Published: 5/8/2025
Well, we’re here! It was quite the journey and easily double the longest flight I’ve ever taken and then some. Don’t give me any sympathy though, we had mega-splurged and flew first class… I can’t even believe the decadence and as someone who is 6-foot-something that was the most comfortable I’ve ever been on an airplane.
We left Edmonton at noon and flew to Calgary to catch our flight across the Pacific. The Dreamliner that ferried us to Tokyo-Narita was named Clive, and Clive was an excellent airplane.
We arrived in Japan around 5pm local time (the next day, technically) and got down to figuring out the Japanese train system at the height of rush hour. We got to witness first-hand (and participated in) the crowded express trains, and a lovely woman from Vancouver helped us figure out which station we had to get off at.
We finally made it to Higashi-Narume station and met up with Heather’s family - a weird juxtaposition of normality in a somewhat unrecognizable environment.
Sleep came pretty easily thankfully, after roughly 23 hours spent more or less awake (I might have gotten an hours’ worth of nap on the plane).
Today has been a chance to beat the jet lag and we went to Hobby-Off where I was in old video game nostalgia heaven, amongst other things.
Can I just say how much I love the Suica card? Tap-on/tap-off transit card and debit card all in one? I love it so much and I dread coming back to Canada where we comparably live in the Stone Age.
We also stopped in to check in on the art outreach/community space run by Michelle’s friends Chris and Tracy, the Shalom House. Such an awesome space and mission they have going there.
Hotpot for dinner at Michelle’s place tonight before we turn in for the evening at our hotel. Tomorrow will be a much busier day that kicks off our touristy stuff.
