Navigating Narita

Luckily, there were no hiccups for my outbound journey. A little jaunt from Montreal to Vancouver, time for a comfy leg-stretch layover followed by an uneventful, half-full flight to Tokyo.

Upon arrival in Japan, Narita airport was crowded but I was determined to deal with my anxiety. We had to wait in line for thirty minutes for immigration. There were lots of people bumping into my "personal bubble" which really bugs me but I found that a really long stare at the pushy guy behind me worked like magic.

I wrote the name of my hotel in Japanese on my immigration card and the officer could actually read it!

My suitcase was right on the carrousel as I approached and the Japan Rail ticket kiosk and gateway to the train platforms were just steps away from the arrivals door.

However, there was a wall of people! Lineups for tickets, information, rental cars etc. would span the entire width of the terminal so if you had to move across the length of the terminal, you had to cut through several queues.

Complicating this process was the addition of tons of dawdling, jet-lagged gawkers, their kids, their suitcases and 111 year-old grannies.

By the time I got to the Japan Rail agent, I was so happy to get a ticket out of there. Knowing the language and having prepared in advance was key! It only took a minute to complete the transaction. Also, it only cost me $15! Locals pay $45. Whee!

Two escalators down to the platform, a short walk with my rolling bag (thank goodness, loved ones all convinced me to join the 21st century) and a short wait on the bench was all it took to catch the Narita Express train to Yokohama.

The train clean up brigade had 1920's style golf outfits with argyle vests, felt caps, bright yellow shirts and beige jodphurs! They bowed to the train as it pulled into the station before commencing their work readying the cars.

The train was a bit less comfy than the Shinkansen because the seats were narrow but it was fine. Every car has a screen showing a map with the next stop and connecting trains in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. A television shows the news.

After transferring my valuables into my backpack from my carry-on, I left my reserved seat and walked up two cars to the restroom onboard. Wow, it was super clean and fresh with nice soap and lotion. It was even nicer than the airport bathroom where I had quickly changed clothes.

The scenery was remarkable. Last trip, I hadn't noticed the bamboo trees everywhere. You just know that you are in Japan when you see that! When you see Japanese art, there are always bamboo trees and sure enough...that's what you see from the train!

There were also families tending their vegetable patches, gardening or raking fields. Practically every home had a little dog on the property either in the yard or going for a walk. That's what you see from the train on a Sunday afternoon in the suburbs between Chiba and Tokyo.

Between Tokyo and Yokohama was just like being on the Long Island Railroad. Aside from the station place names, the experience is similar.

Yokohama station was also fairly crowded but the signs to the taxi stand made it easy to navigate. The ten minute drive to my hotel cost three dollars more than the 90 minute train ride! Oh well, it was nicer than navigating the subway with luggage.

It was so nice to be back in Japan and Yokohama's Kennai-Chinatown district was a perfect place to begin my trip.