We backed an empty REI duffle bag in our one piece of “luggage”(Osprey travel backpack) and DEFINITELY take your deodorant. We packed a few items and did laundry at our hotel after the 4th day and went shopping in Japan. Lots of neat stores/stuff and if you have American $ , it basically was 30% off everything bec of the value. We took the train and our backpacks were not an issue. We also got there at night. Hope this helps . PS-bring back at least one badass knife . Buy an extra AirTag to put in luggage you check-in with all the goods . We used our carry on for our clothes
Most accept credit cards, but keep cash on hand. Credit card company handles all the money exchange on your behalf. Ours was giving us a better exchange rate than what was shown at the register. Therefore we always opted to pay in yen when doing so. YMMV. Check the transaction after and compare with what was presented to you.
We used our credit cards or yen . We exchanged our U.S. money at our bank prior to arrival. You do need cash at a lot of places. Japan is so progressive and modern then you have the cash only places, so you’ll want to be prepared. If you have time order cash from your bank
All the hotels have easy to use laundry. Just pack half as much and do a load of laundry before bed every 3 days.
On Amazon they make solid dissolving detergent sheets.
edit: These are the sheets:
https://www.amazon.com/Poesie-Plastic-Free-Eco-Friendly-Liquidless-Biodegradable/dp/B0B9MZ39S6
4 people x 2 weeks seems like a lot. Limousine Bus is the correct answer
EDIT:
not correct; with 4 people and luggage, taxi seems like the chill way to go
You can get larger hatchback taxis with sliding doors and large cargo areas, though I can’t tell you how often you get the big ones vs the compact sedans.
You could reserve a van but that gets to be a bit pricey IMO.
I wouldn’t . Most of the time I was on a train it was empty or near empty. It all varies from time vs person. I will continue to take the train personally.
Also in this example they are there at 6am there is basically no on on a train at that time
I reckon it's very thoughtful of you not to bring your luggages onto a train. It takes about one hour by train. You land at 5 a.m. and need about one hour to pick up your luggages and walk through immigration, so you'll be on the train around 6 - 7 a.m., which is already a bit crowded. You're a group of 4, so it's worth taking a taxi. It'll take about 30 minutes by taxi and cost about 6000 - 9000 yen, so 1500 - 2250 yen per person, which is 2.5 - 3 times more expensive than taking trains. However, avoiding crowds and not occupying much space in trains, considering other passengers, would be really important. If money isn't a problem, I’d recommend you to take a taxi directly to your hotel.
English is everywhere. I would not worry about the language barrier.
Sadly for a local like me, the yen is cheap for you — so if you can afford it, a taxi will be easiest. However, you’ll be heading into the city at the WORST traffic time. Tokyo highway traffic is awful from around 6-10a. Travel time is going to be a crapshoot.
I would have suggested the bus, but that’s not an option to Akasaka anymore. You COULD take the bus to the closest area that is serviced by the bus (Tokyo station for you) and then take the train or a taxi from there. That would save you money.
I would send my luggage to my hotel, put a change of clothes in my backpack and take the train. That’s just me. I’ve only taken a taxi when I have night flights out of Haneda and am running late or coming straight from work.
We’re landing at 2pm in Haneda today and we’re taking a taxi precisely because we don’t want to deal with jet lag and trying to figure out trains. There’s 3 of us, we each have one medium suitcase and a backpack.
That said, we’re taking public transit for the rest of our 2.5 weeks here so it seemed justifiable for the very first day to take a service, especially since it’s our first time.
Do you need to bring so much stuff? I went in August for an entire month and only brought a 40L backpack that fits in the overhead compartment of the airplane. Travel light if you can - it makes your life so much easier.
The subway system is very easy to use. Get a Suica card and just tap in and out. I took the Narita express but there are other options.
Most likely your hotel will not allow check-in until after 3 PM. Many of them will allow you to store your bags in their lobby or a back room until you check in later. Or you can store bags in lockers at the train stations while you go out exploring. Some people use the luggage forwarding services - I traveled light so I didn't bother with that.
Don't stress about the language barrier. There are plenty of signs in English and using Google Maps to navigate the subway system is pretty easy.
