A Weekend in Tokyo A Photo Essay
Kim Bridges & Nancy Furumoto
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2020 Š K. W. Bridges & N. L. Furumoto www.kimbridges.com
Text and photos by the authors. Documents in this series are reports of our travels.
A Weekend in Tokyo This is a spontaneous trip. If you asked about our plans a month ago, this trip wasn’t on our schedule. But here we are, heading to Tokyo for a long weekend. We took a trip to Tokyo about this time last year. Something we did on that outing brought an unexpected surprise. Nancy posted many of her photos on Google Maps. One of these has been clicked on over 170,000 times. An ordinary photo. Just a snap of her breakfast meal at a local coffee shop. People like this picture. This photo sits on Google Maps, month after month, attracting clicks. Why not revisit this breakfast stop and show them what a large audience the picture has garnered? That’s enough to justify the trip. But there’s more. This trip “celebrates” the end of our Diamond status on Delta. We’ve got a couple of unused Global Upgrades. With luck, this will let us get Delta-One (First Class) seat upgrades on our flight. That’s worth a lot (both in travel convenience and monetary value). Think: lie flat seats for the nine hour flight. The upgrade seals the deal. It’s a brief trip. Nancy’s work schedule only permits a long weekend away. That’s enough time as our list of “gotta do” things for Tokyo is quite short. Last year we spent an entire week in the city. We saw a lot then. Now, we’re focused on just a few things we couldn’t squeeze into that trip.
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Thursday, January 23, 2020 We’ve finished packing. That was done yesterday as we did our final weather check. Winter in Tokyo can be nasty. Cold. Wet. The forecast on NHK-World is mixed; a few wet days and, perhaps, one or two with dry skies. It will be cold, of course. Layering is the solution to fight the chill. Dipping into our Icebreaker merino wool collection should solve this problem. Rain. That’s another matter. Arc’teryx rain jackets will keep our upper bodies dry. Below that? We’re taking a chance that we won’t need serious rain pants. Our clothing-choice logic involves a trade-off. We want to travel very light. That lets us be nimble. We can buy (or borrow) umbrellas if we need more rain protection, . Satellite images show a weather front passing mostly to the south of Tokyo. We’re betting that any rain will be episodic, not constant. The rain might even be very light showers. Technology helps us on our trips. The downsides: tech adds weight and bulk to our travel packs. We bought a new Samsung S6 tablet on our recent trip to Sydney. Kim spent some time getting this device filled with apps and organizing the software so that it is well-suited for travel. It will go into our bags. Cameras are another issue. Perhaps this is the time to try a fairly extreme approach. Let’s just use our two new Android Pixel 4XL phones. The camera on this model gets excellent reviews. As a backup, Kim decides to add the Sony RX1R2 to his bag. This is a fixed-lens camera with a 42 megapixel sensor. We’ve had good performance with this camera on previous trips. There is another potentially useful camera item that we’ll pack. It’s a Beast Grip frame to hold the phone. This lets us screw in a wide-angle adapter. This should give us about 25% more width on the phone photos. The “grip” itself should make it easier to shoot video as the phone is held in a better position. Incidentally, this rig is Kim’s raffle prize from last year’s photography expo. Our travel gear is now settled. We each have a moderately full Hartmann backpack and we’re each carrying a shoulder bag. It’s a light load for a short trip.
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A Boeing 676-300 is being loaded at HNL. We’ll be on this aircraft soon.
We barely catch a glimpse of Honolulu Harbor as we depart Hawaii. It’s a fuzzy photo as we’re not seated near a window. 6
Friday, January 24, 2020 We get up at our usual time. It’s as though this isn’t a special day. We’d better focus! Our bags are packed and everything is ready. There’s no need to rush. Plenty of time to drink coffee, shower, and get dressed. Then we’re out the door. We’re driving ourselves to the airport. Leaving early, at 7:30 AM, gives us time to make sure we can get a parking spot. Using Bordeaux (our electric Smart car) allows us to park without a fee. It’s a great deal for us and ideal for this short trip. The International Parking Garage has lots of room. This location will be handy on our return. Now, it is quite a long walk to the Delta check-in area. That’s OK. We can use the exercise. Our first stop is at a Delta kiosk to get boarding passes. TSA security lines are short. We zip through. Then into the Sky Club. It’s our oasis at HNL. There is food in the Sky Club and we’re ready for breakfast. Rice, Japanese curry, sausage and scrambled egg. A few small tomatoes on top. A bit later, some coffee. Now, we just need to wait for our flight. We head to the gate a little earlier than necessary. The departure area isn’t far away so we get to walk around a bit to stall some time. We walk back by our gate. Woops. They’re already boarding our flight. Yike! We hurry on board. Our Global Upgrade certificates have gotten us prime seats. We’re in 2B/C, next to each other in the middle of the front cabin. Restrooms are nearby. It is all very convenient. The pilot announces a flight duration of 9:25. We settle in. There is the usual wide choice of movies. They’ll provide today’s entertainment. The screens on this plane, a 767-300, are a bit dated. The touch screen is barely functional. Never mind. Just choose a video and get comfortable. Each seat has a big pillow and a thick blanket. That’s perfect for taking a nap. Time passes.
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There are three food services. Drinks and snacks, too. There isn’t much to say about the flight besides the food, entertainment and a chance to stretch out and sleep. Sleep? We’re not able to doze off very well. Perhaps it’s the wrong time of the day. We each finish three movies. And we eat a lot of food.
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Kim chooses red wine and some warm nuts to start the food service. The same for Nancy, except she has white wine.
Kim gets the Western meal.
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Nancy’s choice is a Japanese meal. Note the carefully wrapped rice. There are lots of little side dishes.
We’re served ice cream for dessert. Both of us are too full to eat it all.
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The mid-flight snack is an egg croissant with fruit. Let’s call this breakfast.
More food? This must be lunch.
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The Skyliner conductor heads to the front of the train. We’ll board soon.
Long stretches of railroad right-of-way are covered with solar panels. That’s a wise use of the land.
