Originally Posted by
ordogg
Thank you all for the advice. I ended up redeeming a 5k MP award NRT-ITM (able to snag lie flat seats on 773ER) (we arrive NRT on a TPAC 2 hours earlier), and then plan to take bus from ITM to Kyoto Statiion and taxi to HR Kyoto - I will share how it goes next week. Thanks for all the help!
When you arrive at ITM, you go out to the bus and there are bus ticket vending machines curbside near where you get on the bus. Those machines don't take credit card. It has to be cash (or Suica, Icoca, etc). If you don't have cash, you have to go to their ticket counter which I believe is inside the terminal.