Yes, believe it or not, Cuisines and Scenes is still here, despite a two-year absence. Don and I will be touring Japan for the next two weeks: Tokyo, Hakone, Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and back to Tokyo. Come along with us!

O-hi-o (Good morning) from Tokyo! We left San Diego Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 1:10 pm on an 11-hour Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo, arriving at 5:30 pm the 23rd.

What lovely service! Such attentive flight attendants, and lots of them. The business class “Sky Suites” are well configured with good storage and lie-flat beds; even window seats have a way to get out without climbing over anyone. (Leave it to the Japanese!) All the seat controls, lights, ports, etc., are easy to find. 

The food was good, too. Beautifully presented appetizers. I had the beef, with an excellent sauce. Don had the sea bass which he said was excellent—high praise from Mr. Fussy! Later we had a snack of udon noodles, and a few hours later ramen—very soothing.

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Awww, how sweet! The attendants sang happy birthday to me and gave me a little gift.

Unfortunately sleep was elusive—not surprising as after the meal it was 5 pm San Diego time and so we weren’t ready for sleep. I got a few hours but we were exhausted by the time we got to our hotel. 

Narita Airport is huge, long walk to immigration. However, Japanese efficiency was evident: half an hour after landing, we had cleared immigration, retrieved our luggage, and were on our way to the hotel. That took about two hours, though, because major ceremonies related to the Emperor’s Ascension closed many roads.  

We finally arrived at the very elegant Westin Tokyo. The hotel is lovely, lots of marble and European grandeur, not only in the lobby but in our room.

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Even though we’ve done longer flights, our (older) bodies didn’t adjust well and we didn’t sleep much that night either. Next up: a full day of touring with a private guide.