Day 11 of my Geek Nation Tours: Samurai & Anime romp through Japan started early. Too early, in fact, to even get breakfast at the hotel. I checked out before dawn, grabbed my breakfast box, said “さようなら” to our amazing local guide, Eriko, and joined some of the guests on the airport shuttle from downtown Osaka to Kansai International Airport. It took about an hour by bus to reach the airport built literally out of nowhere (it’s on an artificial island). We watched the sun slowly creep up over the backdrop of Osaka’s industrial and port area. For a lot of people, it’s probably not the most scenic area, but I find it interesting to see the blue-collar backbone of a society.
We arrived at the airport and check-in was a breeze for me since I was travelling with only hand luggage. The glitch came when I got to the security control. Apparently the brand new tripod I had bought explicitly to shoot promo footage for GNT during the tour was a few centimeters too long by Japanese flight safety requirements. I tried dismantling the top of the tripod and it was still over the limit. The obvious suggestion by the security agent was to take my backpack back and turn in it as checked luggage. I opted for the alternative of just leaving the tripod there. I was frustrated (and it showed) since the tripod was new, I had paid for it with company money, and I couldn’t see the security risk it posed since I had already brought it with the same airline into the country (although, it could be there are other standards for domestic and international flights).
The flight from Kansai to Tokyo Haneda Airport wasn’t long. I had hoped for a glimpse of Mt. Fuji one last time, but cloud cover kept Fuji San hidden far below. However, when we landed at Haneda and transferred by bus to the terminal, I was treated with an even better sight. All Nippon Airways has several Star Wars-themed liveries and during the transfer, I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the ANA Boeing 787 decked out as R2-D2. Unfortunately, I was standing in the middle of a crowded bus so I wasn’t able to get a snapshot, but I was enamored all the same.
I spent my last few moments in the airport double checking that prices for Sony products really weren’t all that better than what we pay in the West and perusing the selection of capsule machines. I’m pretty sure I got one last capsule, but I don’t remember what it was.
I was fortunate to have a direct flight from Haneda direct to Frankfurt International Airport with ANA. Although this route uses a Boeing 777 instead of the newer 787, it was still a great experience and solidified ANA in my mind as the best airline I’ve ever flown with. It was a fantastic end to a pretty decent tour.
Overall, I felt like the experience was generally positive. I often felt over drawn as I tried to juggle managing the group and shoot decent promotional footage for GNT. Luckily, Eriko is amazing at her job and was always organized, professional, and mindful of the guests. It also helped that the group was so small. The itinerary was a good mix of pop culture and traditional Japanese highlights but could’ve likely been streamlined. In the end, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit the Land of the Rising Sun again and look forward to doing it again even if I have to pay for it myself next time.
The Hard Way 