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Saturday, January 25, 2020 Our flight encounters just a bit of turbulence. Landing at Narita is smooth and the plane is soon at the gate. Then we’re on the long walk to immigration. Why are the entry formalities always so far away from where we debark? There is a very short line waiting for the immigration inspector. It’s an efficient process here. We’re on our way quickly, making a brisk walk through customs and stepping out into the terminal. We’re back in Japan! A vague memory of the layout of Narita Terminal 1 returns to us. That gives us confidence. The key to navigation here is to follow the signs toward the train. Our journey requires a short stop at the Skyliner office to get our pre-purchased ticket for the train to town (we also have a 72 hour subway pass). Things are going smoothly. We get reservations on a train departing 20 minutes earlier than we anticipated. That’s helpful as we’d rather not stand around waiting. The train platform is nearby. We have just a few minutes before boarding. It’s interesting to watch the train crew prepare the cars for the next trip. They clean the interior and then activate a system that turns the seats around. Everyone will face the direction of travel. What a good idea. Shouldn’t all trains do this? It’s time for us to board and get our seats. Last year we traveled on the NEX train. That’s the alternative high-speed system. Those trains take a slightly different route and the destination terminal for that line is not as convenient as our Skyliner. Both systems provide a fast way to get to Tokyo. For example, we log a speed of about 100 mph through the first part of the trip. Our train has one brief stop before we reach our destination, the Keisei Ueno station. We’ve arrived at our destination. This station is quite close to our hotel so we won’t need to transfer to a local subway.
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The Ueno Terminal is full of people. It’s our first chance to walk amongst the locals.
This sidestreet is nearly empty at this hour. It’s a short-cut to our hotel that we found using Google Street View. 14
The Ueno train station is connected to a nearby terminal that serves several subway lines. Together, these hubs make for a very big transportation complex. There are lots of people here. The first time through one of these big connection points is intimidating. We’re feeling stress as we wander amongst the hundreds of people who confidently navigate the space. Our general destination is pretty clear in our heads. It’s the details that present the difficulty. We’re searching for the overhead signs for a familiar name. Mostly, we walk by instinct. One good thing is that we’re seeing some coin lockers. We’ll use these on our return trip on Tuesday. It’s good to know their location. We stop to check the locker’s size. A single unit will hold our gear for a few hours on the last day. Our walk resumes. We’re not seeing the right names on the signs. Perhaps if we walk outside we’ll be able to navigate better. We wanted to stay inside as long as possible. But our wandering now seems unproductive. There’s an exit. Out we go. It’s cold outside. Perhaps 36 F. Our travel clothes are pretty thin, considering the temperature. We are wearing our heavy coats. That helps a lot. The street is lined with tall buildings covered with big, bright signs. It’s getting dark enough for lights to start appearing. It’s a typical Tokyo business district scene. That’s another reminder that we’re in Japan. We walk. Look. A small crowd is watching a young girl sing. She’s very good. That’s an unexpected treat. We walk on. Google Street View has given us a preview of our route. Seeing the buildings in person is a sort of déjè vu. We memorized a routine before leaving on this trip. Go down this narrow street for a few blocks. Turn right. Walk a half dozen blocks to our hotel. Put the plan into action. We pass by small restaurants. We’ll need to go out to eat dinner soon. Are any of these good candidates for our evening meal?
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Our hotel room is quite spacious and well equipped. Screens cover the windows. That helps keep out the chill.
The kitchen and bathroom are at one end of our room. This is a modern building with high-tech furnishings. W
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We arrive at our hotel. It is just where we expected to find it. The Mimaru Hotel is part of the same chain we used for last year’s trip. The rooms are small apartments, each with a basic kitchen. We like the style. Checking-in goes quickly. It’s interesting to us that we pay in advance. Our room is on the top floor. This is a new, 14 story building. The accommodation has a view out a large window. There isn’t much of the city that we can recognize as we look out. We’re happy with the room. It’s a good base station for us.
We’ll make good use of the big table.
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The kitchen area is very functional. There are plenty of dishes, pots and pans. They are stored out of sight.
The stove is an induction surface. It’s not likely that we’re be doing any serious cooking.
The view from our room soon after our arrival. Tokyo is a mix of buildings. 18
Japanese toilets are very modern. The seat is heated. That’s very nice on a cold morning.
The bathroom sink is in an area separate from the shower/tub. The space is small and highly functional. Details count.
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The hotel provides a map of useful places within easy walking distance. It’s a quick way to learn about the neighborhood.
A simple map of our neighborhood shows some places to eat. There are a few labeled as “ramen” spots. That’s what we’re after. We choose one of these restaurants and head back out. We find the mapped location. That’s good because we don’t have a lot of energy left. The restaurant, Menya Tenno, looks small and a bit rustic from the outside. Peer in the door. What do you see? There are a few tables and a long counter alongside the open kitchen. Nobody is inside except the cook. Are they open? Should we chance it? Let’s try. In we go through the sliding door. We’re greeted. Then we get the cook’s help in choosing the ramen and using the vending machine. The procedure is to buy a ticket from the machine and give it to the cook. This process is simple and fast (once you know how to use the system). The Menya Tenno ramen is very good. We each have a different choice. We’re glad that we came here.
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The ramen shop vending machine. We looked in a picture book to find the number for our meal. Punch in the number, feed in some money, and get a ticket. Hand the ticket to the cook.
A single cook prepares the food at this hour. It is surprising that this place is so empty. Maybe that will change later. 21
Kim’s ramen has a hearty base and lots of meat. This warm meal is just right given the cold weather outside.
Nancy’s ramen has a miso base. This bowl holds a lot of food. It’s more than we need for dinner.
Kim is happy. Time to eat. This meal checks off one of our must-do items.
Nancy is ready to eat, too. Let’s get started.
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It’s time to head back to our hotel. Brrr. It’s chilly now that the sun has set. We pass a 7-11. This is a good place to get funds from the ATM. We buy a bottle of wine. It’s good to have a drink while we do our daily debrief back in the room. It’s important to get our head around the trip’s schedule. Our flight left on Friday and Saturday disappeared very quickly. That’s the penalty of a long plane ride and crossing the International Date line. We’ll make up for the “lost” day at the end of the trip. Let’s think ahead about what to do on Sunday. The local time is about 7:30 PM. Our bodies tell us that it’s after midnight. Time to sleep. We can review the schedule tomorrow.
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Large sculptures brighten the walkways. The tiles are also very attractive.
Our breakfast coffee shop is nearly hidden by a colorful tourist bus.
We’ve each gotten a standard Japanese breakfast: toast, eggs, bacon and a bit of salad.
