Tokyo To Tel Aviv

I flew to Tokyo yesterday and then I'm going to Tel Aviv. The Tel Aviv trip should be standard, but the Tokyo is unusual, for a few reasons.

I have been to Tokyo, always flying in to Narita Airport. That is the main international airport with most of the flights, but it is pretty far from Tokyo. They have some fast trains to get into the city, but it would be better to actually land in the city itself.

This time, I went to Haneda Airport. It is at the southern tip of the city, but at least it is actually within the city limits. The most expensive express train from Narita takes about an hour to get into the city. The cheaper trains are about 90 minutes. From Haneda, I got to my hotel in less than 30 minutes. Japanese trains run on time, so when they tell you how long they are supposed to take, that is how long they take.

Another unusual aspect to this Tokyo trip is the hotel. I usually stay in Shibuya. I like the neighborhood and it has everything I need without having to crowd onto the JR. This time, I'm in the Ichibancho neighborhood of Chiyoda. I don't know this neighborhood at all, so it should be interesting. My first impression is that it is very quiet. This is definitely not Shibuya.

Easily the most unusual aspect of this trip to Tokyo will be the Paul McCartney concert today at the Tokyo Dome. That is something I have never done before. I have seen Paul in the United States, but never in Asia. And if you want to see Paul in Asia, you have to go to Japan. He does not seem to know that China exists.