Hop north

The next day was devoted to traveling to Japan. I spent the morning sleeping in, going to the exercise room, getting breakfast, and packing. Oh, and I couldn’t resist picking up a pair of funny boxer shorts from the market across the street (I’ve purchased other ones there on previous trips). These ones have apples on them, the word “natural”, various Chinese characters, and a picture of a ladle full of apple juice. Don’t ask.

My flight was supposed to go in the late afternoon, but I realized it would get me to Narita at 8:40 pm, which is quite late given that there is still a lot of rigmarole to do after arriving there. So I got on the waiting list to go on a mid-afternoon flight. They made me wait (understandably) until the very last second because the flight was booked full, but finally I was allowed to take the place of a no-show. Because I was late, they gave me a China Airlines sticker to wear on my jacket as I went through the luggage inspection, passport check, etc. I can’t figure out what it was supposed to do, though—it’s not like anything happened faster because I was wearing it.

Anyway, I made it onto the earlier flight, sat back and had a Kirin beer to introduce my body to Japan, and was once again reminded that other airlines are much more hospitable than United. I wrote about China Airlines on a trip I took about three years ago—my first to Taiwan. At that time, they seemed mildly incompetent a little scary. Now they are fully professional, with excellent food and service and nice planes. I dare say they are more comfortable than various American carriers, and border on the high quality of the big Asian carriers like Singapore Air. Dinner was a lovely shrimp salad, baked fish with egg-onion topping and rice, a fruit plate, and vanilla pudding with shaved chocolate on top. Yum.

We had a strong tailwind, and got there in just 2.5 hours (it had taken 3.5 hours when I went the other way a few days ago). Unfortunately, that meant we arrived at the same time as several other flights, and the immigration check was crowded. There were so many people that they started taking us in groups to another section of the terminal with more lines available. By the time I did all of that and got my bag, it was 7:10. The last Narita Express train that goes directly to Shibuya leaves at 7:16. I got in the ticket line, but there was no way. I reached the counted at 7:19. In Japan, the trains run on time, so it was 3 minutes gone.

I had to buy a ticket on the 7:46 to Tokyo, and a transfer pass to Shibuya. No problem—if I’d been on the later flight, I would certainly have missed that Shibuya train! But at Tokyo station, I wound up getting on the Yamanote Line in the wrong direction. It’s a loop, so I only added about 15 minutes onto my journey, but still, it was 9:45 when I dragged myself into the hotel. I was really glad I had taken the earlier flight.

Japan is, as always, Japan. I liked seeing all the bustling people, the neatness, the tightness (if you’ve been here, you may understand that word), etc. And I really enjoyed the heated seats on the Yamanote Line. In my hotel, they have a lot of hilarious English. I know it’s not polite to laugh, but it’s really very cute, and it’s a reminder that our language genuinely is difficult and obscure.

For instance, there is a French restaurant in my hotel. The blurb about it in the hotel guide says that guests can enjoy meals there in the “prefix style.” What might this mean? A little reflection, and I figured out that it must refer to prix fixé! I guess that’s amusing French, not English.

But there are other examples, like the café, whose description reads, “Dished up good tast on a large plate, special blunch is ready for you.” Or, “Please enjoy having cakes of your own choice, which are created by the brimful sence of our patissier.” And I feel quite tempted by this offer: “On Sunday, Monday, and holiday night, special Japanese kaiseki causine for only woman.”