Fast paced Tokyo

Stepping into the airport, you are immediately confronted by Japanese culture. Not the old tradition culture, but the bright colors and lights of the pop and tech Japanese culture. Walking out of customs, you are greeted by Mario and the gang on the escalator.

Walking into a new country after customs and border control and be a confusing undertaking. The Nartita International Airport seemed to have streamlined the process. There are shops, ATMs, and train and bus ticket counter as well as train self-service kiosks. The train ticket counter employees are very helpful when you don’t know what ticket to purchase. Simply show them a place of the map and they can quickly sell you a ticket to the nearest station. You can catch a bus into the city as well for a much cheaper fare and only slightly slower time frame. There are also very friendly and patient information desk that can answer most questions about your next step in Japan.

A rare sight of an empty train entrance at 5am in Tokyo

Getting around in Tokyo is a breeze. The train system is one of the best in the world. Connected to both of the major airports around Tokyo are the high spreed rail systems to quickly get you into the heart of the city. The high spreed rail, subway, and trains are very clean and almost always on time. The best way to get around is to buy a train pass card at any self service kiosk. It is a very safe way to get around even at night. School age children ride the trains to school alone. On some trains there is an area reserved for children with hand rails at young children level. There are fun colors and designs designating the area for kids. The locals follow proper train etiquette and as a tourist you should as well. When the train is crowded it is polite to take your bag off and hold in either in front of you or at your feet. You will notice how quit the trains are even when it is rush hour and fully packed. No one is being loud or talking on their phones on the trains because of their culture. The Japanese love to line up. When exiting the train station everyone lines up to get on the escalator, and people who stand step to the left to allow those who walk to pass by. The trans are very easy to use for a visitor and you do not need to know how to read Japanese. The routes are marked by colors and letters or numbers. Using Google Maps to find your way is the easiest even without WiFi. Google Maps will tell you how many stops to take on each train and tell you what is the end city so you get on the correct train going the right direction.

Eating your way through any country is highly recommended and that is definitely true for Japan as well. I would encourage anyone to find a local ramen shop and sit down with a delicious bowl. Most ramen shops will have a vending machine type kiosk that you will choose what you want to order and bring the ticket to the counter for the cooks to make and then deliver to your table. Like the trains, the ramen shops are not loud. There is no talking on the phone or talking with your dining partners in a loud voice. It is considered rude and you will get dirty looks at the least and asked to be quite at the most. Please be a good traveler and enjoy your ramen in peace and quite.

The Tsukiji Nippon Fish Port Market is a great find for fresh sushi and other treats in the blocks of stalls, Come early to avoid the long lines for the most popular food. There are many other items besides fresh food to buy. If you are looking for dried tea or quality Japan steal knives this market is a great place to shop. You will notice many locals buying boxes of fresh produce and fresh fish that just arrived in a freezer truck.

Any type of kitchen supply you need or didn’t know you need you can find at multiple shops throughout the market. The shops hours very from one stall to the next, some are labeled and some are not and it ends up being luck of the draw. My favorite foods was the different type of sushi and the hard shell candy fruit called tanghulu. The sushi melts in your mouth and comes with a cup of tea and soup, with four types of tuna; lean tuna , medium fatty tuna, fatty tuna , and minced tuna , and a Japanese omelette. The tanghulu is hot sugar they dip fresh fruit of skewers and let then harden. Biting into the fruit is a crunchy hard outer shell and warm sweet fruit inside and is amazing.

A trip to Tokyo isn’t complete with out s healthy dose of culture. There is amazing history and breathtaking temples to explore.

Japan is a clean and very safe city. I recommend getting lost down side streets and alleys and seeing what hidden gems you can find off the beaten tourist path. The locals are friendly, and I have never had a bad restaurant experience. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the popular tourist spots like Tokyo Tower, Zojo-ji Temple, and a trip to 7-11.