After a thirteen hour flight on Japan Airlines, we made it to rainy Tokyo.
This was followed by small plates of duck and lobster and finished up with panna cotta. All very elegant. We were then told any further meals would be on request only and they dimmed the lights until two hours before arrival, meaning you could get a solid 9 hours of sleep without trollies rattling by.
The flight left Chicago monday at noon following a northern trajectory over Wisconsin and Michigan before veering west over Canada and Alaska dropping down south again west of Anchorage.
I was fascinated by the menu we were offered which had pages of japanese script before getting to the translations.
We could choose between a Japanese or a western menu. I went Japanese and after the same starter as Johnny of smoked salmon, mozzarella and antipasto, mine then arrived as a beautiful Bento box with about six different tasting dishes, chopsticks and a pretty red origami-like crane made of plastic to rest my chopsticks on.
I ordered some sushi and perrier water as a snack on the tv remote control, which was served in a pretty little tied up parcel on a tray a few minutes later. I am so used to flight attendants who take time off during long flights and positively sigh if you interrupt them for a glass of water you fetch yourself, but the JAL ladies are on call all the time and keep smiling throughout.
Reading lights were great as were huge flat screen televisions so plenty to entertain yourself with if not sleeping. My only disappointment was that the flight attendants did not wear kimonos but I imagine that is as ridiculous as hoping KLM flight crew would wear clogs.
We crossed over the international date line northwest of Hawaii, landing in Tokyo at 3pm the next day.
After seeing videos of masses of people wedged on bullet trains, I had imagined the airport to be a thronging mass too. It came as a huge surprise to find it very quiet despite it's size. We were through customs with luggage in hand after twenty minutes. Never have I been through a more efficient airport!
We knew the airport was a good hour and a half away from hotel and had been told to catch the "airport limousine" which is a bus line with dropoffs all over the city
Ticket counters were clearly marked right outside arrival gates, we got our ticket with a credit card as we hadn't exchanged yen yet, then sat on a bench watching people go by outside by one of the numerous bus stops marked with numbers for different routes. I am intrigued that the Japanese use arabic numerals like we do but different
script and it occurred to me that they must be as confused as we were when they go to Europe and can't read a thing either.
People at the airport are very friendly and it was amusing to watch the attendants at the bus stops bow to the buses on arrival and departure. You would look up and see two attendants by the curb bowing deeply at nothing then the bus pulled up. After loading people and cases they would close doors and bow again. Very civilized.
Our bus was almost empty with just one other passenger. The drive in is 60 kms with traffic on the left. I am beginning to think that most of the world drives on the left and our way of driving is the exception and not the other way round!
We went through rolling green hills covered with lovely bamboo and trees shrouded in rainy fog.Traffic closer in was slower due to rush hour but very orderly with no blowing of horns.
I was bowled over by Tokyo: beautiful skyscrapers, many rivers and lots of trees with wide streets. I expected an ugly and crowded metropolis but despite massive traffic and concrete flyovers it has charm.
We are staying at the New Otani, a huge convention hotel but it's claim to fame are the beautiful gardens by the Imperial palace. Johnny stayed here 35 years ago and wanted to go back. Our room 4309 is on the 23rd floor ( go figure!) in the Garden tower overlooking the gardens as well as Mount Fuyi in the distance.
Our bellhop proudly refused a tip. Apparently tipping is not the norm in much of Japan.
Sunset is around 6pm so by the time we made it to our room it was dark but I am looking forward to waking up to the view tomorrow.
Our bathroom has a challenging loo that starts to flush the minute you sit down in a sort of pre flush mode. There is a bewildering array of buttons to choose from for all sorts of functions yet when you want to flush you search aimlessly for the button only to realize there is an additional ordinary handle at the back. This one is the basic model as the one at the airport plays music and warms the seat as well. I can attest that the spray is pleasantly warm but I did shriek at the unusual spray directions.
We had a quick drink in the garden bar with big glass windows overlooking the gardens, by a small waterfall with a red bridge and lovely trees discreetly lit up, and piano music playing in the background. A very civilized start to our trip.
Love the descriptions and pic of loo!! Lol
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