Japan Post 1: First impressions

Japan: View from the Hotel
Originally uploaded by JohnConn.

Well, here I am in Japan finally... I got a call at 8pm the night before I was due to depart to say that my Canberra to Sydney flight had been rescheduled to an hour later, meaning that I would miss the connecting flight to Japan. Qantas had said they could get us on the next flight out - some 13 hours later! Instead we got put on a Japan Airlines flight via Brisbane arriving at roughly the same tme as the original plan. The flight was good and very comfortable, the food plentiful and of high quantity. JAL is surprisingly lo-tech - I expected more. Looking forward to sampling Qantas' business class service on the way home as a comparison.

Narita airport is enormous. There were no queues at Immigration or customs.My case was the very first one out – one of the advantages of Business class travel I guess. We caught the Airport Limousine bus to the New Otani hotel in Tokyo, which is about 90 minutes from the airport. The last thing I needed. Checking into the hotel there was some kind of booking mixup so they have put me in one room for last night and today and then I’m gonna be moved to a King room this morning sometime. Off on a walking your of the Imperial Palace at lunch today and the workshop starts tomorrow (Wed).

Tokyo is incredibly busy. The place seems surprisingly quiet this morning, although the streets were heaving last night when I went in search of something to eat. The culture shock is huge too. The money is crazy and so I have drawn up myself a crib sheet for quick ready-reckoning. I struggle to pay 1460 Yen for some noodle soup when I can’t divide by 85 all that easily in my head – esp after 14 hours of travelling! Weather is fine today and it's actually quiet pleasant being somewhere that has a bit of a nip in the air - no pun intended.

Already, it is very clear that the Japanese are incredibly polite and courteous people. The guy who loaded the bags on the bus bowed to me and thanked me for my bags. The lady who took the tickets climbed on the bus before it departed, and said something in Japanese and bowed before she got off. The whole team of bag loaders and ticket lady bowed as the bus pulled off. Walking to breakfast this morning, I must have been greeted and bowed to by 20 or so people saying ‘good morning’ and - very different to what we are all used to... It is difficult trying to make sense of what is what in the shops and restaurants. Luckily pointing seems to work in every language/culture. The only things I recognise are the numbers – everything else is just a mass of characters. People speak only very limited Engrish although everyone at the hotel seem completely bilingual.

Happy Valentines Day to Krys for today. Hope you have a good day. Love you heaps. John

Stay posted for more and some pics as I get the chance.