Mito

By plane

Ibaraki Airport 茨城空港 Ibaraki kūkō, IATA: IBR ICAO: RJAH opened in March of 2010 on the site of a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base. Located approximately 80 km from Tokyo, it is intended to be a secondary airport to Haneda and Narita. The only services that currently operate out of the airport are a daily round-trip to Seoul on Asiana Airlines, and a daily round-trip to Kobe on Skymark Airlines. As of October 2010, Spring Airlines operates flights designated as charters to Shanghai.

From Ibaraki Airport, buses run to Ishioka Station 40 minutes, ¥600 for connection to JR Joban Line trains to Ueno in Tokyo One hour, ¥2900 by Limited Express, and to Mito Station One hour, ¥1100 for rail connections to the north.

From Narita Airport, the Rose Liner airport limousine bus runs to/from the Mito-Oarai Interchange, Mito Station, Katsuta Station and Hitachi. There are nine daily round-trips, and the journey to Mito Station takes about two hours at a cost of ¥3000. Schedule

From Haneda Airport, Airport Limousine buses make runs directly to Mito every hour, but only during the afternoon and evening about 2 hours, ¥3500. Otherwise, take the Keikyu Line train to Shinagawa, then the JR Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line to Ueno to pick up a train bound for Mito 2 to 3 hours, ~¥2600-4600, depending on what train you take; see below.

By train

Mito is on the JR Joban Line, which starts at Ueno station in Tokyo, and goes to Sendai.

Limited Express trains depart from Ueno for Mito every 30 minutes during the day: Super Hitachi trains depart at the top of the hour, and Fresh Hitachi trains depart at 30 minutes past the hour. The trip will cost ¥4220 no charge with the Japan Rail Pass and take 65-75 minutes, depending on the number of stops the train makes.

Local trains will cover the journey in two hours at a cost of ¥2210. Direct local services for Mito depart from Ueno 2-3 times per hour.