Narita!
For some reason, I also had a long layover at Narita International Airport. I had about 8 hours and decided to do some quick research in the United Lounge on what to do in Narita. Took a quick shower. I was lucky that most people had not arrived into the international terminal as the lounge was empty. It was packed when I came back in the afternoon and there was a line for the showers.
At the airport, you can store luggage by the day in the arrival lobby. The storage is located near the baggage shipping area. Afterwards, I took the Keisei into Narita which is about 36 minutes by rail from the airport. In Narita, I visited the local temple Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. I found the temple grounds peaceful and really really big. It can take a couple of hours to tour the facilities.
On the way to the temple, I noticed that many restaurants were slicing eels and preparing them for the day. It seems that eel is a really big dish in the town. Grabbed lunch at one of the restaurants; can't say what the name was or where exactly since everything was in Japanese. I don't think Narita sees many non-Japanese tourists in town. A little pricey because of the currency conversion, the lunch was filling and good.
After lunch, I went back on the Keisei to the airport. I did have some difficulty figuring out how to buy my fare at the automated kiosk. After staring at the console, I punched some buttons and hoped it worked out correctly. You do have to pay attention which track goes to the airport at the Narita station but it is small enough not to be too confusing. I was able to get through customs fast enough to do a pit stop back at the United lounge and fly home.
At the airport, you can store luggage by the day in the arrival lobby. The storage is located near the baggage shipping area. Afterwards, I took the Keisei into Narita which is about 36 minutes by rail from the airport. In Narita, I visited the local temple Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. I found the temple grounds peaceful and really really big. It can take a couple of hours to tour the facilities.
On the way to the temple, I noticed that many restaurants were slicing eels and preparing them for the day. It seems that eel is a really big dish in the town. Grabbed lunch at one of the restaurants; can't say what the name was or where exactly since everything was in Japanese. I don't think Narita sees many non-Japanese tourists in town. A little pricey because of the currency conversion, the lunch was filling and good.
After lunch, I went back on the Keisei to the airport. I did have some difficulty figuring out how to buy my fare at the automated kiosk. After staring at the console, I punched some buttons and hoped it worked out correctly. You do have to pay attention which track goes to the airport at the Narita station but it is small enough not to be too confusing. I was able to get through customs fast enough to do a pit stop back at the United lounge and fly home.
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