So, we might as well start from the beginning:
I left for Chicago at 8am/CST from St. Louis. I only brought 3 bags (a suitcase, my backpack, and my camera bag), and checked the suitcase (this is important because we'll revisit this later). The flight to Chicago was short - about 40 minutes - but still managed to give me a headache. I sat next to a guy who had recently enlisted in the Army and was connecting to Honolulu (his first assignment). As soon as I told him my plans to join, he wouldn't stop talking. I spent the next 38 minutes smiling and nodding.
O'Hare was a pretty easy airport to navigate, and I reached the ANA (All Nippon Airways) gate a few minutes later. I had an hour and a half layover. Unfortunatly, ANA does not get a high priority over the major US airlines and there were about 40 seats form what seemed like 200 passengers. So, instead of standing with my bags, I went and got an Egg McMuffin (which I justified as my last real American food for the next 4 months).
We got on the plane at 10:30, and left 20 minutes later. It was a big plane, and I had an aisle seat, so things could have been worse. It's good they weren't since I was stuck on Flight 11 to Narita Airport for the next 13 hours. The flight really wasn't that bad; I watched 3 movies (Bourne Ultimatum is pretty good, 3:10 to Yuma...not so much), and was able to do all of my homework for the first week with time to spare. I did make one key mistake: I ordered a special meal. Word to the wise: when buying a ticket online and they ask what kind of food you want, just select "no preference". If you pick something (I chose "Oriental" because I thought I'd be cool and get a head start), it will only blow up in your face. My oriental meal ended up being the same as the Asian Vegetarian, and I had more cucumber and tomato sandwhiches than I knew what to do with.
When I arrived at Narita, my name was called over the PA system. That was my first clue something was wrong. I checked in at the ANA desk right off the platform and they politely informed me that my luggage didn't make the flight with me from Chicago ("Ah, hai, Mr. Boo-noo, so sorry but your bag did not transfer to this flight").
So, after getting through customs (which required a really hi-tech, CIA-esque dual fingerprint scan and photo), and having my Visa approved, I went to the baggage claim to get this sorted out. Turns out this is pretty common and that my bag would arrive the next day. The best part was they were going to hand-deliver it to my door.
It was really a blessing in disguise because it meant that I wouldn't have to lug my suitcase across the city.
So, I exited the terminal, and headed to the currency exchange desk. Japan is a cash society, and all of my initial expenses (rent, etc.) must be paid in cash. So, I exchanged $2,500.00 for a little over Y270,000. Needless to say, I was pretty much a baller at that point. It took all my self control not to make it rain right there in the airport.
I walked over to the the Friendly Airport Limosuine (a charter bus that runs into the city from the airport) and got a Y3000 ticket to Shinjuku Station.
The bus ride was one of the best experiences I've had since I've been here. Driving down the expressway into the city was like showing up on the set of Blade Runner. All the cars are different, and they all look futuristic and new. The highway itself is elevated, so you're entering the city roughly even with the 7th floor of every building, and the city just seems to stretch for miles and miles (It does, it's about 15 miles north to south, and 55 miles east to west).
An hour and 20 minutes later, I was dropped off in the middle of Shinjuku Station...
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