KEK:How to reach KEK

The simplest yet most expensive way to come to KEK from Narita Airport is to take a taxi. It would cost you approximately 18,000 yen. Please note that KEK is known to locals as "Koh-eh-nel-ghi ken-cue-kikoh" in Tsukuba city and NOT as "KEK". It will take approximately an hour and a half.

You may take an airport bus called "Airport Liner - NATT'S" to Tsukuba Center Bus terminal which is approximately 10 km south of KEK. The bus stop is located right outside of Narita Airport terminal. Tickets from Narita Airport to Tsukuba-center bus terminal are available at the Keisei Bus ticket counter located in the arrival lobby. The fare is 2,540 yen for an adult, and 1,270 yen for a child. Bus stop number is #8 at Terminal-1, and #10 at Terminal-2, as of Jun 2006. Check the latest information at the ticket counter before you go outside of the lobby. The bus is bound for "Tsuchiura Station" .

The bus stop "Tsukuba Center" (tu-ku-ba sen-tah") is located at the center of Tsukuba city. There are two routes of buses departing from Tsukuba Center to KEK, they are for "Technopark Oho", and for "Shimotsuma Station" (shi-mo-tsu-ma-eh-ki). Please note that the buses to Tsukuba-San do not stop at KEK any more.
To get on the bus, you should take the door at the rear or at the middle of the bus, not the one at the front. Take a paper token when you get on. The amount of charge is displayed on the panel near the front with the token number. It is wise to prepare the exact amount of charge before getting on the bus. The charge is 430 yen from Tsukuba Center to KEK, "Koh-eh-nel-ghi ken-cue-kikoh". Limited amount of bank notes can be exchanged by the bus driver.

Please remember that hitchhiking a car in Japan is not a common practice. You could take a taxi from Tsukuba Center bus terminal to KEK. It would cost you approximately 3,000 yen.

It is true that rented car will be very handy if you should stay in KEK for much longer than a week. However, renting a car at Narita airport is not recommended since road signs are quite unclear (even for a Japanese) and only a few English road signs in existence. Roads are narrow and poorly marked. If you really want a car to go around, rent one in Tsukuba.

Take JR Yamanote line to Akihabara terminal and find out a sign "TX" for Tsukuba Express, located deep underground at the east side of the Akihabara station. It takes about 5 miniutes from JR to TX on foot.

From TX Akihabara station, buy a ticket to Tsukuba station. It will take 45 minutes by Rapid, 52 minutes by Semi-Rapid, and 57 minutes by Local train. Take the exit A4 to Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal, and see the section above.

There is a highway bus service from Tokyo JR Train station to Tsukuba Center. The bus stop is located at the south end of Yaesu-side exit from the train station (* JR : Japan Railway). Tickets are available at the vending machine at the Tokyo station, inside the building. It takes about 60 minutes to Tsukuba Center. From there to KEK, see the section above.