For those of you that are new to Japan and Tsukuba it may be difficult to find your way to the immigration office on your own. However, it is recommended that you, as soon as you can, try to go to either the immigration office in Mito or the main office in Shinagawa, Tokyo. You never know when suddenly there is an emergency back home and you need to leave Japan immediately. If you don't get a re-entry before you leave your visa will be cancelled and you will have to apply for another one again before returning here. It has been said that an emergency re-entry can be given at the airport but this is by no means a sure thing and you may very well be refused. So here is some information on how to go to the Mito immigration office from Tsukuba.
If you want to spend as little time as possible away from work the best route is as follows;
Go to Mito Immigration by Bus in the early morning and get to the immigration office before they open at 9am. (there are always people waiting in line by 8:30am) The bus leaves Tsukuba Center at 6:58 am and reaches Mito station at 8:18am and it is a 10 min walk from the station. If you are lucky to finish your business early you can return to Tsukuba by train to Tsuchiura and that the bus from there to Tsukuba. You could also go to Arakawaoki or Hitachinoushiku stations but there are less buses going to Tsukuba from Arakawaoki so it is not recommended. (some of the trains only go as far as Tsuchiura so if you want to take a train to Arakawaoki or Hitachinoushiku you should be sure to get on a train that is bound for UENO. (The trains do not have Tokyo as destination written on them but Ueno which is a station in Tokyo.)
A very useful and easy way to pay your travelfare SUICA
You can of course just buy one ticket to Mito or a return one but I would suggest you get a SUICA card. It is an electronic card in which you deposit money and then you can pay for train and buses with the card and don't have to worry about not knowing how much to pay and whether you are getting the right ticket or not. See here for more detailed information about SUICA. If you press the "English" sign you can get all the information you need to buy the card (or how to charge it if you already have one).
My suggested route for Mito Immigration Office would be the following;
Route A For early risers who want to get back as soon as possible
Bus from Tsukuba center to Mito station <cost: 1,000 yen>
| 6:58am | Tsukuba center bus stop No.8 |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Takezono 2chome (higashi odori) |
| 7:01am | Sengen 1chome (higashi odori) |
| 7:03am | Namiki 1chome (higashi odori, near NIMS, namiki site) |
| ↓ | |
| 8:18am | Reaches Mito station |
| Walk from there to Immigration office 5-10 min |
© Tokyo Immigration Bureau
Going back…………
From Mito to Tsukuba Center <cost: 2,410 yen>
| Mito | train (1,900yen) | Tsuchiura | bus from bus stop No.2 (510yen) | Tsukuba Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:31am | ----------------------------------- | 11:30am 11:40am | ----------------------------------- | 12:03pm |
| 11:00am | ----------------------------------- | 11:46am 12:00pm | ----------------------------------- | 12:23pm |
| 11:31am | ----------------------------------- | 12:30pm 12:40pm | ----------------------------------- | 13:03pm |
| 12:00pm | ----------------------------------- | 12:46pm 13:00pm | ----------------------------------- | 13:23pm |
| 12:31pm | ----------------------------------- | 13:30pm 13:40pm | ----------------------------------- | 14:03pm |
| 13:00pm | ----------------------------------- | 13:46pm 14:00pm | ----------------------------------- | 14:23pm |
| 13:31pm | ----------------------------------- | 14:16pm 14:20pm | ----------------------------------- | 14:43pm |
There is also a bus going from Mito station to Tsukuba center at 13:30pm which reaches Tsukuba center at 14:50. It will stop at Namiki 1 chome, Sengen 1 chome and Takezono 2chome on the way.
Route B For those who want to leave Tsukuba a bit later in the morning
Bus from Tsukuba Center - Tsuchiura - Mito(train) <cost: 2,410 yen>
| Tsukuba Center | bus from bus stop No.5 (510yen) | Tsuchiura | train (1,900yen) | Mito |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:02am | ----------------------------------- | 8:35am 8:46am | ----------------------------------- | 9:46am |
| 8:27am | ----------------------------------- | 9:00am 9:08am | ----------------------------------- | 10:12am |
| 8:57am | ----------------------------------- | 9:25am 9:38am | ----------------------------------- | 10:42am |