Inside the Ueshima coffee shop. Here, you choose your meal and pay at the counter. 24
Sunday, January 26, 2020 We’re not adjusted to the local time. That means we’ve waken up in the middle of the night. Sleep is difficult. We struggle a bit. It’s finally time to get up. We drink some tea and coffee, and eat a few chocolates we brought from Hawaii. A real breakfast will come later. The weather outside is clear and cold. We’re keeping an eye on the sky. We also consult our weather apps. It’s obvious that a big storm is nearby. The Japanese style of bathing is fun. The shower room is large enough for a full-size tub and a place to stand (outside the tub) to shower. With the shower, you get the floor and walls wet. That’s OK. It’s how the place is designed. For us, this messiness adds to the novelty. Out we go. We’re dressed with layers to stay warm. It is better to use rain jackets today instead of heavy jackets. Our first destination is the Ueno Station. We head to the station’s side entrance. This lets us minimize the distance we walk in the open. It’s cold outside. Are we adequately prepared? It seems like we are OK, not great. There aren’t many people out at this hour. We walk through the station’s long indoor corridor, take the escalator up and then head outside. There is a complex of pedestrian walkways elevated above the streets and train tracks. It makes for safe walking as we’re separated from the dangers (cars, busses and trucks) at street level. We know our breakfast destination is nearby. We can see the name on Google Maps. The GPS dot marking our location relative to the restaurant is a very useful feature. Finally, we spot Ueshima “Precious Moment” coffee. As we get closer, it looks like we made a good choice. There are a few people here. We grab a table and Nancy orders two of the set menu choices. We’ve had this kind of breakfast before. An egg, bacon, toast and some green salad. It’s just right. Each of us snap a few photos. The images will get posted on Google Maps later. Will these photos get a lot of clicks?
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Walking through the edge of Ueno Park. A light drizzle isn’t a problem.
The entrance to the museum is functional. We’re anxious to get inside.
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Our main activities for today center on Ueno Park. We need to get out and start seeing things. The museums in Ueno Park are now open. This is our first activity for the day. Off we go. The walkway takes us back over the over the pedestrian bridges that span the streets and train tracks. Into the park. Ueno Park is huge. The area we’re in is filled with huge trees. Broad walkways lead to the many attractions. There is a lake. A zoo. Temples. And more. We fall in step with the crowd. The National Museum of Nature and Science is not far away. Entry tickets for the museum come from a machine. That’s very handy. In we go. Our first stop is the 360 degree theater. We arrive just in time for a show. The attendants provide an instrument so we can hear the English soundtrack. The theater is a sphere and we stand on a glass bridge in the middle. The video projects on the walls. We get two short stories. This is a good introduction. The content and presentation are first rate. Off we go to see the museum displays. There are two general themes, each shown in a separate area. One section of the museum is focused on Japan while the other takes a global view. We start with Japan.
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Look up at the ceiling. This is a beautiful building.
Science exhibits include historical Japanese items such as this telescope from the Tokyo Observatory.
Basic botanical information is presented in an engaging way.
Coral specimens are suspended to make them easier to see. Videos and text provide context.
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Right from the start we’re impressed with the quality of this institution. All of the displays are well designed. Maintenance is perfect. Perhaps most notable is the lighting. They use small LED spotlights everywhere. Overall, the room lighting relatively dark while the display objects are brightly lit. This draws your attention to specific places. This also avoids external glare on the glass wall protecting the display. The science shown here appears to be up-to-date. Information has breadth and depth. Each exhibit provides a rich context – the geological era, the region, and the environment. It’s quite amazing. We’re seeing a model of how the scientific themes should be displayed for the public. This part of the museum is in an old building. But here, everything is very modern. Displays combine objects, such as animal specimens, with lots of text on the walls. Video displays are integrated in the exhibit; they show movies which expand on the topic. The way objects are held in place – often as though they are suspended in space – is remarkable. This technique is used throughout the galleries. There are no dull shelves of dusty specimens here. You see one visual treat after another. And, of course, these are very educational morsels.
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Species variability is shown for two varieties of Camellia japonica species. Nearby maps provide additional information.
Habitat information is rich as it provides a context for large regions.
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So many exhibits have lively displays that show different kinds of information.
These tiny crabs are in a showcase down where small children can see the tiny animals.
Real science data is on display. Here, a phylogenetic diagram explains ancestral relationships.
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Bird specimens are attractively perched. Note the docent in the background. Lots of helpers are here to answer questions.
The genetic selection of rice varieties has improved the productivity. This exhibit shows the dramatic differences in plant size and shape among the varieties. 32
Rice grains of the different varieties.
The layers represent different historical times. The white figures show the population. This demonstrates the population growth of Japan.
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A slice from the trunk of a big tree that began life in the year 320 and died in 1914.
Details of a specific habitat are well represented by the soils, plants and animals. Lots of integrated information here.
Habitats with large animals have compelling displays. Why are these animals staring at me?
An interactive exhibit with cicada sounds. Listen to the different species.
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Ethnobotanical information and artifacts are well done.
Fish, corals, crabs and lobsters are arranged here to emphasize the biological changes due to the depth of the ocean.
Marine algae become works of art as they are displayed with back lighting.
These meteorites collected in Japan attract a small crowd. 35
Nancy examines the minerals collection.
A docent is explaining the display of fossils.
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Trilobite and related forms make an interesting, and somewhat unexpected, display. Some of the shapes are very unusual. What did these animals look like when they were alive?
We move from the Japan-oriented building to the Global one. Many of the scientific themes are the same. Here we get a different perspective. The displays are less traditional. Many, such as the display of large animal diversity, are really innovative. Parents have brought their small children. This is perhaps a bit surprising as the educational level is way beyond these young kids. The adults must think the visual stimulation is adequate to justify the visit. For them, the children need not absorb the information. There’s enough to see here to get the kids excited.
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A big room shows the history of the Earth. Specimens document the progress of evolution.
Human evolution is shown with a variety of evidence, from skulls to the tools used by the ancestral forms. 38
The human evolution display includes recent progress, with a focus on the development of critical technologies.
A biodiversity display includes algal specimens. Some of these are very large and rarely seen on display. 39
Look up! The ceiling is filled with aquatic species. You get a feeling for the size of these animals as they hang overhead..
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The bottom of a tree, complete with vines growing on the trunk, adds a feeling of nature to a biodiversity display.
Cross sections from plants? That’s something important to the scientist. It’s refreshing to see details like these presented to the public.
Another biological variability display. Here, a map helps provide the interpretation.
A collection of mammal diversity. Of course a human should be included. With video technology, each visitor gets to be the model on display.
Plants are displayed in a way similar to an herbarium sheet. But these aren’t ugly dried specimens. This exhibit uses a novel, and effective, see-through technology.
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Electronic tubes appear to be other-worldly because of the unusual lighting. It’s a good example of a way to get a visitor’s attention.
This timeline of technology developments occupies a huge amount of wall space.
Several of earliest computers used in Japan are on display. You rarely see tube-based models. This is a good reminder of how quickly this technology has developed. 42
Big animal diversity is shown in a large room. This is a stunning display.
The specimens have attitude. The mood is unsettling.
