Japan - Quick questions (Tokyo day trips)

I have a couple of long connections through NRT coming up and was planning to head into Tokyo for a few hours each time. (I had planned to spend more time in Tokyo, but there were delays getting leave approved with work which required replanning my trip as flight schedules and availability had changed.)
SYD-NRT-ITM arrive NRT 0645, depart 1830
ITM-NRT-ICN arrive NRT 0940, depart 1840

I was thinking of going to Akihabara and Ueno and maybe Harajuku or Ikebukuro depending on time across the two layovers.

Can I use Suica on Sky Access?
Will JAL take/check through my luggage each time?
Is there anywhere at NRT that I can store my cabin baggage? (eg laptop)

Yes Suica/Pasmo can be used on the Keisei Line. If you ride the Skyliner you'll need to purchase an additional separate seat reservation (machines available to purchase them), if you take the regular keisei line or just the sky access train (non skyliner) no additional items required.

If you don't already have a Suica/Pasmo card, Keisei railways sells PASMO cards, JR sells Suica cards. Doesn't matter which one you purchase, both are interchangeable in the Tokyo area.

Yes Suica/Pasmo can be used on the Keisei Line. If you ride the Skyliner you'll need to purchase an additional separate seat reservation (machines available to purchase them), if you take the regular keisei line or just the sky access train (non skyliner) no additional items required.The Skyliner is the 36 minute trip to Ueno?

If you don't already have a Suica/Pasmo card, Keisei railways sells PASMO cards, JR sells Suica cards. Doesn't matter which one you purchase, both are interchangeable in the Tokyo area.I've had a Suica for a 2 or 3 years now. I have a Suica, Icoca, Ezlink, Oyster, Octopus, MyWay and Myki cards. ;)

Yes, the Skyliner is the 36 minute trip.

I would suggest you skip Ikebukuro, there's nothing really of note there (and this time I am going to resist calling it the Bakersfield of Tokyo). Might be more fun to go to Shinjuku in addition to Harajuku. I'd do that on the first layover which is a bit longer as they are on the west side of Tokyo and will take a bit longer to get to and from. N'Ex will take you in comfort all the way to/from Shinjuku; get the round trip deal with the Suica card (they'll give you a new one) and use that, it saves about Y2000, and you can use the new Suica card to pay the some of the fares for the second stopover, then refund it when the balance goes to zero.

Surprised you don't have a NYC pre-paid card!

Will JAL take/check through my luggage each time?
According to this website (http://www.narita-airport.jp/jp/security/connection/connection_sn.html) (can't find the English version) your luggage can be checked through when transferring domestic > international, but when transferring international > domestic you will have to go through customs with checked luggage and re-check it for the domestic flight.

Is there anywhere at NRT that I can store my cabin baggage? (eg laptop)
Yes (http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_07.html#t2).

The Skyliner is the 36 minute trip to Ueno?

Strictly speaking 36 mins to Nippori, 41 mins to Ueno.
http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/airport_access.html

N'Ex will take you in comfort all the way to/from Shinjuku; get the round trip deal with the Suica card (they'll give you a new one) and use that, it saves about Y2000, and you can use the new Suica card to pay the some of the fares for the second stopover, then refund it when the balance goes to zero.Then this Narita Express JR Suica is the same sort of thing as the Airport Express Octopus in Hong Kong? (return trip on airport express with 2 days of free subway use)
How long does N'Ex take NRT-Shinjuku compared to Skyliner+Yamanote?

Surprised you don't have a NYC pre-paid card!I have a cards for New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington and San Fransisco, but they are all expired magnetic tickets which I got before or while a smart card system was being introduced. I was going to get an OV-chipkaart last time I was in the Netherlands, but they were still testing the system and I couldn't get one. :) I plan to get a T-money card when I'm in Seoul and a Clipper Card in San Fransisco. May also get an ORCA card when I'm in Seattle, but that depends on if I need to use public transport.

