This was exciting to see...a "pinch me" time when reality set in and we were finally headed to Japan. Wow!
Time for some shut-eye. LONG airtime ahead.
Finally...we arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo before midnight on Sunday. Along the way we lost a day in time as we crossed the International Date Line and catapulted forward on the clock. It was a bit disorienting at first. The rail system in Tokyo stopped running at 12:03 a.m. so we raced against the clock. After going through baggage claim and customs, we located the Keikyu Line train to Shinagawa Station. Figuring out the ticket purchasing system at the multiple kiosks took some time but we just made the last train, saving ourselves a very expensive taxi ride to our hotel. Which reminds me...a rule of thumb for any traveler is to ALWAYS have a "Plan B" (and possibly a "Plan C") for transportation. It is common to experience glitches due to weather, transportation strikes, delays, etc. and it only reinforces that Murphy's Law applies to vacations as well.
Sleepy passengers as they ride the midnight train.
A dizzying array of rail lines, all in Japanese. However, once on the train, digital marquees above the train doors displayed English translations of the names of each train stop ahead so it wasn't quite as mind numbing as it looks.
Tokyo's rail system is extremely clean, well maintained and very efficient.
Once we arrived at Shinagawa Station, we got off and stood in the train station trying to get our bearings. Our new surroundings were a bit mesmerizing and intimidating all at once.
I first noticed the ads festooning the subway station which were colorful and cartoonish in a "cutesy" way.
Next, I felt an energy and vitality in the air, even after midnight, like organized chaos. Overwhelming at first. The pace of commuters were quick and you had to learn quickly by observing or just getting out of the way. One quick analysis we made was that the left side of any escalator is for normal traffic and the right side is for those who are in more of a rush. There were information booths around for anyone who gets completely lost (we used these twice). The representatives at the booths tried to be helpful and with our language barrier, we did a lot of pointing on maps.
We found our way through the Shinagawa Station and out onto the street. The cool evening air was invigorating and we walked with luggage in tow to our hotel located about a mile from the station. We felt safe the entire time even though we were very unsure of our surroundings and it was well past midnight.
The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo Marriott was a beacon of calm. We were greeted at the entrance by an impeccably uniformed employee who was so gracious and helpful, welcoming us to our "home". No sooner did we begin walking towards the hotel lobby than we were met by another employee in full uniform who took our luggage.
The check-in was smooth and efficient. The hotel lobby was grand in a minimalistic way with neutral tones, warm low lighting and cool white marble flooring. A cascading waterfall, surrounded in orchids and wispy branches, trickled in the background.
Horsetail plants were in the lobby - loved these as a decor item. Very zen looking. I fell in love with the awesome texture and aesthetic appeal of the horsetail plant when I first saw them years ago growing as a beautifully pruned hedge in the front yard of a home in Los Angeles. By the way, did you know that the horsetail plant has a very fibrous pulp that was once used by early settlers to brush their teeth and scour pots and pans?
Cool...we had a doorbell for our room. Also, one neat feature - the display screen next to the doorbell alerted housekeeping when to clean the room or "do not disturb". The control panel for the display was located next to the bed in the room. No need for paper or plastic door hangers. Very smart.
Our room was spacious. In Japan, this is a rarity and comes at a premium.
The bathroom had a walk-in shower and sauna bath. The faucet in the bath shut off automatically once the tub was filled to maximum level to prevent overflow.
To say that the Japanese give amazing attention to detail seems an understatement. Toiletries came "gift wrapped" in tissue, then individually plastic wrapped and finally presented in a beautiful wooden box. Included were full size tooth brushes, tooth paste, razor, brush, comb, exfoliating bath cloths, evening (lavender) and morning (citrus) milk bath liquids...plus the usual shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion.
One of the dresser drawers was crafted to simply and artfully display a tea set, crystal champagne flutes and wine corker.
Another drawer contained a selection of K-cups for a gleaming silver Keurig coffee maker sitting atop the dresser. Also in the drawer was a kettle for boiling hot water for tea as well as a selection of tea bags. For an additional charge, there was a mini bar and snack display.
The hotel provided two sets of robes and a set of pajamas. One set of robes were plush terry cloth and hung in the bathroom for after bath or shower. The other set of robes were grey cotton (below) and folded in a drawer with cotton pajamas. These were worn exclusively in the spa located downstairs. There was a separate private elevator for any guest who was going to and from the spa in these pajamas and robes, allowing perfect privacy and relaxation. There were also two sets of slippers provided that the hotel kept dry cleaned. Here is an amazing tidbit: I noticed one morning when wearing a set of slippers that the threading on one slipper was coming unraveled to the point where the thread stuck out slightly on the side of the slipper. I said nothing and did nothing and just set them at my bedside, as usual. That night when I returned to my hotel room, a new set was at my bedside. The housekeeper had noticed the thread! Now THAT is attention to detail and AMAZING customer service. Please note: tipping can be considered an insult in Japan because service is a requirement and not an extra cost.
Japan was a unique cultural experience in many ways, one being bathroom etiquette. For instance, it was important to know there were two types of slippers: toilet slippers and house slippers. Toilet slippers were worn only in the toilet area and were left outside the toilet door. House slippers were self explanatory. The two types of slippers must never be interchanged. As for toilets, they were a futuristic marvel that was a little intimidating for a first timer like me, but I got used to them. They had control panels with options that ranged from seat and water temperature control, enema wash, bidet, dryer, pulse and massage (Yup!), child settings and background sound (let your mind be your guide).
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