A bit of avian diversity lines one side of the room.
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An interactive video displays encourages you to learn more about the species on display. Choose the animal you want to investigate.
Basic information is provided, including a distribution map
A bit of science is one of the choices. This English version is full of language errors and the science is not correct. Too bad. It detracts from an otherwise outstanding exhibit. 44
A short video clip shows the species in its normal habitat and you can see how the animals move.
Glass floor panels let you look down on some of the specimens. It is another example of the interesting use of space and perspective.
The circuit around the animal display ends with another fully captivating view of the specimens. This is an excellent visual experience. 45
A display at the end of a lobby has a top-down view of a tree’s root system. A very unusual subject and method of display.
The size of this dinosaur, as it peers down on the visitors, leaves a lasting impression on everyone that sees it.
Some scientific evidence in the corner of a hall filled with dinosaurs. This shows the K/Pg (formerly K/T) boundary, the transition between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods. 46
A photo of microscopic diatom skeletons, with each shell blown up to a huge size. Notice the interesting architecture.
A big display of fossils of different sizes. Illustrations show the habitat that corresponds to the fossil collections.
Japan’s ancient seas had some large carnivores. The skeletons hang above the visitors, each in a menacing pose.
There is a lot of information in the displays of these paired specimens.
A large model of Hokule`a, the Hawaiian voyaging canoe, with figures depicting how ancient mariners might have looked. 47
Every science museum needs a periodic table. When you can, show what each element looks like.
How did early scientists peer at the stars? These pioneers made fundamental discoveries with this simple technology.
Japan has had twenty-eight Nobel laureates since 1949. It is good to see how these scientists are honored, along with other famous Japanese scientists. 48
A big whale greets us at the museum exit.
For us, we’re hitting a limit. We’ve been walking and looking, floor after floor. We’ve reached our quota a science information. Let’s move on. This museum is a good visit. We’ll put this place on our memory list as a very high-quality institution. Outside, in Ueno Park, the big pond has planters with yellow tulips. They’re flowering out of season. It’s good they’ve been placed here. The color adds a nice touch to an otherwise winter-drab landscape. There are big tents nearby. Some event is happening. Let’s go closer. A few people exit the tented area with decorated dogs. Cute pups. Does this tell us anything about the activities within? Let’s find out. In we go. This is great. It is mostly a food exhibit. The vendors give us a chance to buy some street food. It’s a good idea as it will keep up our energy. We’ve got one more museum to visit.
The large pond in Ueno Park has bright yellow tulips. These plants add a splash of color to an otherwise dull landscape.
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There are a lot of interesting food choices. Should we try BBQ octopus? How about ice cream (remember: it is very cold outside)? We walk along, weaving in and out of the crowd. There is a lot of variety. Grilled items, like chicken or beef skewers, seem to dominate. There are sausage-like choices, too. We walk on. It isn’t just food here. There is a magician who has drawn a large crowd. We’re not likely to benefit from watching as his patter is in Japanese. We do note that he is very popular. Nearby, two people are dressed as statues. Each stands on a pedestal. A box is nearby; that’s for tips. They are each photo-worthy. We choose the Samurai Warrior. Nancy takes a photo. The statue gets some change. Move on. A food stand advertises beef croquettes. That’s what we need. Two for ¥500. They cook them for us. Well, not too bad but where’s the beef? We settle for them being potato croquettes. The small morsels fill our need for a bit of energy. They’re too small to spoil our dinner. Let’s head to the next museum.
Each pop-up food vendor displays its food on a colorful banner above the sales counter.
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A small child enjoys the food his parent bought in this marketplace. He’s already an expert with chopsticks.
It’s hard to decide what we should eat. Everything looks so good.
This is a human statue. He remains absolutely motionless until you leave him some money. Then he jestures to acknowledge your contribution.
Nancy is tasked with the job of buying two IGA beef croquettes. They cook them for us. 51
Nancy notices some water marks on the walkway. The patterns are too complex and regular to be spilled water. What are they? Nearby, we spot a guy who is making this sidewalk art. We watch as he uses an umbrella (as a stick) with a sponge on the end. He wets the sponge and then drips water as he brushes out a pattern. He’s really good. Surprise! He’s come over to us. “What’s your favorite animal?” Panda. “Here it is,” as he draws a panda caricature. More questions. More drawings. He’s great. What fun! Now it’s time for the Japan Museum. We get tickets from the machine and enter the building. It’s another old building that’s been renovated. As seen earlier, the materials inside use modern display technology. No photos here. That’s OK. We wander the exhibits. There are interesting pieces of sculpture (mostly statues), art (often scrolls), pottery, and other cultural artifacts. We get a good overview of the development of the Japanese arts. This museum is organized so you can take a fairly straight-forward route. Navigation is not a challenge. There is some information in English. Overall, it’s a very satisfying experience. This is just what we need in quality and quantity.
Two of the water designs drawn for us by the gentleman with the umbrella and sponge. He’s very talented. 52
It’s time for us to visit Tokyo National Museum. It looks like an old museum from the outside.
The displays inside the Tokyo National Museum are very modern. This is the only interior photo. Photography is prohibited in many displays. Best to put the camera away. 53
Many Ueno Park walkways are wide. These are cherry trees. This park will be a crowded place when the trees bloom in a few months. It is one of Tokyo’s prime cherry-tree viewing spots.
Ueno Park abuts a thriving commercial district. We’re headed from the park into this urban morass for a speci 54
We’re done with museums for the day. It’s mid-afternoon. Let’s make a decision. Should we have our unagi (eel) meal now or wait until later? We should do it now. That way, we’ll avoid the busy dinner hour at this popular restaurant. Note that (according to Nancy) eating a substantial amount of unagi is a mandatory activity when visiting Japan. Translation: there’s no way we’re going to skip going to this restaurant. There are a few fun stops as we walk through Ueno Park. A guy with a crystal ball has an audience. He’s adept at rolling this sphere around. His performance is so fluid. The ball hardly moves while his hands keep caressing the sphere. We watch in amazement as he seemingly suspends the ball between his hands with no apparent contact. How does he do that? Later, there is another group of people watching a young juggler. He’s good. We get sucked into the crowd. This guy knows how to work an audience. We refocus on our mid-afternoon destination: the unagi restaurant, Izuei. We remember the route from last year’s trip. On the way we meet crowds at a main intersection. There are a lot of people out and about today. Are they trying to squeeze in some outdoor time before the rains come?
ial meal. 55
Izuei doesn’t have very many patrons at this hour. That’s good for us as we get a prime seat by the window. We can watch people outside while we eat. Nancy chooses a medium-size kabayaki (charcoal-grilled eel). Kim has a smaller portion of eel and tempura. Both dishes come with sides of vegetables. We each have a beer; it goes well with the hearty eel. This restaurant appears very traditional. It is, perhaps, a bit touristy. The food is excellent, as is the service. This ticks off a big “must do” on our Tokyo trip list. We need to head back to our hotel. One eye is on the sky. When will the rain start? Things look OK now. We’re not in a hurry.
