| Today marks the exciting beginning of my journey to Japan.
In this article, I'll share my experiences from the flight and
the immigration process upon entering Japan. |
| |
| To be honest, the hotel room and bed were quite comfortable,
possibly because of the early flight, and the stress of worrying
about oversleeping caused my sleep quality to be less than
ideal! I was supposed to wake up at 05:30 but ended up waking
before 05:00. So, I got up a bit earlier and started packing my
luggage. As it was too early for breakfast, and I hadn't added
any extra breakfast options, I grabbed the gingerbread provided
on yesterday's flight as a light breakfast. I planned to have
something more substantial while waiting for my flight. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
The gingerbread man from
yesterday's flight |
|
| |
| Heathrow is the largest and busiest airport of the six in
London, and it also ranks as the busiest in the UK and Europe.
According to figures for 2024, it is the 4th-busiest
airport in the world, behind Atlanta, Dubai and Dallas-Fort
Worth in Texas. |
| |
| The airport has 4 terminals: T2 to T5. But what happened to T1? It closed in 2019 and
was repurposed to expand T2. Once
this expansion is complete, T3 will also close to make
way for further developments to T2. For now, T2 handles
flights for Star Alliance members, T3 serves Oneworld members
and Virgin Atlantic, T4 is used by SkyTeam airlines, and T5 is
exclusively for British Airways. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
The subway connecting T2 and T3 |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 |
|
| |
| I was flying with Japan Airlines (JAL) on flight JL42, departing
at 08:35 and arriving at Haneda Airport in Japan the following day at
07:25 Japan Standard Time. As a member of Oneworld, JAL operates
from T3 at Heathrow. Only Business Class passengers or Diamond
members are eligible to use the dedicated check-in counters for
JAL flights at Heathrow. Other passengers must use the
self-service kiosk to check in, print their boarding passes and
checked baggage tags, and drop off their checked baggage at the
automated counter. After that, I proceeded through security
and into the waiting area. |
| |
| You might be wondering, isn't there an immigration procedure
when leaving the UK? The answer is no! The UK doesn't always have an exit
immigration check. Pragmatically, UK government is concerned
with who is
entering the country, but not necessarily with who is leaving. If
someone is wanted by the authorities, the airline will contact
the police directly during
check-in. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
| In the restricted area of T3, luxury and
duty-free shops occupy much of the space. However, I was more
focused on finding breakfast. I have an Amex credit
card, which grants me access to the Plaza Premium Lounge for
free. Unfortunately, there is no Plaza Premium Lounge in T3.
While there are internal shuttles connecting the terminals, you
must have a boarding pass for the terminal you're departing
from. So, I couldn't use the lounge – so close, yet so far! |
| |
| There are 6 restaurants and 3 coffee shops in the T3 restricted
area. Three of the restaurants serve Western food, two offer
Japanese cuisine, and one specialises in high-end seafood such
as lobster and
caviar. To be honest, I wasn't in the mood for Japanese food in the
UK, especially with Japan just flight away. Seafood was too
expensive for me, so I opted for Spuntino, one of the Western
restaurants. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Proper English Breakfast |
|
| |
| After breakfast, while waiting to board, I took a moment to
fill out my immigration and customs declaration forms on the
Visit Japan Web. This service was initially introduced
during the COVID-19 pandemic to streamline the entry process
by requiring travellers to submit their PCR test results,
vaccination records, and other documents in advance. |
| |
| Though the pandemic is now behind us, using the Visit Japan Web is no
longer mandatory but still highly recommended. By using
it, you can bypass the need to manually fill out the immigration
and customs forms, speeding up the whole entry process. |
| |
| For those flying into Japan, the application must be submitted
at least 6 hours before landing. If you miss this
window, you'll need to complete the traditional paper forms upon
arrival. The Visit Japan Web is only accessible via the website
(URL:
https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/), so it's
best to
avoid downloading any suspicious mobile apps that might
compromise your personal data. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Information board for my flight |
|
| |
|
The waiting area at Heathrow was much more pleasant than at
Manchester Airport. Since there are plenty of boarding gates, my
gate was already assigned well in advance, so there was no
need to keep checking for updates. Upon arriving at the gate, I
noticed quite many foreigners heading to Japan,
though most of the East Asian faces appeared to be Japanese. |
| |
| At 08:35, the cabin door closed as scheduled, and by 08:38,
we were pushed back from the gate. We officially took off at
08:58, exactly on time, and the atmosphere was very much in
keeping with a
Japanese-style flight. |
| |
|
The seat next to mine by the window was occupied by an elderly Japanese
lady, who sat very upright. I wasn't sure whether she
didn't know how to adjust the window's dimming feature or simply
enjoyed sunshine, but despite the sunlight
shining directly on her face, she didn't adjust it.