According to this website (http://www.narita-airport.jp/jp/security/connection/connection_sn.html) (can't find the English version) your luggage can be checked through when transferring domestic > international, but when transferring international > domestic you will have to go through customs with checked luggage and re-check it for the domestic flight.Thought as much. Will JAL take luggage for a 1830 flight at ~0720?

Then this Narita Express JR Suica is the same sort of thing as the Airport Express Octopus in Hong Kong? (return trip on airport express with 2 days of free subway use)
How long does N'Ex take NRT-Shinjuku compared to Skyliner+Yamanote?

Not quite. This is the deal.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/

Narita Express takes about 60 mins to Tokyo but from Tokyo to Shinjuku it travels via Shibuya alongside the Yamanote Line - not the most direct route. Check the timetable here.
http://jreast-shinkansen-reservation.eki-net.com/pc/english/common/timetable/e_nex_u/index.html

If I get the N'Ex to Shinjuku with the N'Ex+Suica, can I get the return from Tokyo Station?

If I get the N'Ex to Shinjuku with the N'Ex+Suica, can I get the return from Tokyo Station?

The N'Ex part of the N'Ex+Suica is one-way, so you have to pay for the return trip to the airport. It's probably faster and cheaper to go up to Nippori and take the Skyliner back.

The N'Ex part of the N'Ex+Suica is one-way, so you have to pay for the return trip to the airport. It's probably faster and cheaper to go up to Nippori and take the Skyliner back.

JREast improved its N'EX+Suica package. Now includes an option for round trip N'EX tickets:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/

Having said that, the Skyliner from Nippori certainly is a quick and convenient option.

A lot depends on where you're staying. If you're staying in the southern part of the city, then the N'EX is more convenient. If you're staying in the often cheaper part of town (between Ikebukuro and Ueno, say), then the Skyliner out of Nippori is quick and convenient. Just hop onto the Yamanote, and you're at Nippori in a few minutes.

There's hotels between Ikebukuro and Ueno near the Yamanote line? Will wonders never cease!

There's hotels between Ikebukuro and Ueno near the Yamanote line? Will wonders never cease!

There are, although they are in the budget category, and there are plenty in Ikebukuro and Ueno, as well.

I know about Ikebukuro, that's the home of the Crowne Plaza which perpetually comes up on Priceline for Tokyo. There's hotels in Bakersfield too, but that still doesn't mean I'd make it my vacation destination.

Although the public transit network in Tokyo is excellent and you can readily get to most anywhere from anywhere else, the areas near the Yamanote line stops starting at Ikebukuro and ending at Nippori are not the areas that people interested in touring Tokyo would normally pick -- for good reason.

My family of six adults stayed at the Prince Hotel in Sunshine City (Ikebukuro) when they came to Tokyo for my wedding. I booked it for them because I was paying for all three rooms and it was the cheapest hotel I could find that had direct bus service to Narita.

Although I took them around town quite a bit as time permitted (and stuck them on the Hato Bus for a day so that I could deal with event planning issues), they raved about how much they loved the area around their hotel in Ikebukuro. I think this was because it was so similar to the shopping mall environments they were used to in the US--they were totally comfortable navigating themselves around in the morning and evening despite having never been to Japan before. There was even a bizarro Walmart (a.k.a. Seiyu) across the street.

To each their own, I guess.

Talking about places to stay in this thread a moot as I said in the first post that I wasn't staying in Tokyo (and if I was, I'd likely be at the Sakura Hotel in Ikebukuro).

I am currently in Osaka and have the second layover in Tokyo tomorrow.

Talking about places to stay in this thread a moot as I said in the first post that I wasn't staying in Tokyo (and if I was, I'd likely be at the Sakura Hotel in Ikebukuro).

I am currently in Osaka and have the second layover in Tokyo tomorrow.

Yeah, we get a bit off topic here from time to time. There are suggestions in the early replies.