🇯🇵 Japan Trip 2026

The Last Morning

I am afraid that we're at the end of our journey. The pics on this page are pretty much from the plane journey.

We got up at 05h00 and did our last minute packing. The metro was a 7 minute walk from the hotel. We caught the Red Asakusa line at A12, and Google Maps had us changing line midway through the journey. Ro was stressing about the change, but then the announcement seemed to suggest that the train we were on was destined to Haneda Airport. Weird. After a while, it became clear to us that the Asakusa line train that we were on becomes the Blue K line after a certain stop and continues all the way to the airport. Stress gone. Amazing. This journey was super easy.

As easy as immigration was coming into Japan, it was just as easy leaving. Things work exceptionally well. That said, unlike the UK, the 100ml rule about liquids in hand-luggage applies in Tokyo. This meant that Maria had to throw out some sunscreen and a bottle of water. We also had to spread out toiletries a bit, because they still like the clear plastic bag with everything displayed. Worth knowing.

Our flight was from Terminal 2, which isn't the usual airport for international travel, but ANA flies from this terminal along with a lot of the domestic flights. That meant that the terminal wasn't particularly busy when we got there. But it also meant there was less in the way of shopping or restaurants. Ro used up the last of his ICOCA card on the vending machines getting iced coffees and melon pan (these were different to the usual melon pan because they actually had a real melon cream as a filling - it was really delicious and we got extra to bring back as a present for Kay).

Flight Home

Our flight back to Heathrow from Tokyo left at 09h55.

Unlike the journey out to Japan, which flew from West to East, flying back we were journeying North to cut over the Bering Strait. I had a few moments, where I raised the shutter on my window and glimpsed a part of the world below that I have never seen or experienced before.

Later in the journey, we passed over Greenland. Such a desolate looking place!

We touched down in Heathrow at 16h20. The journey was 14.5 hours long.

We arrived in London in the middle of a heatwave. The temperature peaked at 39°C in the bus station just outside the airport. We had to wait for our coach for a couple of hours. Then the 3 hour coach journey back to Leicester. And a wait, and then a 35 minute bus journey back home. In all, the journey from the hotel to home took us 25 hours. We were broken, but it was totally worth it.

From Senso-ji Temple and Asakusa to adventure in Tokyo. From bullet trains to pirate ships. From deer in Nara to onsen in Hakone. From jazz bars in Osaka to rooftop views in Shinjuku. Japan was everything we hoped it would be and so much more.

Until next time. 🇯🇵