Nancy studies the Izuei Restaurant menu. This is her chance to get unagi (eel), one of her favorite foods.
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We can look out the window and see the end of Ueno Park. It is also a chance to watch the passing foot traffic.
Our mid-afternoon meal comes at a time when this restaurant isn’t very busy. Later, it will be very crowded. This is a very popular place.
Our meal starts with a cup of tea. Then beer and some pupu. We’re relaxed and glad to be sitting down.
Kim is glad that we’re here. This place is another item on our must-do list for this trip. We got here with decent weather. 57
The meal arrives. Each serving is in a beautiful box. This is Kim’s meal.
Nancy ordered a different dish. Her lunch box is equally stunning. What a great way to serve food.
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Opening the box reveals the contents. Here, the unagi is on rice. Alongside is tempura.
Nancy is more focused on unagi. She has a larger order of this delicacy. Note the marking on the underside of the cover of her lunch box. Beauty in small details. 59
We’re back out on the street. There is a famous shopping district nearby. It is called Ameyoko. If we wander a bit, maybe we’ll find it. We’re conscious of our need to keep moving in the general direction of our hotel. Going down a side street isn’t a problem. Look: here’s a street with a lot of bicycles. That’s interesting. Let’s walk there. The streets narrow. They become pedestrian-only passages. Vendors in small stalls line the walkways. We’ve found it. This is Ameyoko. It is amazing! We wander the streets, turning down side streets now and then. This is a large area, not just a single street. We’re seeing a mix of shops with clothes and food for sale. It’s a jumble of commerce. People are out in the narrow streets. Lots of people. There are restaurants scattered amongst the other stores. All of them are filled with diners. We step into a hat store. They have a nice stock. Prices seem reasonable. Anything interesting? Perhaps not. Move on. A supermarket draws us in. The shpo’s front on the street is quite narrow. The space expands inside. There is a lot of food (and other things) here. The aisles are filled with shoppers. The prices must be quite low as there is a frenzy among the buyers. This environment is a bit too much for us. Let’s leave. Whew! That was intensive. It’s a few more blocks of walking before we leave the Ameyoko area. That was an interesting encounter. We really didn’t expect what we’ve just seen.
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Here’s another form of transport. Bicycles aplenty! We’ve just found a pedestrian street.
This is Ameyoko. It’s a paradise for Tokyo shoppers looking for a bargain.
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There are lots of food stores in Ameyoko. The emphasis seems to be on low prices.
We saw a few surprises. Note the cost of these cherries. The packets in the rear sell for about $25. Wow. 62
Food stores are mixed with places to buy clothes. The tables spill out into the pedestrian walkway.
We wander into an indoor mall. It is like a small side street. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern to what is sold here. Completely unrelated stores are next to each other. 63
All the restaurants are full of diners. We pass this establishment that specializes in Japanese curry. Yummy.
There are two routes from here to our hotel. We’ll take a new one this time. On the way, we can stop at a Natural Lawson convenience store. This is a competitor with 7-11. Both chains are very handy for tourists (and, most likely, residents). It’s time to do some planning. We had a big lunch late in the afternoon. The weather is OK now, but rain is certain to come sometime soon. Decision: we’ll pick up something we can eat in the room for dinner. Anthony Bourdain said the Lawson’s Egg-Salad Sandwiches are the best food. He claims to have survived on them during his time in Tokyo. We get one and another sandwich that’s half egg-salad and half tuna. Some wine and chips, too. That will hold us for our evening meal. We walk the three blocks to our hotel. We’re all prepared. We settle in after a long day of being on our feet. After a while, we nibble food. Then to bed. We’re tired. This was a very good day. 64
Monday, January 27, 2020 Yesterday was a recovery day. We had a very loose schedule. Today is quite different. Our schedule is very specific for this morning. We need to be at the subway station by 8:30 AM. The night has been a bit of an up and down experience. We’re still not on local time. Waking up too early is the result. Our day begins with a cup of tea. Then some coffee a little later. There is a left-over sandwich. That works for breakfast. We’re dragging a bit. It’s easy to let time slip by. Keep an eye on the clock.
Breakfast is a Lawson sandwich left over from last night’s light dinner. Tomato juice and coffee rounds out the meal. 65
Out we go with just enough time to get to the subway by our scheduled deadline. Whew! This is the Inaricho Station on the Ginza Line. It’s a new subway station for us. The train arrives soon after we reach the platform. This is a workday for Tokyo residents. This city moves lots of people with the subway system. We need to stand once we get in the subway car. There are no empty seats. After a few stops, many more people are jammed in with us. We’re packed really tightly. We’re experiencing Tokyo’s famous subway crowding. We finally exit the train at Shimbashi Station and head to the Yurikamome Line for the final leg of this ride. It’s really good to get out of that overcrowded subway car. We purchased a 72-hour subway pass to make it easy to ride through the city. We try using our pass on the Yurikamome Line. Woops. The machine doesn’t recognize our pass. That’s OK. We buy a one-day pass for this leg of the trip. Focus on the goal. We need to get to teamLAB’s Borderless venue. Borderless opens at 10 AM and we’re a bit early. A small crowd is there with us. This is the Odaiba area, a fairly new development in Tokyo Bay that features a lot of high-tech research and entertainment venues.
The Palette Town Giant Sky Wheel in Odaiba is next to teamLAB’s Borderless attraction. This was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel when it was built in 1999. 66
Odaiba has some interesting buildings. This looks like a residental tower. It is actually a smokestack for an incineration building.
Here we are, ready to enter teamLAB’s Borderless installation. We’re really excited about this. We’ve come here before the day’s opening. We want to get in before the crowds arrive.
Nancy’s got a big smile. That’s more evidence we’re really anxious to see Borderless.
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The rooms to appear to be immense because of reflections. Mirrors divide the space and make the illusion difficult to comprehend.
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Bright flowers sweep in different ways across all the surfaces. The movement patterns are complex.
