Cruise to Japan - Shisui and Tokyo - Local fast Service Train - 19 September 2023

At the station ready to board the Rapid Train at 11:21 West Gate - 11 carriages, Shisui then Sakura, Monoi, Yotsukaido, Tsuga, Chiba, Inage, Tsudanuma, Funabashi, Ichikawa, Shin-Koiwa, Kinshicho, Bakurocho, Shin-Nihombashi, Tokyo.

We set off from our cosy Airbnb at 8:30, got some coffee at the 7/11 and tried to buy a sandwich at the bakery - sorry sir, cash only. Continued to the station and tried to purchase 2 train tickets - sorry the machine is cash only. Go to the nearest bank, can we draw from our credit card? yes if it's Visa, no sorry it's MasterCard. Back to the Airbnb to get WiFi (see yesterday - there is no free WiFi or open restaurants with WiFi in Sishui) search to find where we can exchange cash or draw from an ATM - Google says the post office, same as in England, is the nearest place to exchange cash as the exchange banks exist only in Narita Airport or Tokyo Station both a long way away.

Armed with Google translate and the Dollars to exchange to Yen, we walk to the post office. Google is wrong no exchanging currency at the Japanese post offices. There was however a MasterCard ATM. We both withdrew some Yen and 2 hours later back at the station we choose the wrong machine to pay for a ticket. A very unenthusiastic employee gave us our money back and having finally gotten the correct ticket, fed it into the machine. It accepted it, spat it out again for us to feed it into the Tokyo machine.

Uneventful train ride into Tokyo station, it is huge with many exits. We randomly pick one and come out at the Imperial Palace.

Feeling quite hungry we approach a shop in the Imperial gardens. They have sold out of food only have matcha shaved ice and ice cream. Delicious, though Michael reckons there are no overweight Japanese as we cannot find any real food in Tokyo. 13:00 hrs and the Cafe has no food.

We find the open top bus and take a tour around Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower

Many bridges

Building with a front facade of vegetation

Tokyo Theatre

The security robot. Press me if you need help!

Back to Tokyo station and a relaxed if quite full of people train trip home. Rush hour starts at 16:00 with many more people at the Tokyo station.

We got back to Shisui station, walked all around the area for a Japanese restaurant, to find Safron an Indian restaurant, the only alternative to 7/11 that was open. Excellent food and value for money, after which we bought dessert and coffee at the 7/11 and walked back to our Airbnb very happy and full.

Tomorrow we make our way to the Yokahama Cruise Terminal to board the cruise ship that will take us around Japan.