[Sangetsu]

I've done the round trip to Narita from America at least 5 times now, and I've grown to hate it. It typically takes about 18 hours of travel time when I travel from America to Japan (or vice-versa).

Since this is your first flight (and your first flight to Japan), you probably won't be able to sleep much (if at all). You can bring a laptop pc to help pass the time, but odds are 50/50 that you won't have a place to plug it in, and even with a large battery, you won't get more than a few hours use out of it. You should bring a book, one that takes several hours to read. Reading will pass the time, and might make you sleepy enough to sleep for a few hours along the way.

Body piercings won't really set off airport metal detectors (unless they are really large), but they might arouse the interest of immigration/customs officers in Japan, who (like most Japanese) don't care too much for tattoos and body piercings. The only acquaintances of mine who have ever been delayed by Japanese customs are those who had visible tattoos and/or body piercings. They were let through, but not before getting their luggage thoroughly searched.

Speaking of searches, don't bring anything illegal into the country. Obviously this includes drugs, but also includes vegetables and fruits (don't pack oranges or apples for a snack), meats, or rice. Hardcore porn is not legal in Japan, so don't bring any of that either.

Choose your seats on the airplane carefully. You have booked your flight early enough to have a little flexibility in choosing your seat. If you are flying economy, try to get a seat on an exit row, this will give you a little more foot-room. Do not get a seat in front of an exit row, you will not be able to recline your seat fully. Aisle seats are also preferable, you can get up and move around without bothering anyone else. Try to get a seat as near to the front of the plane as possible, that way you'll be one of the first people off the plane, and you can get to the immigration windows more quickly. Japanese immigration now photographs and fingerprints all visitors, so the line can move very slowly.

Once you get through immigration and customs, you'll find yourself in the public part of the terminal. There are currency exchange booths in several places, but I recommend exchanging your currency before you leave the UK. By the time you arrive at Narita, you are going to be sleepy and unfocused. There are good shower facilities at Narita if you want to freshen up a little bit. I always have a shower after my flight, and it makes me feel much better. A shower costs 500 yen, and is a good deal. The facilities are spotless, and the water is very hot.

As you probably know, Narita is pretty far from Tokyo (where I assume you'll be heading). There are 3 ways to get there, by train (the Narita Express), highway bus, or taxi. A taxi ride to Tokyo will cost about 20-odd thousand yen, so that's probably not an option. The Narita Express is comfortable and inexpensive, but only stops at major stations. Japan's train system can be confusing to foreign visitors, especially if they've been traveling for the past 24 hours. Tokyo station can be very difficult to get around in, between train lines, subway lines, the Shinkansen lines, shopping malls on numerous floor levels, it's quite easy to get lost. For these reasons I recommend the highway bus (Airport Limousine). The bus takes about the same time to get to Tokyo as the Narita Express, but goes to more locations and costs less. You'll see the Limousine Bus signs and ticket counter just outside the door to customs, whereas the Narita Express platform is on a lower level, some distance away. The Airport Limousine counter has clerks who speak English, and their buses run to all major train stations, hotels, shopping districts, and even the Disney parks.

You should look up and print out maps of the area around your hotel, and memorize where the nearest train station is. Google maps has a street-level view of most of Tokyo, so you can see exactly what the areas around your hotel and the station look like. There are police boxes all over Tokyo, and most of these will have a map on the wall or a signboard outside. These maps are usually bilingual in Japanese and English, and are helpful.

Good luck and have fun. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.