Haneda Airport (‰H“c‹ó`, Haneda Kūkō, HND), formally known as Tokyo International Airport, is located less than 30 minutes south of central Tokyo, considerably closer to the city center than Narita Airport, Tokyo's other airport. Compared to Narita Airport, Haneda Airport handles significantly more domestic flights, but fewer international flights. With over 80 million passengers per year overall, Haneda Airport is by far Japan's busiest airport and ranks among the world's five busiest airports.
Haneda Airport was opened in 1931. In 1978, the then newly constructed Narita Airport took over most of Tokyo's international air traffic, while Haneda was designated to handle the capital's domestic air traffic. Haneda resumed handling an increased number of international flights in 2010 with the completion of a new runway and international terminal building.
Today, Haneda has three terminal buildings. Terminal 3 handles most of the airport's international flights and offers a pleasant range of dining, shopping and entertainment options. Domestic flights use the airport's two other terminals: terminal 1, which is mainly used by JAL, and terminal 2, which is mainly used by ANA and also handles some international ANA flights.
Free shuttle buses operate frequently between all terminal buildings (outside of the security check). Transit passengers may also use the monorail or Keikyu Railway for free if they get a special transit pass at the information counter. In addition, ANA and JAL operate direct buses for checked-through passengers between the secure areas of their respective terminals.
Trains on the Keikyu Airport Line take about 25 minutes and cost 340 yen for the one way journey between Yokohama Station and Haneda Airport. There are departures every few minutes, but only some provide a direct connection to Yokohama. Otherwise, one transfer of trains is required at Keikyu-Kamata Station.
Keikyu limousine buses to the Yokohama City Air Terminal (YCAT) near Yokohama Station depart Haneda Airport every 10 to 20 minutes. The one way journey takes about 30-45 minutes and costs 590 yen. In addition, there are bus connections to several other areas of Yokohama.
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.
Terminal 3 is open 24 hours and could serve vigorous budget travelers as a place to spend their first or last night. For more comfort, each of the airport's terminals comes with a hotel inside:
Two Villa Fontaine hotels are, furthermore, located in the Haneda Airport Garden complex, which is connected to terminal 3:
Accessible by free shuttle buses from the airport are a few hotels around the Tenkubashi, Otorii and Anamori-Inari stations of the Keikyu Airport Line. The shuttle buses typically operate from around 4am to around midnight:
Some international flights arrive and depart in the early morning (between 4am and 6am) and the late evening (between 10pm and 2am). Travelers with flights arriving after 10pm or departing before 7am should note that public transportation to/from central Tokyo does not run 24 hours and are advised to use a hotel at the airport. Taxis remain available, but are a relatively expensive option with fares to central Tokyo costing between around 6,000 (Shinagawa area) and 11,000 (Ikebukuro area) yen in the late evening and early morning.
The Tokyo Monorail and Keikyu Railway stop operation around midnight. Most of the last services still provide a connection to the JR Yamanote Line at Hamamatsucho Station and Shinagawa Station respectively, from where the Yamanote Line can take you to Tokyo's main districts, including Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Tokyo Station by around 1am. But note that many hotels do not allow late-hour check-ins.
Airport bus companies operate a few late-night connections from Haneda Airport's terminal 3 to various places in Tokyo and Yokohama until around 2am, but note that they are more expensive than buses departing before midnight (typically twice the regular fare).
The first connections to the airport by the Tokyo Monorail and Keikyu Railway arrive at terminal 3 a few minutes after 5am, while early morning buses from central Tokyo and Yokohama start arriving around 4:30am.
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