|
|
|
|
Welcome to Japan! First Leg - Arrival in Tokyo, clearing immigration and customs and getting to your hotel... Our sample itinerary has you arriving in Japan via Tokyo's Narita airport. The following instructions should help you get through immigration and customs, get some local cash and make your way to your hotel in the beautiful port city of Yokohama for the first part of your stay.
|
When you arrive at Narita airport you will likely pass
through many long corridors and a few stair cases from the plane to the area
where the immigration officer’s booths are set up. When you enter the
immigration hall someone should be available to help you locate the proper line
for non-Japanese. Be prepared to show your passport as well as the filled-out
arrival document (one per family) which you should have received on the plane.
The immigration officers can normally speak English, however a friendly
konichiwa (good day) from you should bring an appreciative smile to their
face. After passing through immigration you will then go downstairs to
pick up your checked luggage. Look for your flight number displayed on the
screen above the correct carousel. Please note that there are free carts
available from racks against the wall. Next, take your luggage to the
customs inspector who may or may not look through your bags. When you are
done here, you will pass through some big doors into a relatively narrow (by
airport standards) corridor. Congratulations! You are now finished
with the official work of clearing immigration and customs and have formally entered Japan!
The corridor where you are now standing is the
airport arrival lobby. If someone is picking you up then this is where
they will likely be waiting for you. If you are on your own then it is
from here that you will need to make the transition to bus, train or taxi to
your next destination. But first, if you need local money then this is a
good place to get it. Look around and you should spot several money
exchange windows as well as ATM machines. If you don’t have a preference,
then it might be better to use an ATM machine to get cash (most ATM cards from
big foreign banks will work here) as the exchange rate is usually better and no
percentage fee will be charged (unlike the money changers). Also, the line
at the money changer's window is normally very long here, so if you prefer to change
money this way then it might be better to take care of this particular chore at the airport where you
left for Japan. Please read the article
titled “
Now
that you have some Japanese cash you can buy your bus ticket to your hotel
(credit cards ok as well).
Look for or ask someone to help you find the counter for the "Airport Limousine"
bus. This counter is located against the wall near the exit doors leading
outside and should be filled with uniformed attendants eager to help and usually
able to speak English. Tell them that you want to purchase a bus ticket to
the Royal Park Hotel in Yokohama. They will help you buy your
ticket and direct you to the proper bus platform. The Royal Park Hotel is
a top-rated hotel (so make reservations early) within Japan's tallest building,
called the Landmark Tower (big building in the photo below). This hotel
offers beautiful rooms with exceptional views of Yokohama and Tokyo as well as
Tokyo bay and even Mt. Fuji (on clear days). The hotel is located in
Japan's foremost cosmopolitan city within walking distance to old town Yokohama,
China Town and many other interesting places. This leg of your journey
will actually take you away from Tokyo, which we've done on purpose as we
wish to save the capital city for the last and final leg of your journey.
During the long
bus ride to your hotel in Yokohama - if you can stay awake - keep your eyes open
for Tokyo Disneyland on the left side of the bus as well as the huge indoor snow
skiing structure called the Tokyo SkiDome (you will know it when you see
it).
While
staying in Yokohama keep in mind that this city is the one which many Japanese
think of as their country's showcase city. Many young Japanese dream of
graduating University and finding jobs in Yokohama working for one of the many
high-tech companies headquartered here. Japanese music videos and
television commercials commonly show young people having fun and doing
interesting and exciting things in and around Yokohama's many landmarks.
This city, and in particular the lifestyle it represents, calls to mind how different modern Japan
is from the Japan of the immediate post-war years. The generation which
worked to rebuild the country from the ruin of war is often left scratching
their heads over what they perceive as the very alien and different values held
by the younger generation. Used to hard work and sacrifice, the oldsters
have even come up with the name shinjinrui meaning "new human beings" to
describe their grandchildren, who appear to shun any work deemed dirty,
difficult or dangerous (the three "Ds"). Keep this in mind when touring Yokohama and then
when visiting the small seaside villages of the Izu peninsula - your next stop -
where the old ways still hold sway.
We've started you off with a touch of elegance during this
initial leg of your journey, which we believe you deserve after your long flight
to Japan. In addition, we hope that a comfortable night or two at the
Royal Park Hotel should help you through any jet-lag and get you properly rested
for the rest of your adventure, which will soon include rustic traditional style
Japanese inns and hot spring resorts. Below are a few handy links which we
hope will prove useful in researching and scheduling this leg of your journey.
Look for links such as these at the end of every page in this guide. Also,
check with the staff at your hotel for information about local attractions in
the Yokohama area. Click