When my boss called me into his office, I knew it was going to be bad news. I was prepared for the worst; images of a giant pink slip were dancing in my head. I walked in, and my boss had the usual frown on his face. "You're going to Japan," he barked. I wasn't quite sure what he meant, so I just sat there, silent, with a blank stare on my face. "Nobody else in this office wants to go to Japan, so we're sending you. Sorry, but you're the newest guy on the staff, so you don't really have a choice." OMG! Not quite the news I was expecting, but still not that great. I don't mind traveling for work. In fact, sometimes I quite look forward to it. But 14 hours on an airplane isn't my idea of fun, especially when my boss is too cheap to spring for business class. Take out the 14 hours sitting like a sardine on an airplane, and my trip to Japan was actually pretty enjoyable. I only had to "work" for a couple of hours each day at our company booth. At least I got a break from the office politics and that crappy stuff our receptionist calls coffee. I was very impressed with Tokyo's Narita Airport. Tourism hasn't really bounced back since Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, so I breezed right through the check in process. Lines were at a minimum, and the Japanese run a pretty efficient operation as it is. I got my tickets, checked my luggage, made it through Customs and Immigration, and was sitting on the Delta Sky Club all in under half an hour. Although I wouldn't compare Narita with the modern steel and glass behemoths that make up the new class of airports (think Dubai International Airport, Doha International Airport, Qatar, Changi Airport, Singapore) the place is efficient and more than adequate. Narita doesn't feel cramped at all, the design and layout of the terminals have a natural flow. After I cleared customs and got the exit stamp in my passport, I checked out the duty free offerings. I'm not a smoker, so the cheap cigarette prices don't entice me. While I drink from time to time, the hassle of carrying around a heavy bottle of glass booze just didn't seem appealing. However, I did test out a free shot of a new type of vodka they were trying to push. And I always make sure to grab a spray from the tester bottle of expensive cologne, especially before a 14 hour flight! Japanese love fashion and all the best designer names are located throughout Narita Airport's terminals. A stroll through Narita Airport is like walking down Fifth Avenue or the Champs Elysees! I passed Tiffany and Co, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Mikimoto. Smokers will be happy to know that there's a smoker's lounge in the terminal (past security) and other strange amenities such as a silent room, pet hotel, and oxygen bar. As you can see towards the end of the video, the Narita-New York JFK flight was completely full! The flight back to New York was actually quite nice, thanks to Delta's in-seat entertainment system. If my boss ever asks me to go back to Japan to attend a conference, at least I know that passing through Narita Airport will be an enjoyable experience!