Japan - Day 1 (5/16/08)

There and Back Again: A Far East Encounter

So here we are again...and I should have jumped on this 4 months ago. My trip to Japan was an incredible experience and I am finally getting around to bolgging about this after the fact. The main reason for my trip to Japan was to attend the biggest Mazda automotive event in the world for the Mazda Roadster in Kaurizawa, Japan. Unfortunately for me last year, I worked for this incredibly unprofessional and screwed-up ad agency (I use that term loosely with no disrespect to the hundreds of agencies who have an solid business model) and was basically asked not to go on my trip due to mis-managed internal work flow with the account services team. Needless to say, I should have went the first time and told them to shove it...Kids, let this be a lesson. Do not let opportunities like this pass you by on the misguidance of others.

Ok, so after seperating with said agency in 2007, I started with a new global agency who in fact was ok with me going and in fact was very encouraging and shared in my excitement. Which leads me to my partners in crime...



Yusuke Yamamoto (he's the Japanese fella on the left). Age, twenty-something and looking for many things in life. Super nice guy - a bit young and shows it in his actions, but a companion on this journey that was so valuable as he was our translator in a bind. His likes are all tings electronics (including the Nintendo DS), games and reading. Taylor Hall (the tatical guy on the right) is our leverage on the journey. One who has traveled the world several times - too many times to France, but one who knows the terrain and international protocol. Taylor is a good friend of mine who shares the same passion with the Mazda Miata and all things "JDM" for this car. He went to this event last year and scoped out the territory for the 2008 trip. His likes are very much i nline with Yusuke's as well as mine - a good blend of passions.

And this is me....


...A bit of a dork, but I like the way I hit the world running and taking no prisoners. This is my first true international trip outside the US (except for Canada/Mexico and a jaunt to the Turks) and passed through immigration fine there and back (even with new hair style and a questionable passport photo that was flagged). I bring a slightly older feel to the team - one who had a sense of reason and common sense and my unique talent of instant caffeine-radar when needed - including the guy with the money. I also held some of the 'corporate clout' as I knew seveal people in Japan including several of the event organizers and staff and vendors (more on that later).

So back to May 15th - we all decided to crash at Taylors pad - except, Taylor wisely sugests we stay up all night and get on Tokyo time. Oh, it may be important to go over our iteniary for the trip:

May 15-22: Atlanta ->Houston->Tokyo. Staying in Shinbashi/Tokyo

May 23-25: Tokyo->Kaurizawa for the Roadster event.
Staying at cottage in mountains.

So we try and stay up - I think I made it until 4am until I just crashed...and crashed I did. Taylor had hooked us up with some killer chocolate chip cookies and ice cold soft drinks. So here comes 6am and with just a few hours of sleep, off we go to Atlanta International Airport. And let it be said that I packed heavy for this one...my 29" roller, duffle, Timbuk laptop bag and my Northface backpack. I was also packing gifts for all my friends in Japan (bourbon, wine, gifts, etc) as well as a load of custom t-shirts for the Nostalgic Roadster Crew (more on that later). Big props to Mike Snowden at Galaxy Graphics - who makes some KILLER cigar box guitars.



So he we are at ATL awaiting our short shuttle jump to Houston for a connecting flight on Continental on a 777. At this point I am slowly realizing that I have way too may bags with me....just too many, but I cannot help but think that it will all come to good use on the return trip home with all the lovely Japanese gifts, etc.


So yes - first stop is coffee and scones. I went a bit too heavy on my frozen concoction, but was just enough to get some energy in me. Taylor has himself his DS and Yusuke is talking up a storm on finding one in Japan. I start to read up again on Frommer's Tokyo guide and re-highlight all the areas I want to see....from Shibuya to Shinjuku to Akihabra to the fish market.....they are all there marked for attack.


So our flight out of ATL goes without any issues - really sleepy out of ATL as soon as we hit 20k. On way down, Taylor gets queezy and I start to think of the worse - did he come down with a bug, but he assures us it is an empty stomach...he has a plan. So we are on board our HUGE 777 and we are in aisle with lots of room. Before you know it, Taylor disappears before boarding and comes on this packed aircraft with a Bojangles take-out box and the biggest grin. Now I must tell you here that Yusuke and I were about to toss his ass out on the tarmac as this stuff was the most wonderful smelling - most incredible looking food we have seen in the last 24 hours. And Taylor eats and eats and eats and passes out in a cholesterol coma. We are promptly served the Continental brunch which was quite tasty!



