Japan stop-over (UK <-> Japan <-> Oz)

More questions! It may be about Japan but I hope people will
understand why I'm posting here...

Has anyone gone with JAL via Japan?
I've got an afternoon in Tokyo (airport) on the way out, arrive
16:45, depart 20:55. Is that enough time to get out of the airport
and have a look around?

On the way back (via Osaka) JAL puts everyone up in a hotel for
the night. Is that likely to be downtown or near the airport?
Any tips on what to do? (apart from drink sake).

--
"I was nauseous and tingly all over.
I was either in love or I had smallpox."

"Mary Pegg" wrote in message
...
More questions! It may be about Japan but I hope people will
understand why I'm posting here...

Has anyone gone with JAL via Japan?
No I have atrip booked in February.
I've got an afternoon in Tokyo (airport) on the way out, arrive
16:45, depart 20:55. Is that enough time to get out of the airport
and have a look around?

No Not worth it Tokyo is 85 km away.
With the 2 hour check in Narita would not be worth a visit.


On the way back (via Osaka) JAL puts everyone up in a hotel for
the night. Is that likely to be downtown or near the airport?

I undestand the Hotel they put you up in is near Kansai. Airport around 90
minutes from Osaka.

Any tips on what to do? (apart from drink sake).

Visit a Onsen hot springs
Take a Half day tour of Osaka or Kyoto.
Shop in Osaka
Visit a temple.

Try this website.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/RTG/RI/kan...aka/osaka.html

Mary please make sure your stopover is on the way back.

cheers
Glen

Glen wrote:

I undestand the Hotel they put you up in is near Kansai. Airport around 90
minutes from Osaka.

I've since found out it's the Nikko Kansai at the airport.

Thanks Glen.

--
"I was nauseous and tingly all over.
I was either in love or I had smallpox."

Mary Pegg wrote:

I've since found out it's the Nikko Kansai at the airport.

And this seems to be the complete guide to the vicinity:

http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/fp/e/english.html

--
"I was nauseous and tingly all over.
I was either in love or I had smallpox."

Glen wrote:

With the 2 hour check in Narita would not be worth a visit.

The luggage gets checked straight through, I take it?
But do I need to check in at Narita too?

--
"I was nauseous and tingly all over.
I was either in love or I had smallpox."

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:48:01 GMT, Mary Pegg
wrote:

More questions! It may be about Japan but I hope people will
understand why I'm posting here...

Has anyone gone with JAL via Japan?

Yes but not for quite a few years. That said, I doubt Japan has moved
very much in that time, geographically speaking.

I've got an afternoon in Tokyo (airport) on the way out, arrive
16:45, depart 20:55. Is that enough time to get out of the airport
and have a look around?

No. The airport is a long way from Tokyo so forget that. Also, most
likely they won't even give you an option to leave the airport for
that short a stay as it would mean passing through immigration and all
that entails.

I did an overnight there a few years back and was able to go and
explore the local area on foot. It was nice, but there's a not a
whole lot to see.

On the way back (via Osaka) JAL puts everyone up in a hotel for
the night. Is that likely to be downtown or near the airport?
Any tips on what to do? (apart from drink sake).

Kansai is a rather unusual airport. There was no room for it on the
island (Osaka) so it is built out at sea. It's rather hard to go
anywhere (unless you can swim well!). My guess is that the hotel will
be within the airport complex which, if memory serves, is divided into
two main terminals connected via a monorail system. It's been a few
years and I'm slightly senile so I might be wrong! Assuming I'm not,
I would imagine that the hotel will be on the flight side therefore
you will not need to pass through immigration even there.

Apart from drink? I think drink is about the only answer, I'm afraid.

Another option, and it may be a bit late, is to try to talk the
airline into extending your stay. I have successfully done this
several times with Qantas to arrange stays of several days in
Singapore to break the journey. I've never tried it with JAL but if I
fly with them again I might. Generally speaking the airlines have
hubs where they'll fly people into and out of. Kansai is clearly a
hub of JAL, which is not surprising as it's in Japan, so they'll fly
people in and then fly them out again - how long you're there is
really of very little interest to them, they just assume you want out
on the first plane to your intended destination, hence normal turn
around times of 4-5 hrs or so.

Simon Pleasants wrote:

[Narita layover]

No. The airport is a long way from Tokyo so forget that. Also, most
likely they won't even give you an option to leave the airport for
that short a stay as it would mean passing through immigration and all
that entails.

You can get a temporary permit according to the airport website.
I think I'll try and make use of the showers.

[Kansai]

years and I'm slightly senile so I might be wrong! Assuming I'm not,
I would imagine that the hotel will be on the flight side therefore
you will not need to pass through immigration even there.

I now know that I'm staying in the Nikko Kansai which is on the
"island" but I don't think it's airside. There's trains and buses
that take a few minutes on to the mainland and there's allegedly
a cheap seafood restaurant there. So that's my plan.

Another option, and it may be a bit late, is to try to talk the

It is a bit late, and I don't have the budget in any case, having
blown it on getting to PNG.

--
"I was nauseous and tingly all over.
I was either in love or I had smallpox."