tokyo

Japan – Epilogue

Travel

We landed on the 18th of October at 6am (my 49th birthday incidentally), and over the following 12 nights and 13 days….

  • Stayed in 5 different hotels
  • Spent 21 hours on trains, travelling over 980 miles (when measured directly, in reality much further)
  • Walked or ran 214,161 steps (113.4 miles), although Trix didn’t do any of the running!
  • Sat in taxis for 2.5 hours
  • Kayaked 3 miles

… it feels like we’ve been away for a month, we’ve packed so much in.

The research, plotting and planning that went into this trip is undoubtably a lot of effort, though we can’t take any credit for it whatsoever. A good friend recommended the Inside Japan travel group, and well, time is money and all that.

This isn’t meant to be a review, more of a recommendation. We had a 30 minute call with Simona and went through what me and Trix did and didn’t want to do (individually), literally a bit of a brain dump. A little bit of back and forth taking into account the sorts of things going on in October, shuffling priorities, and we left it there for her to figure out a proposed itinerary.

Given this call was only 2 weeks before the trip, I was super impressed to get back a detailed document with nearly everything we’d discussed, and some more. “Sounds great!”, we pulled the trigger, waited for our printed instructions in the post, and started packing.

A car was waiting for us when we arrived in Tokyo, as were two packages at our first hotel. One had a box of Kyoto chocolates, the other contained all our train tickets (each trip in a little paper clipped bundle, neatly marked with a sticker of the journey details), charged IC cards (the Japan version of an Oyster card), vouchers for some of the excursions, and a lovely welcome letter.

We quickly settled into a routine of not thinking more than a day ahead, enjoy whatever was planned for today, trusting that everything is not only taken care of, but thoughtfully planned for maximum convenience.

Some days we didn’t have a set plan, we’d asked to be given breaks to follow our noses (or sit in a bar and drink beer), so it never felt like we were rushing between things on a strict timetable.

All the trains were at civilised hours of the day, usually between 10 and 11am, with plenty of time for breakfast and an easy journey to whichever station we needed.

Each destination in our printed pamphlet (which is very well worn now!) had a QR code which gave us a guide to that place. Reading “our perfect day in …” whilst on the train there became a lovely travelling ritual.

So many small details were thought of, and it would have been easy to miss them if we hadn’t done all this (on a smaller scale) ourselves last year. 

Like the tip on which train line to get from our hotel in Tokyo to the Avatar cafe, the secret basement level for the taxi pickup, which of our hotels had gyms, which had laundry facilities, and what time breakfast was served.  All things we could have found out ourselves, but being able to consult the oracle at any point and find this out was not only a huge time saver, it was a source of comfort and as the trip progressed I trusted it more and more. 

I would never have known about “luggage forwarding” otherwise, and even if I had I don’t think I would have risked it. When we arrived at our hotel in Tokyo our cases were wheeled out to us while we were checking in, a seamless service, and one I would absolutely use again.

Usually I fret about the taxi to the airport: Will it be on time? Will it turn up at all? What’s the backup plan? Will the car smell and the driver be half asleep? Not this time, I knew it was all going to be just fine, and it was.

Trix obviously wants to return next year, I’m thinking of somewhere different, but our choice might be swayed by whether we can find a travel planner this well organised, knowledgeable and capable. 

I’m probably totally spoilt now, but honestly, I don’t enjoy wading through pages of search results, following myriad threads in an attempt to judge whether a hotel or excursion is good, bad or a scam. Or jumping between the different local rail companies to try and piece together a multi leg journey, with seat reservations (how long do we need to allow for changes? Who knows!). Without all that agitation I was able to relax and enjoy being with Trix, distractions were minimal and we could have a laugh, and focus on on the important things, like what we were going to eat next!

Offloading all the planning was a massive relief and a huge time saver, leaving us to enjoy each moment and the wonderful country. 

This trip will stay in our memories for a long time.

Japan – 30th October 2025

Travel

Alarms go off at 5:30, wrenching us both out of a deep and restful slumber. We’re all packed so just a quick shower and set off to try and find our taxi, on the mysterious B3 floor, which no lifts have mentioned yet.

I’m trying to get into the car when the driver asks, “your flight is at 10:10am from terminal 2, correct?” Not correct, I must be sleepier than I thought, and on closer inspection his sign is for someone completely different, “Mr & Mrs Latham”, sort of close-ish?

Our car is just behind, a very sleek looking electric BMW with the most polite driver. I didn’t book the taxi, but offer up a silent thank you as we settle back, sip ice cold water and doze the 30 minutes to Haneda.

When I tried to change our seats online the website wouldn’t let me, full flight, and we’re not together. I’ve got an extra legroom seat, but Trix is wedged in the middle between two randoms. She’s still mildly scarred from the teenage boy leaning on her as he slept on the way out and I’d promised that she could have an aisle seat. Remembering Zoes trip back from Hong Kong, 25 years ago, when she was wedged like that, I’m determined to shuffle the plane around, somehow.

“The flight is full, it is very difficult, I will send a message to the plane crew and maybe they can help”, hmm. No upgrades either, it really is totally full. I’m assuming “very difficult” is a polite way of saying “impossible”.

The queue for security is insane, there is a man at the back with a sign declaring “End of the line”, he’s walking backwards as more and more people join it. “Sumimasen, is there another security gate?” Worth asking. He nods vigorously, “hai hai, over there” smiling and pointing in the opposite direction.

