Tokyo Tidbits and more Hong Kong advice

Well, this was my last day in Tokyo; just a few observations:

The Nissan Gallery in Ginza is great. Not only do you get to slam the tires and kick the doors of Nissan’s latest and greatest, there’s usually some sort of design related exhibit happening too. Today it was a small exhibit on iconography and type relating to Nissan’s logo and choice of fonts.

Tokyo is the world’s largest city. It’s public transport system WITHIN Tokyo is fantastic. You can literally get anywhere in this big sprawly city on either JR or Tokyo Metro. Trains run frequently and are clean, punctual and safe.

Ever wonder why so many people fall asleep on the train? Besides the length of the average commute (which is looong), the velour covered bench seats are heated! It’s a lot easier to fall asleep when you got a warm butt. And they still manage to wake up, Jabba the Hutt like, a minute before they get off the train. That’s a skill I don’t have yet…

This kick-ass transportation system falls apart the moment you need to get to Tokyo Narita. For a lot of travellers (and especially those of us who travel on our own thin dimes), the only way in is via rail, either by the Ne’X (for those lucky ppl with expense accounts or JR Passes) for Y3200 or the Keisei Limited Express (tokkyu) for Y1000. Here’s the annoying part: It takes OVER AN HOUR!!!

Do the words “Airport Express” come to mind? Hong Kong does it right. HKG to Central takes 23 minutes. If you choose the cheaper option, HKG to Central via A11 bus takes just about an hour. It’s cheaper (HK$40 vs. HK$100) and if you’ve got the time, take the basi. It’s a better deal. What do you get for the extra HK$60 that the Airport Express costs? Well, you get 40 odd minutes of your life back and in-town check in for your flight. That means, you go to the Airport Express station (Kowloon or Hong Kong) and check in yourself and your baggage. Get your boarding pass. That’s it. Fart around for a little bit before hopping the train to the Airport. Take a leisurely stroll around the Airport. Easy.

Anyway, Tokyo Narita could use a service like this. Actually for the amount of money people pay for the Ne’X, there ought to be a Shinkansen going out there!

One thing I do like about Tokyo Narita is that on the 5th level of the mall area, there’s an observation deck where you can go outside and watch the sun set and the planes land and take off.