General Information

Tokyo, Japan

Approximately halfway along the long and arc-shaped archipelago of Japan, spreading over the Kanto Plain and facing the Pacific Ocean, there is the megalopolis of Tokyo. Tokyo is actually dozens of cities within a city. At the core is the business center of Chiyoda Ward; to the east is the center of the former Edo-town people's culture, Shitamachi, and to the west is the skyscraper city of Shinjuku, where the Tokyo government now resides.

Meanwhile, around all the major stations are mega department stores, shopping, and restaurant districts. What may also be surprising about Tokyo is that it is by no means all-concrete: there are parks and gardens everywhere and within an hour of the city center there are beaches and a green hinterland. Slightly further a field are volcanic islands with white sandy shores, and deep mountains for trekking, fishing, and camping.

http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/timely_tokyo/index.html

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

The 4th Sat. and Sun. of September Fukuro Festival
Fukuro Matsuri is an annual big event that takes place in the west square of Ikebukuro Station. The Main feature, Tokyo Yosakoi competition, comes on Sunday. A great number of teams from all over the country will present amazing dance


GETTING AROUND
New Tokyo International Airport at Nariita
Narita Airport is 60 km to the east of central Tokyo.
http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e/index.html

Narita Express
53 min non-stop to Tokyo Station. Some trains go to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Yokohama. ¥3, 140 to JR Tokyo Station.

Sobu Line Rapid Train
83 min.¥ 1, 280 to Tokyo Station. At Tokyo, the Sobu Line becomes the Yokosuka Line for Yokohama and points beyond in the Miura peninsula.
phone:03-3423-0111 (JR East)
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html

Limousine Bus
Tokyo City Air Terminal (T-CAT): 55 min, ¥2, 900. Two to seven departures per hour. Thirty airlines have departure check-in counters at T-CAT, near subway Suitengu-mae Station or 8 min walk from Ningyocho Station.

Some T-CAT services continue to Tokyo Station: 80 min (from airport), ¥3, 000.
·  Haneda Airport: 75 min, ¥3, 000. One to six departures per hour.
·  Shinjuku Station: 75 min, ¥3, 000. One to six departures per hour.
·  Tokyo Disneyresort: 60 min, ¥2, 400.
·  Yokohama: 90 min, ¥3, 500.
·  Hachioji: 160 min, ¥3, 700.
·  Tachikawa: 170 min, ¥3, 500.

Some limousine buses travel directly to more than fifty hotels in Tokyo, but services are not frequent.
phone:03-3665-7220
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/

Taxis
About 90 min to central Tokyo. Fare: about ¥25, 000.