Transportation

Access to Congress venue:

Trains and Metros:
The Tokyo public transport system is the fastest and the most convenient way to travel around the city. In general, both over ground trains and subways run from around 5am to 1am. You can buy a prepaid fare card which you can use on trains, subways and buses in Tokyo and Yokohama. There is a nation-wide train network operated by JR East which covers the most of Tokyo, two subway networks operated by Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway, which also cover the central Tokyo, and radiating railroads operated by companies, which connect central Tokyo and satellite cities.

Pasmo (issued by private railway companies and bus companies) or Suica (issued by East Japan Railway Company) is a really useful pre-paid smart card for moving around using any trains, subways, and buses. At train stations, there are automatic ticket gates. You can go through by touching the scanner on top of each machine with your card, at both stations, your departure station and your destination station on a railway line. Either card can be used on any line of JR, Private railway, Metro or Bus.

Please note the following information and links:

  • Access to downtown Tokyo from Narita Airport:
  • Access to downtown Tokyo from Haneda Airport:

For further links, please access:

Taxis:
Taxis are widely used across Japan, and in most areas are the only transport service which operates 24/7. Taxi doors are opened and closed remotely by the driver when you board, and opened again only after you have paid at the end of your journey. Most drivers do not speak English, so it is useful to have a map or business card with details (preferably in Japanese) of your destination.

Buses:

There are two types of buses: a type to ride from the front and a type to get on from the back. The route on which the bus is operated can be complicated, so you will need to find out the route to the destination in advance. With some exceptions, most of the buses in the 23 wards of Tokyo can ride at the same price until the end point. This type of bus is called “front ride”, ride from the entrance to the front, put a prescribed fee into the price box next to the driver’s seat, hold the pre-bait card (Suica, PASMO) over the reader, and you can go inside the car. When the bus reaches the stop at which you want to get off, press the button on the wall, wait for the bus to stop, then get off at the rear door.

Traveling by car/car rental:

When renting a car, it is best to make a reservation by phone. Most rental car offices are open from 8 am to 8pm. To rent a car, you will need to present your driver’s license (international driver’s licenses are accepted).

Tokyo