Family Travelogue: Last day in Tokyo, missed train stops for a few times/ Family Travelogue Trip to Japan March 2016

Our last day in Tokyo, during our trip in March 2016, was very interesting? stressful? full of adventure? full of troubles? or whatever. Thank God we did not miss our plane. Boarding time was 11:45pm and we managed to reach our Gate- 15 minutes before - after check in, hand carry bag security checking, immigration clearance... enough to freshen up and change my blouse.

We checked out HotelMyStays Ochanamizu at 10am on that day. We left our luggage at hotel's storage and spent the whole day going around Tokyo. I was wearing blouse beneath my sweat shirts and a leather jacket inside my bag had it been cold as the previous days. I felt a bit warm with my sweat shirts the whole day.

By 11am, we were at Ueno and had lunch at the Ueno branch of Tempura Tendon Tenya. We had strolled at the Ueno Park, My daughter bought some lucky charms stuff at the temple, we seek good luck through the fountain of frog- following visitors. We took photos of the three ponds at Ueno Park.

Next to the itinerary for the day, to the Senso-ji Temple at Asakusa. We googled the nearest station to take us to the Asakusa station. Our map said we have to walk for 9 to 15 minutes to the Hirokoji Station and take the Ginza line bound to Asakusa with four stops to our destination, which I believe the last stop. From the Shinobazu pond we headed to Shinobazu Dori street. While walking, we saw a bakeshop and I was really craving for sweets at that time. We had the yummy yummy crepe. They sell different kinds of crepe, cakes, breads and more. Too bad I was not able to take photo. We stopped by outside the Hotel Coco Grand Ueno (parking entrance) and started the crepe. We continued finding the Hirokoji station when I spotted again one of the three ponds at Ueno Park. I took photo of the pond. Then I went back to my daughter and continued to find the Hirokoji station. We saw stairs to underground and with signs of the stations and lines under. One of which is the Hirokoji station. It was a bit long flight of stairs, I was with a doubt to go down. I asked my daughter to check if it was really to Hirokoji station. Apparently it was, we made the long way to the station and checked which platform is the Ginza line bound to Asakusa line.

Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, Japan

In Asakusa, we went to the famous Sensoji Temple. The place was really marvelous. We did the traditional being done there.

I have a separate posts to share the places we had visited on this day: Ueno Park, Senso-ji Temple and the Tokyo Skytree.

Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan

Sensoji Temple, Tokyo, Japan

Purification fountain at Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo, Japan

view of Odaiba from Skytree Tower, Tokyo, Japan

Skytree Tower, Tokyo, Japan

It is really very important to have a smart phone and pocket wifi if you plan to go free and easy in Tokyo and we should know how to navigate the Hyperdia and the google map.

Around 4pm, we walked down Asakusa station and board the Tobu Skytree line. Few minutes walk from the Senso-ji temple. You could opt to walk from Asakusa to Skytree tower.

Our a bit misfortune is about to start. Taking the Skytree line at Asakusa station was supposed to be one stop to the tower of Skytree or two stops to Oshiage station which is near to the Skytree tower. I did not check the list of stations this line will stop. I thought, it will terminate at Skytree station and all passengers are all going to alight. First stop, we did not alight, Second stop, we failed to alight, we did not realize that was the stop for those visiting the tower since a few only alighted.
When the train left the Oshiage station, I started to wonder why we were not at the Skytree staton yet. Third stop, we now checked the signs :

Hikifune station. written on the right Skytree which means it came from the Skytree station and on the left, Higashi Mukojime- which means that would be the next stop after Hikifune.

Tokyo Teleport Station in Japan

Platform at Tokyo Teleport station, Japan

We now know that we missed our stop and we did not know where was the train heading. I was then conditioning myself that we would not be able to go to the new symbol of Tokyo, we will run out of time. I was waiting to hear the familiar station where we could alight and transfer. After four stops to unfamiliar stations, I heard the Kita-Senju station where we could transfer to Tobu Skytree line. ohhhhhhhh! Great! we had wasted almost an hour though. And.... this was just the first out of 3 or 4 missed train stops.

Around half past seven in the evening, we exited the Skytree tower. We purchased few boxes of tidbits at the Tokyo Banana shop. Then we walked to the Oshiage station. As per google map and Hyperdia, we take the Hanzomon line bound to Chuorinkan and alight at the next stop, Kinshicho station.

At Kinshicho, all I picked up at Hyperdia was we had to take the Chuo Sobu Line bound to Mitaka. Then before we passed the card reader, I checked the platform we should go to and told my daughter the platform number. Once we were up, train is coming but I forgot the platform if 1 or 2 or 3 or 4. My daughter said 1 or 3 but I did not hear. I was probably so tired on that day, I could not think well. The screen was in Japanese character and I wanted to see bound to Mitaka but it did not show in English. The train left without us. Another train coming, I was checking the screen and still in Japanese. We went inside with a doubt if we were on the right train. Had we took the correct train the stops were:

Ryogoku station

Asakusabashi station

and to alight at Akihabara staton - one of the stations near our hotel.

