Abram and I had intentionally scheduled our flight from from Singapore through Honolulu. A by-product of this scheduling was a five-hour layover in Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT). That was just enough time to duck out through customs, leave our carry-ons at left luggage, and take the train into Narita City -- a lovely little Japenese "village" with beautiful temple and gardens.

For those who have equally-long layovers at NRT, I thought it might be helpful to relate our experience and process.

After disembarking from the 777, we followed the signs for "Arrivals" towards baggage claim. Most of the other passengers were connecting to other United flights and disappeared down a separate hallway. It was a long, windy walk to immigration, but we arrived with our passports and immigration forms in-hand.

It is important that you fill out the immigration form with the correct information. We listed "In transit" as reason for our visit and that we would be in the country for five hours. There was no one at immigration and we walked right up. The officials asked no questions, stamped our passports and waved us through. Questioning at customs was done with a smile and they also welcomed us to Japan.

After exiting the customs area, head to the left behind the staircase where you will find a left luggage area. It cost me Y600 (about $US6) to leave my two bags for a few hours.

The Japenese Tourist Information booth in the arrivals hall has detailed information on just this type of visit. The Japanese being, well, Japenese had constructed a map with suggested walks -- each of them timed down to the minute. I had to smile. We bought tickets into the city from the Rail Ticket office in the arrivals hall. A roundtrip cost Y500 on the Keisei line. Trains appeared to be running every 20 minutes or so, and there was one waiting in the station when we got down to the platform. It was deserted. The first thing I noticed was the number of ads plastered inside each train. There were so many that the net result was that one barely noticed any of them in particular.

Within 10 minutes, we were at Narita-shi (Narita City) -- the second stop once the train leaves the first terminal. There's only one exit from the train station, so very little fear of getting lost. Head out of the terminal, walk straight past the bus stop to the street. Turn right, towards McDonalds and start walking. There are lots of sights and sounds to enjoy, particularly if it's your first time in Japan. Little shops and delicatessans line the streets, and children play with eachother on their way home from school. The main attraction in Narita -- the Shinsho-ji Temple and Park -- is about a 1km walk from the train station. Stay on the road as it winds around and down the hill. At the fork in the road, bear right. The temple sits at the bottom of the hill -- you can't miss it, really.

The beautiful temple gates and gently landscaped parks are a peaceful place to walk off the stress of travel. If your lucky to be there when the flowers are in bloom, you will be treated to stunning colors. Abram and I visited during the fall, and the falling leaves added to the calm of the setting.

We spent an hour or two walking around the temple and the small town. We didn't eat much -- just a couple donuts -- because our Yen were limited. However, I've heard that you can get a free cup of tea at the rest house just across from the main temple entrance.

I would highly recommend scheduling a long stop in NRT if you are able to on your next trip through to Asia. Mike Newman has an extensive "Narita Layover" page that may be even more helpful to you as you consider your time in Japan:

http://www.mgnewman.com/narita/