It’s been almost 5 years since I last step foot in Japan! I can’t believe how much time has passed since the pandemic started and how overdue this visit has been. I was lucky I had a full 8 days in Japan this time, but even though I majorly tried to cram everything in, it was definitely not enough time to do everything I wanted. Luckily I was able to meet friends, eat all the foods I was craving, maximize the value of my JR Pass, and take advantage of the cozy fall weather.

The main reason I was traveling in November was to coincide with the delegation heading to Kariya for the homestay program. However it was still a coincidence I ended up on the same flight with the rest of the group, as I had booked my ticket months in advance. Flying with Air Canada is also a hit or miss these days, as our flight out of Pearson was delayed two hours due to an unscheduled maintenance issue. 

The flight itself was fine – AC Premium Economy did have nicer seats, but it really wasn’t worth paying extra for it as the perks were minimal. However I was surprised by the new in-flight texting option. That really came in handy during the flight as I was able to coordinate my dinner plans for that evening while still flying. (Side note: I cancelled because of the two-hour delay.)

After landing in Haneda it still took some time to get to the terminal. We were quite far from the gates so we had to load onto buses to take us to the terminal. While the rest of the delegation waited to hear updates for their connecting flight to Nagoya, I headed out on my own to go through immigration and customs. One of the new things I found on this trip was the adoption of QR codes and electronic form submissions. I’ve been so used to submitting paper copies that it didn’t occur to me that I could have pre-filled the forms online. They still had paper forms available, so it wasn’t a hassle either way, but next time I’ll definitely remember to take advantage of the new system.

Once I collected my luggage and made it out to the arrival hall, I headed straight to the JR East Travel Service Center to exchange my voucher for the JR Pass. I was so happy I purchased my voucher before the prices went up astronomically. Buying the pass at just ¥29,650 was such a steal – I pretty much got my value’s worth from the first three days I was using it. I was also lucky there was no line up in front of the office, so I was able to get everything done quickly. Next was waiting for the bus to take me directly to Oimachi Station, where I was staying for my first night.

I finally made it to Oimachi by 9pm and got checked in at my hotel with their new self service machines. (Again, amazed by how things have become automated in the past 5 years.) I was hungry but didn’t want to venture too far for food, so I ended up eating champon and gyoza at a restaurant next to the station. It was hardly the best meal I had on this trip, but for ¥910 I’m not complaining. I was just grateful I made it to Tokyo in one piece. =)