Regardless, I arrived safely at Narita
I found the gate with pleeeenty of time to spare, and decided to grab a beer. Prices weren't terrible: ¥700 ($6.50) for a draft Sapporo Dry.
I met an American on his way to Thailand as well while drinking it. Craig lives in Chiangmai and was on his way home. We had a few more and talked away the layover.
as for the the rest of the trip, I got a couple hours of sleep between Narita and Bangkok so that was good.
Cleared immigration and customs in minutes, picked up some cash, bought a SIM card for in-country calling, negotiated a ride downtown, found my nephew's unit, showered, and slept.
It's now a new day. Time to explore!