Zepp Haneda (TOKYO)

Getting to Zepp Haneda (TOKYO)

The nearest station is Tenkubashi, served by the Keikyu Airport Line and the Tokyo Monorail. Whichever line you take, use the HICity exit, which leads straight into HICity. Go up to the complex's 2nd floor level and walk straight along it to ZONE H, at the far end of the complex, where the hall and the queue by ticket number are. Zepp describes the hall as adjacent to the station, but the hall's own manager suggests allowing about 5 minutes from the ticket gates and reaching the station 10 to 15 minutes before your call time (Zepp Navi).

From Haneda Airport, Tenkubashi is one stop from Terminal 3 on either line and a few stops from Terminals 1 and 2. From Tokyo Station, change at Shinagawa to the Keikyu Line or at Hamamatsucho to the Monorail; both take about 30 minutes. From Shinjuku, allow about 45 minutes via Shinagawa. Shinagawa is also the Tokaido Shinkansen stop, so it is the natural transfer point for fans from Nagoya, Osaka and the west.

• Not every Keikyu train stops at Tenkubashi. Check the stopping pattern on the departure board before you board.
• Fans flying in can drop luggage at Terminal 3, ride one stop and walk in.

After the show and the last train

At standing shows the whole floor leaves at once and heads for Tenkubashi, a small station, so expect queues at the gates and full trains for a while. The two lines split the crowd: the Keikyu Line goes toward Shinagawa and Yokohama via Keikyu Kamata, the Monorail toward Hamamatsucho for the Yamanote Line. If you are going to the airport or want to avoid the crush, you can also walk along the road to Haneda Airport Garden and Terminal 3 and board there; check the walking route on a map first.

Both lines run until around midnight, so central Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama are easy after an evening show. Getting home to another region the same night is usually not realistic: the last Shinkansen from Shinagawa leaves in the evening, and domestic flights mostly finish before an evening show ends. Plan to stay overnight and leave the next morning, and check the exact last trains on the day with the route buttons on this page.

• Drink coins are valid only on the day, and the drink counter gets busy after the show. Swap yours on the way in.

Coin lockers and luggage

Zepp Haneda has 1,365 coin lockers of its own, 555 inside the building and 810 outside, according to the official floor guide. All of them are the small size, 500 yen and key type, so they take a backpack and a coat but not a suitcase. The outside locker room on the 1st floor opens straight onto the street behind a shutter that is raised on show days, so you can use it before doors; the lockers inside are by the entrance and along both sides of the hall. There is no standard cloakroom; a few events set one up, so read the organiser's notice.

For suitcases, the hall's manager points to the large lockers at the station and in HICity. Haneda Airport is another easy answer: Terminal 3, one stop away, has coin lockers on the 2nd floor and a baggage counter open 24 hours, and Terminals 1 and 2 have lockers too. On a show day the large lockers near the hall can fill up, so arrive early or leave the case at the airport or your hotel.

• Bring 100-yen coins: the Zepp lockers take cash only, five 100-yen coins each. Change machines are next to the ticket counter, the lockers and the drink counter.

Food before and after the show

HICity has a handful of restaurants and cafes, but the choice is limited and some places close early. For a proper meal, go one stop to Terminal 3: Haneda Airport Garden next to it has many restaurants, and the terminals have more. Keikyu Kamata, a few stops toward Shinagawa, is known for its gyoza restaurants and is a good stop on the way back.

Inside the hall there is only a drink counter with soft drinks and alcohol, no meals, so eat before doors. HICity also has a foot bath deck with a view of the runways (bring or buy a towel), a nice place to wait if the weather is good.

Staying near Zepp Haneda (TOKYO)

The closest hotel is Keikyu EX Inn Haneda Innovation City, inside HICity about 2 minutes from the hall; Zepp's page says a special plan is offered only through the hotel's own site. At the airport, Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu is connected to Terminal 2, and Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport is in Haneda Airport Garden by Terminal 3. All are handy if you fly home the next morning. Book early for big tours: there are few rooms within walking distance.

For more choice and lower prices, stay at Kamata, Shinagawa or Hamamatsucho, all on a direct line to Tenkubashi. Shinagawa is the best base if you go home by Tokaido Shinkansen.

• Zepp's official page lists nearby hotels, some with small perks for ticket holders.