There are always a lot of expectations (and the occasional misconception) when landing in a country that you have little first-hand experience of. This is Wendy’s first trip to Japan, so everything is a new experience. Although Chris was here many years ago (for just two weeks, and largely on business), his awareness of the culture and his sense of where to go and what to do are very limited.
Our flight arrived on time and we were quickly off the plane and standing in an ever-increasing queue formed to process the arrival of foreign nationals. Is it coincidental that all airports are similar, and citizens of that country always seem to have more counters available to process their arrival? Should the tourists from other countries, who bring tourist dollars to spend, be given a higher priority? The locals, having chosen to travel abroad, are probably returning home with little money left to contribute to the local economy. “Make them wait” we say, while the visiting tourists are fast tracked into the country so they can maximise their spending opportunities!
We have done our bit for the local Japanese economy today, using public transport from the airport to the city then spending up big on food and drinks throughout the day. Our challenges for the day started with the railway ticket vending machines at Haneda Airport, and continued through to ordering dinner in a largely Japanese-speaking restaurant not far from our hotel.
Firstly, the expectation we had about the train system has already been proven correct. Our monorail trip from the airport into the city was on time and it was clear and easy to follow in terms of where we were in relation to.our destination. The connecting train was more of a regular commuter train – though with less people, given it was Sunday. We navigated our way through Tokyo Central Station and found the hotel which will be our home for the next three nights – the Tokyo Station Hotel.
The Tokyo Station Hotel occupies the old railway offices that sit above the sprawling railway complex. A very tasteful renovation has transformed the grand old building into a luxury hotel. We dropped our luggage off at the hotel and headed west towards the Imperial Place, just a short walk away.
Our arrival in Japan has coincided with the cherry blossom season and, while not planned, we were very happy to find many trees still in full blossom. The colours range from whites and pale yellows through pinks to pale reds and everything in between. The waterways and paths through the trees are covered in blossom and when the breeze blows the air is filled with blossom petals.
The East Garden of the Imperial Palace, the only part generally accessible to the public, was not due to open for some time so we set out in a clockwise direction from the main entrance to circumnavigate Chidorigafuchi Moat which surrounds the Palace. Our aim was to find a park to the northwest that was recommended in the guide books for blossom spotting.
The path around the Palace is popular with joggers and, being early on a Sunday morning, they were out in numbers. Old and young, fast and slow, in groups or on their own – they were all there heading in an anticlockwise direction.
We watched as visitors to the park claimed a spot to sit with a picnic rug or large ground sheet. Shoes were removed before stepping onto their newly-claimed place under the cherry blossom and most were seen playing cards while enjoying early morning snacks.
Time had ticked by and we eventually entered the east gardens via an ancient arched bridge. The locked gate was dutifully unlocked by a very well presented guard right on the dot of 9.00am, and the visitors began filing past the security checkpoint and through enormous timber gates that defined the barrier between the outside and inside of the Palace grounds. The gardens themselves were showing the first signs of life after a cold and snowy winter. The lawns were just starting to green up and the occasional spring flower was on show.
Shortly after leaving the gardens, we stumbled upon a franchise of a café we have seen (and occasionally visited) throughout the USA – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. We had a surprisingly decent café latte for morning tea, and when the apple muffin turned out to contain banana Wendy had a bite to eat all to herself.
Our thoughts turned to food again after being overwhelmed by the sights and smells encountered when we explored an extensive food court in the basement of Takashimaya, a large department store. Sales of produce and ingredients were mixed in with food outlets and small cafés that seemed to concentrate on selling one dish but doing it perfectly. Our wandering then took us into an area of narrow cherry blossom-lined streets that were dotted with small restaurants – again, each with their own specialty.
The restaurants’ windows either had photos or wax replicas of what was on offer, although English descriptions were not all that common. We watched with interest as people queued to make use of vending machines that dispensed tickets which were then taken inside the restaurant – presumably for the purchaser to get a feed. We decided to give it a go. We selected what we wanted from the wax replica dishes, each individually numbered. We entered cash into the vending machine, followed by the corresponding numbers for our selection. Two tickets and our change were dispensed, and in we went.
Our tickets were handed over to a woman working in the crowded kitchen and she asked if we wanted soba or udon noodles in our soup. With the formalities over, we found some seats in a corner of the restaurant and watched the world go by. Our lunch was ready in no time flat and the woman in the kitchen gestured for us to pick up our meals. It may have been that we were really hungry, but the ramen went down a treat and set us up for an afternoon of exploring shopping malls, department stores and just generally getting our bearings.
At around 3.00pm we checked in to our hotel and enjoyed the opportunity to freshen up. Our room looks out over the paved area in front of the station entrance. The windows must be double glazed as no street noise has made it into our room yet.
Dinner was a short walk from our hotel. We passed a number of small, narrow restaurants before been drawn to one that had the most enticing chargrilled meat smells wafting from a small, half-opened, street-facing window. The chef was waving a fan over a variety of skewers of yakitori sizzling above glowing charcoal. Our table for two was towards the back of this narrow establishment. Low tables and chairs lined the wall to the left while a long bench ran the length of the right wall. Were we seated and an English menu appeared without delay.
Before our order was taken, a complimentary dumpling appeared that hit the spot as we decided on what to order. A selection of yakitori, gyoza, pork and vegetable noodles, bacon-wrapped mushrooms and chargrilled baby capsicums were greatly enjoyed. The cold beers and fresh grapefruit juice also helped things along. It goes without saying that it was a fitting end to a long day of exploring Tokyo.