Japan

Tokyo cruise port

Most itineraries that say Tokyo actually berth at Yokohama, half an hour down the bay - Osanbashi Pier for medium ships, Daikoku Pier for the very large ones, with the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal at Odaiba as the third option. Yokohama is not a consolation prize: Osanbashi opens straight onto the waterfront, with Chinatown and Minato Mirai on foot. But if you want Tokyo proper, budget the round trip and pick two neighbourhoods rather than five.

9 cruises in this guide call here · 7 start here · best months: Late Mar-early Apr (cherry blossom), Oct-Nov (autumn colour)

The Bay Bridge decides your pier

Yokohama Bay Bridge is the reason the biggest ships end up at Daikoku. The city describes Daikoku as the terminal for mega-ships up to 220,000 tons that cannot pass under the bridge, so if your ship is one of the large modern ones, assume Daikoku until told otherwise. From there the nearest stations, Motomachi-Chukagai or Shin-Koyasu, are about 15 minutes away by taxi.

There is also a third Yokohama berth that itineraries rarely name: Shinko Pier, a single 340m berth inside a building with shops, restaurants and a hotel lobby. It is a 10-minute walk to Bashamichi Station and 12 minutes to Minatomirai Station, so it is nearly as convenient as Osanbashi.

Flying in for embarkation

Haneda is the easy airport. Yokohama's city figures put Osanbashi about 30 minutes from Haneda and Daikoku about 20. Japan's national tourism board lists the Airport Limousine Bus from Haneda to Osanbashi in roughly 40 minutes for 720 yen, or the Keikyu train to Yokohama Station plus the Minatomirai Line to Nihon-odori takes about 36 minutes for 660 yen, with a 5-minute walk from the station to the pier.

Narita is a different proposition - about 90 minutes to Yokohama whichever way you go. The Narita Express to Yokohama Station is listed at 4,090 yen one way. With an international flight into Narita, a hotel night in Yokohama or Tokyo before sailing removes most of the risk.

From Tokyo hotels, a shared shuttle (operated by Green Tomato) runs to the port on selected dates only, at 6,800 yen per person, and has to be booked ahead.

Sources: city.yokohama.lg.jp, japan.travel

Cruises that call at Tokyo

CruiseLineLengthHere on
Diamond Princess - Circle Japan Spring FlowersPrincess Cruises11 NightsDeparture
Norwegian Jade - Autumn Japan & Korea: Tokyo to SeoulNorwegian Cruise Line11 NightsDeparture
Celebrity Solstice - Best of Japan from TokyoCelebrity Cruises12 NightsDeparture
Norwegian Jade - Tokyo to Hong Kong via Okinawa & TaipeiNorwegian Cruise Line9 NightsDeparture
Diamond Princess - Japanese ExplorerPrincess Cruises11 NightsDeparture
Riviera - Whispers of the Far EastOceania Cruises11 NightsDay 11
Seven Seas Explorer - Epicurean Japan Roundtrip TokyoRegent Seven Seas11 NightsDeparture
Viking Orion - Far Eastern Horizons: Tokyo to Hong KongViking Ocean Cruises14 NightsDeparture
Silver Moon - Hong Kong to Tokyo: Taiwan, Korea & JapanSilversea14 NightsDay 15 (ends)

Often on the same itinerary

Ports that share the most sailings with Tokyo in this guide.