You’ve got a long layover in Tokyo and don’t want to spend it in the airport, what do you do?

Gyoza, robots, and beer. That’s what you do.

Logistics

We flew into Narita from the US (NRT) in the early morning and on to Vietnam via Haneda (HND) in the evening. The long layover could have been spent sitting in our outgoing airport but with a little planning, we got to experience a bit of Tokyo.

Getting to Tokyo from Narita (NRT)

The Narita Express is fast, comfortable, and easy to use, the journey to Shinjuku station (which is where we wanted to be for our day of adventure) took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The cost was 3,250 yen, which is about $28USD. In comparison, a taxi from Narita to Shinjuku starts around $220USD and takes a minimum of 1.5 hours, depending on traffic.

Gyoza no Fukuho

If you are not familiar with gyoza, this is the place to dive-in headfirst. Gyoza are similar to Chinese potstickers but a little smaller and with a thinner skin. The offerings at Gyoza no Fukuho are heavenly. The menu is simple, the gyoza come in either fried or boiled form and are stuffed with a pork mixture. It is worth ordering some fried and some boiled as the different textures bring out different flavors. The fried are crispy and inviting but you’d be wasting a visit if you didn’t try the surprisingly silky texture of the boiled gyoza. We were happy ordering a 2:1 ratio of fried to boiled.

Address: Japan, 〒160-0022 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Shinjuku, 2 Chome−8−6 KDX新宿286ビル

Robot Restaurant

This was an exciting highlight while in Tokyo. A very only in Japan kind of experience; the show combines battling robots, dragons, ninjas, dancers, drums, a all of the neon lights, and a constant barrage of loud music. Rumor has it that the food is not what people come here for. Get there early and you might find yourself in a gilded room with a cocktail singer belting out A Cruel Angel’s Thesis from Evangelion. The show was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen and we felt pulled into a secret world. The cost per ticket was 8000 Yen, about $70USD, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance. They did have food and drink options, we ordered a couple Asahi throughout the show for 800 Yen ($7USD) each.

Address: 1-7-7, Kabukicho, Shinjuku 160-0021 Tokyo Prefecture

Baird Beer

We couldn’t leave Tokyo without trying to get to at least one brewery. The Baird Beer taproom in Harajuku was open during our timeframe and used Tokyo’s very efficient subway system to get us there. The taproom was upstairs in the colorful Harajuku neighborhood and offered 12 year-round taps, as well as a selection of seasonal beer. The pub is done in the traditional yakitori-izakaya style where small plates, izakaya, and grilled meat skewers, yakitori, are offered. The pub also had lovely art and craftsmen style wood furniture. I enjoyed the beer and thought that the carbonation and bitterness of most of the styles worked very well with the yakitori on offer.

Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome−20−13 ノーサレンダー 1F

Getting to Haneda (HND) from Tokyo

We used public transportation to get from Shinjuku to Haneda airport. From Shinjuku we took the JR Yamanote line to the Shinagawa Station for 200 Yen ($2USD). From there, we transferred to the Keikyu Line for 300 Yen ($3.5USD). The travel time is about 35 minutes. A taxi would take between 35-75 minutes and cost 7300 Yen ($63USD).