Forward:
Hello, this is our first entry for our second time to Japan. This entry is going to be really short since we’ve been running on very little sleep and have been traveling for about 17 hrs or so.
Plane Ride from Detroit to Japan:
The plane this time around was very similar to our first trip; it was very big with an aisle running up and down either side of the plane. The section we sat in had 3 seats along the walls and a row of 4 seats in the center. Using a tip from our first trip, we booked our seats on the aisle and the window, leaving the center seat open to allow for more room. Usually no one will book the seat, but this time around the plane was filled to the top. We just asked the guy who sat with us if he’d mind taking the aisle or the window seat, he chose the aisle.
The only other difference with this plane was there was less room between each row and to make matters worse the row in front of us all reclined their seats all the way pushing the TV screens on the backs of the seats to within a foot of our faces. The man we had sat with fell asleep at one point and his head was literally pressed up against the seat in front of him. Beware of flying Delta to Japan… lesson 1 of this trip learned. To note, very few others reclined their seats, apparently knowing the discomfort it bestowed on their compadres behind them.
Aside from the seats, the trip was smooth and ultimately uneventful for the 15 hours we were aboard. We just binge watched movie after movie.
Arrival at Narita:
Customs upon arrival, went really smooth and the overall wait was not too long given the number of foreign visitors. After customs, we picked up our bags and headed to get our train ticket into Tokyo and our JR pass situated. On the way we made a pit stop to get a drink and to use the restrooms. When I was leaving the restroom I saw this sign above the hand dryer:
I don’t know why, but I found this funnier than it probably warranted, nevertheless just don’t chuck your rubbish. Japan is known for having some funny english translations, so we will keep our eyes peeled for more.
This trip we had forgone the use of a meet-and-greet upon our arrival (although I highly recommend it, should you ever visit Japan, for your first time here). Narita can be quite daunting and especially so if you have no idea how the rail system works, how to get your first train ticket into Tokyo and if you are using the JR pass during your time in Japan.
After we got our train ticket and the JR pass “pre-activated” we headed to the platform to await our ride into Tokyo. A brief reminder, the JR pass is a pass only allotted to foreign visitors in Japan and it’s used on any JR line (with some exceptions) but once it’s activated you have unlimited use on JR trains and shinkansen (bullet trains). We got a 1 week pass and set it to activate October 7. Until then we will use our Suica cards, which are like a debit card that your train fairs are deducted from.
Getting to the Hotel:
The ride into Tokyo, and Shinjuku to be specific, was only about an hour with 2 stops before our’s. We got off the train and headed out following the signs to the taxis. However the signs lead us to an area where zero taxis could be found. Switching to GPS we decided to walk to the hotel which was about a 10 minute walk from the station… or so we thought. It turned out we got out of the station at its central hub in Shinjuku as opposed to a smaller hub just a bit more north where we were used to from our last trip. To make a long story short we hailed a cab and got to try out some new japanese we learned in class and he swiftly took us to our hotel.
Once at the hotel we checked in using our passports and were informed our pocket WiFi unit had been delivered to our room. Instead of using Verizon’s international data plan which had fairly limited data usage, and having gone over the limit on our last trip just a bit, we found a pocket WiFi unit for rental for our trip called PuPuRu. It allows us to connect our phones via WiFi and acts as a mobile hotspot for us. At the end of the trip we send the device back via mail:
We got our room key then and headed to drop off our luggage. Here’ the room we got… you get what you pay for:
Our bags are standing in the little hallway just out of view of this picture. To open them up you have to place them on the bed… all part of the adventure, at least for us.
We decided to just lay around for a few minutes to stretch ourselves out after the cramped flight and sitting rather motionless for so long, then we headed out to reconnoiter the area and find something to eat. We found a small ramen shop about a 10 minute walk from the hotel and we had our first meals in Japan. Their we had met two guys on their last day here, that seemed to be from the UK. They asked if we had heard of the impending typhoon that’s due to hit, and sounds like the rain is starting outside now to boot.
After we ate, we stopped at a Family Mart and picked up some melon bread and an umbrella to get us through the incoming rains.
Here is a picture of one of the streets near our hotel:
And one more picture, this is our landmark to know when we are near our hotel, none other than batting cages on top of a parking garage in the middle of Shinjuku:
One last thing, for those of you following along with the posts as they come out, we are ahead by 13 hours so this post is from 9/30.
Tomorrow we plan to head out to Palette Town.
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