14 hour layover in Tokyo? Do this.

There is so much to see and do in Tokyo... a 14 hour layover will never be enough to experience everything Tokyo has to offer, but it is plenty of time to experience some of it.

First things first, if you have a choice of which airport to fly into, Haneda is a much better option for a short layover. Haneda is only 15-20 minutes from the lit areas of Tokyo and the ride is under $10. Narita airport is a journey from the city center. It will take over an hour to get to the lit areas of Tokyo from Narita and it will cost closer to $35, to do so. If Narita is your only option there are ways to make it work. I'll explain that in another post.

For our 14 hour layover, we were lucky enough to fly into Haneda. Haneda is a BEAUTIFUL airport and it has loads of uber Japanese restaurants. We were met by my long time friend, Yosuke. He took us to an amazing kaiten sushi restaurant right in the airport. Kaiten sushi is awesome, because the sushi goes around the counter on a little conveyor belt and you grab whatever you want and get charged at the end. Of course sushi in Japan is insanely good. It seriously melts in your mouth..ahhh... I love sushi anywhere, but boy is it outstanding in Japan.   

 (        We opted to head to Shibuya after sushi. Shibuya has lots of bars (many of which are open 24 hours), restaurants, bright lights (perfect for taking pictures for the 'Gram) and places to sleep. We paid less than $10 to get to Shibuya from Haneda airport. It's important to note that the trains stop running at midnight in Tokyo. Once they stop they won't start again until 5am. If you have a long layover, but still want to sleep for a few hours, you can spend the night at a manga café also called an internet café. 
          Manga cafes are set up all over town and we were lucky enough to pick a bar right across the street from one.  Sleeping at a manga café is very normal. Many people stay at them when they miss their last trains homes. It's legit an internet café, but the room is equipped with pillows and a padded floor for sleeping. We paid $13 each to sleep at one for 6 hours. I suggest placing something on the pillows before resting your face on it #ijs. The manga café has showers and restrooms, provides free tooth brushes, coffee, and ice cream, and has a little shop where they sell snacks and instant ramen noodles. Is it a plush hotel? Hell to the no, but will it do for some shut eye? Absolutely.

We slept like champs in that tiny little space. Then we got ready, headed out, ate, and then jumped on the train to Haneda. We made it in time for our 11am flights to Bangkok.

Tips for 14 hour layover in Tokyo:

1. Aim to land in Haneda airport.
2. Get on the train before midnight (trains stop running from midnight to 5am).
3. Head to a busy part of town to ensure plenty of night time options (Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku are all good options).
4. FamilyMart, 7-11, and Lawson are all open 24hours get food and necessities there.
5. Find a manga café for some shut eye.
6. Give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport in the morning.

If you have specific questions, please send me a message!

Love, Love, Travel!

LMJ