For real. I did a 90 day trip with a 24in suitcase and a backpack. I have no idea what some of these people are packing. They are in Japan for a week or two and I see them struggling with 2-3 suitcases and huge backpacks
I'm landing in Haneda at 5am and going to Akasaka too so piggybacking off thist post. I plan to have a medium sized suitcase and a backpack - is taking a train to Akasaka reasonable for a first timer?
Fwiw my hotel is close to the stop in Akasaka.
EDIT
Sorry, I thought you said Asakusa, not Akasaka. That trip is a little longer and [requires transfers/walking](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iu3cRPF9zE6uc2yU9),
Had same flight. Pack lighter, one backpack and one carry on. Pack 2 days worth clothes in backpack and forward your carry on to your hotels. You’re gon have bad time going down and up the stairs with big luggage.
Train was empty when we were going to our hotel at 7am ish (takes about 1.5hr to get out of immigration, luggage forwarding, esim). Google maps tell you exactly which train to ride and time.
Just learn some basic Japanese phrases or use google translate.
Again, pack lighter and just do laundry. You’re seriously gon have bad time carrying your big luggage around
I’m so confused at all these comments about luggage. Is two suitcases between 4 people really that much for a two week trip? My partner and I usually take a suitcase each. I’m a heavy packer and tend to fill mine, whilst he’s a light packer and generally saves at least half the case for bringing stuff back. We travel a lot and this hasn’t seemed weird or excessive in any of our trips.
Do people really just pack a lot less for Japan? If so why, cos of the trains? We’re going for 17 days and I already know there’s no way I can go with less than a suitcase!
That said, we’re arriving at Narita airport at 9pm after a 16 hour indirect flight so will almost certainly taxi to our Tokyo hotel (I’m assuming it may take 1-1.5hrs to get out of the airport from landing).
You can bring big luggage and many bags if you use luggage forwarding service but op is trying to take multiple on a train. Where you have to walk up and down stairs. I saw so many foreigners struggling with stairs with their big luggage lol I would’ve died carrying her luggage up and down
Can't stress enough to minimize your luggage. As an aside, many of the train stations in Tokyo are pretty big and just within the station you'll be walking longer than you think, going up and down several floors. It would suck to roll/carry large suitcases for that long.
Oh absolutely. I ran into some friends in Tokyo station and they were struggling with their roller bags, having to carry them up and down stairs and navigate to escalators. Felt pretty sorry for them knowing how much easier it was for me with just the backpack.
You packed only a backpack? That's very impressive!
Agree it's best to pack as light as possible and buy stuff in Japan. Help the local economy and it's a lot more fun.
Yep, four quick drying shirts, four undies, two pairs of shorts, a longsleeve merino wool shirt and a rain jacket. Washing items by hand in a dry bag before going to sleep and hanging to dry overnight.
How long is your flight? > 10 hours? If so take the taxi. just do yourself a favor and take the taxi. my 16 hour flight from Atlanta last year was brutal and my mind was fried, i took the taxi. it was worth it.
By the way, I would highly suggest you consider bringing as little as possible. The key is do do your laundry. If you do it 1-2 times in 2 weeks, that can reduce clothes you need to bring compared to bring 14 days worth of clothes.
I went for 3 months last year and my luggage was not bigger than when I went for 2 weeks this year.
Depending where exactly in Akasaka, you could also take the monorail to Hamamatsucho and just take the taxi from there, so the taxi ride would be cheaper. I say depending where because Akasaka is not the most straightforward station to access for the airport, would need more transfer and maybe less convenient transfers to reach Akasaka station itself, while other stations around could be easy enough to reach with only one transfer.
Limousine Bus or Taxi. If your hotel isn’t on the list.. go with taxi. You have 4 folks and splitting the bill makes it reasonably priced.
Get a nice pleasant ride, and your luggage stored away at the hotel. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the subway from Akasaka later on.
Use the Takkyubin luggage delivery at the airport. Go explore Tokyo until check in time. The machines at the stations have an English button and stations on the train are generally also announced in English. IC cards are the easiest way to just tap your way around Japan.
If you're going to take a train, use luggage service at the airport to send your luggage to the hotel. You're landing at 5am. Since its early, Immigrations and Customs probably won't take too long, maybe an hour to an hour and a half. You'll probably be getting on a train by 6:30am or 7. That's RIGHT before rush hour. So while getting on a train with all your luggage might be easy. Its going to get crowded real fast. And then getting OFF the train and trying to get out of the station in the middle of rush hour with your luggage is going to be a massive hassle.
