Let's Just Go

When you arrive in the evening, but you’re not quite ready for a full day of exploration just yet…

Following on from my previous post – we’ve just arrived at Tokyo Narita, following a superb Cathay Pacific flight from Taiwan Taoyuan airport.

The experience arriving, transiting and departing Narita airport was possibly the worst experience I have had arriving in any country on any trip I have been on.

Around three aeroplanes’ worth of people were in the “non Japanese” arrival queues, and processing through all the rounds of immigration customs declarations and pre-arrival form signing took over two hours – trapped in small queues in a small area of the airport.

Whilst I was passing through immigration, the hall we were in had hoardings up – I understand the area was under construction, and at some point in the future the upgraded arrivals hall will be in operation, using e-gates and having a lot more space to process non-Japanese tourists. I hope that opens soon – the experience was not great, to say the least!

There are a whole host of options for ways to get to the centre of Tokyo from Narita Airport. The airport is around 50 miles to the east of Tokyo – so getting to Tokyo itself from Narita needs a bit of planning.

If you book in advance, you can book a Shared Taxi service with an operator like Holiday Extras or Holiday Taxis – this will cost around £30 per person.

There are several bus services, all taking around 1hr-1hr40, this is the bargain option and will only cost £7-10 – so if your budget is tight, this is the way to go. Most Low Cost Bus options will drop you at Tokyo Station, so you will still need to get from there to your hotel/hostel – but you can use a Suica card on local transportation.

Taxis are available – however be prepared to pay £100-150 to get to a hotel in Tokyo…

There are also several train options:

• Commuter trains on the Keisei or JR Sobu Lines – take around 100 mins, around £7
• JR Narita Express – 2 trains an hour, takes around 1hr, £15
• Keisei Skyliner express, 3-4 trains an hour, 36 mins to Nippori, 41 mins to Ueno, £12

I decided to go for the Skyliner – it was quick and was cheaper than the Narita Express. It was also a Sunday evening, and at this time there was only one Narita Express train per hour, and two Skyliners.

I asked for assistance from a tourist guide when buying the ticket. For the Skyliner, you need to reserve a seat on a train, and there was a little delay as the first train in 20 mins from my arrival already had all seats booked.

The very kind guide showed me how to book a window seat ticket, on the train in 40 minutes, and then how to get downstairs to the platforms.

Everything is very straightforwards on the platform – as it shows you what carriage and what door opens where – and you go and stand by the door where your seat is. Superb!

After a few minutes, the Skyliner showed up into the platform, around 10 minutes before departure. I loved how on-time everything was!

The train left perfectly on time, with a few very confused passengers who somehow hadn’t made it to their booked seat and were standing in the aisle – all foreigners. We started to zoom through the darkness, and I noticed that on the screen at the front of the carriage (behind the driver) we sometimes had a broadcast of a camera at the front of the train!

I got off the train successfully at Nippori, and changed platforms over to the Yamanote line. WOO! My first time on the Yamanote line, the Japanese equivalent of the Circle line (yet also mostly outside… so maybe the London Overground?).

The next step was trying to find my hotel from Akihabara station. It didn’t look too far a walk – however, I wasn’t very good at actually leaving the station, and managed to find the Chuo-Sobu line instead of the exit.

An English-speaking family approached me – they were looking to go to Yodobashi Camera just next to the station. Whilst we could see the building – I wasn’t able to find an exit for them – and they ended up heading to the Chuo-Sobu line as well.. Nooo!

I took a lucky lift and then made my way to the nearest exit – using Welcome Suica Mobile to pay for the journey on my phone, using contactless. It also luckily turned out to be the exit I needed for the hotel!

The hotel was about 5 mins walk from the exit, over some amazing and wonderful street crossings, which featured the “Pi-Yo” bird sound on the pedestrian “go” – I loved hearing this all over Tokyo.

The hotel welcomed me in, I dropped my bags and wanted to get a quick dinner. I saw there was a branch of Sushiro just around the corner from my hotel – so I went there! It was just me, so I skipped the queue for a booth and ate at the counter instead.

Ordering is done by the big screen in front – which can speak to you in many languages! Hot tea and water are free, and you have all the wasabi, ginger and sauces you need – along wih chopsticks. Water and tea cups were available a short distance away.

The screen keeps a track of your order, and the sushi arrives at your little station soon after. The menu is huge and varied, with lots of traditional nigiri sushi to western style and fusion. There is also soba noodle, ramen, rice bowls and tempura available, and lots of interesting drinks and desserts – I went for the melon soda and a few plates of different and yummy nigiri, tempura and maki.

Paying for the meal – you tell the screen you are leaving, and you scan a QR code and pay at the machine near the exit – so simple! The meal I had was 8 plates, and came to around 3100 yen – around £14.50. A bargain for the quality of rice and fish. And this is not high society swish sushi – it is day to day and absolutely delicious!

I wandered back to the hotel, sleepy, happy and in search of Konbini in the local area – I wanted to try some of the interesting food!

That would have to wait to another day though. For now – sleep – and then wake up tomorrow and enjoy the day!