So here is a shot from my seat - a scene that would not change for over 12 hours. But I was prepared...with me I had my new HP laptop and DVD galore (loads of Top Gear episodes), my old skool Gameboy, ipod, camera, books, etc. I actuall had space problems in my seat....the Timbuk bag would not fit nicely under the seat, so it was a lot of up and down through the whole trip. The guy next to me seems military - and studying Kanji (around 5th grade level) and did not move once in the whole trip (!)...I am not sure how people do this internation flight with no leg excercises, etc.


Ok so we all know these screens - the main info screen showing ETA/Destination, games, movies, etc....here we are above Japan and ready to land at Nartia. We basically flew out from Alaska, over the Bearing Strait and down past Siberia - just West of the International Date Line. Landing in Tokyo was wonderful and I quickly whipped out my new HG10 digicam to soak up all the live footage I could.


So now the real challenge starts - we have all our bags, our money was exchanged (except for Taylor!) and now need to find our way to the Tokyu Stay in Shinbashi. I knew we needed to find a Bus Limo and off goes Yusuke to find out which one we need. We are told that we need to get on the one going to the Intercon Ana and then grab a cab for a short jaunt to our hotel.



So we wait for the bus and I start to absorb that I AM REALLY IN JAPAN! We are REALLY IN JAPAN and it just does not soak in...What is wrong with me?! I feel energized, but it all seems like a familiar place for me. Like I have been here it seems. Maybe my dad was telling me inside that he is here with me as well and I feel this comfortable peace with this far off different land...it simply could be no more different, but felt like.....Knoxville to me. Who knows.....English is no longer the language and the processes are so refined here - as you can see above in the Limo agenda.



So I need a drink and of course off I go to those famous vending machines....I grab a green tea something-or-another and a BOSS COFFEE shot....man, I love these!! So quickly I down both and Peter is a happy camper. I was until I got on the bus and sat next to this rude-ass American guy who just had no consideration for me sitting next to him on a packed ride. Really pissed me off to a trip of a lifetime....especially when the Japanese are extremely nice.



So wow....with a PACKED cab, all 3 of us barely squeezed in there with our bags....it was really funny, although I think the cab driver thought otherwise. He also did not know where to go and I planned ahead by printing off the directions in Japanese and with Yusuke, we managed to find TOKYU STAY SHINBASHI. I knew this was a business hotel, but we were all pleasantly surprised! We were not paying these high dollar rates like something that you would see downtown and we were in this really nice area and near all these small cafes and resturants - right out of Lost in Translation.


Here is a shot just outside the front door looking up the mains street. The small a-frame sign you see in the pic is where Lawson's is and a savor for our late night snack attacks and morning hangover remedies!


And here is Lawson's with me across street. Our hotel entrance is just to the left of the front doo here. It (our hotel) really is such a great location and I cannot tell you how much Lawson's just kicked ass. See below...

Come on in....in the AM, they had fresh baked goods and for luch you could swing some freshly packedd fish or a quick bento box of yummies. At night I would always grab a few brews and snacks and head up to the room. Oh and before I forget...I originally was in a mid level room that ws to have internet access and the inet was out. We tried to get the inet up and the staff was super nice and upgraded me to the top end room for my troubles! I had so much space and these guys really made my stay more enjoyable. The hospitality was so foriegn to me!



And a quick shot of the beverage isle....I must have tried each one of these....so many juices, coffees, teas, soft drinks, and other weird things!

Oh and my favorite....that Kirin Stout you see in the center - I must have purchased their entire stock! Suce a rarity for a beer guru like myself, I just needed to have 2 a day to get it out of my system. And these we at 120 YEN - or just over a dollar. And the staff were so nice....I practiced all my Japanese for months, so I had it down and could carry on a small conversation with them.



Just down the street was an official petrol station called Dr. Drive....this place was so cool. I cannot descibe in this blog alone what happened here. I mean, the service guys wave you in - you get out, they bow to you and take care of your car. They clean the windows and fill the tank and bow to you when finished. So very very very cool!


Here we see a few cars getting petrol. This is also my first time I feel in love with the Nissan Sube. I would see more and more of these over my next week stay in Japan and really hit me hard. We also so lots of high end BMW, Mercs, Ferraris, etc in Shinbashi. Maybe there was some spill over from Ginza?


And a shot of the Shinbashi skyline...at this point we were dead tired and this side of the city was errilely quiet for sundown. But we scoped out the area and just gave in to the night. We knew that Day #2 would be a day of JR trains and new destinations....so we were all excited with visions of different goals in our heads....I wanted more Miatas, Yusuke wanted more Nintendo and Tayor wanted it all.

And here is a quick shot of those vending machines - just down an alley near our hotel. They were decently priced for any beverage and always stocked. I always grabbed a coffee of lemon drink for the hot afternoons. Well, off to bed....day #2 is around the corner!