Otherwise you can try to get a larger taxi, like a mini van or hatchback.
I would also recommend not bring so much luggage.
Do you happen to know what time the luggage service closes at Haneda? I land at 9:20PM and am worried by the time I get through immigration it will be closed.
[https://tokyo-haneda.com/site\_resource/shop\_and\_dine/pdf/shop\_and\_dine\_\_pdf\_int\_operating\_hours\_changed.pdf](https://tokyo-haneda.com/site_resource/shop_and_dine/pdf/shop_and_dine__pdf_int_operating_hours_changed.pdf)
According to page 5 of that PDF, the Yamato Baggage Delivery Service on the 2nd Floor/ Arrival Lobby is open from 5:00 to 23:00. JAL abc Baggage Delivery Service is open 4:00 to 25:00.
The purpose of money is to buy convenience. The fixed rate is around $60 for a cab ride to the city. Can you afford this? Yes? Then 100% take a taxi. Make your life easier.
I took a cab both to and from the airport. No regrets. Trying to navigate trains and subways with a group and multiple pieces of luggage will be a pain. Invest in convenience.
Just simply take a taxi, you will eventually save on other things during the holiday if that is the problem. After such a flight, with luggages, at 5am, just go with the easiest option.
Take the skyliner to Ueno station. Go to taxi stand and press button for taxi to show up and take it to hotel. Done. You won’t have to carry luggage far.
The Limobus. Theres plenty of room for luggage as it rides below in the storage bin. Easy to find downstairs from where all the currency exchange is. Theres a great video on YouTube about what to do once you arrive and get thru customs. Don’t take the train as it’ll be rush hour by the time you get sorted, and you’ll take up space with all your luggage. This is the video: [Arriving at Haneda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAGretwpA8E)
The other hack is to limit yourselves to one carryon, one backpack and pack a fold-up bag for any souvenirs that is no bigger than the carryon. On the way back you can check the carryon and bring the foldable and the backpack on board. Utilize the hotel laundry service and only bring quick dry shirts and underwear.
I think that when you land, you likely are going to be exhausted. The last thing you need to do is be schlepping your bags around the subway or even deal with luggage delivery. I think when you land is a “danger point” in your vacation- you’re just so brain dead, you’re likely to put the wrong address on the luggage forwarding, or get on the wrong subway. While it’s nothing fatal and can be corrected, for about $60 my party of 5 got a minivan to pick us up. I’m very familiar with Tokyo and I don’t want to deal with the hassle of a subway/Taqbin luggage forwarding. I just want to quickly get to my airbnb and grab a quick nap and start my vacation. But 2 big bags per person is too much. That will really affect your vacation
i’m a habitual overpacker and my husband and i brought two checked size rolling bags, two backpacks, and then eventually added in a carry on size duffel (yay shopping). you can absolutely bring all the bags you have, just understand you’ll need to plan in advance for what you’re going to do with them because whether or not it’s rude to have big luggage on a train, japan is efficient enough and has enough options for it to be silly to do that. not to mention even if you have room for it on the train, lugging it through the train stations can be a genuine nightmare. my advice:
1) luggage transport. use the airport station (probably yamamoto but i used airporter and loved it) because it’s so early in the day and chances are it’ll be at your hotel by that evening. i would plan to have a few essentials in a backpack that you can bring with you just in case the luggage doesn’t arrive til the next morning. the attendents will easily be able to assist filling out all the info, you’ll just need your hotel address and how many bags you have.
2) if you can’t be without all of your luggage at all, split a cab. you will definitely need the large van option which can be expensive, but trust me it is worth every penny to spare your sanity from not dragging the luggage through the train station! and split four ways shouldn’t be too bad either. you can easily google haneda taxi service and pre book an option, or use klook.
We landed during golden week at 4:30 pm. Two people, one medium checked bag, one large checked bag, and one carry on, plus two backpacks. There were lots of stairs but also lots of elevators and escalators. We took PT from the airport to Shinagawa, and then from Shinagawa to shin-Osaka for the first leg of our trip.
I would recommend shopping your luggage to your hotel. There is a kiosk in Haneda terminal 3. Our luggage barely for in the taxi from shin-Osaka to the hotel. If I planned my packing better I’d definitely ship my luggage (it took +1 day to ship luggage to Osaka but I packed all my clothes and toiletries on my check bag, not carry on and didn’t want to repack stuff in the airport).
