It was on this date, 20th May, when Tokyo Narita International Airport first opened its doors and today, it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

In those thirty years, Tokyo Narita airport has had 680 million passengers and handled 41 million tonnes of cargo.  Tokyo Narita competes with other major airports in Japan, including Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.

Tokya Narita Airport’s first runway is over 4,000 metres in length and yet the full length has still to be used.  Development is still under way and should be completed in 2010.   By then, the airport will be able to handled approximately 220,000 flights per annum.

To celebrate the anniversary, Singapore Airlines operated the first flight to to Nakira on the Airbus 380.  Next year, Air France will also be running a service to Nakira using the Airbus 380.

Prices of flights to Japan are competitive, with flights offered by European airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Lufthansa.

Tokyo makes a great city break as a stopover or as a holiday destination on its own, with plenty to attract the tourists.

Mount Fuji, also known as Fuji-san to the Japanese, is one of Japan’s most recognisable features.  It is located approximately 60 miles west of Tokyo.

The Japanese say Fuji-san is their most sacred mountain.  It is actually a volcano and is dormant, not extinct.  It hasn’t erupted since 1707 and is a great tourist attraction.

If you wish to take the climb, it is traditional to set off from the small town called Fuji-Yoshido and it takes 11 to 12 hours to reach the summit!  Most people prefer to be at the summit for dawn and at night, you can see a line of torches looking almost like lava down the side of the mountain. (more…)

Think of Tokyo and chances are you’ll be picturing a bright, bold and bustling city. You’d be absolutely right, but Tokyo is a place where pop culture and ancient temples exist together. It’s a balance between towering skyscrapers and little wooden huts. You don’t have to go far outside of Tokyo to really feel like you’ve hit the country.

Things to do

Don’t miss the Imperial Palace Garden East, especially if you visit in the spring or summer. It’s located In Chiyoda

Whilst you’re there, next door is one of Tokyo’s oldest and most prestigious department stores, Ginza. Smaller shops also stock local designers clothes if you want a little upmarket shopping.

The Metropolitan Museum of Contemporary Art holds the world’s largest collection of Japanese art

Don’t leave without eating at one of Tokyo’s noodle bars or trying Kaisekiryori, one of Japan’s more traditional dishes

Flight times are eleven to twelve hours, but it’s well worth it. English is widely spoken so don’t worry about the translation issues. They’re nine hours ahead and the weather is hot and humid in the summer and mild in the winter.