Tokyo - Day 1!

Wow... suddenly my whole life including this site is in Japanese...

Anyway! I have arrived safely in Tokyo after a 10 hour flight. Saying goodbye to Mom and Luke was hard, even though I'd had a few days to recover from saying goodbye to Dad and the other boys but I know this is going to be worth it. And I'm still healthy and smiling, if a bit tired.

The flight was lovely even with 3-5-3 people across. They gave us warmed, damp towels before meals and everything! Both baggage pickup and customs went smoothly and quickly which was a lovely surprise, and we were divested of our third piece of baggage (to be sent to our contracting organizations separately) and ushered onto buses to the hotel with no problems. All in all I can say that I am truly amazed by the efficiency of the Japanese systems we used today.

On the hour long ride into Tokyo to the hotel we passed right by several landmarks I recognized including Tokyo Disneyland and that giant ferris wheel that's featured in so many movies and anime. I saw everything from homeless shelters and tents under bridges to a blue heron hunting in the edge of one of the cemented in rivers underneath a bridge we were on. This city, more than any other I've ever visited, seems to be able to flip from stunningly gorgeous to slum and then back again in almost no distance at all. Tokyo bridges seem to exist on large cement posts following various rivers and canals a lot, must be to conserve building space.

When we got checked in we got little totes full of stuff and had the chance to take our suitcases up to our rooms. I was pleased to find out that I already know one of my roommates. Once we were settled we headed downstairs to join a bunch of the other Canadian JET for a wander through the Shinjuku district to find dinner. (The formal reception isn't until tomorrow night so we were on our own.) We ended up finding a lovely little Udon shop were we ate and then we spent some time wandering before heading back to the hotel to collapse in one of the guy's rooms for a bit. When I finally got too tired I came back to my room and now I'm trying to last a little longer before I head to bed 'cause it's not quite 9pm here.

So, to take a little more time, here are some pictures!


The view from my hotel room. I've got two roommates, one from the Vancouver consulate and one from somewhere else.


My hotel room from my bed. Those are my hotel slippers on my feet. They actually say Keio Plaza Hotel :D We've all got a yukata in the room, too.


Shinjuku station, busiest train station in the world!


Looking down the road from the station. So many noises and lights!



The Udon resturant we ate at and my dinner! It was so cool, they have plastic copies of all the food displayed in the front window so once you know what number you want you go inside and put your money in a machine and press the corresponding button, then you take the little ticket to the front and pick your noodle type and they make up your order! All of us were so pleased. I think it really brought home the whole 'we're really in Japan now' feeling.