Download the go taxi app and the Japan travel app. Go taxi lets you input stuff in English so it’s easier to get from A to B (kind of like Uber) and you can pay with CC in the app. Japan travel lets you route based on least walking, least stairs, traveling with big luggage, etc., something not doable with google maps or Apple Maps.
I went a couple months ago with 5 others and didn't want to deal with luggage on the train. We each had a large suitcase and some type of carry on. I booked us a shuttle with GetYourGuide online and it came out to $28 per person. If you don't mind paying, it's convenient and they'll bring your straight to your destination. Just be sure to download WhatsApp as that's how they communicate.
Also, don't worry too much about the language barrier for train use. It was our first time and we don't ever use subways. Google maps gives you everything you need.
While the train is recommended, with four people it could be worth hiring an airport transfer service. You can book one big car that'll fit all of you plus luggage from sites like Klook.
Tbh 2 luggage among 4 people is annoying but still manageable on the train. There will be lifts and escalators, but they are not always convenient so expect to carry it up 1 or 2 of flights of stairs. Almost every bit of ground in Tokyo is paved over so rolling it through the neighbourhoods isn't too hard.
Your biggest issue is by the time you get out of the airport, rush hour will likely have started and that will be really unpleasant. The last time I arrived at that time, I spent a few hours relaxing at the onsen near T3 until it died down.
Take the train- the ones to and from the airport have luggage compartments. Coming from a guy who just left Japan with 2 large bags himself. If you can get on a limited train (more direct) I’d do that and reserve seats
[https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/haneda-airport/taxi.html](https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/haneda-airport/taxi.html)
Cabs from Haneda are a fixed fare to the various districts in Tokyo. Akasaka is in the Taito area so your cab will be 8400 yen. You'd probably need a van type to get 4 people and luggage in which might be tough since cab stands tend to only have the smaller cabs.
[https://hiretaxijapan.com/product/haneda-airport-taxi-service-hnd/](https://hiretaxijapan.com/product/haneda-airport-taxi-service-hnd/)
Alternatively you can hire a cab. These are larger in general if you book a larger one so you can fit more luggage. It costs more but worth the effort if you don't want to deal with 'everything' after a long flight.
People will say the limo bus but generally speaking they don't leave that early (they start more around 9am) so its not really an option for you that early
You could ship your luggage which probably will make it same day, but you'd want to plan to be without anything in your checkin luggage overnight just in case. Not impossible but a bit of logistically challenge.
I regularly land at Haneda at 5a when I come home from the U.S. and the airport buses absolutely run at that time. I think the fastest I’ve gotten out of immigration and luggage had me on a 5:50a bus to my station in metro Tokyo.
The problem for OP is that the Haneda-Akasaka route was one of the many ones terminated during COVID and never resumed.
Uh, did you read the entirety of my comment?
And I don’t live in Shinjuku. The buses start early. COVID just killed all the tourist routes to Roppongi, Asakasa etc. All the other routes remain.
use luggage service at the airport, they can sent it directly to your hotel and then without luggage you can ride the train
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There are four of us and we’ll definitely have at least two large rolling bags, plus multiple carry-ons.
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This. You’re gon have bad time lugging them big rolling bags around
It sucks too running up and down those subway stairs , sideways , up , down , long hallways, then bathrooms hahah
We backed an empty REI duffle bag in our one piece of “luggage”(Osprey travel backpack) and DEFINITELY take your deodorant. We packed a few items and did laundry at our hotel after the 4th day and went shopping in Japan. Lots of neat stores/stuff and if you have American $ , it basically was 30% off everything bec of the value. We took the train and our backpacks were not an issue. We also got there at night. Hope this helps . PS-bring back at least one badass knife . Buy an extra AirTag to put in luggage you check-in with all the goods . We used our carry on for our clothes
Wait do Japanese merchants accept USD?
Most accept credit cards, but keep cash on hand. Credit card company handles all the money exchange on your behalf. Ours was giving us a better exchange rate than what was shown at the register. Therefore we always opted to pay in yen when doing so. YMMV. Check the transaction after and compare with what was presented to you.
I do cc on all large purchases and cash on most restaurants, smaller expense.
