Transportation
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Where is Tsukuba ?
Tsukuba (or ''Tsukuba Science City'') is located about 60km north of
Tokyo and about 40km northwest of the Narita International Airport.
Tsukuba Center and OKURA Frontier Hotel TSUKUBA, within a walking
distance each other, are in the central area of Tsukuba and about 10km
south of KEK.
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Connection from Airport to Tsukuba Center
The easiest way is to take a direct bus service, called Airport Liner
''NATT'S'', from the Narita Airport through Tsukuba Center to Tsuchiura
Station. Tickets are available at the ''Airport Limousine Keisei''
counter on the 1st floor in the arrival lobby, and the fare is 2,540
yen per person. (Note that the ''Airport Limousine Bus'' counter on the
same floor, operated by another company, does not take care of the
NATT'S bus service.) The bus stop is located right outside of the
terminal, and the bus leaves the Airport at 07:20, 09:05, 10:35, 12:50,
14:30, 16:15, 17:20, 18:45, and 20:10.
It takes about one hour and 40 minutes to
Tsukuba Center. (The bus, without going through Japanese Expressways,
is hardly caught in a traffic jam and thereby the schedule would be
reliable.) There are six bus stops: ''Shin-Tone-Machi'', ''Ryu-Ga-Saki
New Town'', ''Ushiku'', ''Hitachino-Ushiku Station'' (some of these are
skipped occasionally), ''Tsukuba Center'' and ''Tsuchiura Station'';
you should ride off the bus at Tsukuba Center (not Tsuchiura Station).
In case your flight does not match the bus
schedule (leaving the Airport at 20:10 in the last), then you must go
the Tokyo area at first by the JR line, Keisei line or Airport
Limousine Bus (about two hours, 2,000-3,000 yen). The transportation
from Narita to Tsukuba by taxi will cost as much as 20,000 yen.
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Connection from the Tokyo area to Tsukuba Center
Take the JR Yamanote line to the Akihabara terminal and find out a sign
"TX" for Tsukuba Express railroad, which is located deep underground at
the east side of the Akihabara station. It takes about 10 miniutes from
JR to TX on foot.
At the TX Akihabara station, buy a ticket to
Tsukuba station (1,150 yen per person) and take a Rapid train (45
minutes) or a Semi-Rapid train (52 minutes); a limited number of Local
trains reach the Tsukuba station (57 minutes). Take the exit A4 or A3
of the Tsukuba station to the Tsukuba Center bus terminal (and OKURA
Frontier Hotel TSUKUBA).
TX trains leave the stations every $\sim$ 15
minutes; the first and last trains leave the TX Akihabara station for
the Tsukuba station at 05:30AM and 23:30, respectively, and the first
and last trains leave Tsukuba for Akihabara at 05:07AM and 23:14,
respectively. You can enjoy a short trip from Tsukuba to Tokyo easily
by using the TX trains.
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Connection of a TX train and a public bus service
If you are going to visit KEK directly via Tsukuba Center by a TX train
and a public bus service, the information on their connection is
available from our Web page
http://www.kek.jp/intra-e/access/timetable1.html
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Connection from Tsukuba to Airport
The easiest way to returning to the Narita Airport from Tsukuba is
again to take the direct bus service, leaving Tsukuba Center at 06:20,
07:20, 08:50, 10:20, 11:55, 13:25, 14:35, 15:50, and 17:35. The ticket
going to the airport, however, needed to be reserved and purchased at
least one day in advance. The ticket can be purchased not only at
Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal but also at KEK Grocery.
