Reid Main

Outside of an hour delay due to the 401's legendarily bad traffic, our first day of travel actually didn't go half bad.

I know I've brought this up many times before but I highly recommend you sign up for NEXUS because it truly makes getting through security and customs a breeze. Within 10 minutes of arriving at Pearson International Airport I had my bags checked, gotten through security without having to take my electronics out, and was relaxing in the Maple Leaf Lounge. Two hours later we had boarded our flight and we're on our way to Japan.

I would have thought that by this point in my life I'd have learned to sleep on planes but unfortunately that skill continues to elude me. I passed most of the time by reading books and listening to podcasts. I did manage to purchase Wi-Fi and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs win a nail-biter against the Florida Panthers. It was funny to watch other passengers that had done the same throw their hands into the air any time a big play occurred.

We landed at Haneda Airport on time and got through customs in only 45 minutes due to filling out all of the necessary paperwork ahead of time. We took the Keikyū Airport Line for Shinagawa Station and then boarded the Tokaido Shinkansen before disembarking at Nagoya Station.

Whenever someone asks me for travel tips about Japan I always lead off with two things. First, only fly into Haneda, never Narita. From Haneda it takes you a fraction of the time to get to Tokyo Station. Second, minimize the amount of travel you are doing after landing. I know you've planned out this amazing trip to Kyoto or Osaka and cannot wait to see all of the temples and shrines. But by the time you're off the plane, through customs, and arrive in Tokyo, it is probably after 6pm. You will then have to board a 2+ hour Shinkansen and in your sleep deprived state that will not be an enjoyable task.

For this trip we decided start in Nagoya so we could spend a single day taking in the sights before heading down to Osaka. Another pro-tip is to book hotels above train stations for your travel days because they are usually exceptionally easy to find. That was very much the case with Nagoya Station and by 7:30pm we were checked into our hotel.

At this point we had been up for nearly 24 hours. So after a quick shower it was finally time for bed and to commence the unwinnable battle with jet lag.