【Narita Express】How to get to Tokyo from Narita Airport！ (And how to transfer to the Shinkansen at Tokyo Station)

We recommend using JR-East Narita Express from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station.
The Narita Express is JR-East express train that goes directly from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station, Shinagawa Station, Yokohama Station, etc.
The Narita Express connects Narita Airport to Tokyo Station in about one hour.

All seats on the Narita Express are reserved, so it is necessary to purchase a reserved-seat express ticket before boarding.
Tickets for the Narita Express can be purchased through “JR-East Train Reservation,” JR- East ticket reservation service.
*The Narita Express does not have unreserved seats.

Here is how to transfer from the Narita Express to the Shinkansen at Tokyo Station.
The Narita Express arrives at Tokyo Station on the 5th basement floor.
Follow the yellow signs indicating the exit and take the escalator up.

After you go up the escalator, you will see another long escalator. Take that one.

The picture above is the sign to the Shinkansen boarding area.
Please look for this sign when boarding the Shinkansen.
The blue signs are for the JR-Central Tokaido Shinkansen (for Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya).
The green signs are for the JR-East Shinkansen lines listed below.
Tohoku Shinkansen (for Utsunomiya, Fukushima, Sendai, Morioka, Shin-Aomori)
Akita Shinkansen (for Kakunodate and Akita)
Yamagata Shinkansen (for Yamagata, Oshida, Shinjo)
Hokkaido Shinkansen (for Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto)
Joetsu Shinkansen (for Niigata, Nagaoka, Gala-Yuzawa)
Hokuriku Shinkansen (for Karuizawa, Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui)

There are a lot of signs at various places in Tokyo Station to guide you to the Shinkansen transfer gates, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost!

This is the Shinkansen transfer gate of JR-East.
You can transfer to the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Hokkaido, Joetsu, and Hokuriku Shinkansen here.
The green information signs are landmarks.

These are ticket gates at the transfer gate.
The green ticket gates are landmarks.
Be careful not to make a mistake because the Tokaido Shinkansen bound for Kyoto and Osaka has blue ticket gates!

Why not use JR-East Narita Express to get from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station?
Use this article as a reference for a smooth transfer from the Narita Express to the Shinkansen!
*The information is current as of May 2025.