Well, first things first. I had to book a flight. I have had many friends and family members who have flown to the Far East via United. After doing my research, which means "asking around" for opinions, it was determined that if we were to fly transcontinental, go with an international airline company. It was unanimous that the "other" airlines were better in service and comfort. Now, I'm not trying to knock down the adage, "Go American all the way", but when it comes to comfort and service for a long flight and by MYSELF with my kids, I had to go with the foreign airline. The recommendations were: JAL, Singapore Air, or Cathay Airlines. Since I didn't want any layover, we chose JAL. I am SO happy we went with JAL (Japan Airline)!!!! When we arrived at the airport, JAL's employees saw that I had children and they immediately opened another check-in desk just for us and took us right away. We had NO WAIT!!! I was thrilled as I had a stroller/carseat, carry-ons, luggage (large since we were away for the month), and my other child holding my hand. It was crazy-making. However, their service was so impeccable it eased my nerves. They noticed I checked off that my children were allergic to nuts. They asked how much and sat us accordingly. Apparently, some children are so allergic to nuts that an open bag of nuts next to them will send the poor child to an anaphylactic shock. Fortunately, my children aren't that bad, but the employees were rearranging the seating to insure safety for my children as well as for them (I highly doubt they wanted an incident up in the air).
Our hotel was already set up for us due to my husband's work. This was nice as I typically arrange that as well.We stayed at the Capitol Tokyu Hotel. It was very nice and as extravagant as it was, it was small. I think this is very typical of Japan and of course, we Americans are used to space. Nonetheless, it was very, very nice. They knew I had a baby with me so they set up the crib in the room for us as well. There was always hot water available to us to make tea. We had a little refrigerator which is always nice. There is an outdoor pool which was really great since we were there in July and it's very hot and humid in Tokyo this time of year. Here is something that I just found out about the hotel....it's being remodeled and will be open in the Fall 2010. This hotel is centrally located in the Akasaka area near the Prime Minister's Official Residence. From the hotel lobby it's directly across the street from the subway/trains. Remember, the trains are ON TIME 99% of the time. If you miss one, have no fear, another one is coming along in a few minutes. The transportation there is extremely efficient and CLEAN.
My next step after booking our flights was to research the places that are children friendly and family-oriented. One of the books I really enjoyed and was most useful was called Kids' Trips in Tokyo.
We went to a lot of places this book suggested and they were all great!!!! We also learned some of the cultural nuances i.e. don't eat and walk (kids can up to a certain age; I don't know what that is, but you use your best judgment), don't blow your nose in public, take a small wet towel and put it in a plastic bag that can be re-used as your "wet wipe" for the day. There are a lot more, but it felt good to fit into the culture AND get a really good feel for how people live day to day.
One of our memorable stops was a day at Kamakura. It's an hour train ride from Tokyo. Definitely a place where you would want to bring your stroller. The strollers aren't great for the hikes up the steps, but I had a Baby Bjorn and my husband had the hiking pack where he could carry our youngest. We would just park the strollers in the stroller parking area and hike up. Our oldest did not tire out. He was so excited to see all the views and met so many other kids, that he didn't get tired. This town had ocean views, temples, and beautiful green rolling hills. The Kid Trips in Tokyo book gave us plenty to see without having to go temple to temple which would have bored our kids. We stopped at the Great Buddha. This place is astounding! The Great Buddha was completed in 1252. The statue ranks as Japan's second-largest bronze Buddha. It weighs 124,478 kilograms, stands 11.25 meters high. It is truly awe-inspiring.
After the Great Buddha, we went on to Hasedera, one of easter Japan's most popular temples, that houses an ancient gilded Kannon. Our oldest met another boy and they became fast hiking friends meandering through the temple and it's views of the ocean and valley.
Kamakura's main sopping street has a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and candy stores. Everything is neatly wrapped and beautiful. Even when cashier bags your treasures, they are beautifully wrapped. Very fun!
Stay tuned for our next day trip in Tokyo!
