Month: April 2008

From the moment we stepped off the train at the Tsukijishijo subway station, the aroma was evident. The Tsukiji Fish Market was nearby.

The streets were bright tonight — so much so that it seemed like it was daytime. It might as well have been. I’m not sure what time it is. All I know is: It’s evening here in Japan and we’re going to grab something to eat.

It’s a shame when you think about it. The first sights and sounds you see the first time you step foot in a country are those of the airport.

“Would you the chicken or pasta?” the steward asks passengers. I begin to shake at the prospect of airline food. It’s one of the world’s true atrocities. Honestly, who else can make a strawberry taste bad?

The trip begins amid a mass of people — chaos as thousands of travelers search their luggage for three-ounce bottles of liquids in “zip-top” bags and laptop computers so they can be scrutinized separately by airport security.

My eyes caught the clock: 8 p.m. That makes it 9 a.m. Tokyo time. That means I’m leaving at the end of the day — Japan time.