Return to Tokyo

No rest or respite from yesterday, today was moving day. We were half packed from last night and Zander set the alarm this morning, rising and shining around 630.
We pulled our luggage together, checked out, left our bags at reception and tried to return to a breakfast place we'd visited lately. They turned us away, presumably due to lack of space but it was a little strange. We returned for our backs and hungrily made our way to Shin Osaka station. We set up outside the Shinkansen bullet train gate and I grabbed us a Maccas breakfast around 10am.
Geez travelling with a family is a mixed bag. It has huge upside, seeing things through kids eyes, their wonder, their comic relief, their innocence. Geez kids can make travel hard, inconvenient, expensive and wholly tedious. With 3, ones either hot, hungry, tired, bored, wants a toy, is fighting or antagonising another child, wants a toy, is sobbing, talking to themselves, is grabbing something, getting in the way, getting themselves hurt or a combination of many of these. They necessitate and excess of space, slow the pace and in our case require a pram and disability access.
Finding lifts in Japan isn't fun. They are scarce. Its worse when they're blocked or filled by 20somethings with no bags in apparent good health who cbf using 12 stairs that have defeated our wheels. We've carried the pram up and down dozens of stairs but full cargo makes it an obstacle.
Axel, a typical 4yo has been particularly difficult this trip. He can't sit still, is easily bored and cannot keep his hands idle. Rylands shown keen interest and resilience. He fights and tries until his battery hits 5%, then capitulates, still saying he's "fine", looking like a corpse. Axel has a huge tank, but little resilience. When his battery hits 90%, he's sobbing and whinging its not easy.
Zander has arguably performed the best, spending huge time in the pram, irregular naps and meals, still nearly always smiling, waiting patiently and pointing.
The trio wasn't particularly fun today, the Shinkansen were uncharacteristically delayed all over our platform 25 from Shin Osaka to Tokyo. The bullet itself was fine, we got trapped and turned around more than usual due mostly to our luggage, wheels and pram.
Our final spot for the next 5 nights is in Ryugoku. Were on the 12th (second top) floor with a great view of the river and east Tokyo.
Weve two queen beds with bunks atop for the boys. One of those been made/barricaded into a makeshift cot for Zander. Wed checked in by 4 and unpacked by 5. The room is pretty modern, with great lighting, though lacking storage and surprisingly dusty.
Starving we set out for dinner 530. I checked some options near the station and we set off optimistic. It would be a disappointment evening. My tonkatsu choice was too small and crowded to accommodate a family of 5 with pram. This trend would continue all night. Its a combo off too many people, a pram, too busy, zero pricing/english on menus, nothing the kids will eat and the kids fighting, sooking or hurting themselves. We tried at least 3 places that turned us away for no space, and countless others weren't right. We had to settle for a disapointing option.
Onwards and upwards, plenty to do between tomorrow (Friday) and when we depart on Tuesday. Thankfully appears the weather is cooling and humidity dropping. Planning nearby zoo and Akihabara Electric Town tomorrow.Leggi altro