Arrival - 困りました！

Upon arriving at the Airport, it was suprisingly easy to get past customs. I claimed a number of alcoholic drinks in my luggage and the officer did not even open it up to check the amount that I claimed. I had anticipated that customs would meticulously go through my bag so I was relieved it was super quick and easy!

After customs, I had the unluckiest day possible 😅 My SIM card and WiFi were missing at the counter so I had to wait for the attendant to go retrieve them from somewhere. In the time I was waiting, the special JR RAIL PASS ticket counter closed and I was told to go to Shinegawa where the ticket booth was open till 7pm. However, to use the train I would need money and my friend who was out exploring Akihabara had all of the currency I would be using on the trip. Luckily I had my debit card or I would have been stranded 😬 I finally was able to buy a ticket and begin my journey to Shinagawa. During this time, I have been carting around 3 luggages with me and the luggage strap keeping two of them together broke. I also kept walking on the right side which I'm pretty sure is the "wrong" side after observing how people move through the station. This made me really standout as a tourist who has no idea what they are doing 🥲

I got to the counter at 6:55pm and it seemed to have already been shut down for the day. Unfortunately, I will need to wait until tomorrow to pick up the ticket. On my way out of the station the exit gate closed on me and a woman looked at me and said 「閉まっちゃった」which roughly translates to "Oh no, it closed". Luckily, the woman ran over to the ticket counter and explained the situation. I thanked the kind woman and found a taxi to get the last couple blocks to the hotel. In Japon, you are not supposed to tip and it was a very strange feeling getting out of the taxi without also giving a tip. I felt guilty and like I was doing something wrong!

Aftor all that, I noticed that the handle of my new luggage was bent so it will make it a bit more difficult to use for the rest of the trip. Maybe I can fix it with a hammer if I can find a hammer 🤔

At long last, I had arrived at the hotel room. Although the trip from the airport to the room was exhausting, I'm still super happy to be here and looking forward to the rest of the trip! Having a rough start will just make the rest of the trip seem better by comparison 😆 I made a trip to Family Mart and got some of the famous convinent store food I've heard so much about, messaged some friends about my arrival, and passed out excited to start a new day when I wake up.Læs mere