Zero queue, grinning at each other we waltz through and head towards the lounge. It seems that premium economy on Japan Airlines has more perks than you get on BA, no complaints from us. We find a tranquil table and load up on beef curry and rice, we’re still in Japan after all!

The queue for coffee is really long, that’s the excuse I use for having a glass of champagne, “it’s only 9pm in London!”, then I notice another machine, oh well!

From getting out of the taxi to sitting in the lounge took 25 minutes, I think that’s a new personal best.

Time to board and we go and have a word with the staff, I have a trump card to play and I really hope it works.

“I have a medical condition, and I need to be next to my 14 year old daughter”, I can hear some of that being repeated amongst a load of words I don’t understand, a few times. “It is very difficult, the flight is full”, I’m not budging, “Can you move some people around? This is very important”. We wait.

The only other time I’ve used that line was at Glastonbury, we were in a one in / one out area with no toilets, the queue to get back in was huge. I felt bad for asking the security guard if I could use the staff area, but, nothing I said wasn’t true, even if I didn’t strictly need to drink all those pints of cider…

Eventually we’re called back to the desk and yes, they’ve put us together, phew. Some of the pre-flight tension eases and we find our seats and faff around making ourselves comfortable (which includes putting on the provided slippers, a nice touch).

Trix is very happy with the setup, lots of compartments, bluetooth connection for her headphones. She wraps herself up in a blanket and settles back with one of her new manga books. Only 14 hours to go…

Japan – 28th October 2025

Travel

Both quite restrained at breakfast, we’d leapt out of bed before 7 to beat the rush (and still had to queue a bit). I decided to treat myself to some baguette with butter and chocolate spread with my coffee, I’ll be living on dust and air when I get home to offset all this indulgence. Right now I’m just enjoying it and ignoring my waistline.

It only rains for half of the 20 minute walk to the station, we’ve got plenty of time so take shelter in the fish market for a bit. As tempting as it is to get a bag of sashimi for the journey, we press on and look for less smelly fare in the massive shopping area before we go through the barrier to the Shinkansen.

We love how organised the station and platforms are, none of the usual UK experience: “The train might be here, potentially when the timetable says it will be, and maybe on this platform, but seat reservations? Who knows! How could anyone know?! We might even just remove them all at the last minute, have a great journey!”

I knew we’d be travelling through the Japanese alps today, but didn’t think we’d actually get to see any of them. Passing through Itoigawa we could see distant snowy peaks on one side, and a choppy misty sea on the other, like Craighouse on the Isle of Jura, but more.

Suddenly I can smell food, glancing at my watch I see that it is indeed lunchtime, a shade after 12. One old guy just has a tray of thin pale sausages, they smell pretty good.

I gambled that there would be a trolley service so I wouldn’t need to drink warm beer, it’s practically required to have a couple on the train. £1.67 for a deliciously cold Sapporo, happy happy.

I’m not sure if my crisps are crab or beaver flavour (or both), Trix says they smell like cat food. She’s not totally wrong (but they taste great).

The 3 hours pass in a warm and pleasant haze, rain and clouds replaced by a bright blue sky.

Suddenly we’re in the swirling ordered chaos of Tokyo JR station, “blimey, I feel like a country bumpkin!”, Trix just laughs at me and steers the way to the Chujo line, the other end of which our hotel (and hopefully a ready room) awaits.

After the quiet low rise city of Kanazawa (our room was on the top floor of one of the tall buildings, floor 6), Shinjuku is just … bonkers. Lights, skyscrapers, music, people … people everywhere. We find the hotel and just looking up at the building makes us dizzy. The reception is on the 18th floor, our room is near the top, the 37th.

Floor to ceiling windows with a view all the way to the mountains beyond the basin where Tokyo nestles. We’re both a bit overwhelmed, and have a little sit down before venturing back out into the mayhem to find somewhere to sit and have a drink before today’s main event. 

Sumo! Not an actual match as it’s the wrong time of year, more of a family friendly exhibition sort of thing.

Before that we have a little snack and pick up some cats in shark costumes, as requested by Zoe (for friends kids, because…how could you not?)

We start off with a mini sumo wrestler meal (in reality they have two meals a day, but each one is 5,000 calories!), then after a funny warm up from the MC (and a geisha dance) we meet the opponents.

Both are retired, but only in the last year, and are late 20s to early 30s, probably a normal age for a sportsperson? Asanokuma looks exactly what you’d expect: big, fat and strong. He’s 160kg, but says he put on 40kg after retiring, very unusual! The other chap, Asanobori, is a mere 120kg, and it’s clear from all the extra skin flapping around that he’s lost what the other guy gained. There are no weight classes in Sumo, so being heavier is usually an advantage (unless you’re very quick and nimble).

The whole thing is very funny, helped along with plenty of beers (and ginger ales) and a lot of cheering and shouting. We’re talked through demonstrations of a few moves (both allowed and illegal), with the wrestlers playing up to the crowd, being silly and shit talking each other, WWF style.

Then 3 matches, over quickly but you really get an idea of how hard it is to stay on your feet, and to stay inside the tiny ring. They’re both sweating with the effort, which makes Trix even more horrified as their glistening bare buttocks are slapped repeatedly.

Both feeling happily weary we navigate our way back to the hotel on the underground, grateful that (apart from breakfast) we don’t have anything planned until 11am tomorrow.