Tsukuba Monogatari: Fifteenth post
I have always sworn religiously by Japan’s public transportation system. You can set your watch by it; you can ride it safely at any time of the day or night; but most importantly, you can get wherever you want to go by using it.
This past week, however, the myth was shattered as, preparing to spend a weekend in Hong Kong, I asked one cultural informant after another, “What’s the best way to get from Tsukuba to Narita Airport?” (Remember, this was before Google maps existed!)
“By taxi?” Ishida-san asked. “No,” I said. “By public transportation.” Her face registered disbelief. “You had better to drive,” she said. I had similar responses from others. So arduous, so convoluted, is the route from Tsukuba to Narita by train, bus, taxi, or a combination of several of each, that Tsukubans are reluctant to even undertake an explanation. By twisting a few arms, I was able to gather the following information:
You can drive to Arakawaoki Station and take the Joban-sen to Kashiwa, where you can transfer to the Narita-sen, which takes you to Narita. But that is Narita the town, not Narita the Airport. From Narita town you have to take a bus or taxi to the airport. An alternative is to take the Joban-sen all the way to Ueno Station in Tokyo and transfer to the Keisei Skyliner, which doubles back and goes to the airport. But the Keisei Station is not exactly at Ueno. You have to walk or take a taxi. And so on. So I decided to drive.
“Narita Express.” Courtesy of Christian. Licensed under cc by NC-ND 2.0
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