Five Days Four Nights｜The Urban Internationalization and Oriental Traditional Beauty of Tokyo – D0 First Impressions Upon Arrival
Japan travel had been on the plan for a long time. Every summer, I would rather travel far to the Americas and Europe, but had never put the neighboring country just a stone's throw away ahead, as if crossing oceans could better ignite the curiosity and passion within, yet overlooked the delicate beauty of Eastern culture.
Three years of the pandemic, especially just after the haze cleared, travel motivation sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. In just one year, I visited many cities within China. The pandemic seemed to change many people's life philosophies as well. My elderly parents at home would often say, "While we can still move around, we want to see the Japan in our memories—the 'Xue Yi', 'Oshin'..." So this trip, both familiar and full of curiosity, kicked off in June.
As the plane was about to land at Tokyo Airport, looking out the window, I saw Tokyo Bay like an elegantly swaying fish tail. The Sumida River and several other winding rivers converged into the bay, outlining smooth and rhythmic lines, giving the Tokyo metropolitan area a strong sense of layering and dynamic beauty.
Upon landing, my first impression of Tokyo was its diverse internationalism. Our flight departed from Hong Kong. While queuing for transit, the surrounding Asian faces mostly spoke Cantonese. Within minutes, the next arriving flight from the US suddenly flooded the entire hall with a mix of skin colors, languages, body types, and manners. In a daze, I almost forgot that I had landed in an Eastern Asian country.
The line moved slowly. A hanging TV screen ahead displayed a QR code for the electronic visa. When our turn came, the staff directed each person to stand in front of a computer machine. They checked the original passport and electronic visa, then took photos and fingerprints. After that, we swiped our passports through the first gate. Before leaving customs after immigration, there was another gate requiring scanning a QR code to fill in entry information on the Visit Japan Web website—travel plans, security information about carried items, etc. The content was extensive and took some time. After filling and submitting, a QR code was generated to pass the second gate. For elderly companions who couldn't understand English, the interface could be switched to Chinese or filled in by others. After completing everything, each person passed through the gate with their own code.
The first thing after entry was to solve the communication problem. Those with Huawei phones could directly purchase Japan data on the SkyTong app at 9.9 RMB/day; those with iPhones could buy a data SIM card from the vending machine not far to the left of the exit, choosing the number of days.
Further ahead, there was an escalator going down. One floor down was the ticket office for the airport express to the city. Using Baidu Maps, I searched for the nearest subway station to the hotel, told the ticket seller the destination station, and bought the next available ticket.
Before leaving the airport, I turned back and savored a few key words of my first impression of Japan:
First, “creamy white elegance.” Every wall in the airport hall, even the restroom design, was dominated by a soft creamy white tone. This not only gave the space an elegant and dignified feel but also cleverly created a bright and open visual effect, making the space feel less oppressive and easing travel fatigue.
Second, “vibrant green.” Looking out from the airport window, a touch of emerald green grass evoked the natural beauty of Japanese dramas, as if I could smell the freshness and vitality permeating the air.
Third, “cultural and artistic atmosphere.” Along the corridor, posters of tea ceremony and pottery were not just decorations but a microcosm of the Japanese craftsmanship spirit. With their unique charm and Zen, these works showcased to international visitors the charm of traditional Eastern art—naturalness, simplicity, and understated beauty.
Boarding the airport express, the journey into the international city and cultural art experience begins.
(To be continued, welcome to follow)
