Travel to Tokyo

Day 11 – Travel to Tokyo

Tokyo

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Early morning start for our morning flight from Incheon to Narita.

At Seoul station we bought tickets for the 7.00am airport express and were also able to check in with Korean airlines so no bags to worry about! The train journey was about 45 minutes and very quiet. The couple of hours before our flight was easily filled looking through duty free shops and having a coffee and snack at one of the many cafes. Incheon airport is the world leader and you can see why. As well as duty free shopping, you can also have a shower or a massage, book a sleeping room, have a hands on experience at the Korean cultural centre or simply take in Korean history. There is play equipment for children, and smokers rooms for smokers. It is all very clean and spacious. Next time we will definitely check out one of the airport lounges. But I still haven’t found the perfect handbag!

The flight was a little over 2 hours and time passed quickly watching the latest Roman Polanski movie ‘Carnage’ with Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet. It was based on a play and in fact was very like a play – interesting. My seafood diet was far nicer than Anthony’s chicken rice!

At Narita airport we found the JR Line booking office and exchanged our voucher for rail passes and booked our onward rail journeys. We managed to secure a deluxe twin for the Hokutosei from Tokyo to Sapporo at an additional cost of 32,000 yen but the Twilight Express from Saporro to Osaka doesn’t run on a Monday! We ended up booking a series of daytime trains instead but think we should change our plans and have an extra night in Sapporo to allow for this journey!

Then the Kensei airport express to Oshiage station and walk to the apartment we’d booked through airbnb.com. It’s quite cool but trees are in blossom and bulbs are flowering.

The apartment is small but beautiful and immaculately clean. There’s one traditional living and sleeping room with tatami mat flooring, sliding paper screens and and traditional bedding that’s folded away each morning; a well equipped kitchen diner with bay window; a Japanese style bathroom with separate washing and dressing room and small bath for soaking; and separate toilet with Japanese bidet and heated toilet seat.

Pot of green tea later, we went food shopping at the local shopping centre run by 7Eleven. Fantastic range of goods! Anthony bought a beer from one of the many vending machines along the road to go with dinner.

After a home cooked meal, long soak in the bath and Internet research, we were ready for sleep. We made up our futon – sponge mattress, then quilted mattress, sheet and down-filled quilt and pillows – should make for a good sleep tonight.

	Kensei airport express [Map]		Bathroom in Oshiage apartment [Map]
	Toilet at Oshiage apartment [Map]		Living and sleeping room at Oshiage apartment [Map]
	Kitchen diner at Oshiage apartment [Map]		Oshiage apartment [Map]
	One of many street vending machines [Map]		Range of goods at the supermarket [Map]
	Free samples at the supermarket [Map]		Checkout [Map]
	View of Tokyo Tower from our street [Map]