After an hour of direct sunlight, I politely asked
if she could adjust it, and she only dimmed the front window (our
row had two windows). Later, when I went to the toilet and
the lady got up too, I took the opportunity to adjust the other
window myself. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
| This was my first time flying JAL; I had only flown All
Nippon Airways (ANA) before. The aircraft used was a Boeing 787,
which I'd never been on, as my usual airline, Cathay
Pacific, doesn't use this model. While Cathay's service has
declined in recent years, its hardware surpasses JAL's,
with more comfortable seats – after all, Cathay Pacific was
named 'Best Economy Class in the World' by Skytrax. Cathay's
seats are equipped not only with a tray table but also a phone holder, a thoughtful design
is this day and age. |
| |
|
The entertainment system on Cathay is also superior, offering
newer
movies. Leaving aside personal preferences, JAL's movies
selection, whether
Western or Japanese, simply can't match Cathay when it comes to
the latest releases. But is JAL's hardware lacking? Not at all. The Boeing 787 does have a
great feature – adjustable
window dimming – which is far more effective than the traditional
sunshades. You can still see outside while blocking the
strong sunlight. However, this is a standard feature of the Boeing
787, not special JAL choice. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Sparkling water and snacks |
|
| |
|
Many of my friends consider the appearance of flight attendants
when choosing an airline. Personally, I thought
the now-defunct Dragonair excelled in this area compared to
Cathay. In recent years, Cathay has employed more male flight
attendants, which is a disappointment for straight men. However,
I believe JAL won't disappoint in this respect, as the majority
of their cabin crew are female (with fewer than 1% male flight
attendants in Japan), and many are attractive. |
| |
|
About an hour after takeoff, the flight attendants began
distributing drinks and snacks. Another hour later, they served
the main meal, with choices of teriyaki chicken rice or braised
beef penne pasta. Along with the meal, they handed out a bottle
of water. I found this a bit strange, as Cathay always
places bottled water and blankets at each seat before boarding,
but JAL only had blankets with no water at all! After the main
meal, they offering coffee, green tea, and other hot
drinks. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Teriyaki chicken rice, Asahi Super
Dry beer |
|
| |
| Once the hot drinks had been served and the meal was nearly
finished, the flight attendants handed out ice cream! Cathay
provides Häagen-Dazs, but JAL served
NORTHERN BL°C, a UK ice cream brand, which is more expensive
here than Häagen-Dazs. I wonder if this brand is only used
on UK-bound flights. |
| |
| After finishing the first meal, about six hours had passed, and
I began to feel hungry again. If I were on Cathay, I would have
gone to the galley by now to grab an egg tart or cup
noodle. As I was wondering what snacks they had, the cabin
lights came on again, and the flight attendants began distributing afternoon tea
(UK time) or late-night snacks (Japan time), which included a dorayaki (どら焼き, traditional Japanese pancake) and a hot drink –
perfect timing. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
NORTHERN BL°C ice cream |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Green Tea Custard Dorayaki |
|
| |
| After finishing the dorayaki, about four hours later, it was
time for the second meal. This time, there was only one option:
fricassee de poulet with tomato fried rice. It wasn't a choice,
but it suited my taste and was quite good. |
| |
|
Although JAL's hardware isn't as good as Cathay's, their service
is far superior! On Cathay, apart from serving two meals, the
cabin crew generally stay in the galley and are rarely seen walking
around the cabin. You can only ring the bell if you need
something, but I prefer walking to the galley myself. JAL's
flight attendants, however, frequently walk through
the cabin offering drinks to passengers
who aren't sleeping. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Fricassee de poulet with tomato
fried rice |
|
| |
|
UK passport holder (either British citizens or British
nationals (overseas)),
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport holders,
Taiwan passport holders with registered identity numbers can enter Japan for
tourism or business activities for up to 90 days without a visa.
