21st August 1991 Day 32

Diary
Arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport. All of the guidebooks make out that it is quite difficult and expensive to do the forty miles from the airport to the city. But despite the fact that I didn't really know where I was going, it was easy. Here's how you do it. Firstly, feign ignorance of Japanese (easy this bit) and try to ask directions from a girl holding a Tokyo '91 board. Secondly, don't object when she ushers you on to the journalist's courtesy bus for  a free ride. Finally, keep your mouth shut and take the free can of Coke.

The Budokan (I think)

Got to the hotel and bumped into a very tired David Barnett who gave me a room key and directed me to Bop. Tired he might have been but awake he certainly was, so we headed into Shinjuku for food. People, lights and bars everywhere and we couldn't understand a word. But we decided to take pot luck, literally, and steamed into a bar and ordered a pot of noodles and some omelette type things. 

We didn't quite steam in because we couldn't operate the door. It looks like pointing at menus could be a good way of communicating our hunger. Afterwards, we got lost for a while, wandered through the red light district and eventually through the park and back to the hotel. It's safe to walk in even the dodgiest looking parts of Tokyo. Amazing.


2011
I think we stayed in the New City hotel - see here.