I have a friend arriving at NRT, via Delta. He's getting in at 1:30 pm. Our plan is to go from there to Kyoto, same day, via train.

He's never been to Japan before so I was thinking of meeting him at the airport, since it'd probably be less chaotic to hook up there. I assume there's some sort of international arrivals hall area, right? Just checking and trying to figure out where to meet up with him.

Also, that sounds like a reasonable time travel to get to Kyoto that night, right? I'm assuming we'd be in Tokyo Station before 5 pm, and there'd be trains leaving for Kyoto. Since I'm there the week before I can try to make sure we have seat reservations. Only thing is, he won't have his ticket validated until he gets there, obviously. (Rail pass and all.) Hopefully a Wednesday in early October won't be too hard to get reservations. I can't find a Tokyo-Kyoto timetable online.

Yes, there is an arrival hall. DL is arriving T2.

http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e/guide/map/t2_1f.html

Perhaps, those Iris and Camelia mural things in this floor map are for people meeting up.

My train connection data software shows if you take Narita Express at 15:13, arrive in Tokyo 16:13. Change Shinkansen bullet train, leaving Tokyo at 16:28. You will reach Kyoto by 19:06.

[This message has been edited by Chiangi (edited 08-02-2002).]

Another easy meeting place is next to any one of the bus stops immediately outside the doors which are themselves located about 20 meters across the arrivals lobby from the exit from customs (i.e. where your friend will emerge to be met). Just pick a specific numeber stop, such as stop 10 and stand there. Or your friend can simply navigate the escalators down to the JR Narita Express ticket window and immediately adjacent to this are automatic ticket machines. They are the only ones at the Terminal 2 stop for JR and should be easy to find. Just make sure you specify, "Not the Keisei Skyliner window".

Mike


------------------
Markbach's FT picture page (http://photos.markbach.com/gallery/mjm)
My Starbucks City Mug Collection Page (http://www.twics.com/~mjm/mugs.html)

[This message has been edited by mjm (edited 08-05-2002).]

Since your friend will be using a rail pass, a 'Hikari' type Shinkansen will be the fastest (the faster Nozomi is excluded from the pass).

According to my 2002 paper schedule, departure times from Tokyo for Kyoto in the late afternoon are:
- 16:03, :26, :37, :46
- 17:03, :26, :30, :37, :46
- 18:03, :10, :26, :30, :37, 46
- 19:10, :37, :46
- 20:16, :40, :50 (last Hikari of the day)

Trip time is roughly 2:40 depending on # of stops and time of the day.

If you are in Japan before your friend, you could look for a '700 series' train on the Japanese schedule posted at the station. There are 4-6 Hikaris a day using those post-2000, new generation, quieter and faster trains.