We all got together around 8:30am in our twin room but as we were a little late for the complementary breakfast, it was across the road to experience a Japanese 7/11. And what an experience. Firstly, a lot of the stuff is all in Japanese so it is very hard to work out what it is and even looking at it doesn’t help all that much. After a lot of “check this out” and “surely no-one eats this” we selected some stuff that we could sort of call breakfast and headed back to the room. I even got an iced coffee but it doesn’t compare to FUIC.

The next step was to get back to the airport to exchange our orders for JR Rail Passes. Thought the hotel shuttle would work but it stops at 6:00am and doesn’t start up again until 10:30pm. Luckily there was a train station just up the road. After some assistance on getting tickets we were soon on the Keikyu Line from Otorii Station to the International Terminal again and in possession of the JR Rail Passes.

Our next adventure was to get from the airport to Shibuya to meet up with Yutaro (we billeted him 15 years ago for 6 weeks). The first train was actually the Tokyo Monorail from the International Terminal through to Hamamatsucho Station. From here we took a train on the Yamanote Line which took us to Shibuya Station.

All this time we are still dragging our large suitcases around. Nearby the station there was luggage storage for Y600 for each bag. I had Y3000 cash in my pocket and whoosh there it went. We are finding that Japan is more a cash society than a card one. It took us little bit of going around in circles before we found Building 109 which looked different to what was on the map.

Yutaro was waiting to meet us back at Shibuya Crossing next to the Hachiko statue. Hachiko was a dog that waited every day for its owner to return but was unaware that the owner had died. The story was made into a movie with Richard Gere.

Everyone split up looking for Yutaro but must all walked past him but I had no problem spotting him even after 15 years. We headed off to lunch with Yutaro who took us to an all you can eat and drink restaurant in the sub basement of a building nearby. The restaurant was On-yasai where you received trays of different meats and “cooked” them in two different bowls of soup that are kept warming in the middle of the table (Y3900 each). We also chose the all you can drink 2 hour package for Y1500 each. We certainly filled up on meats and also managed to drink them out of Sake. We were buzzing for the rest of the afternoon.

Yutaro’s wife Chisa and their two children also joined us for lunch and we went to explore around the area which included the Disney Store (there was a queue to buy Disney tickets here – must be to get you trained for Disney lines) and then Cosme which caters for older kids with cash. Something else there was a lot of around here were large vinyl sided trucks with blaring speakers which were effectively mobile billboards so the place was certainly not quiet.

It was then time to visit one of the other popular streets around here. It was a short train ride on the Yamanote Line from Shibuya to Harajuku and were soon at Takeshita Street. I am sure there is something lost in translation. It was absolutely packed with Japanese and tourist alike. We ended up taking some photos at the top of the street then headed off for some piece and quiet next door in the Yoyogi Park.

This park was originally the Emperors residence and the forest is entirely man planted but it looks more like it is natural forest. There are a number of shrines and gates in the park. One is a wall of Sake Barrels as the Emperor was fond of Sake. There was another wall, this time of wine barrels as the Emperor was fond of wine. I am starting to see a trend here.

The main Shinto Shrine is Meiji Jing? Honden where you can wash your hands and drink the holy water, meet with monks and have prayers given.

It was getting dark and we still had an hour or so to get to our accommodation, so we grabbed our luggage, farewelled Yutaro and headed out on the Yamanote Line to Tokyo then on the Keiyo Line to Nishi-Funabashi Station then remaining on the same train but onto another line, Musashino Line, finally getting to our nearest JR Station, Shin-Yahashira Station.

From here it was a kilometre walk to our apartment at Minoridai. In hindsight, with the suitcases we should have taken the local train for Y150 each which would have put us 150 metres from our apartment. I guess we will take the train when we leave on Friday.

The apartment is a two bedroom with a kitchen, bathroom and a lounge which we managed to turn into 3 bedroom apartment with 3 small double beds. There are 2 supermarkets nearby as well as a 7/11. The police station is just up at the next corner with the local train next to the 7/11. The street is a little busy out the front but we are sleeping well. We are more than happy with the digs.

I managed 14000 steps for today and the feet are a little sore.

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A number of firsts for us. Even though the kids have ventured into Asia, it is the first time for Jenny and I. We have always flown Qantas for our overseas jaunts but this trip we have chosen Singapore Airlines over Qantas. The big reason for the change was 1/2 the price with $800 return to Tokyo and from Adelaide via Singapore, instead of $1600 with Qantas and a bit of a milk run.

The trip started out just being the two of us, then it expanded with some friends joining us for parts of the trip, then one by one the kids decided they would like to join (of course on Dad’s dime). So we have gone from 2 of us to 5 for the first week then up to 9 for the second week and 11 for the third week.

We managed to get a reasonable price for Rachael and Justin of $1200 for the same flights as Jenny and I but were unable to get the same for Bradley (Singapore Airlines wanted $2200 for his flights) so he ended up going over with Qantas for $1300.

It wasn’t much of a nights sleep before leaving as Bradley decided he would head out to party ensuring us that he would be home in time (4:30 am) to get to the airport for his red-eye Qantas flight to Melbourne. He got home just on 4:30 but Jenny decided that sleep was more important so the Uber that brought him home took him to the airport too.

Our flight was a more civilised 10:25am out of Adelaide which meant we would arrive some 7 hours after Bradley but as he was landing in Narita and us in Haneda, he had some time to kill finding his way to us.

Our friend Sam offered to be our taxi to the airport and it wasn’t long and our bags were checked in and we headed through security. As usual my backpack took a few runs through the x-ray machine due to all the gadgets I carry. As it happens, a couple of friends from the High Range Four Wheel Drive Club were on the same plane as us. They were headed back to Singapore for a family reunion to coincide with Chinese New Year. If I had known before we booked our flights, we would have organised a couple of days stay in Singapore at the start rather than the end.

It was a pretty uneventful flight to Singapore but Jenny managed to fill three sick bags. I think it may have been a lack of sleep and the plane was a bit warmer than we are used to. Also the new designed A350 doesn’t have individual air vents which may have made a difference.

It turns out that Bradley was going to have less time to kill as his plane was delayed 90 minutes before takeoff. I guess it is better to check things out on the ground instead of at 10000 metres.

Arriving at Singapore, we farewelled CJ and June and then headed out to explore Terminal 3 and in particular the Butterfly enclosure. One would think it was to look at the butterflies, which we did but there is also a geocache hidden there so that’s a find for me in Singapore now. It was then onto the plane for the next leg and we either had a strong tail wind or the pilot was keen to get there as we arrived 30 minutes before our scheduled time even though leaving 10 minutes late from Singapore.

Bradley was waiting for us having cleared Immigration and Customs. Despite getting in early it was still 1:15am and we had to wait for our hotel shuttle at 1:40am. The shuttle was full and when we arrived at the Beagle Hotel, the place was buzzing with the restaurant in the foyer packed to overflowing. It must be a good restaurant.

This was a capsule hotel and I chose this as it seemed more practical than a normal hotel given we were only going to be there for 6 or 7 hours. Plus it was another of those bucket list things to tick off.

Jenny and I had a twin capsule room with our own toilet while I could only get the kids into the dormitories where there were 16 capsules to a dorm segregated by sex. Bradley and Justin only had one or two others in theirs and Rachael was the same. I had a great sleep as did Bradley but the other 3 tossed and turned apparently.

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