livestrongforever

Hey guys,

Did a search and found several 8-9 hour stopover questions regarding going to Tokyo but how about 6 hours? Is that cutting it close?

We are landing at 11:10am and departs at 5:25pm.
Is this enough time to go out? Since its just a layover, I wouldn't have to worry about retrieving any luggage. This allows me to have some flexibility to go out and explore a bit. Never been to japan, dont speak the language at all so dont know how much I can get.

Im assuming it could take 30-40 minutes just leaving the airport since i hear you have to walk a lot to customs. Then theres the customs line...

Then coming back through security line, Dont know how long that will be as well....

Even if im in tokyo for one hour that would be fun. I just want to see that busy street intersection that looks like timesquare.

bmwe92fan

You are talking about the crossing outside of Shibuya station - which can be directly reached from NRT on the Narita Express. I am typically on the bus / NEX about 20-30 minutes after landing, so you have plenty of time for the 55 minute trip into Tokyo - spend a few hours - and then catch the NEX back to the airport. Please be aware that Shibuya station is one of the more complex stations in Tokyo and is also the busiest in the world and its not for the faint of heart lol - but its a ton of fun and you can easily spend a few hours in Starbucks watching the crossing and being amazed at the density in Tokyo...

basscadet75

Security at NRT is more efficient than it is in the US, so I would feel comfortable aiming to get back to the airport about 90 minutes before my flight. I wouldn't chance it any closer than that on an international flight, because you want to allow at least some safety margin and I also like to be there when boarding starts, not when it ends.

So you can do it. I'd personally plan on having about 2 hours in Shibuya in your case, when you consider the time it takes to do various things (including stuff like walking to and from the train, waiting for it, etc.)

You will be in Shibuya around lunch time, which will be one of the busiest times of day there.

ksandness

To reach the famous crossing, take the Hachiko Exit (named after a dog who waited for his master at the station for years after his master died) and look kitty-corner across from there to the Starbucks that is on the second floor of a book shop.

I agree that Shibuya Station can be extremely confusing, and to make matters worse, they keep adding new exits and passageways. But everyone knows where the Hachiko Exit is, and there are signs in English.

porphyra

As others have said, take 2 hours out just for the journey to Shibuya and back (1 hour each way) on the NEX.

Also, take 2 more hours by the time you get out of your plane and go through immigration, customs, figure out your NEX tickets and sit on the train (which runs every 20-30 minutes), and the for the the security clearance, immigration etc. on your way back.

That gives you 2 hours. Should you do it? Yea sure. If you feel adventurous. Shibuya is a good station to go to. The exit is right at that crazy intersection, but I don't think it is nearly as mad as the Tokyo station (which is a humongous labyrinth). You can find lots of eateries nearby, sit at the Starbucks, as mentioned, and just watch the mass human crossings; and say hello to Hachiko's statue as well.

bmwe92fan

Lol my screensaver is a picture of Hachiko - so love Japan....

livestrongforever

omg thank you everyone for your comments! I will report back my findings! Cant wait! I will be there at the end of the month so I got time to figure things out to make 6 hours worth it. ;D

5khours

6 hours is kind of tight but doable. 11:10 might get you on the 11:45 train to Shibuya (arrives around 1pm)...but more likely you'll end up on the 12:20 train getting to Shibuya around 1:30. You'll need to catch the 3:16 back from Shibuya which will get you to Narita at about 4:30. Not a lot of time but you can walk to the main Shibuya intersection from the station in about 10 minutes. Study the maps before you get there so you know where to go. Go for it!

nishimark

Not nearly as exciting as Shibuya, you could also go to the town of Narita very near the airport for a more relaxing taste of Japan. I'm sure that you've seen lots of threads here about that as well, but just thought that I'd throw it out.

Maji

I also vote for taking a stroll down the main drag of Narita City. Visit the Naritasan Temple and eat grilled eel at the quaint little restaurants on that street. After that try some of the local sweets and do some sake tasting. It is not the hubbub of Tokyo, but a very relaxed outing of a quiet little Japanese town. I did that a month ago, and I was so glad that I did not rush to get to and back from Tokyo City proper.

Good luck.

abmj-jr

I kind of agree with the above. If your goal is a photo of the iconic Shibuya crossing that seems to be used in every media representation of Tokyo, then sure, make the trip to Shibuya. Just be aware that any station you have ever visited was not as crowded and confusing as Shibuya-eki.

On the other hand, if your goal is to get a quick "taste" of Japan and perhaps a nice Japanese meal, Narita-shi (Narita City) would do that with far less hassle. It is only a few minutes from NRT by local train rather than an hour each way like Shibuya. The station is small and easy to navigate and the main shopping street is right outside. The quite nice temple is right there as well and dining options are along the street.

Choose your own poison.

evergrn

If your flight's on time, you have a good chance of making the 11.45am NEx (Narita Express) train. The next one's a 12.20pm departure. Those two will get you into Shibuya at 1.03p and 1.33p, respectively. Your main bottleneck after you get off the plane will be the passport control... 0-20min wait. After that, customs is literally no time at all. But you'll probably want to stop by ATM (Citibank or 7-11 bank) for some cash, etc. So you'll have to really move fast to catch 11.45am. There're other ways to get to Shibuya but, for the first-timer with no margin for errors, NEx is the way to go. For return, I would take the 2.46p NEx from Shibuya getting you back to NRT at 3.57pm. While you could cut it closer, I personally would recommend getting back to NRT no later than 4pm. Why take a chance? After factoring in the time spent negotiating Shibuya Station, you're looking at maybe 1-1.5hrs in Shibuya. Not much time, but worth it if you really want to see the Shibuya crossing.

Alternatively, you could take the faster Skyliner train to/from Ueno. That would leave you with 2+ hours at Ueno, rather than 1-1.5hr at Shibuya. You could get good food, check out some stores or quick stroll on Ameyokocho or Ueno Park. To me, that's more worthwhile than Narita city. But then you'd miss out on Shibuya crossing.

Btw, confirm these train times yourself by going to NEx's website.

manderwa

Also keep in mind that NEx isn't the cheapest option to get in to Tokyo, although there is now a discounted round trip fare...
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/nex_round.html

I would probably just go into Narita town if I was in your position, but I'm fairly risk averse (and also fairly frugal) when I travel.

evergrn

How about this?

4.5hr or less: landside shops at NRT
4-6hr: Narita town
5.5hr or more: Tokyo (but feasible options will be limited to places like Ueno, if 6hr or less)

basscadet75

I wouldn't worry so much about what people are saying about Shibuya station. If you have experience with any major public transit system, it's fine. I've never thought it was particularly complicated.

Like anything else in Tokyo, it's going to be a little harder if you're not used to big, crowded places. But if you've been to New York or Chicago or other dense American cities, you'll be ok.