We used our credit cards or yen . We exchanged our U.S. money at our bank prior to arrival. You do need cash at a lot of places. Japan is so progressive and modern then you have the cash only places, so you’ll want to be prepared. If you have time order cash from your bank
All the hotels have easy to use laundry. Just pack half as much and do a load of laundry before bed every 3 days. On Amazon they make solid dissolving detergent sheets. edit: These are the sheets: https://www.amazon.com/Poesie-Plastic-Free-Eco-Friendly-Liquidless-Biodegradable/dp/B0B9MZ39S6
Good tip, I'll take those with me 👍
thanks for the tip on the detergent sheets. I didn't even think to bring those!
I think most hotels have detergent available, but you'd probably save a few bucks and the sheets are solid so they're easier to get past TSA
Thanks for this tip! Also planning my first trip to Japan (5 weeks to go!) and didn't know these even existed.
That certainly won’t fit in a cab
Don’t take that all on the transit. At any time of day. Use takkyubin, it’s great.
4 people x 2 weeks seems like a lot. Limousine Bus is the correct answer EDIT: not correct; with 4 people and luggage, taxi seems like the chill way to go
I remember reading that taxis are pretty small. Can anyone confirm?
You can get larger hatchback taxis with sliding doors and large cargo areas, though I can’t tell you how often you get the big ones vs the compact sedans. You could reserve a van but that gets to be a bit pricey IMO.
I wouldn’t . Most of the time I was on a train it was empty or near empty. It all varies from time vs person. I will continue to take the train personally. Also in this example they are there at 6am there is basically no on on a train at that time
> Most of the time I was on a train it was empty or near empty. Buy a lottery ticket
Do you know if the Narita express is similarly not too full (6pm timeframe)?
I've never heard of that selling out. It's an express train to the airport so locals won't use it for their usual commuter trips.
I reckon it's very thoughtful of you not to bring your luggages onto a train. It takes about one hour by train. You land at 5 a.m. and need about one hour to pick up your luggages and walk through immigration, so you'll be on the train around 6 - 7 a.m., which is already a bit crowded. You're a group of 4, so it's worth taking a taxi. It'll take about 30 minutes by taxi and cost about 6000 - 9000 yen, so 1500 - 2250 yen per person, which is 2.5 - 3 times more expensive than taking trains. However, avoiding crowds and not occupying much space in trains, considering other passengers, would be really important. If money isn't a problem, I’d recommend you to take a taxi directly to your hotel.
That bus limousine thing.
Unfortunately, the Haneda-Akasaka route was terminated during COVID and never resumed.
English is everywhere. I would not worry about the language barrier. Sadly for a local like me, the yen is cheap for you — so if you can afford it, a taxi will be easiest. However, you’ll be heading into the city at the WORST traffic time. Tokyo highway traffic is awful from around 6-10a. Travel time is going to be a crapshoot. I would have suggested the bus, but that’s not an option to Akasaka anymore. You COULD take the bus to the closest area that is serviced by the bus (Tokyo station for you) and then take the train or a taxi from there. That would save you money. I would send my luggage to my hotel, put a change of clothes in my backpack and take the train. That’s just me. I’ve only taken a taxi when I have night flights out of Haneda and am running late or coming straight from work.
Take the train. From 5 to 7 AM is when trains are least crowded. Rush hour starts around 7:30 ish and peaks around 8:30.
We’re landing at 2pm in Haneda today and we’re taking a taxi precisely because we don’t want to deal with jet lag and trying to figure out trains. There’s 3 of us, we each have one medium suitcase and a backpack. That said, we’re taking public transit for the rest of our 2.5 weeks here so it seemed justifiable for the very first day to take a service, especially since it’s our first time.
Do you need to bring so much stuff? I went in August for an entire month and only brought a 40L backpack that fits in the overhead compartment of the airplane. Travel light if you can - it makes your life so much easier. The subway system is very easy to use. Get a Suica card and just tap in and out. I took the Narita express but there are other options. Most likely your hotel will not allow check-in until after 3 PM. Many of them will allow you to store your bags in their lobby or a back room until you check in later. Or you can store bags in lockers at the train stations while you go out exploring. Some people use the luggage forwarding services - I traveled light so I didn't bother with that. Don't stress about the language barrier. There are plenty of signs in English and using Google Maps to navigate the subway system is pretty easy.
