First Day: Tokyo Trip-
As soon as the United Airlines B-777 I was on, touched down on the Narita Airport runway and taxied to the gate, I was able to see how differernt the structure of Narita airport looked. It was quite a thrill to be back in Tokyo. The feeling of being back after my last trip here in 2002. I was able to see one of many things that changed in Japan in those few years. I was anxious to see how much tokyo has actually changed over the years. United Airlines docks at the south wing of what is now known as Narita Airport Terminal One. All the airlines facilities are located in this part of the airport. The plane docks at the terminal. After that everything goes in clock work. The whole arrival procedure getting the passengers off the plane. The doors open and everyone gets off. Walking through the jet way passing the waiting lounge.
As I exited the waiting lounge through the halls of the terminal, I had take more escalators up to another part of the terminal. It was a maze work of halls and walk ways. Here is a picture of one hall I passed through. You can pretty much see the sheer size of this airport. I'm not joking but, its a very big airport. It was still a long walk to the passoprt control. Finally getting to the passport control, there was no line. I presented all my travel documents, Passport, entry form. And I had to put my two fingers on this machine that read my finger prints and took my picture. It looked like the law on screening people from a broad got more strict.
From there everyone had to go down a stair case. This leads to the baggage claim area. Here you can see how big the area is. I took this shot from the farthest possible angle to show how big the place is. It still shows how big Narita Airport is.
Grabbing my suit cases I clear customs and exit to the arrival lobby. Even the arrival lobby is pretty wide. From this angle you can see the width of the area. Its on big hall. That spans both ends of the terminal. I jump on a taxi waiting out side to take me to the Tokyo Hilton. It was a long ride to shinjuku. As we got into the city. I was able to see the alot of what changed over the years. It was a very different feeling. Finally we arrive at the hotel I was taken to my room. I had all my suit cases brought to the room.
Here it is. One angle of my room. Part of the Master bedroom and living room is shown. The room had a decent size to it. Its large enough for two people.
Another angle of the a work table. With a phone and room service menu. I got my computer out and put it on the table. With all my other stuff.
I got my computer and internet set up. The wireless chip in the machine caught the wireless signal in the hotel. Here's an angle of my office after i set it up.
After all the unpacking, I went out for a walk. I looked around the lobby as i walked through it. I was able to see the how much it changed. I decided to take a picture of the Tokyo Hiltonf from the outside. Heres an angle of the building looking upwards. Its still the same from the time It opened in 1984. And since I had been to tokyo the last time in 2002.
Leaving the hotel I took a walk down the main street. It was just buildings around me. Every where I looked. West shinjuku is a jungle of skyscrapers. In this view we see. The Sumitomo Building, The Daichi-seimei and Hyatt Regency Hotel. Tokyo Metropolitan Gov. Building. The NS Building and far in the distance the Washington Hotel. This is not all the buildings that are in Shinjuku. Theres more.
Heres another view of shinjuku. One thing tokyo has alot of. Are taxis. The Mitsui Building is on the other side of the Sumitomo. Just across the street. In the distance are many other office buildings and Apartment Complexes. Bikes are another thing that the japanese use a lot of. Adults, kids, teenagers. All of them use bikes to go around the city.
I walked through west shinjuku to the back part. This leads to another part of shinjuku. The south part. The south of shinjuku is a bit different from the west or east. The terrace walk is just outside Shinjuku stations, main building across from the south exit. Going along the terrace walk. Over here was the first Starbucks in Tokyo that opened in the 90s. I reach the end of the Terrace walk and I come to a bridge that joins it to another department store. Its called the Times Square complex. The Takashimaya store and Tokyu Hands are joined. Somewhere in the middle of the two buildings. Here you can see how big the complex is. i walk around inside. The lay out has changed since i was in Tokyo the last time. I leave the place and walk out to the east side of shinjuku. Heading to a store one of the many i went to when i lived here. Sakura-ya. A building filled with a lot of stuff. First floor was games. Second floor models. Third floor had all the electric trains and other collectors items. I was able to see lot of new things were released. A lot of what I would never find in Hawaii. But easily aquirable if I ordered them from Toys N Joys. I walks out of this store not finding what i wanted. I go out and walks towards West shinjuku. And walk through this area till i end up in the Yodobashi area. I saw a lot of arcades. Oh i even forgot to mention that there are a lot of vending machines around the city. For drinks, cigarrettes. I go into the Hobby-kan of Yodobashi-kamera and look around there. I saw a few things i wanted. I kept looking around. Then went back to the hotel because I had an appointment. With a friend of mine here.
7:00 pm on time my friend Eri arrives at the hotel lobby. Greeting her with a warm well come. My mother had her friend too an executive i used to work with, Hiroshi Nakamura. We all went to the I Land Tower. We had dinner in the Hokkaido restaurant on the top floor of the building. It had a nice atmosphere to it. Very traditional. The food was good. My first time in a long time I ate crab. It was a lot of good food. I had a beer. Well two beers. It matched with the food pretty well. It was a lot of talking and a few laughs. After dinner and some drinks at the Checkers restaurant me and Eri hung out in my room for a bit. looking at stuff on the internet. About 10 pm she went back home. I just wait till the next day.
