Field Report: Tōkyō (16 April 2013) – Part 2/2

Where Diego sees a man walking his dog, admires a marble staircase, and says farewell to one of his favourite cities in the world.

Second part of two. Final field report of Japan 2013.

I had a great 15 days in Japan, but the time has come to pack my bags and fly home.

Not in itself a bad thing, except that I was sorely dreading the mountain of emails just waiting to drown me when I returned to work. (Probably the worst part about going home from any holiday.)

But I digress. Now for our last stop of the day, and of the trip: one of Tōkyō’s two international airports.

I’ve always flown in and out via Narita on my previous visits to Japan, but this time was different as neither of my flights involved that airport. I’d arrived via Kansai and I was now leaving via Haneda, more specifically through the international terminal building completed in 2010.

I’m not particularly fond of modern architecture, but I’ve got to admit, I love the new terminal’s slick, clean lines and gently arcing roof.

The atmosphere is open, spacious, and relaxed – almost like being inside a gigantic tent.

A row of shops and restaurants made to look like an Edo-period street offers airport users a chance for some last-minute shopping (or dining).

Views of the sprawling tarmac can be had from within the building, but even better views are possible from the outdoor observation deck.

I had a fair bit of pocket change still jangling about in my pockets. Fortunately, Japan isn’t short of coin-operated machines just itching to part people from their coins. If you’re careful, the folks back home needn’t know that their lovely Japanese souvenirs were disgorged by a gashapon dispenser.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, quoth the Bard.

Well, at least I’m leaving with another mountain of memories to cherish for a lifetime.

A few brief posts to follow, documenting the lounge experience at Haneda and my flights back home, but other than that . . .

Cheerio. Farewell Japan. I look forward to visiting again soon.