the gift of a looong layover at Tokyo Narita Airport

In July I found myself buying a last minute plane ticket to spend a few precious last days with my grandmother Mama Nelle in Kentucky. In my haste I blindly booked the cheapest, earliest ticket I could and in return received a gift--the gift of an 11 hour layover at Tokyo Narita Airport. Like you, I didn't see it as a gift at all at first but read on...

I hadn't even realized the extent of the layover until I was at the Hanoi airport waiting for the first of three flights and finally reading over the details of my itinerary. With that amount of time it occurred to me that I should try to leave the airport and explore. I started searching the internet and came up with a plan--to take the train to Narita City (a convenient one stop away) and explore the town on foot.

Narita is more that just an airport outside of Tokyo--it is a lovely town that has been carefully preserved and restored to look as it did during the Edo period. All lines and wires are now buried under ground--quite a contrast from Hanoi!

This is a rather mild example of the power lines in Hanoi.
'Side' note: sidewalk is used for parking cars, motorcycles and bikes. Silly is the pedestrian who thinks it is for her

Now, back to the simple, ancient beauty of Narita.

Note the open sidewalks. I'll never take a sidewalk for granted again.

 Narita wasn't always so lovely and Edo era-esque. In the small Narita city museum  they proudly display their city improvements, including the burying of power lines.

I wandered down the most charming of streets--Omotesando, lined with old shops and houses. Old women passed me by shading themselves with their fans, saying "Atsui, desu ne?!" Hot, isn't it! How could they have known I'd understand? Could they sense this was a sort of homecoming for me?

a summer wind chime

Narita is known for its eel and sake, both of which I sampled at lunch. That's right. I drank sake at lunch.

Me (sheepish): I'd like to try the local sake, but I want you to know I normally don't drink at lunch.
Waitress (with a smile): Really?!

The eel experience was fascinating--the restaurant was hopping by 10 am with the eel butchers out front chopping heads and slicing eels for passersby to watch. The restaurant tables were hardly separated from the fileting area as you can see in the photo.

before

after

I stopped by a rice cracker shop which had dozens of types and flavors displayed to lure in souvenir shoppers. It had been about 11 years since I had visited in Japan and even longer since I left my English-teaching days in Osaka, but my language came back to me and I chatted with the elderly owner. This was a family business for over 100 years and before I knew it I was getting tastes of all the different crackers.

Omotesando lead me to the Shinshoji complex of temples and shrines, a center for Buddhist pilgrims in Japan dating back 1000 years. I wandered about the grounds and following the drumming until I arrived at the main hall and stumbled upon the fire ceremony in the darkened interior.

hand washing at the entrance for purification

o-chochin (honorable lantern) at the main gate into the temple 

shoes harkening back to the days of pilgrimage

paper fortunes

I strolled and photographed my way through the adjacent park.

 paths were well-marked with helpful maps and not as helpful signposts

In the park were three large ponds, more temples and monument-like stone tablets lining the paths and a secluded home for the monks in the coolest place in the woods where the moss grew thickest.

a stone lantern

I walked back up Omotesando Street, stopping by shops that had not yet opened when I passed by earlier that morning, and ended up at a coffee shop where I spent my last half hour before heading back to the station and the airport. The coffee shop was a quirky place with coasters made of jean pockets and the young guy who worked there gave me a punch card for my next visit. Did I seem so at home I'd become a regular?

Narita was a haven between my two worlds. The day gave me time to shake off the stresses of Hanoi and lose myself in the beautiful serenity as I prepared to spend time with Mama Nelle and family. I was refreshed and ready to support my family, let them support me and to hold my grandmother's hand as I told her how much I love her and always will.


If you, too, have the gift of a layover in Narita, here's what to do:

1. When you pass through passport control, inform the officer you would like a transit visa to leave the airport and you'll receive a landing permission sticker in your passport.
2. Find an information desk and ask where you can do the following:
3. Withdraw Japanese yen at an ATM.
4. Exchange the 10,000 note that comes out for smaller bills (10,000 yen is about 100$. I 'cashed' mine by buying shorts at the lovely Uniqlo shop conveniently located on the upper level near the lockers.) You never know when you'll have a defective tray table and your glass of red wine will slide directly into your lap just as you are beginning the long trans-Pacific flight to the US and you'll need something to change into.
5. Put your heavy backpack in a locker for about 300 yen. Write down the locker number and exactly where you are--floor, terminal number, etc. 
6. Go to the lowest level for the trains. There are two different lines that go to Narita for the same price--about 320 yen. Best to take the JR line as the JR station in Narita is at the top of Omotesando Street. If you take the other line, you'll have to ask for directions to Omotesando (oh-mow-tay-sahn-doe). It's not far but a little confusing to find.
7. Plan your return time--the train takes no more than 20 minutes, though I had to wait about 20 minutes for it. I left Narita city about four hours before my departure and had over two hours to hand out in the gate area before boarding.


A guide to Narita Airport

A map of Narita center

Narita tourism info