Narita International Airport To Open "Fast Lane" For Travelers In A Rush

Above, the meeting point for arriving passengers after they have cleared Immigration,
Customs and Baggare in Narita Airport's Terminal One Arrival Lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Narita International Airport may be way out in the boonies from Tokyo, but I have always found it very efficient.

From the time of landing to going through Immigration, Customs and Baggage, I usually get through the process in less than an hour. Which is not bad.

The only real problem with Narita is the long walk from the gates and the necessity of taking multiple flights of escalators to get to the Immigration windows and, if multiple flights have arrived, the long lines at the Immigration officer's desk.

For some people, Narita's normal efficiency may not be fast enough for them and they are in a hurry. So, to remedy this, the airport will open a "fast lane" for those passengers.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —Narita airport authorities plan to establish a special lane intended to decrease the amount of time spent in the airport for individuals visiting or leaving the country for conferences, meetings or other time sensitive activities. 

In what will be Japan’s first airport “fast lane,” incoming passengers who are participating in international diplomacy conferences, and other people with similarly time-sensitive schedules, will all be able to utilize the lane not available to other passengers in order to speed up the immigration process at the airport, Sankei Shimbun reported Wednesday. 

Although such lines have been available for some time in the West, following a request for the establishment of such lanes from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Narita officials expect to have the priority lane operating by next year.

It will be interesting to see how they decide on who qualifies to use the "fast lane" at Narita.

Above, a Keisei Line train stopped at the Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture due
to snow in February 2014. If they can make the train lines between Narita Airport
and Tokyo "snow-proof," then that would impressive. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now, if they were able to find a way to make the trains into Tokyo (Narita Express, Keisei Line and Keisei Skyliner) from Narita "snow-proof," then I would be very impressed.

To read more, go here.

Yoshinoya Japan Raising Prices On Signature Beef Bowls

Above, people waiting for a bus to take them into Tokyo near a Yoshinoya restaurant
at Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture last February. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the cheapest places to have a meal in Japan is Yoshinoya. I have made stops there many times during trips over in Japan over the years whenever the need to conserve cash arose.

Well, they are raising prices on their signature beef bowls.

According to an article in News On Japan:

Fast-food company Yoshinoya Holdings Co. said Tuesday it will raise the price of its signature beef bowl dish - long a symbol of the deflationary economy - for the first time in 24 years due to higher import costs. 

Yoshinoya, in the beef-bowl business for 115 years, said it will raise the price of its regular-size “gyudon” dish by 27 percent to Y380 on Dec. 17, citing a spike in U.S. beef prices and the yen’s sharp depreciation against the dollar. 

Despite the price hikes, Yoshinoya is still a relatively cheap place to have a filling meal. Like McDonalds over here, there are Yoshinoya restaurants all over Japan. They are pretty much like the Yoshinoyas in the U.S. with some menu differences.

See more at: http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/110587.php#sthash.azUyPgud.dpuf

300 Passengers Stranded On Train In Heavy Snow

Above, the Keisei Line train I was stuck in at the Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's a news story that I can relate to, given my experience last February in Japan.

From News On Japan:

About 300 passengers are stranded on a train in a mountainous area of northern Japan due to a blackout caused by heavy snow. 

Power was lost on a rapid-service train on Wednesday morning on the Senzan Line, which links the cities of Yamagata and Sendai.

The blackout occurred after a tree fell on a power cable.

Thank goodness I wasn't in the mountains, but at a train station with food and restroom facilities when the train I was on had to stop due to heavy snow.

- See more at: http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/110509.php#sthash.Zz9yQTR8.dpuf

L.A. To Tokyo Airfares Unchanged

Above, a snowy view from Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture in February. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today is December 1, but the "official" airfare check will come a week from now.

However, I did check the Los Angeles Times Travel section orf yesterday and found that the airfare prices are unchanged from the last report of November 24, in which the Times found the price range for flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo to be at $1,186 to $1,710. These prices, of course, are before any taxes or fees are added in.

