Tokyo/Ota

Ōta (大田) Ward is a suburban area of Tokyo, between Shinagawa and Kawasaki.

Understand
The name "Ota" is a combination of  O mori (大森) and Kama ta  (蒲田), two former wards which merged to form Ota Ward. Omori and Kamata remain the major urban centers in the ward.

Tourist Information
The ward has an official bilingual information site for visitors, Unique Ota.

By plane
Ota is home to

The Keikyu Airport Line offers a quick connection from Haneda to Keikyu Kamata, with onward connections available to central Tokyo and Yokohama. The train stops running between 00:20 and 05:30, but taxis are still available.

By train
The main train stations in Ota are (JR Keihin-Tohoku),  (JR Keihin-Tohoku, Tokyu Ikegami and Tokyu Tamagawa lines) and  (Keikyu Main Line and Keikyu Airport Line).

The eastern, predominantly industrial side of the ward is served by the Tokyo Monorail, which runs from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station in Minato Ward.

Eat
Ota is a good place to try reasonable non-chain restaurants because of proximity to wholesale markets: vegetable and fish market in the ward and meat market in adjacent Shinagawa ward.

Drink
Labeled a "widely known secret", Kamata has transformed itself into an entertainment hub with a ton of drinking establishments clustered around JR Kamata station.



Apart from Kamata, you'll mostly find small bars serving the locals, those having a few beers before going home. If you're looking for a wild night out, then you're in the wrong neighborhood. However, there is a good atmosphere and prices are reasonable.



Sleep
The main reason to stay in Ota is if you have an early flight out from Haneda Airport. There are many hotels designed for this purpose within walking distance of Anamori-inari (穴守稲荷), Ōtorii (大鳥居) and Keikyu-Kamata stations, less than 10 min away from the airport with frequent services on the Keikyu Airport Line. Many of these hotels also operate free shuttle buses, but schedules are limited. Taxis from either to the airport (or vice versa) cost around ¥2,000.

See Haneda Airport for hotels located within the airport itself.