It turned out to be one of the favorite cities I've visited.
The city is lively, has it's own unique character and culture, people are nice and polite, and I felt like I was underdressed most of the time LOL. Sorry I didn't get the memo LOL.
I have tons of photos so I have to divide my posts to several parts - so here's the first part and this is more about our arrival into the city.
We arrived at around 4:30PM at Narita airport. Since we didn't buy the JR Express card (which you can use to ride the trains and bus anywhere in Tokyo, and I heard you can use it to take the bullet train to go outside Tokyo too. Note: you have to buy it outside of Japan) - we went straight to the desk selling train tickets going to the city which will be right in front of you after you exit the arrival gate.
It's 1,500 Yen per person (about 15 USD) for the Narita Express train ride from the airport going to the city. Ask all the questions you have to the sales person regarding where and how to ride the train from where you are before leaving the desk. Look at the ticket given to you, it will tell you the car number and your seats ( they are reserved for you ) - very important.
I'm pretty sure that you will see the train map of Tokyo somewhere along the way - which is overwhelming! But do not even try to study it, it won't help. LOL. Just ask people around you. Or if they don't know too, ask any train officers around - they're everywhere and very very helpful!
Once you reach the platform do not jump into the first train that you will see right away, there's a big chance that is not your train haha. Look for your designated car number first then wait for the JR Express train to arrive. Non-JR express trains use the same platform, so be careful! I guess the best tip here as well is to make sure you check the arrival time of your JR Express train on the ticket - they are always on time. If you are still unsure - ask the train officers walking around.
This is where you can buy the Narita Express ticket from the airport going to the city.
Look out for your car number on the ticket.
The train ride from the airport to the city takes more than 1 hr so it's good to know that they're selling food inside the train. And yes, we ate our first set of sushi here. Sorry, we can't wait and why I am always hungry after an airplane ride?
Although the train system in Tokyo is very efficient, it can also get very overwhelming and confusing sometimes! I would suggest to book your hotel to any stations near the JR Yamanote line ( see photo above ) as it has all the major stations near the tourist spots (Harajuku, Shibuya, Tokyo, etc). Also, if you will book a tour that goes to nearby prefectures (province or state) the meeting point normally is near any of the above stations. It will help you save time and the hassle in finding your way to the meeting point so there's a big chance you will not miss your tour. However, finding the correct exit from the station is another story LOL.
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