One night stay at Narita Airport, What to do?

Hello,

I will be travelling in August to Osaka for an exchange program, but I have to make a one-day stop at Narita (Arrive Monday 4pm, leave Tuesday 2pm) and I really am wondering what to do with my day near Tokyo. I'd really like to take the chance and see something of Tokyo but am not sure if the time will be enough. Do you have any recomendations? or it will be better to stay at Narita?

It is enough time to go to Tokyo, overnight there and see a little bit of the city (in the evening and early morning). I recommend to leave central Tokyo to return to the airport around 10am.

Alternatively, these are some of the things you can do around the airport:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6400.html

That's plenty of time to go into Tokyo and do some sightseeing, explore, and eat some good food.

Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro stations are all very easy to get to directly from the airport, and it's not like you only have three hours in town, so staying in any of those neighborhoods would be equally convenient. I'd recommend looking into Shibuya, as most of your time in Tokyo will be evening and early morning, and Shibuya is more interesting in the evening than the area around Tokyo station.

Don't forget Narita City! It has a wonderful temple, Narita-san, and the road leading to it, Omotesando, has many little shops.

I'll be carrying a lot of baggage, I was thinking of having an hotel near Narita and the moving to Tokyo. Will it be better to stay in Tokyo? I have a small budget and traveling with baggage is a little expensive. I've found hotels near Narita that offer free shuttle. Shibuya seems like a very nice place to go in the evening. If I were to stay at Narita and wish to go to Tokyo in de evening, do you know at which hour is the best to go back to Narita?

You could store most of your luggage overnight at the left-luggage office at the airport and just carry an overnight bag. It's just a single train ride from the airport to Shibuya. (There are also limousine buses that go straight to certain hotels, which might be even easier.)

Do you plan to fly from Narita to Osaka? Tokyo is on the way from Narita to Osaka if you choose a train or night bus.

I am planing to fly from Narita to Osaka, I saw the new Jetstar Japan airline really cheap and am thinking of using it. I will definetly check the left-luggage options at Narita. It will help a lot and I'll be able to stay at Tokyo that way!

You might also think about staying in Nippori, which is a direct train ride on the Kensei skyliner. It's probably one of the least expensive way to get to Tokyo from Narita. There is an inexpensive Hotel with an Onsen that I have stayed at that is a block or two from the Nippori station called the Tokiwa Hotel. It has an Onsen on the first floor of the hotel.

Nippori is a station on the Yamanote loop, which includes Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Tokyo, and Ueno. You can get to many places just using this one loop rail line.

Nippori is also called Fabric Town, and you can shop for fabric and clothing there, if that's your thing.

Anywhay, easy in, and easy out, and an Onsen to boot. Use "Central Tokyo" as the location in JAPANiCAN's reservation system, and "Arakawa/Adachi" as the suburb within central Tokyo. The hotel should pop up.

It's easy and interesting to stay a night at a capsule hotel in Tokyo if you only have a hand bag. It's cheap and needless of reservation.