How To Get To Yokohama From Tokyo - 6 Different Ways And Fares

Travel from Tokyo to Yokohama

Kanagawa Prefecture boasts the second largest population in Japan. Yokohama is Kanagawa's largest city.

Yokohama is filled with things to do and see, like the Yokohama Chinatown, along with the plaza by the Red Brick Warehouse (Aka Renga Soko). Sankei-en Garden, a traditional Japanese garden where you can admire plants of different seasons, is also well-known. Yokohama's convenient location and the short distance from Tokyo also makes it popular with travelers.

Today we will be introducing the six different ways to get to Yokohama Station from Tokyo.

The following passes and tickets are convenient and will save yen on travel between Yokohama and Tokyo: Japan Rail Pass, Suica IC Card Reservation

6 Different Trains Depending On Where You Board

Using a train is very convenient to get to Yokohama from Tokyo.

There are 6 different trains that run to Yokohama. If you're starting from one of the major stations of Tokyo (Tokyo Station, Ueno Station, Shinagawa Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station or Ikebukuro Station), you can get to Yokohama Station without transferring trains.

The railways you may be use are the Tokyu Toyoko Line, the Keihin Kyuko Line, the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line, the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, the JR Tokaido Line/Ueno-Tokyo Line or the JR Yokosuka Line.

1. Tokyu Toyoko Line

Picture courtesy of takeshisz

You can get to Yokohama from Shibuya for the cheapest fare via the Tokyu Toyoko Line.

It passes through Yokohama of course, and also directly connects to the Minatomirai Line which heads toward Motomachi-Chukagai as well as Sakuragicho, making it very convenient for getting to the main tourist spots of Yokohama.

2. Shonan-Shinjuku Line

You can board the Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro. It's the only route that allows you to reach Yokohama from Ikebukuro or Shinjuku without transfering trains. However, it's a little pricier if you compare it to the fare of the Tokyu Toyoko Line from Shibuya.

3. Keihin-Tohoku Line

The Keihin-Tohoku Line runs between Tokyo and Yokohama. Its main stops include Tokyo, Ueno and Shinagawa. It consists of the Local train and the Rapid train. However, the time it takes to reach Yokohama is longer than that of the Yokosuka Line and Tokaido Line which we will compare below, but costs the same price. Although this line might not be your first pick, it does have the merit of running relatively late into the night.

4. Tokaido Line/Ueno-Tokyo Line

The Tokaido Main Line can be boarded from Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno. In March 2015, it connected with the Ueno-Tokyo Line enabling the ride from Ueno to Yokohama without any train transfers.

The Tokaido line continues to Atami, which is famous as a resort location. The train design is the same as the Shōnan-Shinjuku Line.

5. Keihin Kyuko/Keikyu Line

The Keikyu Line is a train you can use from the Keihin Kyuko Shinagawa Station, which is connected to the JR Shinagawa Station. You can also use this line to get from Haneda Airport's International Terminal to Yokohama without any transfers.

The Keikyu Line and JR Lines are by each other at Shinagawa Station, making transfers easy as well. Keep in mind that the normal Keihin Kyuko is red-colored, but there are some trains with special colors. It is said that you're lucky if you see a blue or yellow-colored train.

6. Yokosuka Line

The last train we'll be introducing is the JR Yokosuka Line.

One of the Yokosuka Line's end stations is Narita Airport, so it's possible to get from Narita Airport to Yokohama with just one train. The fare is the same as the Tokaido Line. It also takes a bit longer than the Tokaido Line, but not by much, so it might just be a good idea to get on the train that arrives at the platform first.

Usable Trains Chart

This is a chart with all the usable trains. Even when you're not heading to Yokohama, it's good to know from what station you can use which train. Please feel free to use this chart for your travels.

photos by PIXTA