xarir said:
Hi folks. I've got a trip coming up in which I'll be in Tokyo for a grand total of 12 hours. I'm giving myself 1.5h to get off the airplane & past customs, and 2h to get back on the airplane. I'm also giving myself 1.5h in each direction to get to / from the airport & downtown Tokyo.
So in the remaining 5.5h what do you recommend seeing in Tokyo? It's my first time there so I was thinking about the infamous Ginza shopping area. Any other suggestions? I can skip Ginza if necessary.
Hi xarir,
I cant claim to be a frequent traveller in Japan but have visited twice and speak conversational Japanese...
Depending on what time of the day you arrive and how many other planeloads arrive at Narita at the same time, 1.5h 'to get off the airplane and pass customs' seems to me about right. Once past customs, look out for signs that say "JR Narita" or "JR Narita Line", JR = Japan Railways. Signage is in Japanese and English. The station is connected to the airport via a passenger tunnel. No need to hop on a bus or anything. There is an express train that will take you to the main stops in Tokyo megacity, namely:
Shinjuku, Tokyo ('Downtown'), Roppongi, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Ueno, etc. One-way fare is roughly Y2500 (about C$30). Look for the 'green window' ticket vendors (midori-no-madoguchi) who speak English and are accustomed to foreign travellers. 1.5h travel time in each direction seems fair, but might be optimistic if youre travelling during rush hour. Take note that train schedules run like clockwork in Japan, and I mean to the SECOND.
Tokyo is essentially a megalopolis made up of smaller 'cities' or 'districts' that have merged together, namely the above. I have not been to Ginza in a long time, but if youre visiting Japan (or Tokyo) for the first time, I recommend Shinjuku as a primer for Tokyo. Its sensory overload, full of people, neon and glitter. At Shinjuku station, just get out and walk around, the plan area is roughly the size of Toronto's downtown, but way more dense and crowded, of course. You'll find lots of shopping, eating, drinking and other ways to spend your yen once there. Make sure you take note of the exit (north, west, etc.) of the station when you get out of it so that you can find your way back later.
North of Shinjuku station is the infamous Kabukicho. Its essentially a RLD of door to door MPs, Soaplands and other ingenious ways for the local yakuza to rob you of your yen. It is safe enough to explore this area on foot, you will likely find that while some places are open to admitting foreigners, more than half are likely to turn you away.
A fun way to meet the locals is at a bathhouse, and it DOESNT come with the homo connotation as here in North America. The Japanese treat their 'ofuro' (bath) very very very seriously and so for a few dollars you can dissolve your stress and woes by soaking in a hot bath. Bathhouses are segregated by sex and you get a locker to put away your valuables - you wear the key around your wrist. If you see a guy in the bath with extensive tattoo work on his upper body and missing a pinkie finger, try not to talk to him!
Cheers!
