Backing Down in Tokyo

Fortunately the Japanese woman in the vehicle stopped in front of me at the highway on ramp in Tokyo spoke very good English. She left her vehicle and approached my side of our rented USN van.


"Excuse me, sir, I would like to back down the ramp. Could you please make room?" Looking in the rear view mirror I noted that all the cars previously stopped behind me had now backed down the ramp and egressed. Rapidly coming up the ramp were three emergency vehicles with lights flashing and very official-sounding Japanese verbiage emanating from their loudspeakers. "They say it will not move for awhile," said the very nice Nihonjin. "And they need to get through."


Thus began the unplanned adventure that should be entitled, "Taking Suzi to Narita Airport, Part Ni."


The last time we took Suzi to the airport, a few years ago, we sweated through an unexpected Sunday afternoon traffic jam around Makuhari in Chiba. We finally got her to NRT just in time to check her bags, wave good-bye, and head through Security and Immigration to make her flight just before the doors closed.


We were smarter this year. Since we had reservations at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo, we'd just drive our  rental van to the hotel, park it for a few days, then leisurely drive from there to Narita. This would cut the trip by almost an hour over driving it all the way from Yokosuka. The alternative would have been to put Suzi on the Airport Shuttle bus from the New Sanno. But by driving we would have more time with her, and we like to eat at Narita. This morning we fortuitously left the hotel an hour earlier than planned. We expected ample time for lunch in one of Narita's good restaurants before Suzi had to board her flight.


The initial maneuver from the New Sanno to the highway involves turning left out of the parking exit then moving immediately to the far right lane to enter the on-ramp that comes up rapidly less than a block after the hotel. (In Japan we drive on the left side of the road.) I executed this maneuver flawlessly, only to find the traffic stopped exactly at the entry toll booth. Waiting patiently, we reckoned the traffic would move fairly soon once the cause of the congestion ahead cleared. It didn't. Hence the backing down maneuver, which progressed fairly well in spite of the ramp appearing in the rear view mirror to be a mile long and only two feet wide.


Once we successfully egressed, the true fun began. What is the best alternate route to Narita? Hadn't considered one. Map? Of course not. Directions? Didn't think we'd need them. Clue? Vaguely know which way is north.


So we followed our noses, to highway 1 to Shinagawa to Mita to Tokyo Tower to ... haven't a clue. But somehow we did find our way onto the C1 highway, from which we easily navigated to the Rainbow Bridge to the Bayshore Route and on to NRT...in plenty of time for Suzi to check her bags, wave good-bye, and head through Security and Immigration to make her flight just before the doors closed. We who remained behind had sushi for lunch.


During this somewhat tense Tokyo driving adventure, Katie and Suzi sat in the back seat and documented some interesting dialogue between the driver and his spousal unit/navigator/critic. But, that's for another blog or another time.


We are home now, and Suzi is well on her way back to Michigan. Or so we suppose. Doubt she'd call for a ride if she missed her flight.