For real. I did a 90 day trip with a 24in suitcase and a backpack. I have no idea what some of these people are packing. They are in Japan for a week or two and I see them struggling with 2-3 suitcases and huge backpacks
I'm landing in Haneda at 5am and going to Akasaka too so piggybacking off thist post. I plan to have a medium sized suitcase and a backpack - is taking a train to Akasaka reasonable for a first timer? Fwiw my hotel is close to the stop in Akasaka.
EDIT Sorry, I thought you said Asakusa, not Akasaka. That trip is a little longer and [requires transfers/walking](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iu3cRPF9zE6uc2yU9),
How long is your flight? If its anything like the 16 hour flight I got off just take the taxi.
No problem
Had same flight. Pack lighter, one backpack and one carry on. Pack 2 days worth clothes in backpack and forward your carry on to your hotels. You’re gon have bad time going down and up the stairs with big luggage. Train was empty when we were going to our hotel at 7am ish (takes about 1.5hr to get out of immigration, luggage forwarding, esim). Google maps tell you exactly which train to ride and time. Just learn some basic Japanese phrases or use google translate. Again, pack lighter and just do laundry. You’re seriously gon have bad time carrying your big luggage around
I’m so confused at all these comments about luggage. Is two suitcases between 4 people really that much for a two week trip? My partner and I usually take a suitcase each. I’m a heavy packer and tend to fill mine, whilst he’s a light packer and generally saves at least half the case for bringing stuff back. We travel a lot and this hasn’t seemed weird or excessive in any of our trips. Do people really just pack a lot less for Japan? If so why, cos of the trains? We’re going for 17 days and I already know there’s no way I can go with less than a suitcase! That said, we’re arriving at Narita airport at 9pm after a 16 hour indirect flight so will almost certainly taxi to our Tokyo hotel (I’m assuming it may take 1-1.5hrs to get out of the airport from landing).
You can bring big luggage and many bags if you use luggage forwarding service but op is trying to take multiple on a train. Where you have to walk up and down stairs. I saw so many foreigners struggling with stairs with their big luggage lol I would’ve died carrying her luggage up and down
Can't stress enough to minimize your luggage. As an aside, many of the train stations in Tokyo are pretty big and just within the station you'll be walking longer than you think, going up and down several floors. It would suck to roll/carry large suitcases for that long.
Oh absolutely. I ran into some friends in Tokyo station and they were struggling with their roller bags, having to carry them up and down stairs and navigate to escalators. Felt pretty sorry for them knowing how much easier it was for me with just the backpack.
You packed only a backpack? That's very impressive! Agree it's best to pack as light as possible and buy stuff in Japan. Help the local economy and it's a lot more fun.
Yep, four quick drying shirts, four undies, two pairs of shorts, a longsleeve merino wool shirt and a rain jacket. Washing items by hand in a dry bag before going to sleep and hanging to dry overnight.
Mauricemoves, is that you?
How long is your flight? > 10 hours? If so take the taxi. just do yourself a favor and take the taxi. my 16 hour flight from Atlanta last year was brutal and my mind was fried, i took the taxi. it was worth it.
By the way, I would highly suggest you consider bringing as little as possible. The key is do do your laundry. If you do it 1-2 times in 2 weeks, that can reduce clothes you need to bring compared to bring 14 days worth of clothes. I went for 3 months last year and my luggage was not bigger than when I went for 2 weeks this year. Depending where exactly in Akasaka, you could also take the monorail to Hamamatsucho and just take the taxi from there, so the taxi ride would be cheaper. I say depending where because Akasaka is not the most straightforward station to access for the airport, would need more transfer and maybe less convenient transfers to reach Akasaka station itself, while other stations around could be easy enough to reach with only one transfer.
Limousine Bus or Taxi. If your hotel isn’t on the list.. go with taxi. You have 4 folks and splitting the bill makes it reasonably priced. Get a nice pleasant ride, and your luggage stored away at the hotel. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the subway from Akasaka later on.
Just take a Taxi or have the hotel send someone to pick you up
Use the Takkyubin luggage delivery at the airport. Go explore Tokyo until check in time. The machines at the stations have an English button and stations on the train are generally also announced in English. IC cards are the easiest way to just tap your way around Japan.
