Day 218: Tokyo day one

Day 218 (12 Jul) Friday. The flight has been quite a  smooth one (though sitting right next to the galley is always an interesting way to go) and we are a little early so, the captain informs us, we are slowing down a little to meet the 6.00am curfew at Narita airport. At some point, Mt Fuji is visible from the left hand side of the plane. Being summer, there's probably not a lot of snow on top. 

Breakfast, at 6.12am
Brisbane time, strictly speaking. 

Anticipating a 6.15am landing (and hence an 'all electronic devices off' situation, I take a pic at 5.12am Tokyo time but since the phone is still on Brisbane time, it's the pic of the end of breakfast at 6.12am. I've seen a lot of these breakfasts, they don't change that much. 

Ice from home

Immigration and customs is reasonably quick which means I end up on the other side quite early in the morning. My Japanese friends and I have a standard operational procedure each time I go to Tokyo. I get on the 'limousine bus' direct to one of the Ikebukuro hotels, we have a breakfast and then we head to home along the Tobu Tojo line. We've cleared customs so quickly however that I avoid ringing them until a little closer to the bus departure time ay 7.30am. I'm left to do a little more people-watching until then. Still, gives me a chance to pick up a newspaper and the weekly news magazine I have a habit of reading. 

Dinner, at 6.12pm,
Tokyo time

Into Tokyo, breakfast and a train trip later, we arrive at my friends' house to unpack. I have a bit of a plan to use some of the day to get out and about to some of the major train stations to see if there is any political activity going on. 

Back home in time for dinner, my first foray into the political milieu comes up a little dry but I've seen a few things of interest. Dinner and a sharing of the usual gifts including some ice-block makers...it's a very hot summer in Tokyo so dinner is soba and salads...the rest of the evening is checking out Japanese TV...so interesting. 

Some of the more serious current affairs programs are explaining the various political agendas. It's going to be an interesting few days.