Haneda airport train slashes fares to dominate access to Tokyo hub

Nov 01, 2019 | News On Japan

Nov 01, 2019 (Nikkei) - As companies across Japan raised prices to adjust to the 2 percentage-point hike in consumption tax on Oct.1, railroad operator Keikyu went against the grain by reducing fares on its cash cow Haneda Airport-to-central Tokyo route by about 30%.

It was not as if the rail operator needed a shot in the arm. Keikyu commands a comfortable top share of 32% of the passengers using the urban airport. The fare revision is expected to blow a 4 billion-yen ($36.7 million) hole in revenue.

But a closer look at the decision making reveals a strategy of taking short-term losses for the sake of an even brighter future.

"I always used the monorail but after hearing that the prices went down, I tried Keikyu," a 51-year-old man told Nikkei in mid-October on his way to Haneda to take a plane back to his hometown in Oita Prefecture.

The price drop is considered significant, especially in an industry where it is not common globally to see fares reduced. Keikyu now charges 300 yen for a ride from Shinagawa Station to the airport, down from its previous 410-yen fare.

Rival Tokyo Monorail, an elevated line that follows the western coast of Tokyo Bay, charges 500 yen for a Haneda-Hamamatsucho ride. A limousine bus operated by Airport Transport Service asks for 730 yen for a ride to Shinagawa Prince Hotel.

For a comparison with an overseas airport, a train ride between Heathrow Airport to central London would cost about $30, whereas a subway trip from New York's JFK Airport to Manhattan will incur a payment of over $10. Both make Haneda's affordability stands out.

Heatstroke Alert Issued Day After Record Rain Hits Fukui

Residents in Fukui Prefecture began clearing flood-damaged homes early on August 31 as temperatures climbed sharply following record rainfall, prompting authorities to issue a heatstroke alert while recovery work continued in severe heat.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

Typhoon No. 23 Overtakes No. 22 East of Japan as Both Head North

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

One in Three Unmarried Young People in Japan Plan to Stay Single

About one in three unmarried young people in Japan say they have no intention of marrying, according to the first large-scale survey of young people conducted by the Children and Families Agency, with financial insecurity emerging as the biggest perceived obstacle to marriage.

Eleven Passengers Trapped in Legoland

Eleven passengers were rescued from an attraction at Legoland Japan in Nagoya on August 30 after a door failed to open, leaving them trapped for about 30 minutes, with no injuries or reports of illness.

Smoke at Tokyo Disneyland Restaurant Sparks Evacuation

Guests were evacuated from a restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland on August 30 after smoke emerged from a customer's bag, with police investigating a mobile battery inside the bag as the suspected source.

Three Students Swept Out to Sea in Kagoshima

Three teenage boys who went missing after being swept offshore from the coast of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 28 were found in the sea near the scene on August 29 and confirmed dead.

Foreign Cyclist Suffers Broken Shoulder in Shiga Hit-and-Run

A foreign man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, early on August 29, with police investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Bread Dumping Mystery Takes a Twist

A fake video apparently created with generative AI showing a large bear eating piles of sliced bread has spread on social media following a series of illegal bread dumping incidents in Tottori Prefecture, prompting the prefectural government to warn that misinformation could cause economic harm.

Teens Arrested for Spraying Fire Extinguishers at Police Station

Three youths, including a high school student and a junior high school student, have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing police duties after allegedly stealing fire extinguishers and spraying them toward a police station in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture.

Avant-Garde Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese avant-garde artist whose obsessive dots, nets, pumpkins and mirrored rooms grew from intensely personal visions into some of the most recognizable images in contemporary art, died at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97. Her death was announced on August 27 by companies representing the artist, which said she continued painting until her final days.

< 2 3 4 5 >