In August 2022, the LCB (low cost bus) departing from and arriving at the west exit of Ikebukuro Station started operating.
I got on from Narita Airport Terminal 3.
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1.I took the Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line from Narita Airport Terminal 3.
1-1.Platform 10! It’s far away, so please allow yourself plenty of time
Follow the directions and go down to the 1st floor.
Get off the escalator and when you reach the ground level, turn right.
Here are the directions for buses and taxis.
Top left is your current location.
Platform 10 is on the bottom right.
Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line platform, number 10 is the second farthest.
If you go at the last minute, you may not make it in time.
Leave the terminal with plenty of time to spare.
There is a bus waiting room, toilets, vending machines, and benches.
It’s convenient to keep out the rain and wind when it’s cold or hot.
Can you see two people standing in the back?
That’s bus stop number 10.
It’s at the end of the bus and taxi stand! Do you understand what I mean?
Although the boarding area has a roof, there are no benches or places to sit.
Even if you arrive too early, it can be exhausting.
Ticket gates start about 5 minutes before departure.
Since it had just started operating, there was also the corona disaster, so we departed from Terminal 3 with 7 people on board.
1-2.Narita Airport Terminal 2, 1st Floor, Platform 7
When you arrive at Terminal 2, go out from “North Exit 2” on the first floor.
Because there is a 7th stop in front of you.
Follow the instructions and line up in the lane.
There were some benches near the bus stop in Terminal 2.
1-3.Narita Airport Terminal 1, Platform 3 on the 1st floor
I’m sorry I don’t have a photo.
If you go out from North Wing International Arrival Lobby North Exit N1, there seems to be Platform 3 in front of you on the right.
1-4.Impressions of riding the Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line
Inside the bus is a typical 4-seat bus in a row.
Anything other than hand luggage (in principle, up to one suitcase per person) should be stored in the trunk of the bus.
It is with the bus at the time of the school trip(in Japan…).
1-5.Arrive at Ikebukuro West Exit
The Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line that I boarded this time
Depart from Narita Airport Terminal 3 at 17:30
Arrive at Ikebukuro West Exit at 19:20
It was a scheduled bus.
However, because it was a weekday during the Obon holiday, the roads were empty and we arrived at Ikebukuro before 19:00.
The ride time was about 90 minutes.
It is kind of you to change the estimated arrival time when the roads are busy or when traffic is likely to be heavy.
＞Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line Official Site
2.The Ikebukuro bus stop is Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park, next to the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater, bus stop number 7.
※Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park called Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Where is the bus stop at the west exit of Ikebukuro?
Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park, bus stop number 7 next to the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater.
This is what it looks like in the daytime.
From Ikebukuro station to the bus stop, you can hardly see the guide.
Be careful as there is a guide for a limousine bus from another company, which can be confusing.
Instead of relying on it, you should aim for Tokyo Metropolitan Theater or Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park.
＞Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line Official Site
3.A Rough Comparison of Access from Ikebukuro Station to Narita Airport
| Narita Airport to Ikebukuro St, | transfer | fee | required time | frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line | 0 | 1,900 JPY(lowest 1,500 JPY) | 82-110 minutes | 8 buses a day |
| Airport Bus Tokyo Narita(TYO⇔NRT)＋JR Yamanote Line | 1 (Tokyo Station) | 1,500 JPN (Train 200 JPN+ Bus 1,300JPN* Late night and early morning 2,600 yen) | 16-24 minutes (train) + 65 minutes (bus) = 90 minutes | 56 buses a day |
| Skyliner + JR Yamanote Line | 1（Nippori Station） | 2,740 JPN | 55 -58 minutes | 41 trains a day |
| Keisei Line (do not require a limited express charge) | at least 1（Nippori Station） | 1,440 JPN | 80 minutes | About 3 trains per hour in the morning, noon, and evening |
I will share 4 recommended access from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro Station.
3-1.Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line【This article is this】
- Easy access from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro West Exit without changing trains
- You can have a seat sit from start to finish
- reasonable pricing
- The number of bus is still small, so let’s all ride together and increase the number of trains.
>Narita Shuttle Ikebukuro Line Offcial site
3-2.Airport Bus Tokyo Narita(TYO⇔NRT)＋JR Yamanote Line
- Take a bus from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station, then take the JR Yamanote Line from Tokyo Station to Ikebukuro Station.
- You can definitely get a seat on the bus, but between Tokyo Station and Ikebukuro Station, it depends on your luck.
- There are many buses, so you can choose according to your flight time.
- Buses are often delayed during heavy traffic
- For access from Ikebukuro Station to Tokyo Station, the JR Yamanote Line is recommended over the Marunouchi Line.
If you come out of JR Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit, you will see it in front of you on the right. The Marunouchi line definitely gets lost
3-3.Skyliner + JR Yamanote Line (Transfer at Nippori Station)
- You can go from Ikebukuro Station to Narita Airport in about an hour! Accurate on time without traffic jams
- You can sit on the Skyliner (reserve a reserved seat)
- On the Yamanote Line (about 15 minutes), you may not be able to sit
- There are many trains, so you can choose according to your flight time
3-4.Keisei Line (express, rapid service, etc. that do not require a limited express charge)
- Take Keisei Electric Railway’s rapid trains that do not require limited express fares
- At least one transfer is required at Nippori
- The time is about the same as the bus, but it is accurate because there is no traffic jam.
- cheap
- You can ride without a reservation
- There is a high possibility that it will be crowded and you will not be able to sit down