We'll see if there are any changes in airfares next week for the first official check for December.

Will the prices be higher or lower?

Japan In A Hot Spell

Above, the business area near Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture in February. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is amazing to see the difference that five months make.

It was only in February that Japan was socked by stronger-than-usual snowstorms (that I had the "pleasure" to experience) and seeing that Japan is now in a major heat spell.

According to News on Japan:

Much of Japan is still under a hot spell on Monday, with the mercury rising beyond 35 degrees Celsius in some cities. 

The article stated that Tokyo marked 31.4 degrees Celsius.

As we go by the Fahrenheit measuring system, 35 or 31.4 sounds cold. But Japan uses the Metric system. When you convert 35 Celsius to Fahrenheit, it tells a different story.

Metric Conversions.org converts 35 Celsius to Fahrenheit to be:

 35ºC = 95.000ºF

And Tokyo's was converted to this:

 31.4ºC = 88.520ºF

I wonder if they prefer the February temperatures to this?

To read more, go here.

One Month Ago...

Above, a view of the Skytree from the snowy streets of Tokyo's
Kitchen Town (Kappabashi) on February 9. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It hardly seems like a month (well, a short month since there's only 28 days in February) ago today that I landed at Narita International Airport to begin my trip to Japan and the adventure (one that I would have preferred to pass up) of being stuck in a train car for 16 hours in Chiba Prefecture due to an unusually heavy snowstorm. Ultimately, it took me 22 hours to reach my hotel in the Ueno section of Tokyo.

Instead of rehashing the whole thing, you can read all about it in my post of February 9 if you're so inclined.

Above, the snow-covered streets of the village near the Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is interesting to read in different articles about how the Japanese coped (sometimes not too successfully) with the storms of February 8-9 and February 14-15 since they happened. I am positive that they are still topics of conversation in dining rooms and workplace water coolers in Japan and elsewhere.

One thing I can say about the experience, it certainly made the trip more interesting and it did not make for a dull trip!

Japan Daily Picks Up Yachiyodai Station Blog Post

The Japan Daily picked up my post on the location of the Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture where I spent a nice chunk of my vacation in Japan.

To view The Japan Daily, go here.

Where The Hell Is Yachiyodai Station?

Above, Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For about 16 hours, I was stuck in a Keisei Line train car at the Yachiyodai Station in Chiba Prefecture due to snow. The station is situated in-between Narita International Airport and Tokyo.

When I left Japan last Saturday, (out of curiosity) I timed how long it would take to reach Yachiyodai Station from Ueno Station in Tokyo.

The train left Ueno Station at 10:55 a.m. and we reached Yachiyodai at 11:35 a.m. It is interesting that we were stuck only 40 minutes outside of Tokyo (including all stops along the route up to that point).

I checked with Google Maps and here's (below) where Yachiyodai Station is located (marked with "A"). It doesn't look that far from Tokyo. Trouble is, besides the snow stopping train service, there were no buses or taxis available to take anyone into Tokyo (the fare probably would have been expensive anyway). A few people, including me, considered doing that.

One thing Keisei Line people did for us, they gave us a special ticket that entitled the bearer to free transport into Tokyo. Other train lines honored it, including the Metropolitan subway lines. This came in handy as it took me another four hours (after leaving Yachiyodai Station) to finally reach my hotel.

This was definitely a case of "so close, but yet so far."

The Great Chiba Blizzard of 2014

Above, yours truly waiting for the train to depart for Tokyo from Chiba Prefecture. No, this was not a selfie.

Traveling to another country is an adventure itself, but unexpected things that can and do occasionally happen make the adventure even more memorable.

That happened to me upon arrival in Japan. As we were landing, snow covered the ground at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture. I didn't think too much of it at the time as it looked like a light dusting.

