As ready as I’m going to be
As you may know from my previous email, I’m heading to Japan this Thursday for the first half of February. The first flight to Minneapolis is 3 hours and leaves at 6am. There’s around a 2 ½ hour layover there, and then the second flight to Tokyo-Haneda leaves at 10:30am. That flight is 13 ½ hours. The Kindle is pre-loaded, and I’ll hope to catch up on some movie-watching. (Ford vs Ferrari, my last airplane movie, was excellent BTW)
Sitting three days out, here’s some of what’s been done:
- 🏙️ LOTS of cities, towns, and villages researched. In an effort to both keep logistics simpler and to avoid spending too much time on trains, my plan for now is to stay in a place no less than 2 nights, within a ~20 minute walk of the train station, and in an area in-between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka. This means there are some places I’d like to visit, such as Koyasan, that I’ll save for another trip.
- 🏨 Eight nights of lodging booked. As it stands today, I’ll spend the first three nights in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, the next two nights in Kamakura (near Tokyo), and the next three nights in Kyoto. That leaves the last three nights of the trip still open.
- 🛂 Passport info uploaded, and Japan customs and immigration form already filled out online. This should save time entering Japan. Once in the airport, I think I have a decent idea of how to use the monorail and trains to make it to my hotel.
- 💳 Suica card purchased. This is what’s known as an “IC card”. You use it for subways and trains (it was first introduced by a train company) but you can also use it for vending machines and at 7-11. The electronic version of this sits in my Apple Wallet, and I just pull out my phone and tap to pay.
- 📶 eSim card and data plan purchased. Airalo, who I’ve used flawlessly for both Iceland and mainland Europe now, had a 10GB for $9 deal going, which is pretty great.
- 🚑 Travel medical insurance purchased. It’s $1,000,000 coverage and $0 deductible for like $40. No brainer.
I have some starter cash — ¥10,000 thanks to a kind gift from family friends
Oh, and it came to my attention yesterday that I’ll be in Japan while the Super Bowl is happening. If my math is right, kickoff will be at 8:30am my time. I’ll have to try to find an expat sports pub or something.
As for learning the language, that’s progressing more slowly than I’d hoped. However, the phrases I’m learning from Pimsleur should be immediately applicable:
- Excuse me / sorry.
- Good morning / good afternoon.
- Do you speak English? and I don’t understand Japanese. (these will be clutch, and I feel very comfortable saying these phrases already 🙂)
- I am not skilled (at speaking Japanese).
- Sushi, water, rice, green tea.
- Thank you and Thank you very much.
- Good weather! and Bad weather!
- So desu ne (multiple meanings but one is approximately Yeah that’s right
- See you later