As soon as the United Airlines B-777 I was on, touched down on the Narita Airport runway and taxied to the gate, I was able to see how differernt the structure of Narita airport looked. It was quite a thrill to be back in Tokyo. The feeling of being back after my last trip here in 2002. I was able to see one of many things that changed in Japan in those few years. I was anxious to see how much tokyo has actually changed over the years. United Airlines docks at the south wing of what is now known as Narita Airport Terminal One. All the airlines facilities are located in this part of the airport. The plane docks at the terminal. After that everything goes in clock work. The whole arrival procedure getting the passengers off the plane. The doors open and everyone gets off. Walking through the jet way passing the waiting lounge.
As I exited the waiting lounge through the halls of the terminal, I had take more escalators up to another part of the terminal. It was a maze work of halls and walk ways. Here is a picture of one hall I passed through. You can pretty much see the sheer size of this airport. I'm not joking but, its a very big airport. It was still a long walk to the passoprt control. Finally getting to the passport control, there was no line. I presented all my travel documents, Passport, entry form. And I had to put my two fingers on this machine that read my finger prints and took my picture. It looked like the law on screening people from a broad got more strict.
From there everyone had to go down a stair case. This leads to the baggage claim area. Here you can see how big the area is. I took this shot from the farthest possible angle to show how big the place is. It still shows how big Narita Airport is.
Grabbing my suit cases I clear customs and exit to the arrival lobby. Even the arrival lobby is pretty wide. From this angle you can see the width of the area. Its on big hall. That spans both ends of the terminal. I jump on a taxi waiting out side to take me to the Tokyo Hilton. It was a long ride to shinjuku. As we got into the city. I was able to see the alot of what changed over the years. It was a very different feeling. Finally we arrive at the hotel I was taken to my room. I had all my suit cases brought to the room.
Here it is. One angle of my room. Part of the Master bedroom and living room is shown. The room had a decent size to it. Its large enough for two people.
Another angle of the a work table. With a phone and room service menu. I got my computer out and put it on the table. With all my other stuff.
I got my computer and internet set up. The wireless chip in the machine caught the wireless signal in the hotel. Here's an angle of my office after i set it up. 
After all the unpacking, I went out for a walk. I looked around the lobby as i walked through it. I was able to see the how much it changed. I decided to take a picture of the Tokyo Hiltonf from the outside. Heres an angle of the building looking upwards. Its still the same from the time It opened in 1984. And since I had been to tokyo the last time in 2002. 
Leaving the hotel I took a walk down the main street. It was just buildings around me. Every where I looked. West shinjuku is a jungle of skyscrapers. In this view we see. The Sumitomo Building, The Daichi-seimei and Hyatt Regency Hotel. Tokyo Metropolitan Gov. Building. The NS Building and far in the distance the Washington Hotel. This is not all the buildings that are in Shinjuku. Theres more.
Heres another view of shinjuku. One thing tokyo has alot of. Are taxis. The Mitsui Building is on the other side of the Sumitomo. Just across the street. In the distance are many other office buildings and Apartment Complexes. Bikes are another thing that the japanese use a lot of. Adults, kids, teenagers. All of them use bikes to go around the city. 
I walked through west shinjuku to the back part. This leads to another part of shinjuku. The south part. The south of shinjuku is a bit different from the west or east. The terrace walk is just outside Shinjuku stations, main building across from the south exit. Going along the terrace walk. Over here was the first Starbucks in Tokyo that opened in the 90s. I reach the end of the Terrace walk and I come to a bridge that joins it to another department store. Its called the Times Square complex. The Takashimaya store and Tokyu Hands are joined. Somewhere in the middle of the two buildings. Here you can see how big the complex is. i walk around inside. The lay out has changed since i was in Tokyo the last time. I leave the place and walk out to the east side of shinjuku. Heading to a store one of the many i went to when i lived here. Sakura-ya. A building filled with a lot of stuff. First floor was games. Second floor models. Third floor had all the electric trains and other collectors items. I was able to see lot of new things were released. A lot of what I would never find in Hawaii. But easily aquirable if I ordered them from Toys N Joys. I walks out of this store not finding what i wanted. I go out and walks towards West shinjuku. And walk through this area till i end up in the Yodobashi area. I saw a lot of arcades. Oh i even forgot to mention that there are a lot of vending machines around the city. For drinks, cigarrettes. I go into the Hobby-kan of Yodobashi-kamera and look around there. I saw a few things i wanted. I kept looking around. Then went back to the hotel because I had an appointment. With a friend of mine here.
7:00 pm on time my friend Eri arrives at the hotel lobby. Greeting her with a warm well come. My mother had her friend too an executive i used to work with, Hiroshi Nakamura. We all went to the I Land Tower. We had dinner in the Hokkaido restaurant on the top floor of the building. It had a nice atmosphere to it. Very traditional. The food was good. My first time in a long time I ate crab. It was a lot of good food. I had a beer. Well two beers. It matched with the food pretty well. It was a lot of talking and a few laughs. After dinner and some drinks at the Checkers restaurant me and Eri hung out in my room for a bit. looking at stuff on the internet. About 10 pm she went back home. I just wait till the next day.
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