June 8th: from Paris to Tokyo

We need two taxis to get us to the airport. Apart from our luggage – 3 huge suitcases, one of which is full of presents and food for family and friends, an onboard suitcase, a sizeable mom bag, a kids’ backpack, a stroller and of course two children – we also have four cardboard boxes to take to Japan. Artworks that have to go back to their owner. The burden of combining work and pleasure.  

We fly with JAL, Japan Airlines, and are treated kindly at the check-in desk. We are prepared to pay for one piece of luggage, but I. – who still flies for free – also has the right to check-in one.
We are quite certain the boxes exceed the maximum size, but they are not rejected, even after being thoroughly measured. Additionally, we are informed that we are seated in two different rows, but probably with some empty seats next to us because the plane isn’t full. We might even sleep! 

Our flight leaves at 20:30. We wait in a calm Charles de Gaulle, at a small play area for kids. We cheer with some wine and beer and feel very relieved. L and I eat the onigiri – rice balls – Eriko has made for them, and we secretly snack on chips. I. eats a lot; L. eats only the necessary to get by, as usual. There is a Japanese couple with a three-year-old son and the kids all play together while we chat about Paris and Tokyo. The woman recognises all of the brands my children are wearing and asks where I got L.’s Misha&Puff ‘popcorn’ sweater, because they sell out within minutes in Japan.
I bought it second-hand, I reply, and I show her the app I’m using. It’s my hobby to find second-hand treasures and I’m quite proud of this one. Together we scroll through my app.

Although we are allowed to board first with the children, we wait until the very last moment. We want them to play as long as possible.
The plane is only half full when we enter. I am super happy to have three chairs for I. and me. The fact that at least she will be able to sleep well during this flight, makes everything easier. 

For take-off and dinner, Julien and L. move to us so we can enjoy together. A few weeks ago there was a news item about someone who died on a plane due to turbulence. The item was followed by another one about something similar, death or serious injury due to turbulence. I’m not a person who is scared of flying, but I do whisper to Julien we all have to wear our seatbelt at all times. He agrees. He always wears his after a flight that went (obviously semi-) wrong. 

“Fifty minutes into the flight, an announcement is made: they expect severe turbulence.”

Fifty minutes into the flight, an announcement is made: they expect severe turbulence. The food service is delayed by 30 minutes. Everyone needs to stay seated. In the end it isn’t too bad, but I guess JAL has read the newspapers too: better safe than sorry. 
L., however, gets sick. She is extremely tired by now – after all, it is almost 22:00 – and she didn’t eat enough. She vomits a few times, first all over her beautiful Misha&Puff popcorn sweater, later in a paper bag. Luckily, I have fresh pyjamas ready for after dinner. I feel so sorry for her. She looks like a ghost. Her eyes are black and her skin is grey. When the food is served she doesn’t want to eat. She watches a film while we try to shove something into her mouth. She refuses even the ice cream.

After the plates are cleared up, the lights are dimmed. I. is soon knocked out on me, with a belly full of both Julien’s and my dinner. Julien and L. move to the row behind us, so I can put her down. We have an amazing air pillow, which Julien starts blowing up. It cost nothing and its super convenient; I highly recommend it. It’s a rectangular pillow that you can put between your seat and the seat in front of you, allowing your child to lie down. 
L. finds it hard to stop watching her film. Luckily we can convince her, without creating a scene, and she soon passes out. 

The rest of the flight goes smoothly. The kids sleep for about 8 hours and we manage to sleep 5 or 6 hours. Once the lights are on again, the flight is another 3.5 hours. L. loves watching films and it is therefore not difficult to entertain her. I. has no interest in screens. I’ve always found it interesting how one kid was born being fascinated by the screen and the other one has no interest at all. In any case, I. wants to walk around, and we take her for a spin around the plane in turns. I. does love food and once breakfast is served, she sits down to eat and plays with some of the toys I packed after.

Arriving in Tokyo

It is Sunday, around 18:00 when we arrive at Haneda Airport. We are picked up by Julien’s mother Kazuko and brother Kenji. Julien and Kenji are identical twins. Kenji, is married to a Japanese woman, Megu. They have two kids, a ten year old girl and a six year old boy. Funny isn’t it? That the one with the Japanese name lives in Tokyo with a Japanese partner and the one with a French name is in Europe with a Dutch one. 

