Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2009

Let’s face it: getting to Narita International Airport is a real pain in the you-know-what. For ease of access, Tokyo is dismal compared to other Asian travel hubs like Shanghai and Hong Kong, where high-speed trains whisk passengers from the airport to the center of the city at velocities that make the Narita Express look like the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Things are set to improve from next year, as Keisei launches a zippier version of its Skyliner service, but in the meantime, travelers with tight schedules and bottomless expense accounts have an even faster option.



From September 16, you can hop the Narita Airline Connection Service, a 15-minute helicopter ride from Ark Hills Heliport in Akasaka to Sakura Heliport near Narita, followed by a 15-minute limo ride to your terminal. Yup: central Tokyo to Narita in just 30 minutes. Seriously pampered globetrotters can go the whole hog and get ferried in a deluxe EC135 Hermes edition chopper, whose cabin is decked out with calf leather seats and lined floor-to-ceiling with Hermes signature “Toile H” material. And the price? The special launch campaign fare (through December 31) is ¥38,000 one way or ¥70,000 return for the regular chopper, and ¥57,000 and ¥105,000 for the Hermes edition. For reservations, see www.mcas.co.jp