From/To the Airports – Arrival/Departure Information
Welcome to Japan
For those of you assigned duty with United States Army Japan, United States Army Garrison-Japan, or one of the other units/activities in the Camp Zama area, you will usually arrive in Japan at either Yokota Air Base, Narita (Tokyo) International Airport or Haneda International Airport. Narita IAP or Yokota AB are the preferred arrival gateways for newcomers and those on temporary duty.
For those being assigned to Okinawa, most will be assigned to either Torii Station or nearby Kadena Air Base. Many of the support facilities are at Kadena AB, therefore, information you will need is at: Kadena Air Base
Arrival at Yokota Air Base
Yokota AB is about 25 miles from Camp Zama and takes about 90 minutes to drive. There is no regularly scheduled bus service. Contact your sponsor to have them either meet you at Yokota AB upon your arrival or have an Army vehicle with driver meet you. You must have your gaining unit’s sponsor make the vehicle reservation for you at least several days before you and/or your family arrives in Japan.
After your flight arrives, you will be met by an Air Mobility Command (AMC) representative who will guide you through immigration and customs clearance procedures. You will then pick up your bags and go through the customs inspection area for inbound customs inspection. If any of your baggage is missing or damaged, you should file a claim with Lost and Found before you leave the baggage area.
Once you are cleared, you should be met by your sponsor. If you know that only a vehicle will be there, proceed to the parking lot on the north side of the terminal where your driver will be waiting.
If you have a pet accompanying you, please see “Travelling with Pets” section below.
Arrival at Narita (Tokyo) International Airport
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) offers one shuttle bus from Narita IAP to Camp Zama and Sagamihara Family Housing Area each day departing Narita IAP at 6 p.m. At Camp Zama there are two stops, the first is at the Community Club and the final stop at the Army Lodging Office. The bus will only drop off at Sagamihara Family Housing Area by request.
Most American commercial flights arrive at Terminal 1. (If you arrive at Terminal 2, take the free shuttle bus to Terminal 1. Go to the end of the North Wing of Terminal 1, where there is a DoD Liaison Desk, and tell the representative you are going to Camp Zama or check the maps on the desk. The bus will be available for boarding 30 minutes before departure. The bus is located in the Terminal 1 parking lot near the parking lot exit booths. The cost is $30 per passenger . No yen, credit cards, debit cards or personal checks are accepted. The bus takes about three hours and does not make stops, but has a restroom aboard. It is best to carry snacks or nonalcoholic refreshments with you before boarding the bus.
Children under 45 pounds, who would not normally use a seat belt, are required to have a child safety seat which the sponsor must provide. Children are not allowed to ride on laps.
Pets are allowed on the MWR bus, but pet kennel dimensions cannot exceed 16” wide x 16” high x 21” deep. Each pet kennel meeting these requirements will be changed $30. If kennels exceed this dimension, contact your sponsor to arrange alternate transportation.
Taxis from Narita IAP to Camp Zama are extremely expensive. However, if you take a commercial limousine bus to Sagami-Ono, taxi service will be less expensive to either Camp Zama or Sagamihara Family Housing Area.
Arrival at Haneda International Airport
If your itinerary requires you to use Haneda IAP, Morale, MWR offers one shuttle bus each day leaving Haneda IAP at 6:30 p.m., for Sagamihara Family Housing Area and Camp Zama. There are two stops at Camp Zama, the first at the Community Club and the final stop at the Army Lodging Office. The bus will only drop off at Sagamihara Family Housing Area by request.
Most American commercial flights arrive at the international terminal. The bus can be found by using the International Terminal arrival lobby passageway on the 2nd floor and go to the group bus stop area and then down to the 1st floor. The cost is $25 per passenger. No yen, credit cards, debit cards or personal checks are accepted. The bus will be available for boarding about 30 minutes before departure. The bus takes about 90 minutes and does not make stops, but has a restroom aboard. It is best to carry snacks or nonalcoholic refreshments with you before boarding the bus.
Children under 45 pounds, who would not normally use a seat belt, are required to have a child safety seat which the sponsor must provide. Children are not allowed to ride on laps.
Pets are allowed on the MWR bus, but pet kennel dimensions cannot exceed 16” wide x 16” high x 21” deep. Each pet kennel meeting these requirements will be changed $30. If kennels exceed this dimension, contact your sponsor to arrange alternate transportation.
If you will be unable to use the MWR shuttle bus or your pet cage is too large, contact your sponsor well in advance so your sponsor can arrange Army transportation.
If you have a pet accompanying you, please see “Travelling with Pets” section below.
Commercial bus and train transportation is readily available at: /information/Haneda_Airport.pdf.
Taxis from Haneda IAP to Camp Zama are very expensive. However, if you take a commercial limousine bus to Sagami-Ono, taxi service will be less expensive to either Camp Zama or Sagamihara Family Housing Area.
Army MWR Bus to Narita and Haneda International Airports from Camp Zama
The MWR shuttle bus to Haneda IAP departs Army Lodging Office at 11:15 a.m., and Camp Zama Community Club at 11:30 a.m., and (by reservation only) Sagamihara Family Housing Area’s airport bus stop at 12 p.m.
The MWR shuttle bus to Narita IAP departs Army Lodging Office at 10:45 a.m., Camp Zama Community Club at 11 a.m., and (by reservation only) Sagamihara Family Housing Area’s airport bus stop at 11:30 a.m.
Tickets should be purchased a day or more prior to departure to guarantee space and to confirm the pickup location.
Commercial Transportation from Narita to Camp Zama
Taxis to Camp Zama are very expensive and can easily exceed $400 and usually are not reimbursed for official travel.
