The Bests Abroad: Trains, Trains, Trains inTokyo

After a night at Rydges Sydney Airport (it’s so convenient being just across the road for a morning flight) and breakfast in the lounge (nice) our flight on Japan Airlines was the beginning of our Japanese adventure. It’s amazing how quickly “one” forgets what the experience of being crammed into a quite small aluminium tube with hundreds of others is like. But it all comes flooding back as you are being stampeded at the gate and shuffling down the aisle, dragging the carry on bags and hoping the overhead bin is not full yet. It ain’t glamorous for those turning right but it does get you to where you want to be….in a hurry and safely…for the most part. JAL service and food was good and the flight was really quite uneventful…..’til we encountered immigration in Tokyo.

Qantas lounge … noice!

The lines were horrendous but I was quietly a bit chuffed that I had made the effort to access the “Visit Japan” website and pre-arrange immigration. It was really very efficient and when a QR code was provided to put on the phone, well it was like a “free pass” through immigration - great.

Only one problem. I had a QR code…..but Wendy didn’t!!! I assumed that, after nearly 50 years, we were a “job lot” ….all our info and declarations on the one QR code. NOT SO. One code per person….aaaagghh!!

“You…Anthony, said the quite stern immigrations officer, have passed through the gate…..but you Mrs Wendy must go back and fill in the required paperwork!!!!”

“I’ll just go back and help” I ventured …..but no, the gate slammed shut and I was on the other side of the barrier.

Like Running Bear and Little White Dove, we were calling out to each other (not so much songs of love but more like hotel names, dates and locations) much to the amusement of the thousands in the line watching on. Luckily she refused to go to the end of the line to start all over and filled out the forms at a table so that we were re-united in fairly good time….and without too many “hard feelings”… I think.

We had planned to train it to the hotel but it was late, we were tired and the train was packed, so we got a cab.

The hotel gardens are quite speccy…..especially at night when they are lit up beautifully.

The hotel garden provided a tranquil respite from the bustle of Tokyo.

Our first real day in Tokyo was organising “clericals”…..converting our JR voucher to rail passes and tickets for the nine Shinkansen journeys we would be taking. Just as well because the cars were filling up fast.

And then it was off on the local train network to a seaside town called Kamakura about 45 minutes away. It is known for its large temples and huge Buddha but has also become a popular tourist destination for locals and visitors alike. It reminds me a bit of Leura…only with lots more people….and culture!

We really enjoyed the differences….the architecture, the food and the sights and sounds of such a foreign place to us. Even though it was only the first day, there was no escaping that we are somewhere much more exotic than good old Oz.

A family home down a lane at Kamakura

The food stalls were…intriguing.

….and yummmmy!

We found a less popular temple….quiet and empty.
We learn’t the correct way to leave shoes and bow to show respect.

In our negotiating the complex and somewhat overwhelming Tokyo train network (there are a number of different companies and lines) we were really taken with the kindness and helpfulness of the Japanese people. We had numerous offers of help, excellent advice when requested (the translation apps are wonderful) and one lady, a waitress in a cafe, went so far above and beyond that Wendy decided that we needed to give her a small bunch of flowers. Some things overcome all language barriers!

Our plan to spend time in different parts of Japan meant that Tokyo was going to be less explored than it clearly deserves. A couple of days is never going to be nearly enough but we crammed in as much as we could. Shopping in Shinjuku (they have some seriously fine shopping there) checking out the famous Shibuya “scramble crossing” watching the go carts race through and a model dashing out in the traffic between light changes to pose and pout for her photographer.

This is a pano shot to try and capture movement….the scramble.

She clearly was not put off by crowds…or traffic!

These go karts came flying past at intervals. We got these ones when the lights turned red.

We “trained it” all around the networks, getting lost, stampeded and crammed into already too full train carriages ….that might just squeeze in one more!! We found out about the etiquette of no personal space (back packs at the front and ignore body contact). We were gathered up in the stampede of people moving like vast herds of wildebeest on the Serengeti, through the huge railway stations that Tokyo is famous for ….but can’t really be appreciated without actually experiencing them.

In central, downtown Tokyo we saw (but only from a distance and through guarded gates) the Imperial Palace. We walked miles to see the Nishubashi bridge that was being repaired and had closed access for photos - drat! And, by mid afternoon, our years were catching up with us…..we were pooped.

The next stage of our Journey is to Kanazawa on a Shinkansen rain for the first time, but our impressions of Tokyo from our brief but intense stay are really positive. The people are polite, kind, thoughtful and helpful. They are socially very responsible. They are clean, the roads are clean the trucks and busses and taxis are clean - there is no rubbish, no graffiti, no etched glass in train carriages. In fact even the floor of the train is shiny! The taxi drivers and workers wear uniforms and white gloves and you are expected to clear your table of rubbish and stuff when you eat at a cafe. It is quite a different place to any others that we have experienced.

Oh….and they eat a lot.