Tokyo - Day 1

The day started early, around 4:00am, so that we could make our 6:35am flight. After a four-hour flight, we had another hour layover, waiting for the bus to our hotel. The bus ride was another two hours or so. We finally made it to the hotel in Tokyo around 1:00pm. We are staying in the Sheraton Miyako Hotel. Very nice, but very expensive. Of course, most things here are expensive.

After checking in and dropping our bags in the room, we caught a shuttle to the Meduro train station. Lots to see and do here, including a rotary sushi where we had a mid-day lunch. Found a 7-11 store, or 7 & Holdings as they are known in Japan, and Mary was able to get some yen out of an ATM. My card was not accepted anywhere here. Lesson learned - A Visa debit card is accepted at more places than a Master Card debit card.

We went back to the hotel to relax a bit, then went out again to Akihabara, otherwise known as Electric Town. 50 square blocks of electronic gadgets and games. While we were riding on the train to Akihabara, a friend of mine, Mike Torrisi, from Yokosuka got on the same train and started to sit down right across from us. What an incredible coincidence! I had just worked a case with him in Sasebo, Japan, the previous week. He was in Tokyo for a Star Wars convention and decided to go to Akihabara too. What are the odds that he would be in the same city, get on the same train, in the same car, and sit right across from us?! Pretty cool. Mike walked around with us for awhile before we parted ways for dinner. Oddly enough, we ran into him again on our way home.

We jumped on the train and returned to Meguro Station, where we ate at a traditional Japanese restaurant known as Wendy's. We were hungry and tired and just looking for comfort food. After dinner, we returned to the room for the night.