Oimachi Station, Tokyo, Japan

Train next stop from Kinshicho was Bakurocho station. Apparently not the supposed train line we should had taken. I tried to be calmed, it was still before 8pm, our flight was 12 midnight. We still had time. Through searching, I learned we had taken the Sobu line rapid and Tokyo station was two stops after the Bakurocho station. (sigh!) Relieved again. From Tokyo station, we took the Marunouchi line bound to Ikebukuro. Awajicho station, the nearest station to our hotel, was two stops from Tokyo station.

We were requesting for a cab from hotel to Haneda airport but it would cost us 10,000yen. We opted to take the train instead. At the hotel lobby, we fixed our stuff, squeezed everything to four luggage so not too troublesome to walk to the Akihabara station from the hotel.

We took the Keihintohoku line bound to Hofuna and alighted at Hamamatsucho. At Hamamatsucho, we looked for the Tokyo Monorail. I did not know yet that this Monorail has three service types:

Haneda Express

Rapid

Local

I have also learned after another hassle in going to the airport that there is only one International Airport in Haneda and there are two Domestic Airports.

Here goes the third missed train stop.

Travel from Hamamatsucho to the airport was 24 to 27 minutes. I know we were to alight at International Terminal 1. We placed our four luggage at the rack and seated where I had no sight of the train door. My daughter bought bento at the Family Mart adjacent to Hotel Mystays Ochanamizu and ate it during our travel to the airport from Hamamatsucho. I realized we took the local monorail as it had stopped to several stations. Then I heard the Haneda International Station. I did not hear Terminal 1. So I thought not our stop, we did not alight. . I did not check the stations stops earlier. When the train proceeded, I checked behind and most passengers had alighted. Then I could hear Haneda Domestic Airport. Apparently, the saying everything comes in three had happened to us

The train stopped at Shin Seibijo. I got worried where was this station? not airport station. So I told my daughter we would alight and to go back to the International Airport. I was not being sensible anymore. I quickly grabbed the three luggage and went out of the train. My daughter took the remaining luggage and when she was getting off... the door closed!!! My poor daughter was gesturing a signal that she would wait for my instruction.

But you know what I had thought? That she would come back to me (???) I had tried to go down to go to the opposite so I could meet her there. When I was trying to go down, there was no lift... (I got three luggage... I was so dead tired. The station is not one of the busiest . So I thought of waiting for the next train to go to the domestic airport. It would be easy to transfer from there to International Airport. For some reasons, my daughter's roaming for call and sms was not active. She had the pocket wifi, I don't have access to internet. I called my husband to tell my daughter to stay on the next station and wait for me.

I mentioned I had thought my daughter would try to meet me at the station where I alighted, Shin Seibijo. My daughter was more in her senses than I was. What she did was she alighted at the next station and had waited for my advise even before my husband called her.

Had she thought of going back to where I alighted, she would not know if the train she would be taking is Express, Rapid or local. She knew one stop gap but only the local monorail stops at this station. Anyway, the next stop from Domestic Airport 1 via Express and Rapid is the International Airport.

My husband asked our daughter for her exact location and she sent photo thru whatssup that she was at the Haneda Airprot Terminal 1 and seated at the platform. I have checked the next stations after Shin Seibijo: Haneda Terminal 1 followed by Haneda Terminal 2. My daughter is now at International Terminal 1 (???) We were correct not to alight at the Haneda International station (???).

Train came. I quickly kicked the three luggage inside the train, one of my luggage might be left out or the train might leave with my luggage without me. Apparently, so stresssssssssed.

Arrived at Haneda Terminal 1, I quickly kicked off my three luggage and relieved to see my giant smart baby. I happily told her that we were at the correct terminal, International Terminal 1 (???) but then... so quiet... I ddi not see many people. Strange. We went to the information and we learned we were at the Domestic Airport 1. Oooooooookey! How to go to the International Airport?

I love Japan! They really have many ways to make tourists to go back again even English signs in the train are very limited. There is a FREE SHUTTLE BUS transfer from Domestic to International and vice versa. The lady at the information told us how to go to the bus stop and kept on telling us the number of the station/terminal.

Outside, at the bus stop. There were a few stations and bus. I saw Keio bus. There was one we saw as we got out which I doubt the free shuttle bus, we did not board and left. I checked first the station number and it turned out it was actually the free shuttle bus. I got confused of the presence of the other buses which were bus service to Tokyo and other popular places nearby for a fee.

Thank God, bus runs every 6 minutes.

Finally... at the International Airport. We had arranged our stuff before we went for Check in. I opened an extra bag to transfer some stuff from the other luggage. I was afraid the zipper would be damaged, we bought boxes of tidbits earlier and squeezed to the four luggage. We now had a total of 5, one of which was hand carry. Check in turn, my daughter misplaced her Re entry permit to Singapore. We requested my husband to email to us a copy and showed to the JAL's check in assistants. It is a requirement to all passengers to show proof of residency/ valid permit to the country of destination.

I thought we could now relax and go for shopping but... wait... long queue for hand carry bags security checking. It was 11pm. our boarding time was 11:45pm. Then I had remembered we had to return the pocket wifi. I requested my daughter to ask anyone the nearest mail box and I continued lining up.

At our designated gate at 11:30pm. I got 15 minutes to freshen up and change my blouse.

I am now so challenged to go back to Tokyo and to make sure not to go through these hassles again.

Related Posts: