"A taste of Japan" Narita by flynboxes

Ok,
Yes I have been to Japan in the past with a JR (japan rail) pass and saw a fair amount of the country. This time I was here for work hence my hotel tips are a bit more upscale than usual. Was here for a week doing some training so with my days full I had a few hours each evening to head out and about. Narita is a formal rural town that was more or less put on the international map when Narita International Airport was built here and not without protest from the locals. NRT airport was completed and opened in 1978 to stop conjestion near the city of Tokyo and Haneda airport which recently opened back up to international flights.

An alley offIpponmatsu-dori St.

If you have a long layover of 6 hours or a day or two you can catch the local train to Keisei station from the airport for a couple of bucks and walk around part Narita. (Most hotels offer free shuttle buses to Keisei ro the JR station which is spitting distance away and to the Aeon Mall). Most of the interesting parts of the city can been seen by walking down Ipponmatsu-dori and Omotesando Sts. I did it both during the day and night. Keep in mind that most shops on these streets don't open on weekends till 10am.

Asa other VT members have said...Naritasan park is a great way to see a park in Japan (and temples) while avoiding the crowds of Tokyo. The only crowd I saw here was at the gate..a group of Italian tourists. It's a great place to bring a box lunch and enjoy the afternoon while experiencing a little local culture.

• Pros:Less crowded than Tokyo and just as nice.
• Cons:Money can been tough to get here.
• In a nutshell:A great intro to Japan