Things got even more interesting. After going through Immigration, baggage pick-up, Customs and currency exchange, I went downstairs to the Keisei Line ticket counter to get my ticket on the Skyliner to head into Tokyo. After that was accomplished, I headed over to the train gate to wait for my train, which was scheduled to depart at 1658 (4:58 PM).

Above, a train passenger standing out in the snow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There was an earlier train still at the gate. We kept waiting for it to depart and it was still there during the time my train was supposed to depart. First, we heard there was an accident of some sort. Then we heard it was delayed due to snow. Then, the train sitting there had its departure cancelled and all other upcoming Skyliner departures were cancelled. We then had to go to the ticket counter again for a refund as the regular Keisei Line's fare was different.

Above, some of my fellow passengers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At the counter, I turned in my ticket and got my refund with no problem. I asked what do they recommend? They said the Keisei Line was also cancelled and to go to the limousine bus counter. So I did.

At the limousine bus counter, I was told that there were no limousine buses going out. They said to go to the Keisei Line counter. So I did.

At the Keisei Line counter, I told them that I was told that there were no trains going out. They checked and said that they were still going out. So I got my ticket and beelined it to the gate.

The train arrived in a few minutes and I boarded it. We then departed for Tokyo. So far, so good.

Above and below, the train stuck at Yachiyodai Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Then, a few stops after departure, we noticed snow coming down. Not hard, but it was still falling. Then, at another station stop, we just sat there for about fifteen minutes. The conductor said that the delay was due to snow. As this was a limited express train, there was supposed to be fewer station stops, but due to the snow, they would stop at all of them. We then departed. A few stops later, the train sat at a station again (Yachiyodai Station) and the conductor announced that we can't go due to snow.  After an hour or two, we were told that it would take three hours for the train to be ready to depart, which would make the departure at about midnight. We were stuck in Chiba Prefecture. The snow was falling hard now.

Midnight came and went. We then were told that we won't be able to leave until it was safe. I said out loud, "Welcome to Tokyo." Quite a number of my fellow passengers, including Japanese, laughed over that. A lot of them understood English, it appears.

Above, just before dawn, passengers in my train car sleeping. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In the meantime, it became blizzard conditions. The snow got to about six inches deep at the station (who knows how deep it was further on). Some of us, including me, didn't have a seat on the train and stood for over five hours. Then, at 1:00 in the morning, some got word that buses were available to take passengers to a school evacuation center. About half of the train's passengers went for the bus. I remained on the train. Thankfully, it was heated and by then I had a seat. So I took some nap breaks.

Above, my train (left) was joined by two more trains at Yachiyodai Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At dawn, we were still sitting at the Yachiyodai Station with no word on when the train would depart for Tokyo. Some of us wandered around the station, getting food and using the restroom.  Some people were told that buses would come to take them into Tokyo. They left for the bus waiting areas. Good thing I didn't go as they stood out in the cold for over three hours. I went back to the train, at least it was toasty warm inside.

Above, workers shoveling snow from the tracks. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While we were waiting in the train car, we saw workers begin shoveling snow off the tracks. This seemed to be a good sign. Yet, we kept waiting. Eventually, a pilot train arrived to test the condition of the tracks heading to Narita International Airport to make certain that the tracks were safe to use.

Above, the night's blizzard turned the village near the station into a winter wonderland. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We then were told that we needed go to another train to head in the direction of Narita to go to the second station down to catch a train to Tokyo (two steps back for one step forward).  This we did and we eventually got a train heading in the direction of Tokyo. Finally! And it was around 10:00 in the morning! We sat waiting for 16 hours.

Above, the Ueno section of Tokyo. The top of the Skytree is in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I eventually got to my hotel on Sunday (22 hours after landing) at 2:00 PM. There was snow on the ground in Tokyo as well.

I guess this adventure could be called, "The Great Chiba Blizzard of 2014."

Obviously, that was an experience I would not want to repeat again!