Here's some tips on travelling to/from ISAS: don't!

But if you have to...

So clearing customs at Narita there will be a JR ticket office right in front of you. Get 2 tickets here: one Narita Express (NEX) to Yokohama (about 2,500 Yen) and one JR Yokohama to Fuchinobe (pronounced Fu-shin-obay), cost about 2000 Yen.

Go down the escalators just to the right of the ticket office and walk towards Starbucks. Just before you get there turn left and straight ahead you will see the entrance to the train station. The ticket you need to feed through the machine to get in is the JR to Fuchinobe one. Or you can show the attendant your tickets and he will let you through (for a small bow). The Narita Express ticket will have a car and a seat number on it and you must take your assigned place or else! Try not to fall asleep... Get out at Yokohama, about an hour and a half travelling.

Go down the steps and cross over to platform 4 which should be the Yokohama line (a sort of lime green colour). Get on any train going to Hachioji (it will say on the front and sides of the train). If it is a rapid train (shown in red on the platform tv systems and on the front and side of the train) then you will have to change at Machida; the slow trains stop at every station but obviously take longer. It's 13 stops to Fuchinobe on a non-rapid train (about 40 minutes I think). At Fuchinobe don't put your ticket in the machine; go via the office and say "Receipt-oh" at them and they will stamp your tickets (necessary for travel claims at MSSL anyway) and out you go (do this at every station - it's easier, except for local travelling at Fuchinobe and Machida).

To get to ISAS from the station:
Turn left immediately and go down the stairs to the taxis. It's probably best to get a taxi from Fuchinobe station to ISAS (about 800 Yen). Say "racketa" (rocket) to the taxi driver and he will probably understand. Alternatively say China Pete's and when you get there urge him on a bit further across the traffic lights and it's on the left.

To get to the Daiichi Hotel from the station:
Turn right after the ticket machines. Go down the steps and cross the pedestrian crossing furthest on the right. Walk down the street so that the pachinko parlour is on your left on the opposite side of the street. When you get to a junction, turn right and about 50 yards down this street is the hotel. There is a garage (for parking, not petrol) just before the flight of stairs up to the hotel. Opposite is what looks like an old rundown wooden building which is in fact quite a good eating place. At the top of the stairs there is a bar; go past this if you can... round the corner on the right is reception.

Coming back it's wise to drag a Japanese colleague down to Fuchinobe the day before and let him get the tickets for the next day (1 JR to Shinagawa and 1 Narita express). It's better to go via Higashi-Kanagawa and Shinagawa (it's cheaper too...). When you get to Higashi-Kanagawa just cross the platform with the rest of the crowd and get on a train going to Omiya (some sort of blue line). Get out at Shinagawa of course... You should have time for a coffee here. Sidle along to platform 13 and queue up at the the correct car stop or else! A word of warning - don't leave it to the last moment to get to the Narita Express - usually 2 commuter trains pull in a minute before the Narita Express goes and it is impossible to walk down the stairs to the platform against a tide of salarymen. Once they have gone so has the Narita Express... Wake up at Narita terminal 1. Have passport to hand or else you won't be able to get out of the station. Travel up many, many escalators to check in and you've escaped!