Our day in Narita - Boso no Mura
Aug 22nd, 2005 | 12:22 PM
#1
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Our day in Narita - Boso no Mura
My daughter and I spent a day in Narita before our flight to the US earlier this month. We're now back in Japan.
Flew into Narita on the only Komatsu-Narita flight of the day...departs Komatsu at 8:00 AM. We departed about 30 minutes late and arrived in Narita around 9:30. Easily found the Narita Hilton shuttle bus stop, and were soon at the hotel.
It was our first stay at the Narita Hilton. We were greeted nicely, and because of HHonors Gold status were upgraded from the basic room I'd reserved for about $100.00 US to a top floor huge room...not a suite, but very deluxe, and given breakfast coupons for continental breakfast or upgrade to full breakfast for 1100 yen. The room was much nicer than we'd expected. Pool is large and beautiful...if you don't have a bathing cap they rent you one for 200 yen...the cap is required. Fitness facilities are very nice, especially for a hotel. The breakfast was a vast buffet of all the usual breakfast offerings as well as a large variety of Japanese offerings...the free HHonors buffet was fruit, breads and cereals. My daughter wanted the big buffet though, so we got that. I paid the extra for me, but she was free (she shouldn't have been, but who am I to argue).
We asked about going to Boso no Mura - an Edo period village attraction, and were given maps and brochures. As he was explaining how to go there by bus, it seemed to us too much work to take the shuttle to the station, then 2 more buses out to Boso no Mura...it was soooo hot and we just wanted to get there, not mess around with transportation. Asked about taxi. They seemed to discourage me from going at all, and especially by taxi...until they learned we spoke Japanese. As soon as they knew that, a taxi became fine and they were sure we'd enjoy the village.
So, they called us a taxi which came in about 5 minutes. Cost to Boso no Mura was 2900 yen, ride took about 15 minutes, no traffic. When the taxi dropped us off, he asked us how we were getting back to the hotel...how long we'd be. Of course, we had no idea how long we'd be, so he gave us his cell phone number and told us we could call him when we wanted to go back. Sounded nice and easy to me.
Entry to the village was 300 yen for me, free for my daughter. Every day, they have different activities scheduled for visitors to participate in. When you first enter the reception room has a board with the days offerings. There is also a sign posted that if you require English language assistance/guidance they will be happy to provide it...we didn't use it though.
We tried decorating candles, decorative paper mache painting, stencilling with indigo on linen, and making sweets (and eating them). We had a nice walk around the village, too. There is a main street kind of place where the "shops" are...this is where you can try the various things on offer. Past this area, the street continues into the "country" where you can see houses and so on. We mainly focused on the activities, and didn't walk around much as it was soooo hot.
The staff in each "shop" was authentically dressed in Edo period clothing and very welcoming to everyone. It was not crowded, so we could try everything we wanted, but there is a limit to the number of people who can do each thing at a time. Also, everyone takes a lunch break from around 11:30 - 12:00 until 1:00 - 1:30, so at lunch time. There are more activies on offer on weekends than on weekdays. It is possible, I think, to do everything there without knowing Japanese.
We enjoyed Boso no Mura very much, and would recommend it. Allow at least 2 hours...we spent 4 hours and didn't see nearly all of it, but left satified and will go back.
Flew into Narita on the only Komatsu-Narita flight of the day...departs Komatsu at 8:00 AM. We departed about 30 minutes late and arrived in Narita around 9:30. Easily found the Narita Hilton shuttle bus stop, and were soon at the hotel.
It was our first stay at the Narita Hilton. We were greeted nicely, and because of HHonors Gold status were upgraded from the basic room I'd reserved for about $100.00 US to a top floor huge room...not a suite, but very deluxe, and given breakfast coupons for continental breakfast or upgrade to full breakfast for 1100 yen. The room was much nicer than we'd expected. Pool is large and beautiful...if you don't have a bathing cap they rent you one for 200 yen...the cap is required. Fitness facilities are very nice, especially for a hotel. The breakfast was a vast buffet of all the usual breakfast offerings as well as a large variety of Japanese offerings...the free HHonors buffet was fruit, breads and cereals. My daughter wanted the big buffet though, so we got that. I paid the extra for me, but she was free (she shouldn't have been, but who am I to argue).
We asked about going to Boso no Mura - an Edo period village attraction, and were given maps and brochures. As he was explaining how to go there by bus, it seemed to us too much work to take the shuttle to the station, then 2 more buses out to Boso no Mura...it was soooo hot and we just wanted to get there, not mess around with transportation. Asked about taxi. They seemed to discourage me from going at all, and especially by taxi...until they learned we spoke Japanese. As soon as they knew that, a taxi became fine and they were sure we'd enjoy the village.
So, they called us a taxi which came in about 5 minutes. Cost to Boso no Mura was 2900 yen, ride took about 15 minutes, no traffic. When the taxi dropped us off, he asked us how we were getting back to the hotel...how long we'd be. Of course, we had no idea how long we'd be, so he gave us his cell phone number and told us we could call him when we wanted to go back. Sounded nice and easy to me.
Entry to the village was 300 yen for me, free for my daughter. Every day, they have different activities scheduled for visitors to participate in. When you first enter the reception room has a board with the days offerings. There is also a sign posted that if you require English language assistance/guidance they will be happy to provide it...we didn't use it though.
We tried decorating candles, decorative paper mache painting, stencilling with indigo on linen, and making sweets (and eating them). We had a nice walk around the village, too. There is a main street kind of place where the "shops" are...this is where you can try the various things on offer. Past this area, the street continues into the "country" where you can see houses and so on. We mainly focused on the activities, and didn't walk around much as it was soooo hot.
The staff in each "shop" was authentically dressed in Edo period clothing and very welcoming to everyone. It was not crowded, so we could try everything we wanted, but there is a limit to the number of people who can do each thing at a time. Also, everyone takes a lunch break from around 11:30 - 12:00 until 1:00 - 1:30, so at lunch time. There are more activies on offer on weekends than on weekdays. It is possible, I think, to do everything there without knowing Japanese.
We enjoyed Boso no Mura very much, and would recommend it. Allow at least 2 hours...we spent 4 hours and didn't see nearly all of it, but left satified and will go back.
Aug 22nd, 2005 | 02:58 PM
#3
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,120
Likes: 0
well, something is odd here. i posted an hour ago, but its gone. heres what i said:
domo kimjapan for the report. i might visit the museum on my next six hour layover at narita, except i will be cabbing from the airport.
did you get your fill of nathans hot dog in the big apple?
hawaiian traveler, whats happeneing? got your tkts for the sc game?
domo kimjapan for the report. i might visit the museum on my next six hour layover at narita, except i will be cabbing from the airport.
did you get your fill of nathans hot dog in the big apple?
hawaiian traveler, whats happeneing? got your tkts for the sc game?
Aug 22nd, 2005 | 03:46 PM
#4
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,034
Likes: 0
A cab from the airport will probably be the same price as a cab from the Hilton...around 3000 yen. I forgot to mention that there is a small charge for each activity you choose to participate in...varied from 200 to 300 yen for us. Of course, you get to keep what you made (or eat it!).
Hot dogs...don't really eat them. Did have a really good bratwurst for lunch at some friends' home, though, with excellent condiments.
Hot dogs...don't really eat them. Did have a really good bratwurst for lunch at some friends' home, though, with excellent condiments.
