Narita Airport opened in May 1978. It was a very controversial project with significant local opposition. It's worth reading up on.
At the same time, Narita Airport railway station opened - the station in these pictures. It served as the main gateway into Tokyo for passengers arriving from all over the world. However, no one liked it as it wasn't that close to the terminal buildings. You either had to use a shuttle bus or walk down a 500 metre tunnel shown in the second picture- not exactly a great welcome to Japan.
In 1991, a new railway station opened - the one that welcomes arriving passengers today. At the same time, the station in these pictures was renamed Higashi-Narita and the number of passengers plummeted overnight.
Today, it is still used by some airport workers. But mostly, it is just getting grimmer and grimmer, with taped-up benches, filthy floors and a rather depressing atmosphere. However, if you look closely, there are still some reminders of this station's past, which makes it a fascinating place to visit.
On the unused platforms, you can see the old Narita Airport station signs. There are also a few retro advertising posters. And if you peek over the barriers, you can see the old coffee shop that used to serve passengers.
Here are just a few of the pictures I took while spending over an hour looking around. Enjoy!
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