ASIA TRIP 2024 - JAPAN PT.6 - Departure
July 3
Lucky to be sitting on the side of the plane with a view of Fujisan as we headed back to Hong Kong.
It all went by way to quickly. We had to be at the airport around 11:00 in the morning which really only gave us time for packing and breakfast before making our way to the train station. I snapped a few photos along the way while feeling disappointed that it was already time to leave Japan. Who knows when or if we’ll be able to make it back in the future, but I’m thankful that we were able to visit Japan at all.
Thinking back, on trip now makes me even more disappointed as my memories fade a little more each day. As I look back at the photos I have trouble recalling what it was really like when I was there. Each time I view them it’s almost as if someone else took them, someone else was a witness... damn my memory.
As we lugged our luggage down the sidewalks of Tokyo I tried to take in some of the things I assumed I might forget. The potted plants in front of so many homes. The unlocked bicycles that seemed to be part of the cityscape. The ever-prevalent vending machines on nearly every street we walked along. The cleanliness of everything I saw. The architecture of all the buildings around me. The small and extremely practical designed cars that seemed to be hiding in carports and open garages. The vibe of the people that were quiet, polite, restrained and always on the move. All these things I was sure would gradually fade from my memories, I tried to hold on to a little longer.
We ended up having to wait on the subway platform for about 30 minutes for our train to arrive. This was very irritating for me. It wasn’t the wait so much as it was the fact that it felt like wasted time. Time that I could have been exploring just a little bit more before I had to leave.
Once on the train I spend all my time staring out the window trying my best to absorb everything I saw. All the mundane sites of city neighborhoods which eventually gave way to suburban shopping centers and housing developments. We then came across some small farmlands as we neared the Narita Airport. All I could think is just how much of Japan I haven’t seen, all the places I haven’t gone.
I don’t know exactly why Japan resonates with me so much, but I haven’t really been quite this disappointed to leave a location. Hopefully I will be able to visit again someday. And I hope that I will be able to stay much longer and see much more.
Just before Narita there were a few farmlands we passed. The quintessential small but highly practical Japanese cars reminding you that you’re in Japan.
The dirty window combined with the haze from the humidity prevented me from getting more clarity and detail. But that being said, if you look carefully between the snow and the clouds you can see another crater on the side of Mt. Fuji. This is the Hōei Crater from the last eruption in 1707. I only became aware of this as a result of the view from the window.
A slightly different view of the Hōei Crater and just how big it is. You can also see some of the hiking trails winding back and forth.