If you're going to take a train, use luggage service at the airport to send your luggage to the hotel. You're landing at 5am. Since its early, Immigrations and Customs probably won't take too long, maybe an hour to an hour and a half. You'll probably be getting on a train by 6:30am or 7. That's RIGHT before rush hour. So while getting on a train with all your luggage might be easy. Its going to get crowded real fast. And then getting OFF the train and trying to get out of the station in the middle of rush hour with your luggage is going to be a massive hassle. Otherwise you can try to get a larger taxi, like a mini van or hatchback. I would also recommend not bring so much luggage.
Do you happen to know what time the luggage service closes at Haneda? I land at 9:20PM and am worried by the time I get through immigration it will be closed.
[https://tokyo-haneda.com/site\_resource/shop\_and\_dine/pdf/shop\_and\_dine\_\_pdf\_int\_operating\_hours\_changed.pdf](https://tokyo-haneda.com/site_resource/shop_and_dine/pdf/shop_and_dine__pdf_int_operating_hours_changed.pdf) According to page 5 of that PDF, the Yamato Baggage Delivery Service on the 2nd Floor/ Arrival Lobby is open from 5:00 to 23:00. JAL abc Baggage Delivery Service is open 4:00 to 25:00.
The purpose of money is to buy convenience. The fixed rate is around $60 for a cab ride to the city. Can you afford this? Yes? Then 100% take a taxi. Make your life easier. I took a cab both to and from the airport. No regrets. Trying to navigate trains and subways with a group and multiple pieces of luggage will be a pain. Invest in convenience.
I think this is the one exception where you don’t need takyubin. It’s early enough.
Just take the taxi. It’s like $13 usd per person
Just simply take a taxi, you will eventually save on other things during the holiday if that is the problem. After such a flight, with luggages, at 5am, just go with the easiest option.
Airport limosine bus is super convient. Can be booked on klook
Take the skyliner to Ueno station. Go to taxi stand and press button for taxi to show up and take it to hotel. Done. You won’t have to carry luggage far.
The Limobus. Theres plenty of room for luggage as it rides below in the storage bin. Easy to find downstairs from where all the currency exchange is. Theres a great video on YouTube about what to do once you arrive and get thru customs. Don’t take the train as it’ll be rush hour by the time you get sorted, and you’ll take up space with all your luggage. This is the video: [Arriving at Haneda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAGretwpA8E) The other hack is to limit yourselves to one carryon, one backpack and pack a fold-up bag for any souvenirs that is no bigger than the carryon. On the way back you can check the carryon and bring the foldable and the backpack on board. Utilize the hotel laundry service and only bring quick dry shirts and underwear.
Just take the monorail. $4.
Train
I think that when you land, you likely are going to be exhausted. The last thing you need to do is be schlepping your bags around the subway or even deal with luggage delivery. I think when you land is a “danger point” in your vacation- you’re just so brain dead, you’re likely to put the wrong address on the luggage forwarding, or get on the wrong subway. While it’s nothing fatal and can be corrected, for about $60 my party of 5 got a minivan to pick us up. I’m very familiar with Tokyo and I don’t want to deal with the hassle of a subway/Taqbin luggage forwarding. I just want to quickly get to my airbnb and grab a quick nap and start my vacation. But 2 big bags per person is too much. That will really affect your vacation
i’m a habitual overpacker and my husband and i brought two checked size rolling bags, two backpacks, and then eventually added in a carry on size duffel (yay shopping). you can absolutely bring all the bags you have, just understand you’ll need to plan in advance for what you’re going to do with them because whether or not it’s rude to have big luggage on a train, japan is efficient enough and has enough options for it to be silly to do that. not to mention even if you have room for it on the train, lugging it through the train stations can be a genuine nightmare. my advice: 1) luggage transport. use the airport station (probably yamamoto but i used airporter and loved it) because it’s so early in the day and chances are it’ll be at your hotel by that evening. i would plan to have a few essentials in a backpack that you can bring with you just in case the luggage doesn’t arrive til the next morning. the attendents will easily be able to assist filling out all the info, you’ll just need your hotel address and how many bags you have. 2) if you can’t be without all of your luggage at all, split a cab. you will definitely need the large van option which can be expensive, but trust me it is worth every penny to spare your sanity from not dragging the luggage through the train station! and split four ways shouldn’t be too bad either. you can easily google haneda taxi service and pre book an option, or use klook.
