Sweet Dreams from Tokyo

I made it! After a VERY crowded, 10 1/2 hour flight from San Francisco, CA to Narita, Japan, I am finally in Tokyo!! I couldn't fall asleep on the plane at all. I watched three different movies and read a whole book! I haven't slept in 24 hrs., but I couldn't go to sleep without updating you on my first hours in Japan.

Once we FINALLY got off of the plane, we went through immigration where everyone was finger printed and photographed for security measures. Next, we found our suitcases and went through customs. 8B, customs officials today are much like customs officials in colonial times...they ask you questions and check your bags to make sure you are not smuggling illegal items into the country and to make sure you are paying taxes on the items you bring in from other countries. Luckily we all made it through customs quickly and there was no reason to protest :)

We arrived at our hotel in Tokyo around 8pm, Tuesday October 14th, which means it was 7am on Tuesday in PA. Despite all of the food they gave us on the plane, everyone was very, very hungry. After dropping off our bags in our room, we were paired up with Japanese college students who have recently studied in America. These Japanese volunteers went with us to dinner. The college student I was paired up with is named Shiori. She and I met up with another one of her friends and my friend from the program Amy and went out for my favorite Japanese food (so far)....SUSHI! Sushi is only eaten in Japan on special occaisions, but this was a very special occaision. Not only was it our first night in Japan, but it was Shiori's friend's birthday!

The restaurant we went to in downtown Tokyo was not like the sushi restaurants in America. At this restaurant you sit at a counter and the sushi is on plates on a conveyor belt that moves around the table. When something passes by that you would like to eat, you take the plate from the conveyor belt. The plates are color coded according to price. Once you have eaten your fill, the waitress comes around and counts the number of plates of each color that are stacked in front of you and adds up your bill. Since it was my first night in Japan I was willing to be a little adventurous. I chose Tuna sushi, which I've had before, but I also ate sushi that was made with the liver of Angler fish. I promise, it was MUCH tastier than it sounds! (The picture on the left is the Tuna shushi and the picture on the right is the Angler fish liver sushi.) Shiori and her friend gave us some suggestions as to what we should do with our time in Tokyo. Getting to meet them was a great introduction to Japan!

Now I am back in my hotel room, getting ready to FINALLY get a good night's sleep. Before I sign off for the night, I want to share with you the view from the window of my hotel room and say, "Sweet dreams from Tokyo!"