Asia 2005 Journey Day Three

                                   Tokyo, Japan 

                                            

                                            May 06, 2005.  Arrived to light showers.  The large Narita airport is undergoing much

                                            construction and currently has no striking features.  Crowds were light and exiting 

                                            passport control and customs was quick and effortless.  The real challenge was locating 

                                            the correct train to city center.  Most of the signage has limited English translation and is 

                                            somewhat dated.  

 

                                            The Narita Express is a very simple train and compares to European regional trains.

                                            Surrounding countryside viewed from the train includes watered rice fields and terrain

                                            with small rolling hills.  The large mass of Tokyo explains why the airport is located

                                            almost two hours away.  Somewhat like flying into Jacksonville, Florida, to see Orlando.

                                            The cost ($31 USD) is much less than a taxi ($240 USD) and not subject to traffic jams.  

                                            Our destination Shinjuku station is is estimated to have over 3 million passengers per 

                                            day.  To avoid outside pedestrian traffic, an underground tunnel system helped with a 

                                            direct path to the hotel.

                       

 

                                           Travel specs:  Narita Express Train

 

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