Friday morning (Washington D.C.) - nothing much to note, we get through security and on to our plane at IAD bound for Newark without issues. I realized early on just how much water I'll need to drink on this trip however as I was feeling unwell most of this short flight. We had a tight connection in Newark and with a delay on the landing and being stuck on the runway we basically had to run from one plane to the next, not the most fun I've ever had.
Finally on our long haul flight, but with our bags now scattered across several overhead bins in front of and behind us, I realized all too quickly how hard it was going to be to retrieve our entertainment options. While booking the seats, I opted to pay an additional $224 per ticket each way on the international flights for economy plus and chose the first row in order to maximize leg room. Unfortunately this also meant there were no seats in front of us to stow anything, making life a bit more difficult and bags out of reach overhead (and scattered due to the late boarding).
The flight was long, no getting around that. A little bit of maneuvering and walking around the cabin here and there, we managed to get some headphones and the switch out for some Zelda gameplay, but overall it dragged on for forever.
Finally landing in Haneda Saturday, 2pm local time our 16 hours of being in planes and more than that traveling was over. Immigration and Customs had significant lines, but as Japan usually does, it was all very well organized and moved constantly. I messed up one form for my customs baggage as I claimed my personal laptop in confusion of having to tell them about anything of value I was bringing in and had to go through the manual line, but even that moved quickly. By 3pm we were at the Yamato counter trying our best to ship the one small roller bag we had for luggage somewhere close to our apartment in Sapporo. Google translate already came in handy, as to my surprise, they didn't speak any English at the counter. However, after 20 minutes or so and a few forms and 2,000Y paid, the bag was gone and the best we could do was hope we would see it again.
JR passes were next on the agenda, I had done research and decided it would be easiest and cheapest to take the airport train from Haneda to Tokyo Station using our passes, so getting them at the airport was a necessary evil. The line had about 4 people inside and 10 outside (meaning the lobby area of Haneda) where they would check your confirmation and passport before letting you get into the "real" inside line. The sign said it would take an hour from where I was standing, but it moved quickly and I feel I was out of there in less than 30 minutes, though I didn't exactly time it. Something to note if you are traveling with a group, the purchaser (me, in this case) is the only one that should get in line with everyone's passports, they will process everything when you get up to the counter and give you all the passes, this helps not have hundreds of people (with luggage) clogging up the little office and the overall line. Also to note, there is an IC chip shortage going on right now, so the regular Suica and Pasmo IC cards are not currently available, after a quick inquiry on how to get our 11-year old children's rates on the train/bus (half price), I was confident I could get one for her later in Hokkaido and went on my way.
Locating the airport train and getting on turned out to be pretty darn simple. This being our third trip to Japan and even more things being assigned numbers and English (Romaji) translations there were no issues at all. The car was standing only for about 20 minutes, making the realization we were here and this was the next 28 days hit quickly. Funny, thought I'd be more emotional coming back after trying so hard for so long to return, but something feels like being in the "right" spot here. There was no real emotion, just more of a "let's do this" sort of vibe in the air, even as exhausted as we were.
The Hyatt turned out to be a bit of a hike with luggage (well, backpacks really) through Ginza's evening air. It was around 80F, but stifling humid. A small drizzle in the air and empty stomach's did not make any easier. Check-in was flawless (in English) and after getting the elevator to work with the key card (I tried several times and then the reception had to come over, do the same thing, which worked the first time for him), we were in our room. It was huge for a Japanese hotel room. Those Japanese tubs never cease to amaze me, however this time around I was too tired for that. An instant shower with a good hair scrub and reapplication of make-up and we headed outside for our first real meal in 25+ hours.
So many izakaya's under the tracks, drizzle coming down and party people on the street. Ginza is the uptown of Tokyo, walking past the Gucci and Rolex stores made sure you knew and I felt a little out of place in such an area. We made our way to Tokyo Station and the underground maze that they call a mall or station complex here to find food. Not really knowing what it should be, I made the final decision to duck into a Tempura/Soba place that had tablet ordering and a nice table in the corner. It was a bit hot inside, but the food was exactly what we all needed and enjoyed it tremendously. Ah, Japanese food in Japan, there is not comparison. Out an entire 2,800Y for three full meals, it was time to relocate to that bed in the Hyatt.
Sleeping on the first day always sucks and this was no exception. Your body goes into overdrive having to stay awake and functional for so long and then your internal clock is yelling at your for laying down at 8AM body time. This is what I would call a fitting conclusion to one long day (that was actually two).
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