We are having sorta cloudy weather. Pretty much in the 70s all the time down in the Village.
My old body is complaining today, so I am giving it a break. I might not even make 2 miles today.
While sprawled on the sofa, I started thinking: What exactly am I going to do in Tokyo?
I adore Tokyo. Unfortunately, I have the ambition of a 25-year-old trapped inside an 81-year-old body.
Then it hit me: trains.
That’s what I’m going to do. I love trains almost as much as I love coffee.
I’ll be staying right across from the 8th-busiest train station in the world, and Japanese trains run on time to the second, because… Japan. So here’s the working plan for my 3–4 days in Tokyo:
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• At 10 a.m.—after rush hour—board a Shinkansen going somewhere, one to two hours away.
• Get off. Wander. People-watch. Drink coffee. Admire vending machines.
• Get back on a Shinkansen.
• Return to Tokyo before 4 p.m. to avoid being trampled by commuters.
• Stop at 7-Eleven for a sandwich and coffee.
• Go look at holiday lights at dusk.
Honestly, I’m perfectly happy just sitting on a train staring out a window.
I will need to do a little planning, mostly to make sure the trains come back. And if I’m riding Shinkansen, I’ll need to brush up on my ticket-buying skills. For the regular trains, I’ve got my IC card.
