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
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