First 24 Hours in Tokyo
"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." – George Bernard Shaw
The trip to visit our son Aaron finally arrived on my schedule, and I began the long journey to see him. He has just completed his first month of a study abroad program at Temple University in Japan and still has a few months to go.
Aaron has learned the Tokyo train system pretty well, which includes the Shinkansen (i.e., bullet train), Ginza Line, and JR Yamanote Line. In fact, he offered to meet me at the Tokyo Narita Airport when I landed, as this would make my journey to the Shinjuku Prince Hotel much easier.
I arrived on Friday, Jan 31, which was also my 57th birthday. In fact, this was part of the plan. He celebrated his birthday on Jan 27, so the idea was to spend our birthday week together.
Kobe Beef Dinner
Aaron made reservations for us to have dinner at a Yakiniku Washino restaurant in the Shinjuku area, and it was a great experience. Tokyo is chilly this time of the year (i.e., flat out cold!), so we made the brisk 10-minute walk to the restaurant.
The cozy eatery was on the fourth floor of a building, as this type of space is customary in the space-deprived metropolis of Tokyo.
This was my first Kobe beef dinner experience, and it was great. We had a little grill in front of us, and we cooked the meat to our liking. Aaron said, “Wow! This Kobe beef is the best meat I’ve ever had!”
From my perspective, it is good to see him excel in Tokyo. Preparing for his trip was all on him, which included finding the university, preparing the arduous Japanese student visa application, and going to Houston to collect the visa. He also met with a tutor frequently to learn the essentials of speaking the Japanese language.
The Costco Experience
On the first full day, Aaron and I decided we would find a Costco. We are both Business Finance majors, so we like this kind of stuff.
How different will the Costco be compared to those in San Antonio? We imagined weird seafood, rare-looking fruits, and specific Japanese brands stocking the shelves.
Oh … as we exited the hotel, I realized I had left my Costco card in the room, so I made a quick dash back to get it.
We then went to the super-busy and huge Shinjuku train station to start our journey to Kawasaki. After one transfer and 40 minutes later, we were there.
Not just yet … We had to find a local bus to take us the rest of the way … or we could have walked 50 minutes.
With my knee still in rehab, waiting for the public transportation was in order.
We eventually made it to the Costco, and we were in for a surprise.
First, it was way over-crowded, but it was a Saturday.
Second, as Aaron says, “Man! I love this place! It feels like I’m in America again!”
Yes … he is having a great time in Japan, but like true Americans … we will always miss home!
We had planned a Japanese restaurant for lunch, but we noticed a great meal opportunity in the Costco food court …
One hot dog and a drink for $180 yen which equates to $1.16. Good deal!
Sure … we were in Tokyo, but it felt like the States for just a bit!
Takeaways
I share this story with you because I’ve come a long way over the past 30 years. There was a time when I worked completely off a list, and things needed to get done according to a specified plan.
Today … not so much. In fact, Aaron and I missed a bus along the way, and I just rolled with it.
I think that the Lord has helped me find a peace that makes me happy just doing everyday stuff, even when things fail to go according to my plan.
See you next week, my friends!
Inspiring Quotes
“Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” – David Ogden Stiers
"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there." – Barbara Bush
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you bring the family together?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.