In the event that no transportation arrangements have been made or you arrive after the 6 p.m., Army bus departure, and you have not made prior arrangements with your sponsor, there are alternatives using commercial bus and train transportation. The bottom line is to work closely with your sponsor because hauling your luggage around can be overwhelming and you cannot take more than one suitcase and a small carry-on per person on the trains. Also, pets are not permitted on commercial buses or trains.
Commercial Limousine Bus to Camp Zama
There are three commercial limousine bus companies which provide transportation relatively close to Camp Zama from either Narita or Haneda International Airports. The destination is Sagami-Ono (相模大野). Bus tickets range between $30~40 for each adult passenger and are less expensive for children. Purchase tickets from one of the commercial bus companies in the arrival lounge area. Follow their instructions for departure time and bus stop number.
When arriving at Sagami-Ono, you will then need to take a commercial taxi to Camp Zama Main Gate 1. Commercial taxis are not permitted to enter the installation so you must get off at the Main Gate. There are no on-post taxis either, so you should call ahead for your sponsor to pick up there or you will walk to Army Lodging.
Trains from Narita to Camp Zama
There are two high speed lines that operate from Narita IAP. The Keisei Skyliner and the N’EX Narita Express.
N’EX Narita Express
The N’EX Narita Express operates trains from the lower level of Narita IAP Terminals 1 and 2. The trains run throughout the day on a regular schedule. There are N’EX Narita Express representatives who will help you get your ticket. Ticket turnstiles into and out of stations, as well as nearly all ticket vending machines, are automated. After you insert your ticket is will reappear about 30 inches from where you inserted it in the turnstile. Keep your ticket as you will need it to exit the station on the end of your leg. Do not bend or mutilate your ticket. The N’EX Narita Express rail line takes about 83 minutes to Shinjuku Station (新宿) and costs ¥3,250 for ordinary car and ¥4,820 for the green car. At Shinjuku Station look for directions to the Odakyu Line (小田急線). Again, there is a representative to buy tickets, to tell you which train to take, and which track to board from. The closest train station to Camp Zama is Sobudaimae Station (相武台前). At Sodudaimae Station turn right after exiting the train ticket turnstile. Go down the stairs to street level and turn a half-right again. You will see a street signal right in front of you, cross the street and continue walking straight to Camp Zama’s Gate 4 pedestrian gate, or you can take a taxi to Camp Zama Main Gate 1. Beware of traffic especially if you are not familiar with driving on the opposite side of the road from the U.S.
Keisei Skyliner
The Keisei Skyliner operates trains from the lower level of Narita IAP Terminals 1 and 2. The trains run throughout the day on a regular schedule and are ¥2,520 per passenger, half fare for children ages 6-11. There are Keisei representatives who will help you get your ticket. Ticket turnstiles into and out of stations, as well as nearly all ticket vending machines, are automated. After you insert your ticket it will reappear about 30 inches from where you inserted it in the turnstile. Keep your ticket as you will need it to exit the station on the end of your leg. Do not bend or mutilate your ticket. The Keisei Skyliner rail line takes 41 minutes to the final stop, Keisei-Ueno Station (京成上野).
Upon arrival at Keisei-Ueno Station, you will then take the underground to Ueno Station (上野) for the Japan Rail (JR) train lines. From an automated vending machine, purchase a ticket for Shinjuku Station (新宿). Though there may be a language barrier, most Japanese will help you determining the price and buying your tickets. The green Yamanote Line (山手線) is a circle train, so if you head in the longer direction, don’t worry because the price and destination is the same.
At Shinjuku Station look for directions to the Odakyu Line (小田急線). Again, there is a representative to tell you which train to take and which track to board from. The closest train station to Camp Zama is Sobudaimae Station (相武台前). From Sodudaimae Station turn right after exiting the train ticket turnstile. Go down the stairs to street level and turn half-right again. You will see street signal right in front of you, cross the street and continue walking straight to Camp Zama’s Gate 4 pedestrian gate, or you can take a taxi to Camp Zama Main Gate 1.
Trains from Haneda to Camp Zama
One or more train lines will be required from Haneda IAP. The last line to look for will be the Odakyu Line (小田急線). The closest train station to Camp Zama is Sobudaimae Station (相武台前) and Odakyu-Sagamihara Station (小田急相模原)to Sagamihara Family Housing Area.
Money Exchange
Once you leave Customs and Immigrations at either Narita or Haneda International Airports and enter the arrival lobby, there is a bank for money exchange. Prior to exchanging your U.S. dollars for Yen, complete the form on the desk in front of the money exchange window. Purchase sufficient Yen for buying snacks to consume aboard Army buses and vehicles or for purchasing tickets on commercial trains or buses.
Calling Telephone Numbers from Narita & Haneda
There are no DSN telephones at either Narita or Haneda IAPs. Commercial telephones are available for a fee based on distance and length of call. The Camp Zama operator (during duty hours) is 046-251-1520 or you can call Camp Zama numbers directly by dialing 046-407-xxxx (just add the last four numbers of the DSN telephone number you would like to call).
Travelling with Pets
Pets may be brought to Japan as excess baggage on AMC charter flights that land at Yokota AB or on commercial flights that land at Narita IAP. Pets may also be shipped as commercial cargo to arrive to Narita IAP. Shipment of pets must be at the owner’s expense whether moving as excess baggage or commercial cargo.
Both Camp Zama and Yokota MWR have vehicles and drivers to transport you and your pet(s), but should be arranged well in advance. Work with your sponsor or contact the respective MWR early for pricing and availability.
It is extremely important that you have your required documentation in order.
More information is available at: /Units/vet/import/