Mickey and Hannah in Tokyo

Mickey says we cannot invade a city this polite. We must instead be 'in'. FOR NOW.

Basically, the flight was pretty good for a twelve hour flight. With books and movies, it didn't feel too long at all. Mickey says the movie selection was top notch, but the bloody nose wasn't. Sad face. (Hannah watched either the darkest or funniest movie ever. On the one hand, almost everyone dies, on the other, a bomb gets set off because someone falls down some stairs on the lever and other such shenanigans. Now everything reminds her of that movie and Mickey doesn't appreciate that)

When we got off the plane, we had to go through customs, and Mickey's still freaking out about how "Japan has our fingerprints and our faces" since they required a fingerprint scan and a picture. When we got out, though, Mickey was rewarded with a peach drink that she really liked. (MOMOTAN! Mickey shouts from her position face down on the bed) Hannah got Sweat, because we have to.

The train ride into the city was almost surreal, since the sun was setting and everything looked foggy and beautiful. It was kind of sad when it got too dark to see because it was so beautiful. But then we got to see the lights as we got into the city and Tokyo Station all lit up.

Once we got to the hotel, we ate nommy food (tofu is awesome chyeah), tried to figure out the shower and went to sleep. But sleep is for the weak because Hannah woke up at 7:30 and Mickey at about 8 (Pother woke up earlier - I guess he's stronger than us).

We decided pretty much as soon as we woke up to wear the bathrobes, which make us feel special. Mickey took some selfies (I only crashed one, I PROMISE! - Hannah).

Not a selfie

Anyway, eventually we left the hotel (actually dressed) and walked over to the palace. We couldn't go in, obviously, since people still live there, but we got to see the outside and the gardens. It's really, really hot here so walking around was not the most fun, but we got to see some beautiful buildings and bridges. And this guy.

I'm not sure who he is, but he's terrifying

Afterwards, an air-conditioned museum seemed like a wonderful idea. To get there, though we had to go by subway, which was an adventure. We knew where we were going, but not the name in hirigana, and there was no direct route, so we spent a lot of time looking at the map on Pother's phone. Eventually we found the station, and at the station there was a face-cut-out board with sumo fighters, so of course we had to stop and take some photos.

It's clear who won this fight

The museum was really interesting, though. It was only two floors, but there always seemed to be more we hadn't seen. We spent a few hours there, and took hundreds (probably) of pictures. The best exhibits were the ones you could climb on.

They see me rolling

They hatin

Patrollin

They tryin to catch me ridin dirty

There are some photos of Pother, but none are as good, so he doesn't get to be a part of this.

That evening we had tickets to kabuki with Zelda! The first play was about a woman who killed her husband and the shenanigans that the "ghost" gets up to and the second was about two servants who were tied to poles but still determined to drink all their master's sake. Afterwards we went to a tiny noodle shop in our semi-fancy clothing and felt snobby (well, Hannah did).

All in all it was a good day, except that Mickey had some drama with a lemon drink. In the vending machine it said "70 lemons worth of vitamin C", which she couldn't tell meant if there were 70 lemons in the drink, or if "lemon" is just a unit of measure in Japan. Thankfully it tasted like lemon. All is well in the world... EXCEPT that now her bottle says 50. The drama unfolds.

Intrepid travelers we

Sophisticated travelers always enjoy the amenities of the Delta Skyclub (c) before traveling. In our 20 minute stay we enjoyed snacks, beverages, and a brief nap.

As Hannah described it, "our flight didn't seem too long at all".

The in-flight map showed most of our planned stops in central Japan: Tokyo, Myokokogen (near Nagano), Kanazawa, Kyoto (but not nearby Nara), and Osaka.

Dollars were converted to yen (a transaction managed entirely in Japanese!), train tickets were purchased at the kiosk, and delicious beverages were sampled.  Hannah was the first to try Pocari Sweat!, a delicious and not-so-perfectly named Japanese sports drink. 

With very few bumps in the road (except walking out the wrong side of Tokyo station, which gave us a longer walk but a beautiful view of the station facade lit up at night) we made it safely to the Ryumeikan Hotel.  Check in was easy except for a minor credit card authorization issue (no, really, I PAID the bill) resolved with an email to the Very Helpful and Efficient Amy who cleared things up while we slept.

We finished the night with a light dinner. Mickey sampled eel and pork, Hannah and I two kinds of tofu and omelettes. QUITE satisfactory

And then off to bed. None worse for the wear.

And...we're off!

On August 13th Cris, Hannah and Emily depart for Japan. We'll be there through the 25th and will see a couple of cities and towns and also see my brother Bill, his wife Masayo and their fourteen year old daughter Sena.

(See the permalink Itinerary posted for curious or nervous family and friends.)

This trip is a long time coming. Maybe from eight years ago when Hannah first started studying Chinese? Or 31 years ago when Bill headed for Japan...and stayed? Or even 41 years ago when I learned about Japanese gardens and tried to build one, with utter failure, in a wooded section of the family backyard?

No matter the roots, this trip will have several braids. Shenanigans, of course, because that's what Hannah and Emily do. That's bound to be augmented by Sena's sparkle when we are in Myokokogen and Kanazawa with the family and when she travels with us to Kyoto and Nara, returning to Osaka. And the geekiness that accompanies ALL Ross family vacations - history, culture, theater, music, film.

I expect surprises. The good kind.