Posted: 2006-04-15 14:46:00
[quote]
On 2006-04-15 10:18:00, downundergal wrote:
Hey all,
Any suggestions on what to do with basically one full day in Tokyo? We land around 7-8pm and leave 2 days later at around 10am.
We are staying at Narita so we don't need to be up earlier than we have to when flying out. I have read that Narita has one of the largest temples in the whole of Japan and boasts an interesting town area. Would this be right? Or would I be better just to head straight to downtown Tokyo?
Also this is a real off the wall one but is there anywhere in the central part of the city to buy parts as in window dressing (as in a new gear stick knob and so on) for a Nissan 300ZX? I know it's not a true travellers dream and I am sorry but it's my partners baby.
Thanxs for any input.
Kerrie
[/quote]
Ok, if I had a friend coming to visit in that time frame, here's what I'd do:
First night: To relax after the long flight, I'd head into Narita town and go for beers. For a wide selection of Japanese style food, ordered by the dish then shared, and relatively cheap beer, I'd go to an Izakaya. You can ask at your hotel where the nearest one is. If unsure, then just go to one of the larger chain Izakayas like Tsubohachi or Yoronotaki. As a bonus, you'll receive a healthy serving of second-hand smoke.
For the first day, I would spend the morning walking around "Narita San," the temple area you talk about. No, it's not the best in the country, but it's definitely the best in Chiba prefecture. Plus, the old streets around the entrance still have the old-Japan feeling that you just can't find anywhere in Tokyo now. Plus, it's close, which you'll thank me for when you wake with a hangover from the previous night's binge drinking. ;)
As for car accessories, although I can't make any guarantees, the biggest places to find stuff to pimp your ride are Yellow-Hat or Autobacs. The Japanese are really into pimped-out cars, so I'm sure you can find some cool stuff, even if you don't find what you were originally looking for. Since Narita is out in the country, I can almost guarantee that there will be both a Yellow Hat and an Autobacs in the area. You will, however, have to take a cab, since they are never located by train stations (since only drivers access them). If you ask your hotel concierge to hunt down the locations, you could jump in a taxi straight from Narita San.
Call me a cheapskate, but for lunch, I'd head to a kai-ten sushi place. You know, where the sushi just sails by you on a conveyor belt and you pick what you want. It's cheap, easy and healthy food.
Other than Narita San, there's not a heck of a lot to do in Narita, so you might want to take a train into Tokyo. (Just be sure to take the normal express train -- if you catch that Narita Liner, you'll find that you've just spent your entire travel budget on one train ride). It gets dark VERY early in Japan -- about 6PM at this time of year -- so if you're going to sightsee, get going on it early. If you want to do speed-sightseeing...You know, the "been-there, done-that, bought-the-T-shirt" kind of sightseeing (when in Rome...) then you could hit Asakusa and check out the temple there (be sure to throw in your 10 yen coin, clap your hands together and make a wish), then oogle the electronics quarter at Akihabara.
Just doing this trip into Tokyo could put you at the early-evening marker. You should know when your last train to your hotel is (try to catch the one before, just to be safe), so you'll know how much time you have to play. If time is short, stay by the station you need to use to get home. If you have more time, you could head to Shinjyuku or Shibuya, either of which have that "Holy crap, it must cost a fortune to light this place up" value. But just be very careful about how late you stay. If you miss your train, you'll have no choice but to:
A. Stay up drinking all night in Roppongi -- the gaijin drinking zone downtown -- until the trains start running at 5:30. or,
B. Take a taxi, and discover the true meaning of the expression, "taken to the cleaners."
Finally, being quite full of Japanese food, when I got back to Narita, I'd head to the Barge Inn, by Narita station. It's a British style pub that has about 50/50 Japanese / Western clientele. You can find a map here: http://www.naritabargeinn.com Actually, if you guys go there, let me know, as I also live in Chiba, and if I'm off then, I could head over and tip back a few with you.
Ok, hope you have a fun stay, whatever you choose to do :)
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