Between arriving back in Hawai’i on Sunday, and leaving for Japan yesterday, my body is on a wild jetlag ride! When we got in to Japan, I fell asleep at 4:00 pm, woke up for dinner, went back to sleep at 9:30 pm, woke up at 2:00 am, went back to sleep, and then woke up again at 5:30 am. I wish my body luck, especially with the eight-hour difference between the west coast and Japan!
Anyway, I’m really excited for the trip ahead of us! We arrived at Narita, after flying JAL for the first time in a while. We flew one of the new Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” airplanes, and that in itself was an experience! The biggest difference between the Boeing and the Airbus, the plane we usually fly on Hawaiian Airlines to Japan, is the fluidity of the aircraft. It’s hard to explain, but everything about the airplane just felt more fluid in the air. The seats were more ergonomic, the lighting faded in and out, the wings seemed to float on the air, and the cabin seemed to sway more in turbulence. It was a neat experience, especially for someone like me who likes to fly!
The other awesome thing about the flight was that the Japanese movie, “My Guide to Hawaii,” was available on the in-flight entertainment! This was the movie that ManoaDNA guest-starred in, so I got to see myself on the “big” screen! I have to admit, my acting is pretty “on-par” with the professionals! Haha.
Of course, the main idea is that we made it safe and sound to Japan, ready for our tour! We have two shows today in Yokohama, then stops in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Sapporo. This tour is a little different because we have brought with us a group of about 20 from Hawai’i, who will be joining us at various spots along the way! These are local groupies from home, and we can’t wait to show them how ManoaDNA does Japan! Dad, Alx, and Reiko have been working very hard on an itinerary for them, so I hope it goes really well!
For me personally, it is really nice to be back in Japan. Having not visited since our last tour, and traveled for the last two months, I have had a lot of time to process what Japan means to me. I am looking forward to all the things I love, as well as the new experiences! Japan is an amazing place, and I hope I do not take it for granted!
Kanpai!
Nick