East Japan Railway Co. is looking to launch a ferry service connecting Haneda airport with central Tokyo to attract overseas visitors and secure an additional transport route during disasters, company sources have said.
Together with its planned train line linking Haneda — officially known as Tokyo International Airport — with major stations in the capital, the company aims to significantly improve access with the new ferry service, which could start operation next year, the sources said Friday.
Modeled after ferry services in New York's Brooklyn borough, the railway company, also known as JR East, plans to link popular tourist areas such as Asakusa and Nihonbashi by making the Takeshiba district, located near Hamamatsucho Station, the terminus for the new water route.