Well, here we go again! Like we said at the end of last years’ blog – "we’ll be back".

Since we did the major tourist loop (Tokyo>Kyoto/Osaka>Hiroshima) last year, this years’ trip is slated to be a bit different. 

To start off with we’re getting straight out of Tokyo and heading north to Sendai in the Tōhoku region. Then we’re staying relatively off the tourist route (or at least the European tourist route) on the way up to Hokkaidō before firmly hitting the tourist trail again by coming back down south to Nikko and finally Yokohama.

And before you get the idea that we’ve gone all pretentious, changed our names to Tarquin and Jocasta, and going to bang on about seeing “The reaaallll Japan daaaaling” let’s scotch that straight away. It’s a holiday. We’re tourists. We’re going to do touristy things. But this time a little bit less typically touristy and a bit more out of the way. A bit. Don’t expect hiking and tents…

Right.

This trip started off with finishing work a bit early (well, at least I did – a certain Tracey had the whole day booked off – something about packing…) and getting down to the hotel we’d booked at Heathrow. Unlike last year we had the first flight out at about 9am on Wednesday so a hotel overnight seemed like a far less stressful solution than trying to drag ourselves to the wrong side of London for 7am. As it turns out – good choice!

Tracey booked us a taxi to Witham which rocked up on time and we were on our way. Bit of an awkward moment when the nice taxi man asked where we were off to and for some reason I said France for a few days. It was probably some misplaced idea of security since we thought the house would be unoccupied for most of the time which turned out not to be the case.  Don’t think he was convinced. I certainly wasn’t. I don’t think I have a career as a master spy in my future – I’d last a morning.

Anyway, usual fun dragging the cases onto trains, off trains, onto the tube etc etc. Never gets old that. Although to be fair, as we’d got another smaller 65l case from the wonderful Dean at Protection Racket, it was a bit easier than dragging the big one about last year. Great case but not great for tube trains. And it turned out at the end of the holiday that you can fill two 65l cases to the brim, have more than enough room for souvenirs and still be under the 23Kg allowance, so all good!

A couple of hours later we arrived at Heathrow Terminal 4 and tried to work out how to get to the hotel. Chuntering and backtracking down escalators until we ended up having to ask the really helpful lady at the bus stop. The wrong bus stop as it turned out. Start as you mean to go on eh? Even more chuntering and a short journey down in the lift later and we got to the right place. It’s the underground bus station if you’re ever in the same boat as us. Can you can see busses and daylight? Then turn around Whittington…

5 minutes later and the shuttle bus hoved into view and we bought our return tickets. £19 all in which isn’t too bad all things considered. Certainly better than a taxi and walking would have been a non-starter. Doesn’t look far on Google maps but you need to account for the scale. (Spoiler alert – bit of foreshadowing there!)

Fifteen minutes later we were dropped at the front door of the hotel and, after double checking that we’d be picking the bus up again in the morning from the same place (been caught like that before!) we went to check in.

Have to say, very impressed with the Premier Inn. Nice helpful staff, loads of facilities in the central atrium (including 24/7 Costa!) and the room was great, especially for under £80.

Quick shower and change and down to the bar for our tea. There is a restaurant and a bar but you get the same menu in both, so bar it was. Again, very impressed – quick service, lovely food and a couple of drinkies each meant the holiday was off to a very relaxed start. Even our new travelling companions ウイスキー (Uisuki: Whiskey) and 大黄 (Daiou: Rhubarb) were impressed as they’d heard horror stories from Pochi (who wasn’t available this trip – something about washing his hair!)

Thoroughly recommended.

Meals finished we turned in for an early night as we wanted to get to the airport in plenty of time in the morning. Not like us. Well, at least not like last year when we were 6 hours early!  

The morning did involve a bit of shouting “shut uuuuuup!” at the multitude of alarms set on every device we had but after that it was a perfectly civilised check out and coffee infused wait for the shuttle bus. Was it on time? Yes actually. I know - I was amazed too!

15 minutes later and we were at Terminal 4 again and all ready to check in. Erm no. Guess who was too early for check in and had to wait for an hour or so.

Yep.

Not the most comfortable seats but at least we were there and we did end up having a sympathetic conversation with a family whose daughter was doing her best “Kevin and Perry” impersonation. We would have like to have told her that it gets easier soon. But we’d already told one horrible lie this trip so…

Eventually, after the check-in team had had their morning team briefing, check-in opened exactly on time and we were soon airside. More coffee, bit of a sandwich, several tours of the duty-free shops and then the usual torpor of waiting for the gate to open. At least there are plenty of power sockets to keep your electronics topped-up which does at least prevent you from eating your own head in boredom I suppose.

Once the gate was declared we did the usual thing that we can’t seem to avoid – route march immediately to the gate despite the fact that the flight is pre-seated, economy gets called (very much) last anyway, and you know you’ll just be sitting around again. Ah well. It was at least brightened up by a) the guy wearing what can only be described as an “individual” ensemble and b) by discovering, on asking, that we had 2 seats in a bank of 2 so no awkward window/middle/aisle seat shenanigans. Lovely.

Nice relaxed boarding then, once JAL had gone through all the First Class/Business Class/Diamond Class/Ruby Class/Sapphire Class palaver. Honestly, how many subdivisions do you need, considering the plane only has three sections? Still, love JAL. Pity you have to fly BA on the return leg…

Can’t fault the plane, the service was excellent, the food was more than acceptable and a few wines/sakes later and we settled down for the long haul. Including watching Star Wars in Japanese. Because….well, just “because” really..

Day one – done. Japan here we come!