The teamLAB Borderless space opens its doors and we stash some of our stuff in a locker. We need to be lightweight for what’s ahead. TeamLAB facilities basically use projection graphics and innovative spaces to create extreme visual experiences. There are LED light displays, too. This is a digital wonderland. The strategy Borderless is to wander. There are a lot of rooms. Some are small spaces. A few are huge open areas. Most often, the walls are completely covered with mirrors. The floor and ceiling, too. You’re in a mirror box that has reflecting partitions that partially separate areas. Multiple projectors splash all the surfaces with fast-moving displays. It’s dark inside. Light comes from the images moving through the spaces. The surfaces are hard to distinguish. Walls disappear. There seems to be no floor beneath our feet. The space stretches high above us. The visual effects are matched by the sounds. Borderles bombards our sensory systems in unfamiliar ways.
The combination of a dark room and bright projections adds to the mystery of the space.
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People, like the room’s surfaces, become a canvas for the projections.
Doors provide invitations to wander into other spaces. When you return, the room you left will be covered with a different moving image. Everything changes. 70
There is one particularly large room. We view this area from above. People are fascinated by the visual effect of falling water. The hill is popular.
Does this feel like you’re under a waterfall?
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Detailed artwork is constantly altered as computers generate an ever changing image. This wall is in a separate room. There is some calmness here. This gives a slight respite from the action elsewhere.
Some walls have relatively simple patterns. They offer another kind of visual relief.
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We move from space to space. Places we visited earlier are not the same on our return. The graphics on the walls have changed. Nothing here is constant. Everything changes. One room has LED lights hanging in long strands. A few open paths wind through the light field. Bright. Dark. Sparkle. Flash. Colors and patterns change. The mirrors cause the lights to surround you. It’s a breathtaking visual experience. What an exciting place. ,
Nancy is encountering a wall of small lights, strung as ribbons from the mirrored ceiling. The lights keep changing their color and intensity. 73
There are several floors to explore in Borderless. We head up a staircase. This is a kids play area. A few people bounce on a trampoline; each jump produces a flash of light at their feet. Images of colored “creatures” move across the walls. We soon learn that kids and their parents have colored these animals. We’re seeing the scans. Everyone really enjoys this. How about the area with big balloons that change color. What fun! We’ve been here nearly two hours. Must we move on?
A room is filled with tall sheets of glass. Classical Japanese characters are projected on these surfaces. The visual effect is multiplied by mirrors. 74
People color in templates of different marine animals. These personal artistic creations are scanned and added to the projections on the walls.
This is such a different sensory experience. Balloons above. A soft floor below.
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Let’s stop at the Tea House before we leave. This is a separate area which, at this hour, just serves tea. There are choices. Tea variety and hot vs cold. It’s a simple menu. They hand you a small vial of the tea of your choosing. You smell it (wow, they’ve added another sensory system). They seat us at a big table. It’s very dark in this room. We trade our tea vial for some brewed equivalent. The tea comes in a large bowl. It is placed on the table in front of us. This bowl is the central element in a visual feast. An image of a flower is projected down. Colors light the bowl. Bubbles on the surface of the tea give texture and play with the light. Take a sip. Place the bowl back on the table. Flower petals dance around the bowl. Some petals drift off along the table and up the wall. The visual display coordinates with your drinking the tea. It’s magical. Add taste to the sensory exploration here. It’s a relaxing interlude.
The restaurant has tea. We’re waiting on the service.
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The bowl is filled with tea. An image is projected on the surface. Bubbles enhance the effect.
Lift the bowl and take a sip. When you replace the bowl, petal stream out. How do they do this?
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A shared lunch outside teamLAB Planets. We’ve already eaten one sandwich and a piece of fish. This meal will keep us going for a few hours.
Our entrance reservation for Planets is 1 PM. We’re just about ready to stand in line. People enter in groups at this venue, . 78
It’s time to leave Borderless. We exit and head to the subway terminal. The train comes and we ride a few stops to the next venue. It’s in Toyosu (where you also find the new fish market). This is another teamLAB installation. This one is called “Planets.” We grab a bite at the food stand that’s outdoors near the venue entrance. A sandwich, fish and chips and more chips (French fries). This fills us up. In retrospect, this is much needed food as we’ve got a few more hours ahead in the confines of the teamLAB arena. Preparation is important here. We’ll be walking in water in one of Planet’s attractions. Each of us is carrying shorts that we brought for this purpose. On entry, everyone takes off his or her shoes. We’ll be barefoot while we are inside Planets. There is a locker room at the entrance. Here, we’ll store our stuff. There are also changing rooms nearby. Soon, we’re both barefoot and wearing shorts. It is what everyone has to do.
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In we go. The hallway is dark. Small lights at the baseboard provide enough illumination so we can see where to walk. We turn a corner. The next hallway has an inclined ramp. Water is flowing down the slope. We walk upward with water flowing over our feet. A waterfall is at the top of the corridor. Wow. That is an interesting introduction. We’re each given a small towel. Dry your feet. Drop the towel in a bin. The next room, the “Black Hole Room,” is filled with a continuous surface of “bean bag” material. It’s very dark here and you’re enveloped right away. Each time you step, your foot is swallowed into the surface. There’s no support, so your body can’t stay upright. We collapse onto the surface and form a shallow nest. The overall effect traps you. People are lying all over the room in the hollows they’ve created. It’s nearly impossible to make any progress crossing the room. We sink in and relax. We must move on. It’s a real struggle to cross to the door on the opposite wall. Young, agile people seem to have no problem. For the less limber, this is a difficult experience. With patience and fortitude, we complete the task. Whew.
The first walkway. It’s very dark in here. We’re not sure what’s ahead.
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Water rushes down and splashes around your feet. A green waterfall greets you at the top of the incline. You feel and hear this unusual, dark environment. It’s all about your senses.
This room is called the Soft Black Hole. People are rolling and tumbling on the beanbag-like surface. Our footsteps have no support. We fall and sink into the soft surface. 81
The trip through the Soft Black Hole is a wake-up call. We now know that the experiences here are going to be more intense than those at Borderless. Borderless was a place to wander and discover. Here, at Planets, the route is better defined. We are on a one-way route going from one intense experience to another one. Everything is very immersive. Even the hallways have a role. The texture of the floor is likely to change as you walk through a dark hallway on your way to the next room. The two teamLAB venues share many characteristics. The most obvious is the extensive and creative use of projectors. The images are dynamic and, often, fast moving. Sound complements the visual displays. Many walls, floors and ceilings are mirrors. Sometimes, a reflection holds you suspended in space. This is a strong visual illusion. The visual effects slow us down. Stop. Gaze in all directions. Get your bearings. Another common element is the forest of LED lights. Narrow pathways through the light field encourage you to wander, never quite knowing where you’re headed. Areas of various sizes open up the space. We stand among other people transfixed by the pattern of moving lights. Everything changes; color, speed, brightness. Totally immersive. There are no repeating patterns here. Just a huge open space filled with points of light. Ever changing.
