Hello from Tokyo!

Well, slight deviation from my usual HK chat as I am currently on a plane to Tokyo. Fear not those of a safety-conscious nature, I'm in airplanemode.

This is also a test of whether the email-blogging system I 'setup' (somewhat in haste) actually works. We shall see. If you are reading this, then it did. Hurrah etc.

I am surrounded by a multitude of papers, street and tube maps, guide books and travel documents. Chaos is an appropriate description and I am starting to feel slightly anxious about arriving in a city I've never been to before, where the address system is, at best, confusing. No street names in addresses, or on maps. Hmmm. Still, plane, train, tube, walk. Keep those fingers crossed, how hard can it be? Well, I'll let you know. Brilliantly I am booked into a hotel that is featured in neither of the two guide books I hastily purchased.

However, anxiety has to be put aside for the excitement factor. Tokyo, home of sushi, sumo and stationery (I get to actually go to Winged Wheel!?). Are there customs restrictions on paper products?

Despite a somewhat packed work schedule (I was never going to be sent here for fun) I'm hoping to fit in a few trips and treats and have been eagerly reading about 5am fish markets (sushi for breakfast - can't be any odder than pizza), hot tubs and theatre. Those of you that have been here before please do email across tips!

Right, slight travel update. I have now made it through passport control(fingerprints and photo now on file) and customs (I am not carrying illegal materials). Phew. The guidebook talks through the restrictions on some illegal material, which made me giggle but possibly can't be covered on work email.

You also have your temperature taken as part of the health controls. Quite scary! The form filling, fingerprinting and explanation of my visit did make me think I probably ought to have a copy of my passport, bank/card details etc stored somewhere rather than total reliance on never losing my handbag.Still, a little too late for that at this point...

I was slightly surprised to see that on landing people were running to security and customs, dragging bags and small children behind them.Somewhat baffled (did they just really like being fingerprinted and had they thought through the running vs temperature scan) and concerned I was about to spend the remainder of my week being jostled, it appears there was good reason for this behaviour...

My careful (albeit frantic) planning for my method of reaching the hotel was somewhat scuppered post baggage reclaim due to the trains not running(too late) and the hotel shuttle not running (too late). Hence the running.I am not a relaxed business traveller, I am a poorly-informed business traveller. Damn. There goes my cool, collected airport approach. Tokyo fact1: early flights are better. Although in fairness I had a grand total of two hours notice so earlier not really possible today.

Anyway, I am now on an airport limousine (that would be a coach) to the centre of Tokyo. Sadly I am unable to be more specific as to the precise location I will eventually reach. I also have a piece of paper with my hotel name written in Japanese so I can take a cab from 'the centre' -kindly provided by a woman at the bus desk who recognises a person with little to no clue about Tokyo when she sees one.

The guidebook is very anti the general shuttle, claiming it takes hours.However, I am hopeful it will be an opportunity to see 'Tokyo by night'.The power of positive thinking outweighs the dislike of coach trips. So far I can see motorway. Initial observation is it is not materially different to other motorways I have been on. So there you go, Tokyo fact 2: motorways do not appear different.

I remain hopeful that 'hours' is actually not that long, it is fairly late and I am slightly concerned about whether my hotel will actually be open.Surely it must be. Right?

Ps - it is raining....

UPDATE:- Email-blogging did not work and this is being posted by the power of the hotel business centre which I have popped into even before seeing my room!Please delete "Hurrah etc" from your earlier reading of this.
- The coach took 1 hour
- Some confusion and a taxi, 20 minutes later I arrived at the hotel. More about that later!!