Japan Trip Day 1 - The Landing

Saturday, June 2nd

I left USA soil and landed at Narita Airport in Japan on Sunday, June 3rd, at approximately 1530hrs. Although only 11 hours later, the time shift going halfway around the world put me into the next day and I could feel the difference in my body. Jetlag was already setting in, but my adrenaline and excitement kept me going.

I got through customs quickly and found a currency exchange to change my US dollars into Japanese yen. I was told the rates were cheaper doing it in Japan after landing (instead of doing it in the US beforehand) and he was right. By 1530 hours, I had my luggage and money and was waiting for Alex and the rest of the team to arrive and escort me to our lodging.

Alex and team met me at 1800. We took several different trains, which was quite an adventure. You purchase tickets at machines similar to ATM terminals. You walk up to the gate, stick your ticket into it and, if there’s a balance left on it, it will spit out the other side for you to grab as you go through. It’s a pretty efficient system to get from train to train in a hurry and I soon discovered why. Trains ran regularly, one right after another, and they moved fast. People were running and walking hurriedly to get to each train. It was quite a time going from confined sitting and standing of the long plane flight, to running up and down stairs, from train to train.

Eventually, we arrived at the Azusa by 2000 hours, which was the inn we were staying at. This little place was a family owned establishment, consisting of two levels of rooms. The light green paint on the building made it easy to see, especially with the huge billboard sign out front which reads “Azusa”.

My room was tiny, with a single futon mattress bed, a small refrigerator, microwave, TV and table. A rear door to my room led to a washroom and bathroom that was shared by John, who had the room next to mine. If I had to share a washroom and toilet, I was glad it was with somebody I knew.

Out front are several bicycles, all made of the same style. Each had a basket on the front handlebars, too. I was told these are for us to use. So, we decided to ride to a small restaurant Alex knew about.

As we rode down the street, I noticed there was very little room on the sides of the narrow streets. Cars of all types whizzed by at unnerving closeness. Luckily, some areas had sidewalks. But, we also had to squeeze alongside cars when sidewalks weren’t available. It was no wonder they didn’t have accidents. I guess when you live in that environment, you are adapted to it.
We arrived at the restaurant, a small and simple looking establishment. None of the signs were in Romanji Kanji (English letters), only the standard kanji. Thankfully, Alex knew this place and had a basic knowledge of Japanese language. So, we walked in and sat on the floor at one of the tables in the back room. We shared the room with a group of mixed guys and girls, all appearing to be in their early 20’s. We enjoyed beer and dinner and, after several rounds, found ourselves attempting conversation with the group next to us. The girls could speak a little English, so we had a great time asking questions and making jokes. At one point, one of the guys in the group appeared agitated. I found out he was the husband to one of the girls who was talking to me and he was jealous. I tried to include him in the conversation and told them my friends and I were married. This seemed to calm down the man and, even though he was less cordial than the others, didn’t cause any trouble.

We left the restaurant and rode our bikes back to the Azusa. Considering all the beer we consumed, it was any wonder we made it back safely.

I went to my room, set out my things to make it feel more like "home", then laid my exhausted body down on the lumpy futon mattress and tried to suppress my anxiety in order to fall asleep.