We’re taking a serious photo of ourselves. This image get the front and side at the same time.
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Look down. Who are all of those people? How are we suspended in space above them?
So many points of light. Ever changing. Wild patterns sweep around us.
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The strings of lights reach far up. Mirrors on the wall extend the sideways views. A mirror floor adds to the illusion.
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People gather and linger in the few open spaces. Then, after a while, they’ll wander off to explore another area.
Everyone else is taking selfies. We’ll indulge.
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A room with balloons provides a congested space that hinders navigation. The colors change. Intense brightness. Fast cycling through the spectrum’s primary colors. It’s a tactile and visual playground. Smaller rooms hold special exhibits. Some are places of tranquility. Other venues splash the walls with bold strokes of color as visual elements race around the enclosure. A few of these spaces are small and intimate. We move into these and escape into privacy while the crowd remains outside in a large, open space. It’s important to be inquisitive. More than once we nearly miss seeing something interesting by failing to go through a door, even one that is very obvious. Many places are filled with commotion. There are also places to relax. Lie on the floor. Stare at the ceiling. Watch the action pass by overhead.
A balloon room. Mirrors on the floor expand the number of balloons. Colors change.
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The lights from the balloons color everything, including the people.
The display has become more and more complex. This represents the changes of the seasons. The reflection on water doubles the image.
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The people in this room are standing nearly knee deep in warm water. Colored areas swirl around. There is music, too. Music is everywhere.
Nancy steps into the colored water. Activity changes the pattern. The water is responsive.
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Planets is a venue for adults. We knew that right from the start as we needed to change into shorts. Water streaming down the ramp in the hallway confirmed the difference between this place and Borderless. But why wear shorts? The immersion came when we entered the room flooded with water. It’s a dark place. Light mainly comes from below, through the milky water. Colorful patterns move across the water. Sometimes you see abstract patterns. Other times, large fish seem to swim among the people standing calf-deep in the warm fluid. It’s a completely different sensation. One that’s adult-sized. There’s enough at Planets for us to stay more than two hours. By now, we’re suffering from severe sensory overload. It’s time to head back to our hotel. Hopefully, we’re ahead of the afternoon commuter crush.
Koi replace the colored swirls. These colorful fish swim in groups of different sizes.
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We’re back outside. Glance at the sky. Clouds but no rain. Yet. The train stop is nearby. We get seats and take the fifteen-stop ride through this newly developing area. All of the buildings are modern. We’re seeing a lot of interesting architecture. On the way, we’re on the lookout for the big 2020 Olympic rings. The five circles are mounted on a barge anchored just off-shore from the Hilton Hotel. We see them. Not well. The hotel blocks the view. Our transfer to the Ginza Line goes smoothly. We’re getting better at judging how people move through the terminals. Our subway train arrives soon after we get to the platform. It’s a reminder that trains run frequently here. There are seats available. That’s good. We’re ahead of the afternoon rush. There is a difficult decision ahead. Are we eating out at a restaurant tonight? The alternative is to get something at the nearby Natural Lawson and eat dinner in the room. What we’ll do depends largely on the weather. Rain is predicted; we confirm this with a look at the weather satellite images. Tokyo is, indeed, on the edge of the approaching storm. We opt to eat in our room at the hotel. We need to buy some food at the neighborhood convenience store. Should we buy a couple of umbrellas? No, let’s wait and see how the weather changes. This has been an outstanding day. Everything went well. Tomorrow is a big day as it includes our flight home. Better get some sleep. We need to be well rested.
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We watch the progress of the weather front on the local TV channel. Rain is now moving across Tokyo. We’re safely inside.
We bought our eat-in dinner at Natural Lawson. We heated the food in the microwave oven. This made for a good dinner. 91
Tuesday, January 28, 2020 An early-morning peek through our hotel window confirms the rain has arrived in Tokyo. Our apartment’s thermostat shows the outside temperature: 2 C (about 36 F). That’s just above freezing. In fact, snow is forecast for some nearby areas. Will we get some, too? We’re up a bit early this morning. Our day is starting with tea and tomato juice. As usual, coffee will come a bit later. A schedule is important today. There isn’t much pressure in the morning. It’s later in the afternoon that we must meet some strict deadlines. Now, we’re being a bit lazy. A key morning visit is to Tokyo Midtown. The stores in this trendy mall open at 11 AM. Before that, we’ll stop by the breakfast coffee shop where Nancy took her very popular breakfast food photo. These two things set our morning schedule. We pack and check out of the hotel. It’s been an excellent place to stay. It is raining. More than a light shower. This is serious precipitation. We dash to the nearby Inaricho Station. Our rain jackets have hoods so we’re staying fairly dry. But our backpacks are exposed and water is beading on the top surfaces. It’s a relief when we head underground to the subway platform. We’re sheltered here. How much of our day will we be able to spend inside and out of the rain? It seems foolish to ride the subway just one stop. However, this cuts the outside distance in half. It’s worth the short trip so that we can stay dry. Our plan is to go to the nearby Keisei Ueno Station and put our bags into a locker. Then we’ll be light and keeping dry will be easier. Off we go to put the plan into action. There is a long passageway between the two terminals. We’d seen this tunnel on a map but couldn’t find it on our arrival a couple of days ago. Now, when we need this underground passageway to stay dry, it’s easily found. Whew. The daily locker rental costs ¥500. That’s a bargain considering the convenience. All of our stuff fits inside a single locker. The receipt has a code that is used to open the locker on our return. We tuck this small document safely away. We’ve got one more task here. We need to make a reservation on the Skyliner for the trip to the Narita airport. We choose the 4:40 PM train. That gives us time to shop and we’ll be at the Sky Club well before our flight. 92
Now we need to head back to Ueno Terminal to get the subway to Akasaka. Fortunately, we’re beyond the morning rush hour. There are seats for us in our subway car. The Akasaka Station is very familiar. We went in and out of here a lot during our last stay in Tokyo. We head to the proper exit and climb the stairs to the street. Our destination, the coffee shop, is just across the street. We brave the light shower and walk the short distance. The Ueshima Coffee-ten restaurant is familiar. It’s a nice place to eat. We go to the counter and try to explain the popularity of Nancy’s photo. See how many clicks? Almost everything is lost in translation. We get a kind of “OK.” Oh, well. What we think is interesting (and important?) doesn’t register with the staff here. It’s now past the breakfast period at Ueshima Coffee-ten and their menu offers lunch selections. We order a couple of hot sandwiches. These come with mushroom soup in a cup. And we each order a cup of coffee. No discount for their star photographer. The meal gets photographed, of course. The food is good. Ouch … the soup is very hot (we each got a bit of a burn).
