Parts of the terminal buildings at Tokyo Narita (NRT) might be open all day long, but don’t expect a Dubai or Bangkok 24-hour atmosphere of passenger hubbub and last-minute shopping.
Even though I’ve flown into Narita many times, in 2012 I had a delayed flight that landed just before the airport curfew — except for emergencies, flights are prohibited between 23:00 and 06:00 — rendering train service useless. This was before the cheap shuttle buses to Ginza, and the construction of the low-cost carrier Terminal 3, so even though the delay was the airline’s fault, passengers had to pay for a charter bus to Tokyo.
Obviously, when delays happen, it’s nice to have a place to grab a bite, or buy a change of clothes. Terminal 3, which opened in spring 2015, is trying to do its part.
Eyesore it may be, but where its interiors succeed in Brutalist architectural styles, it’s doing something useful in the food department. Now, in addition to the Lawson convenience store, there’s finally going to be another 24-hour place to eat, the fast food spot Matsuya.
Opening on 9 February (link in Japanese) on the 2nd floor of the terminal, Matsuya will be offering its typical casual fare all day long. Popular set meals include gyumeshi (beef over rice with onions), hamburg steaks (more like meatloaf, with a demiglace sauce), and curry rice with pickled ginger (pictured above).
Matsuya may not be your favorite choice, but their 24-hour locations in Tokyo have saved me many a time when jet lag was doing its thing. Of course, there are convenience stores all over the place, but every now and then I just wanted a place to sit while eating my daily dose of sodium.
h/t to flyertalk
Have you ever tried Matsuya? Do you prefer Yoshinoya,
or Sukiya?
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