Host Community Tour: Lizzie's travel journal (Day 1)

[Lizzie]

Location: Tokyo

Duration of visit: April 2nd-4th

Distance travelled (so far): 5956 miles / 9583 kilometers

Weather: 13 c / 55 f

April 2nd

Hello hello or should I say Kon'nichiwa!

After a 11 hours and 30 minute flights from London, I touched down in Tokyo Narita airport (approx. 1 hr 30 train ride to the East of the city). After making a couple of friends on the plane over, I say farewell as they travel off to explore some of the more rural parts of the country and I am left to my own devices.

I'm then left with the prospect of having to navigate my way around the city and a rather impressive train/underground network.

Here is one of the maps:

My first reaction, was..."wow, this is intense", however I thought I live in London, we are home to the oldest underground railway in the world,  how wrong can this go?! I had three hours to make my way to my check-in point (aka. my host's listing).

First win. Well, I'm here to tell the tale and I am pleased to say I made it in time to meet my host. There were a few hairy moments along the way, but I think I may have cracked it (or at least the lines I've already been on!). 

Airbnb accommodation: private room 

I'm staying in a quiet area in western Tokyo with my host Yagi. His home is a beautiful blend of the traditional and new, and is a lovely haven of peace. Yagi, was there to welcome me, show me around and demonstrate how some of the facilities work. I know this should be rather straightforward, but there are some pretty technical appliances, particularly in the washroom...although, there is still a tap that is proving difficult to get water out of (you have to leave something to day two, right!). 🙂 

Second win of the day, I remembered to read the house rules and therefore to take off my shoes (don't worry, I left my more jazzy pair of socks for another day), so all is well.

Airbnb Tokyo office

To end the day, I went to meet with Laura and the rest of the team, at the Tokyo office. If you are like me, you enjoy taking a look behind the scenes, (and I thought you might), so here are a few photos of the space:

It's cherry blossom season, so the office is blooming at the moment. What do you think? 

• Our first host event is today (3rd), so I look forward to sharing more with you shortly.
• Also to come, a Community Spotlight with my host Yagi.

I hope you find this an interesting read, feel free to suggest ideas of things you would like me to include in the days ahead.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Lizzie 

Thanks for the travelreport. It's interesting and I like it.

Write more about Your trip.

[Danny32]

Super exciting stuff!

[Leo192]

Love the ABB Tokyo office.  Very nice.  I think I'd like one of those ABB pilows in my space too!   Thanks for sharing & enjoy your visit Lizzie!

[Casita-By-The-Texas-Bay0]

such a nice adventure...keep us posted!

[Christine1]

Hi Lizzie, ta for this letter, You convey beautifully the visuals and challenges you faced on your Narita Tokyo trip. 

Ta also for the pics. Is the first one a chopstick holder box? 

Regards Christine 

[Lizzie]

Hello @Christine1, 

Yes, they are. Unfortunately, they are not mine...they belong to a man called Mark...as you may see below! 🙂

Here is a peak at what they look like:

How are your skills with chopsticks?

[Emiliano69]

Lizzie you are such a good persona to take the time to sent this pictures for  @Christine

, Its a total  diferent experience to have somebody that you know is reading and interacting with us !!! Thank you guys and KEEP DOING IT !!!

[Gordon0]

Harry Beck's map lives on, in Tokyo too!
Good design will always stand the test of time.

[Daniel1598]

@Lizzie Love it! Keep us posted on the trip.

Suggestion - Quirky little products in Asia are the best. If you find any that blow your mind, in elegance or hilarity, please show and tell.

[J-Renato0]

Great adventure! Beautiful the Airbnb Tokio Office, @Lizzie 

Suggestion for the days ahead: Post some picture of something you think is interesting (different, that attract attention), meaning, something that you see in the streets or in the urderground... between the airport and each place you are staying.  A picture of each listing you are staying would be also very interesting.

Editing.... Actually you have done it... the underground map and the box to put the japanize  "things" to use to eat. Anyways...

[Lizzie]

Thanks @J-Renato0  and @Daniel1598. I'm loving your ideas here. I'm on the case. 🙂 

Glad to hear you are enjoying this piece. 

[Lyn3]

@Lizzie  this is a great start, so interesting, I love Japan and have been there twice (many years ago before Airbnb existed) - and I'm looking forward to your posts and pics as you travel.

bon voyage

Lyn.

[Helen427]

@Lizzie@Yagi @AirbnbTokyo @Lyn3 @J-Renato0 @Daniel1598 @Gordon0 @Casita-By-The-Texas-Bay0 @Christine267@Leo@Danny@Ute and @everyoneelse

All the best for your whistle stop tour @Lizzie 

Here's a fun fact from Papers Past about Tokio Central Railway Station to learn from

All the best for the rest of your current travels

Industrial Life and Railways in Tokio. Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6461, 4 January 1905

Tokio, the capital of Japan, now boasts a population of 1,600,000, and covers an area of 28 square miles. As in the case of other great capitals, says Engineering, the need for improving the means of internal communication within the city has been greatly emphasised of late years. Cottage industries are still, however responsible for the major portion of the manufactures of the city, so that the demand for travelling facilities to and from the suburbs of the city is much less than it would be in a European or American city of equal size. Nevertheless, industrial methods are slowly changing and with the change the demand for better means of internal communication has been steadily increasing. It has, moreover, to be noted that the longdistance passenger has also had reason to complain of the difficulty • experienced in crossing the city. There are two main line of railway in the island. The distance between the two terminals within Tokio is three and three-quarter miles, and the quickest method of getting from one station to the other has been by means of jinriksha, by which the trip might be made in 40 minutes. There is also a tramline between the two stations worked by horse traction, but the time taken for the trip by these tramcars ia at least 45 minutes. In 1865, says Engineering, it was decided to construct a direct line through the heart of the city from the Hamamatsucho station on the Tokaido State line up to Ulyeno, and a sum of 3,500,000 yen was voted for the portion to be built by the State railway viz., from Hamamatsucho to a so-called ; central station at Shinkoruchal, and it was thought that the Nippon- I'etsudo-Kaisha Company the owners of the other truck line with a terminal in Tokio, would complete the link by prolonging their line south to this central station. For the present, however, the company refuses to undertake the work, so that it will be necessary to construct the proposed central station as a terminal instead of a through station, at an enhanced cost.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19050104.2.41

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Lizzie 

Great to hear you are doing well in Tokyo~ I was there last December with my parents to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. Enjoy the sushi, tempura, soba, ramen, yakitori and tonkatsu....... and the sake 🙂