–60 min | Flat rate by district plus expressway tolls — confirm the price when booking. |
Haneda is only about 15 km from the city center, so rail is almost always the answer. Pick the monorail for JR connections at Hamamatsucho, Keikyu for Shinagawa or a one-seat ride toward Asakusa.
Kansai (KIX) → Osaka
| Option | To | Fare (adult) | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR Haruka (limited express) | Tennoji / Shin-Osaka / Kyoto | See official site | ≈ 30 min to Tennoji | Visitors can buy a discounted one-way ticket online (Kyoto: ¥2,200 vs ¥3,640 regular; passport required). The old ICOCA & HARUKA set was discontinued in 2023. |
| Nankai Rapi:t | Namba | ¥1,490 | ≈ 35–48 min | Discounted Kanku Tokuwari Rapi:t ticket: ¥1,350. |
| Nankai airport express | Namba | ¥930 | ≈ 45 min | Same line, no surcharge — the budget pick. |
| Limousine bus | Umeda (Osaka Station) | ¥1,800 | ≈ 1 hour | Direct to the Umeda hotel district. |
Which to pick: staying around Namba/Shinsaibashi, take Nankai — the ¥930 airport express is the best-value ride at any Japanese airport. For Umeda, Shin-Osaka or Kyoto, JR Haruka is more direct; check current fares on JR West’s Haruka page.
How to pay: IC cards vs credit-card tap
- IC cards work everywhere here. A Welcome Suica (or ICOCA in Kansai) covers every train and bus in this guide — top up with cash and tap through. See our cashless payments guide for how to get one.
- Credit-card tap-to-ride is patchy at airports. It works on Keikyu (Haneda, part of the March 2026 Kanto rollout) and on Nankai (Kansai Airport, running since 2021). It does not work on JR East trains (N'EX), Keisei (Skyliner) or the Tokyo Monorail as of July 2026 — buy a ticket or use an IC card there.
Landing late? The after-midnight picture
- Airport rail lines generally stop running around midnight (Haneda’s last monorail and Keikyu departures leave shortly before). If your flight lands after 23:00, check the last-train time for your exact route before relying on rail.
- Narita: the TYO-NRT bus runs dedicated late-night and early-morning departures at ¥3,000 — usually the cheapest option when trains have stopped.
- Haneda: after the trains stop, night buses toward Shinagawa and a few other hubs — or a taxi — are the realistic options.
- If you land at KIX late in the evening, the last Nankai trains connect with most arrivals, but confirm the timetable for anything after 23:00.
Sources
Fares and times were checked in July 2026 against operator official pages: JR East (N'EX), Keisei (Skyliner), Airport Bus TYO-NRT, Tokyo Monorail, Keikyu, Nankai (Rapi:t) and JR West (Haruka).
Fares are representative adult one-way values at the time of checking and can change; exact last-train times and some route fares vary — always confirm on the operator’s site for your travel date. This page contains no affiliate links; links go to official or primary sources.