We left the FFA center at 4:30 Friday morning and over 20 hours later arrived in Japan. During that time we were on two planes, crossed the international date line, lived basically a whole day, and never saw darkness. We landed at the Tokyo/Narita airport Saturday afternoon (Tokyo time), got our passports stamped and hopped on a bus to downtown Tokyo to check in to our hotel. For the first couple of nights we're staying at a Courtyard Marriot. It's very western overall, with a few subtle differences - the most noticable being the size of the rooms. I was surprised when I opened my door and found a space barely big enough for a bed and a desk, although it makes perfect sense. With land selling for up to $300,000 a square meter in some areas of Tokyo space - one of the many things we take for granted in the US - is not exactly abundant here.
After checking in we walked to Ginza street - a famous area of Tokyo that is very beautiful and very busy. Looking around at the high end department stores, lights, cars and many people, I was visually reminded of Times Square.
But there were some key differences: the city is very clean and very quiet. No honking, no yelling... people talk at a very low level and primarily keep to themselves. The loudest sound I heard in our 15 minute walk was a baby crying.
Dinner was traditional Japanese tempura. It was very good, and a very safe choice for our first meal in Japan... and the best Miso soup I've ever had!
Tomorrow we spend the whole day sightseeing in Tokyo - it's sure to be exciting. For now... I'm looking forward to laying in a bed for the first time in nearly two days! Sayonara!
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