Can I Travel To Kobe, Kyoto, Tokyo Narita Airport?

by Jeanie
(Sydney)

Hi, we are coming to Japan on the 2 May by cruise ship and are starting our travel at Kobe, then to Kyoto then to Narita to fly home.
Has the travel from Kyoto to Tokyo been affected?
Is it OK to stay in Tokyo for 1 night and how difficult is the travel from Tokyo to Narita.

Thank you for your help. Jeanie.

Reply To-Can I Travel To Kobe, Kyoto, Tokyo Narita Airport.

Japan Earthquake Updated Advice-March 2011

I do hope that by May things will be back to normal here in Japan.
I will give you the Info on what is going on right now in Kobe, Kyoto, and on the way to Tokyo Narita Airport.
Regarding staying in Tokyo- Planned blackouts are carried out in the Great Tokyo area but the center of Tokyo is not included. So if you stay in one of these Tokyo hotels, earthquake induced blackouts will not affect you.
You can also expect low rates at Tokyo hotels. As Earthquake & Tsunami put tourism in Tokyo out of business, so they will be eager to refill rooms with visitors and help draw tourists back to Japan.
I will do my best to report any new and hopefully comforting information here, on Japan Earthquake page which is constantly updated.
Trains from Tokyo to Narita-
The Narita Express high-speed line is suspended so as to conserve power. The JR Sobu line to Narita is running on a weekend schedule, and it takes 80 mins to Tokyo station.
The Keisei line Skylinner (express) runs between Narita and Ueno station in Tokyo, and takes 50 mins. It is running on weekend schedule, but can be expected to run more frequently in a few days.
The Limousine Bus from the airport is Operating as always.
As long as you take into consideration that it takes longer than usual to get to the airport – you’re fine.
Central Tokyo and Narita Airport are both well away from the official radiation danger zone as stated by several foreign embassies and the Japanese government

Kobe is located over 800 km away from the center of the quake, and the damage in Kobe was minimal.
The transportation in Kobe was not affected at all by the quake, and is running as usual.
Kobe is located over 600 km away from Fukushima and has not been affected by radiation released from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant
Kyoto is business as usual. Kyoto's hotels, attractions and transportation are all operating as usual. The Bullet train/Shinkansen Kyoto-to-Tokyo is running as usual.

Take into account that things will probably get better as the Japanese are making huge efforts to restore things back to normal. It’s incredible to see how these hard-working and focused people are so committed to their country.