"NARITA - Aviation crossroads" a Narita Travel Page by tiabunna

Tokyo’s major international airport created quite a stir locally when it was developed in the 1980s. Despite farmers’ protests, the airport went ahead and now is one of the world’s major aviation crossroads. The little rural town of Narita has been subsumed into a tangle of bitumen, concrete and expressways.

Although that may apply locally, as our JAL 747 approached the airport, I was fascinated to see the tiny pocket-sized rice paddies covering nearly all the countryside. What was not being used for agriculture or housing was used for golf courses: I have never seen so many, all looking beautifully landscaped with ample trees around them. Sadly, although the view was interesting, digital gadgets (including cameras) are not allowed at that stage of the flight, so my description will have to suffice.

A stopover at an airport, with or without an overnight stay at an airport hotel, scarcely seems the basis for a VT page. But, should you find yourself transiting Tokyo, I’d like to think the tips with this page may be helpful.

The Narita stopover comfortably breaks what is a very long voyage for travellers between Europe and Oceania and gets the time-zone changes out of the way before (or after), leaving a trip north or south along the same time zone for the balance. A short break at Narita seems to minimise the effects of jet lag. The route via Japan also is a very interesting travel option with no more flying time than the more common routes.

I should add that the hotel at Narita Airport contained brochures for sights in Narita township – sadly, my itinerary did not allow a visit.