For other nationalities, please refer to the
list of visa-exempt countries published by the Japanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| |
| Many countries (such as Taiwan) require your passport to
be valid for at least six months upon entry. Japan does not have
such a requirement, but your passport must be valid for the
entire duration of your stay. For example, if your return flight
is on 31st January 2025, your passport must be valid until 1st
February 2025 or later. However, for safety's sake, it's best to
replace a passport that's close to expiry to avoid any trouble in case
of unexpected situations that may cause you to stay longer. |
| |
|
Additionally, entering Japan as a British national (overseas) (BN(O)) is
not a problem. However, the Hong Kong SAR government under
Chinese rule does not recognise BN(O). As
a result, BN(O) are required to show
their Hong Kong Identity Card when checking in for a flight to Hong Kong
from any country. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, they must use
either their Hong Kong SAR passport or Hong Kong Identity card to
enter. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Boarding bridge of Narita Airport |
|
| |
| Haneda Airport (羽田空港) is officially named Tokyo International
Airport (東京国際空港). To distinguish it from Narita International
Airport (成田国際空港), which also serves the Tokyo area, it is
commonly referred to as Haneda. Haneda is the official airport designated by the
Japanese government, and high-ranking officials like the Emperor
and the Prime Minister typically use this airport for their
international visiting. Currently, there are three terminals:
T1 is for domestic flights, T2 primarily serves ANA's domestic and some international flights, and T3 is
dedicated to international flights. My flight used
T3. |
| |
| The flight landed at Haneda at 07:08 and reached the gate at
07:14, earlier than scheduled. It took about 10-15
minutes to walk from the gate to the immigration hall. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Walkway to immigration hall |
|
| |
| Upon arrival at immigration, I scanned my passport at a
self-service kiosk, provided my fingerprints, and had my photo
taken, before queuing to complete the immigration procedures and
provide my passport and Visit Japan Web QR code to the
immigration officer. After successfully entering, I picked up my
luggage and scanned my passport and Visit Japan Web QR code at
the customs kiosk. Then, I passed through the customs clearance
gate, which uses facial recognition technology, so no passport
or QR code scan was needed. From disembarking the plane to
exiting the arrivals hall took just about an hour – very
efficient! |
| |
| For the next two days, I'll be staying at Dormy Inn
PREMIUM Ginza (ドーミーイン PREMIUM 銀座), with the nearest station being Higashi-Ginza
station (東銀座駅). I could have taken a direct train from Haneda to
Higashi-Ginza via Keikyu Railway (京急電鉄), but out
of curiosity, I decided to take the Tokyo Monorail (東京モノレール). It took
about 25 minutes from Haneda Airport Terminal 3 to Hamamatsuchô
(浜松町), with a fare of
JP¥519 using the Suica card. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 station
of monorail |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Tokyo Monorail Class 2000 fleet |
|
| |
| Suica cards were temporarily unavailable due to a
semiconductor supply shortage, but as of 1st September 2024, 'My
Suica' the personalised version is back on sale. You can buy it
at JR East ticket machines, with a minimum purchase of JP¥1,000,
which includes a JP¥500 deposit for the card. There are also
non-personalised 'Welcome Suica' tourist versions available at
both Haneda and Narita airports, which don't require a deposit
but are only valid for 28 days. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Tokyo Monorail Class 10000 fleet |
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
| I have a habit of collecting transport cards from various
regions, so I already own ICOCA from Kansai, manaca from Central
Japan,
and Hayakaken from Fukuoka. Now that Suica is available again, I
decided to get one. For those who use iPhones or Apple Watches
and don't want to pay a deposit for a physical card, you can
purchase a virtual Suica card via Apple Wallet. However, for
Android users, it's a bit more complicated, so I'd recommend
buying a physical card. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Welcome Suica and My Suica |
|
| |
| At the Tokyo Monorail ticket machine at Haneda Airport, only
the 'Welcome Suica' tourist version is available. Once I arrived
at Hamamatsuchô, I bought a My Suica card at the JR ticket
machine. Initially, I planned to take a taxi from Hamamatsuchô
to the hotel to avoid blocking commuters with my luggage during
peak hour. However, when I arrived, I realised it was still the New
Year holiday, and the streets and stations were very quiet. So, I decided to
walk to Daimon station (大門駅) to take the Toei Subway (都営地下鉄). |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
|
Actually, I should have taken the Asakusa Line (浅草線) to Higashi-Ginza
station from Daimon, but I panicked and mistakenly went to the
Ôedo Line (大江戸線) platform, so I got off at Tsukiji Shijô station
(築地市場駅). It wasn't too far to walk to the hotel, and the fare
was JP¥180. When I lived in Hong Kong, I thought Japanese train
fares were expensive, but after moving to the UK, I now think
Japan's fares are quite reasonable! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Toei Ôedo Line train (Toei Subway
Class 12-000 fleet) |
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
The area around Ginza was very
quiet early in the morning |
|
| |
| Since it was too early, the hotel couldn't provide the room
yet. After leaving my luggage at the reception, I started my
brief personal journey... |
中文版請按此 Date: 7th January 2025 (Tuesday) After ch...
中文版請按此 Date: 2nd January 2025 (Thursday) Today marks the e...
中文版請按此 Date: 4th January 2025 (Saturday) ...
No comments:
Post a Comment