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The entrance to Ueshima Coffee-ten is inviting and friendly.
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We’re ready to go into Ueshima Coffee-ten.
Inside the Ueshima Coffee-ten. The ordering counter is ahead. The shelf where you return your used dishes is to the left. Self-service in Japan includes taking care of your own dishes.
Nancy’s lunch sandwich. Egg, ham and cheese. Very hot soup, too. Coffee, of course. 95
It’s time to move on. We do a quick viewing of a few familiar neighborhood places. Then head back to the subway station. It’s just a one-stop ride to get near Tokyo Midtown. Let’s hurry to get inside. Go up the escalator. It’s all familiar here. Tokyo Midtown is a very classy shopping center. Our first stop is the exhibition of winners of the 2019 Design Competition sponsored by the mall. We saw this display last year and were impressed with the innovation. This year doesn’t seem quite as good. It’s worth a few minutes of examination. The winning design does get our attention. It is a tissue box made out of tissue. No waste.
Tokyo Midtown Mall is a high-end shopping area. Here, on the third floor, they have a beautiful display of live orchids. 96
A small display area has the winning entries in the Tokyo Midtown annual design contest. We saw this last year and we were impressed with the entries.
This is the winner of the 2019 design competition. It is a tissue box made out of tissue. No waste here. 97
The Midtown complex has some stores that we really like. Mostly, it’s because these places sell useful gadgets. Koncept is our first stop. We snatch a few items from the shelves. Surprise. We’ve bought enough to be given a gift. What’s our choice from among the four clay figurines? We’ll take the unicorn. We don’t need a dust catcher. But we can’t say no to this offer. We make a brief stop at the knife shop, Nihonbash Kiya. Look. Don’t buy. Beautiful items. Then to Itoya/Top Drawer. We add a couple of things to our bag of purchases. Muji is located downstairs. We’ve got to stop there and wander a bit. Nothing motivates us to make a purchase. Perhaps we’re saturated with Muji things. There is still some time before our Skyliner reservation. Should we eat or drink here at Midtown? Let’s wander and see if any place looks appropriate. Up and down we go. This is a big place. There are a lot of possibilities, but nothing quite fits our mood. Here’s an alternative: let’s head back to Ueno Station. There’s likely something we’ll like in the station’s less-formal atmosphere.
Muji sells clothes and household items that are well designed and very practical. This is another must-do stop at Tokyo Midtown. 98
Striking features make this mall a beautiful place to visit. This area is surrounded by restaurants.
Itoya/Top Drawer is one of our destination stores in Tokyo Midtown. They always have some interesting things that are useful (or at least fun).
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The entrance to Nadai Fujisoba. It’s a chance to get out of the rain and to eat something while we wait for our train to the airport.
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A food ticket vending machine. It took us a while to get this one figured out.
A long underground passageway forms the connection between Midtown and Roppongi Terminal. Going to Roppongi lets us get a direct subway train to Ueno. The car is a bit packed with people but seats eventually open up and we finish the ride seated. This system is very efficient. We went quite a long way across Tokyo very easily. There is still time to kill. We head to Keisei Ueno Terminal. Is there someplace here that will help us fill the time before our Narita train? We’re looking for something to eat. All we see is a pastry shop. That’s not what we need. How about outside? Awww. It’s raining. We’re struck by the fact that we’ve been pretty successful at staying inside today, out of the bad weather. But now, if we want something to eat, we’ll need to get sprinkled on. Out we go, cross the street, and down the block. We find a small ramen shop. That’s what we’ve been after. In we go. The vending machine is a bit of a struggle. It keeps rejecting our order and returning the money. We watch someone else get a ticket. They pay, then choose. Maybe that’s what we’re doing wrong. We try the new strategy. It works! Our two ramen orders are handed to the cook. We sit down at a counter along the wall. This is a small place. It seems very typical. The food arrives. It’s good.
Fast food preparation in Nadai Fujisoba. Efficiency is the key to the speed here. Just two employees handle everything. 101
Kim sticks with ramen. This is a tasty bowl of noodles, full of good things.
Nancy’s order. She’s chosen a dish with rice.
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We return to the Keisei Ueno Station. Get our bags. There are English instructions so the process isn’t difficult. Let’s stand in the lobby a bit before heading to the platform. We’re still quite early for our Skyliner reservation. Woops! A gentleman has just fallen on us. He’s drunk and tumbled down, hitting us on the way. He struggles up. There’s not much communication between us. Getting drunk in the middle of the afternoon is a bad sign. Poor guy. Lucky none of us is hurt. Now we can head to the platform. Sit. Wait for our train to be ready to board. Watch the other travelers. Before long, we’re off. The trip to Narita is smooth. The train isn’t going quite as fast as we imagined it would. About 60 mph until near Narita. Then it increases to about 95 mph. We’re early for our flight. That’s good. We have a brief stop at the check-in counter and then make a speedy trip through security and immigration. We’ve arrived at the Sky Club. Being here, all ready for our flight, is calming. Delta Airlines has announced that it is soon abandoning Narita Airport in favor of flights to Haneda Airport. As a result, this is our last visit to this Club location. Kinda sad. The exterior shows change underway; all the carpet is removed. Inside, the furnishings look worn out.
We’re pretty full but can’t resist a nibble in the Narita Sky Club. A chicken tender with a few meatballs. Veggies, too. 103
It’s time to leave. We arrive at our gate just a few moments before boarding. We’ve again gotten good seats. Now we’re back in row 7. The flight attendants are particularly friendly. Paco (as he is called) takes good care of us. The trip back across the Pacific is much faster than going to Japan. The flight takes just about 6 hours. This leg of the trip is at night. We make use of the lie-flat seats. We get a good rest; maybe not a deep sleep.
Nancy’s settled in and ready for the flight home. It has been a very good trip. 104
Wine and hot nuts to start.
Kim’s Western selection includes a very tender piece of beef. It looks a bit ugly. It tastes very good. This is another excellent airline meal. 105
Dessert is, again, ice cream. Solidly frozen, again. Along with a big glass of port.
Breakfast is fruit, a croissant, yogurt and tomato juice. Coffee, too.
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Honolulu comes into sight. Then we’re on the ground. We make the quick trip through the formalities. Global Entry helps us skip the lines. No need to stop at Customs. We’re out of the terminal fast. Our car is just across the street in the parking garage. We’re headed home. Whew! What a weekend!
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