NRT

I spent New Year's Eve abroad after ten some years. Sounds like fun? Yeah. But I spent a couple of weeks in the year end not in Waikiki beach but in India. Then I got a brand new year on the plane. Above that it's a multi-time zone flight. So I hardly knew when is the twelve o'clock on Jan. 1st. in exact. Of course we had no countdown. I heard just countdown of snores by passengers in dim cabin. Maybe I could see the first sunrise in 2013 above the clouds if I had still on the plane just in time. Although, unfortunately, the daybreak's after landing. In the end, I watched the rising sun through the clouds at transfer lounge sofa in Pudong airport of Shanghai.

The reason I had to spend the New Year's Eve on the flight was quite simple. The flight listed on the top of booking site. It said that's the most matching flight for my request.
I make a trip plan like this these days. PC picks up some flight schedules and I chose one of them. I should be careful for transit duration. If it's too short, I must run in the strange airport in strange country following a walkie-talkie guy. Then I got to the boarding gate just in time. "Hue, Y,Yes, Mr. Osada's here"
To avoid these situation I must look up the schedule closely. For me, it's also time of fun.

Because of the hub airport strategy of airline companies, I stop by more airports than before, the direct flight era. The impression to the airports, especially the developing countries in Africa or Asia, are big, roomy, modern and clean. However, I 'm little bit tired of the modern airports recently.
Maybe well known architects did the best in their job. They must pursue more roomy space, more impressive structure and wider glass area. At the end, ironically, all the airports became similar looks.

However when I came back to Narita air port (NRT) of Tokyo on this New Year's Day, I felt looking out through the window of the taxing airplane.
"I think NRT is cool"
No glittering design, no white colored iron frame structure, no gigantic glass area. Simply low story low-keyed building was lined. In the middle of the buildings, only control tower stood in light blue sky of New Year's Day. I felt even dignity from the landscape. I had hardly seen this type of airport neither in Asia nor Africa.

I disembarked from the plane. The interior of the terminal 2 satellite was also impressive. The ceilings were very low and the floor was carpeted. It might be designed in Japanese tastes. Looked like a grand chamber of ancient castle or maybe Japanese inn, Ryokan.
I took an automated train for main building. The unified design concept was slightly disturbed down there.Then design became more rough when I came out to the arrival lobby. But even though a drop off area in front of building, for example, was tone down and quiet enough compare to other busy airports.

NRT is apparently dropped off from the heavy competition for getting initiative as a hub airport. But Narita's classic style becomes strong character. Among the busy gigantic airports of Asia, maybe we need a quiet inner room sometime.