So I’m flying to a destination in the Far East from the East Coast of the United States. I’ll have about an eleven-hour stop at Narita Airport, in Tokyo (hey, it was the cheapest flight I could get).
Any thoughts on things to do in that period of time? I know I can get a train from Narita into Tokyo, and that it will take about an hour.
Thanks, everyone.
Go to Tokyo Tower. With luck, you might be transported to a parallel dimension, meet your true love who is an alien, or stumble upon a fight between a divine and a demonic being for the fate of the Earth.
Do your travel documents permit you to visit Japan, as opposed to simply the international terminal at Narita? I.e., will the Japanese customs/passport authorities let you pass? I don’t know how that works.
Only if you are a young girl. Wear your school uniform and pigtails and eat lots and lots of sugar.
Check to see if you know any people who like anime or anything Japanese like that, and see if you can’t pick something up that isn’t available in the US.
It also helps to have pink, green or purple hair, and very large eyes.
I’ve never been to Tokyo, but if I went, going to Akihabara would be high on my list of priorities.
Yes. I won’t be stuck in the transit lounge, and Japan does not require a visa for citizens of my country.
Do you happen to own a Godzilla suit?
I liked Hamarikyu Gardens. From the park, there is a water taxi that takes you to Asakusa. The ride itself is kind of nice for watching stuff go by, and at Asakusa there is an impressive Buddhist temple you can tour. And don’t quote me on this, but I think we walked from that temple to Akihabara, so if you’re into seeing Akihabara, it might be doable to take the subway to the garden, the water taxi to Asakusa, walk to Akihabara, and then the subway back.
ETA: here is the temple. Looks a little far from Akihabara for a walk, but I don’t know the geography well enough to tell you where exactly the interesting parts of Akihabara are.
Here’s a post I previous wrote for a different message board. Hope it helps.
Here is a short list of popular tourist attractions categorized by type:
For souvenirs, get them at:
Asakusa - popular temple
Harajuku - popular Meiji Shrine / Oriental Bazaar shop
Ginza - any major department store / Sony Plaza
Nightlife:
Roppongi - clubs, bars, restaurants, huge shopping complex
Shibuya - same as above but for younger crowd
Shinjuku - includes largest red-light district (Kabukicho) in the country
Odaiba - great night views, good restaurants, interesting show rooms, etc.
Japanese markets:
Akihabara - electronics markets
Ueno - everything else markets
Tsukiji - world famous fish market
Japanese parks:
Ueno - park, zoo, museums
Shinjuku - Shinjuku Gyoen (Imperial Park)
Korakuen - Koishikawa flower/buddhist garden
Imperial Palace - eastern areas
Hamarikyu Gardens - formerly an Imperial park
Shopping districts:
Ginza - top level department stores
Shibuya - younger person’s shopping area
Harajuku - younger person’s shopping area
Omotesando/Aoyama - more peaceful shopping area
Shinjuku - the center of department stores