Arrival in Tokyo

We departed Beijing Tuesday on an early, 3 1/2 hour flight. Ben was still pretty sick, but thankfully his fever had subsided. This was particularly good news since Japan will not admit anyone into the country who has a fever and we actually passed through fever detectors in both China and Japan.

After navigating customs, the airport, and the 90-minute bus ride into Tokyo, it was afternoon when we arrived at our hotel near the massive Sinjuku train station. We were rewarded with spectacular views from the 20th floor lobby and from our 31st floor rooms (pictured above).

We walked a mile or so to dinner, our destination a restaurant that was highly recommended in Frommers but is now apparently closed. With the help of a friendly local businessman we were able to find another option an dined on a tasty meal of tempura, soup, and rice.

Walking around Tokyo it is clear what a different place this is from Shanghai or Beijing. One of the striking impressions we had immediately was how quiet Tokyo is. Even with crazy traffic and herds of company men in black pants and white short sleeved shirts, the city is almost silent. We could in fact war a crow a few blocks away and in two days I have not heard a single horn.