The way into the main city From terminal 1 at Narita International Airport is by one of those really snazzy high speed railways. You go down three levels by escalator, and up again two. To take the train you naturally assume that you need to purchase a ticket. Except in uber efficient Tokyo they've long since abandoned actual train tickets and phased over to universal smart cards, which are used everywhere from the train network to 7-11's. After purchasing your Sunjiko smart card from a fortress-like enclosure, you spend a few long seconds figuring out how to wave it across a sensor on your way to the high speed train platform. Then, when the train arrives, you are confronted with the problem of how to make the door open so you can get on the train. Seasoned Tokyo commuters line up behind you silently and politely seething until you've finally worked it out - you have to locate a cleverly disguised button and gently press it.
Contributed by Mickey Gidwani
