TRAINS FROM NARITA AIRPORT TO SENDAI

Sendai is located about 350 kilometers north of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the main island (Honshu Island) of Japan. Sendai can be reached from Tokyo International Airport (Narita), first by a JR train "Narita Express" to Tokyo Station (approx. 55 min., 2,940 yen, [+200 yen from July 21 to August 31] reserved seats only) and then by a JR bullet train "Yamabiko" of the "Tohoku Shinkansen (meaning Tohoku New Trunk Line)" to Sendai Station (approx. 2 hours, reserved seat: 10,590 yen [+200 yen from July 21 to August 31]). There are no flights from Narita to Sendai. Tickets for the above-mentioned trains may be purchased at the basement level 1 of Narita Airport and also at the terminal 2 building of Narita Airport.

The Narita Express leaves frequently from the airport and offers ample luggage space, but luggage space is very restricted on the Tohoku Shinkansen. You are advised to use one of the courier services at Narita Airport for heavy or large suitcases which you don't need immediately after your arrival in Sendai. The cost is approximately 2,500 yen per suitcase and it will be delivered by the following day.

Allow yourself at least 30 minutes to transfer to the Tohoku Shinkansen at Tokyo Station. All seats on the Narita Express and the reserved seats on the Tohoku Shinkansen must be purchased in advance. Announcement in Narita Express and Tohoku Shinkansen trains is given in both English and Japanese; railway signs are also in both these languages.

TRANSFER TO TOHOKU SHINKANSEN AT TOKYO STATION

Once you arrive at the basement level of Tokyo Station via the Narita Express you need to transfer to the Tohoku Shinkansen bound for Sendai,Morioka, or Akita. At Tokyo Station, there are numerous color-coded signs in English that will help you find your way to the Shinkansen boarding platform. Follow the green signs designated as "Tohoku-Yamagata-Akita-Joetsu Shinkansen" all the way up to the uppermost level of Tokyo Station. The Shinkansen trains going to Sendai are called Yamabiko or Komachi and depart from track 22 or 23 (the Yamabiko bound for Morioka and the Komachi bound for Akita also stop at Sendai Station). Electronic signs above the platforms display information regarding train arrivals and departures. The Joetsu Shinkansen painted with the same green color should not be mistaken for the Tohoku Shinkansen.

Keisei trains "Skyliner" are also available from Narita Airport to Keisei-Ueno Station in Tokyo (approx. 60 min., reserved seat: 1,920 yen).You have to walk from Keisei-Ueno Station to JR Ueno Station to board Tohoku Shinkansen; the transfer can take as long as 20 minutes with heavy luggage.

JAPAN RAIL PASS

The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) is a special ticket that is available only to travelers visiting Japan from foreign countries as tourists, and is an economical way of traveling around in Japan. The JR Pass cannot be purchased inside Japan; you must purchase a JR rail pass voucher from an authorized sales office or agent in your country of origin. After you arrive in Japan, you take the voucher to a major JR ticket office, such as the one in the Tokyo Station building, and exchange it for your Japan Rail Pass. You can also exchange your voucher at Narita Airport. There are two types of Japan Rail Pass, namely, "Green" (for superior-class Green cars) and "Ordinary." Green is available as a 7-day (37,800 yen), 14-day (61,00 yen), or 21-day (79,600 yen) pass, the prices being for adults. Those for Ordinary are 28,000 yen for 7 days, 45,100 yen for 14 days, and 57,700 yen for 21days. Prices for children from age 6 to and including 11 are half those for adults. Travel agents or the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) in your own country should be able to help you obtain the voucher for your JR pass.

LONG-DISTANCE BUS FROM NARITA TO SENDAI

There is an express night bus called "Polar Star" from Narita Airport directly to Sendai. There is only one departure daily at 21:50, and it arrives in Sendai at 05:15 (8,050 yen one way). There is plenty of luggage space.

Note added on 2/25/99: As a reference for your return trip, note that Polar Star leaves Sendai at 23:10 and arrives at Narita at 6:30 the following morning.
Note added on 1/22/99: Advance reservation required. Offering of reservations ends as soon as all seats are booked. Call the reservation desk at +81-47-432-1891 (from outside Japan) or 047-432-1891 (from within Japan) at the latest before 17:00 o'clock JST of the date of travel with the help of a person who speaks Japanese. You may pick up your ticket at the TRAIN and BUS ticket counter -- English spoken -- in Narita Airport.


GETTING TO SENDAI BY AIR

An alternative method to reach Sendai is to fly into Osaka Kansai or Nagoya Airport and transfer to a connecting flight to Sendai. Direct international flights from Beijing-Dalian, Guam-Saipan, Hong Kong,Honolulu, Seoul, and Shanghai-Beijing to Sendai are currently available.Please check with your travel agent or carrier for further details concerning the service and frequency of connecting flights to Sendai.

A shuttle bus is in service between Sendai Airport and Sendai Station (approx. 45 min., 910 yen one way). The bus departs from the flight terminal building after the arrival of each flight. The shuttle bus from Sendai Station to Sendai Airport departs from a point next to bus stop No. 15 located in the west bus pool area below the pedestrian walkway in front of Sendai Station. A shuttle bus departs 2 hours and 40 minutes prior to the departure time of each international flight and 85 minutes prior to the departure time of each domestic flight. Domestic flights to and from Asahikawa, Fukuoka, Hakodate, Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Kansai, Komatsu, Nagoya, Niigata, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka. Sapporo, and Takamatsu are available at this time.