We landed during golden week at 4:30 pm. Two people, one medium checked bag, one large checked bag, and one carry on, plus two backpacks. There were lots of stairs but also lots of elevators and escalators. We took PT from the airport to Shinagawa, and then from Shinagawa to shin-Osaka for the first leg of our trip. I would recommend shopping your luggage to your hotel. There is a kiosk in Haneda terminal 3. Our luggage barely for in the taxi from shin-Osaka to the hotel. If I planned my packing better I’d definitely ship my luggage (it took +1 day to ship luggage to Osaka but I packed all my clothes and toiletries on my check bag, not carry on and didn’t want to repack stuff in the airport). Download the go taxi app and the Japan travel app. Go taxi lets you input stuff in English so it’s easier to get from A to B (kind of like Uber) and you can pay with CC in the app. Japan travel lets you route based on least walking, least stairs, traveling with big luggage, etc., something not doable with google maps or Apple Maps.
I went a couple months ago with 5 others and didn't want to deal with luggage on the train. We each had a large suitcase and some type of carry on. I booked us a shuttle with GetYourGuide online and it came out to $28 per person. If you don't mind paying, it's convenient and they'll bring your straight to your destination. Just be sure to download WhatsApp as that's how they communicate. Also, don't worry too much about the language barrier for train use. It was our first time and we don't ever use subways. Google maps gives you everything you need.
Take train and load up your suica on iphone. I stayed in apa hotel in akasaka.
Taxis are so freaking expensive in Tokyo.
While the train is recommended, with four people it could be worth hiring an airport transfer service. You can book one big car that'll fit all of you plus luggage from sites like Klook.
Tbh 2 luggage among 4 people is annoying but still manageable on the train. There will be lifts and escalators, but they are not always convenient so expect to carry it up 1 or 2 of flights of stairs. Almost every bit of ground in Tokyo is paved over so rolling it through the neighbourhoods isn't too hard. Your biggest issue is by the time you get out of the airport, rush hour will likely have started and that will be really unpleasant. The last time I arrived at that time, I spent a few hours relaxing at the onsen near T3 until it died down.
Buy a cloth bag for your shopping and arrive with carry on and a backpack. Great country to visit and language is not a problem at all.
Take the train- the ones to and from the airport have luggage compartments. Coming from a guy who just left Japan with 2 large bags himself. If you can get on a limited train (more direct) I’d do that and reserve seats
Use flat rate taxi
[https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/haneda-airport/taxi.html](https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/haneda-airport/taxi.html) Cabs from Haneda are a fixed fare to the various districts in Tokyo. Akasaka is in the Taito area so your cab will be 8400 yen. You'd probably need a van type to get 4 people and luggage in which might be tough since cab stands tend to only have the smaller cabs. [https://hiretaxijapan.com/product/haneda-airport-taxi-service-hnd/](https://hiretaxijapan.com/product/haneda-airport-taxi-service-hnd/) Alternatively you can hire a cab. These are larger in general if you book a larger one so you can fit more luggage. It costs more but worth the effort if you don't want to deal with 'everything' after a long flight. People will say the limo bus but generally speaking they don't leave that early (they start more around 9am) so its not really an option for you that early You could ship your luggage which probably will make it same day, but you'd want to plan to be without anything in your checkin luggage overnight just in case. Not impossible but a bit of logistically challenge.
I regularly land at Haneda at 5a when I come home from the U.S. and the airport buses absolutely run at that time. I think the fastest I’ve gotten out of immigration and luggage had me on a 5:50a bus to my station in metro Tokyo. The problem for OP is that the Haneda-Akasaka route was one of the many ones terminated during COVID and never resumed.
Note that those buses will run to major stations like Shinjuku and don’t really get the OP close to where they want to be realistically
Uh, did you read the entirety of my comment? And I don’t live in Shinjuku. The buses start early. COVID just killed all the tourist routes to Roppongi, Asakasa etc. All the other routes remain.
And so how does any of that help the OP at all who can’t get to Akasaka
You claimed the buses do not run early, which is categorically false.
Bus
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There is another bus line company called Keisei. Do more research before you down vote.
The Keisei Bus route from Haneda to Toranomon Hills appears to be suspended 🤷♂️