From the airport, we send the cardboard boxes off to their final destination. Japan truly has great delivery services. In 20 minutes we are four boxes lighter and it only coast a few yens. We could have also sent our big luggage to the apartment; it would have arrived the next morning. It’s super well organized and luxurious. I’ll write about it more later in this trip but mostly: I’ll explain everything in the upcoming guide!  

We decide to go for dinner somewhere on our way into the city. We stop at a simple soba restaurant that also offers many other Japanese dishes. There is edamame, tofu, agedashi tofu (deep fried tofu), pickles and sashimi for starters, followed by soba. The food tastes great although I’m not sure if it is because we are hungry or because it is genuinely delicious food. What is certain, is that almost any random restaurant in Japan serves good food. The Italy of Asia, according to Julien. I second that. 

Our neighbourhood for the week: Harajuku!

Our apartment for the first week is well situated, in the midst of the Harajuku district. Harajuku is a fashionable and playful neighbourhood, with an amazing mix of high-end shops, streets full of hardcore cool vintage stores and lots of avant-garde galleries. It’s home to youth culture. One of those places that boost your dopamine level by 200% just by wandering around watching it unfold in front of you. No doubt even your children will love it, although it can be quite overwhelming. 

It is also the district bordering Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in a mysterious forest containing 100.000 trees. Next to this forest you will find Yoyogi Park, one of the biggest, most popular parks in Tokyo. On Sundays Yoyogi Park is a famous attraction with an important role for the entrance close to Harajuku station. People dance and sing dressed up like rock&roll stars. Just like their ability to copy (and improve!) croissants, Japanese are super good at pretend games. There is such an eye for detail. Everyone looks their best. Yoyogi Park is a popular park for hanami, literally translated as ‘flower watching’, during cherry blossom season. I’ve spent quite some springs catching a cold in this park, having picnics with friends. When you go on any other day than the weekend you’ll be surprised at how serene it is. It’s a good place to unwind after visiting Shibuya or Harajuku. One my personal favourite activities is to watch the dogs at the dog run. Literally every dog entering this dog run is good looking and cute.

It’s dark when we arrive and besides the 7Eleven, a 24/7 convenience store, and some food stands, almost all the shops are closed. We push our big suitcases inside and take a deep breath. What a long trip! And how exciting it is to be here!  
The apartment is perfect. It is spacious for Tokyo standards, with two bedrooms and two double beds. The living room has an open kitchen and a bar table including a children’s chair. There is a sofa with a huge screen. We don’t have a screen at home and I imagine L. will be happy to watch something here after a long day outside. There is also a shelf with children’s books and toys. 
The kids are happy to finally play freely. We let them explore while we unpack and organise the suitcases. 

Japanese baths are the best baths ever!

After we finish, we prepare a bath. Japanese baths are the best baths ever! I wish I could import a Japanese bathroom into our apartment in Rotterdam. In Japan, the bathroom usually consists of two rooms. A room where you undress, and where you find the sink. Then, a room with the bath and shower. In modern bathrooms the bath fills automatically after pressing one button and keeps the temperature or reheats the water when needed. The bath is for the whole family. Before entering, you take a shower and wash yourself clean. You must make sure no soap gets in the bath! The bath is just to relax. These baths are perfect for children because they can play with the water without you having to clean your entire bathroom with towels. The area where you dress and get ready for the day stays dry and even doesn’t get the humidity of the bath. 

We all go to bed around midnight. Julien and L. sleep in one bed. I. and I sleep in the other bed. We want to sleep well and this is the easiest way. However, I. doesn’t sleep until 4:00 and I – although of course rather broken from the flight – stay awake with her. 
Julien and L. wake up exactly after I have just put I. to bed. L. comes to our room and she wants to stay with us. She cries and I’m terrified she will wake up I. again. I tell Julien to take care of her, push her out of the room – sorry, sorry L.! – and close the door. I haven’t slept for such a long time now and I need to close my eyes. 

@charlottesato