Departure

September 12 (Saturday)

After a long preparation, our three-week journey to Japan finally began. At half-past eight, Dad took us to the airport in Munich, where we boarded the plane to Helsinki at 11:30 AM. Everything went smoothly. It was funny that I had specifically booked a window seat – unfortunately, the window was missing. But we managed without it.

In Helsinki, we only had a quick snack before the first real long-haul flight to Tokyo began for both of us. It was quite a funny sight: Almost 300 people were floating at an altitude of 11 kilometers at 900 km/h over the North Pole, eating microwaved airplane food. In the Economy Class, however, you really felt crammed in like a sardine.

September 13

After 13 hours of flying, during which we managed to catch at least a few hours of sleep, we finally arrived in Tokyo. We got our photos taken and our fingerprints collected and were then allowed to head to our hotel in the Shinjuku district after a 22-hour journey.

After the long flight, however, we were not very useful for much anymore. But we still had enough energy for a first stroll through Shinjuku and to grab a 'small' snack. After that, we could finally sleep in a proper bed.