On our many journeys to China, we did get to stop in Japan twice. Unfortunately, it was only to switch planes. I wish we would have been able to get out of the terminal and explore, but that was not to be.
Our first visit to Japan was in 2005. We were already excited, nervous, etc. Once the plane came to a stop, we had to go out on the tarmac and enter a door. In America, when we switch planes, they did not do a security check for a second time. They probably assume that if you are on a plane, you were checked by the TSA. In Japan, you have to go through another check before meeting your next plane.
We corralled into the terminal. It was tight. Wall to wall people. We went up some stairs and headed towards a small room. At first, Angie and I did not know what was going on. When we saw the metal detectors, we knew. The room had two to three check stations. All carry on bags had to run through the detector. I believe we walked through a metal detector, but I could be confusing that with China's system.
Once through, we were able to go on to our next flight. At this point, we had to use the bathroom. I would say it was a pleasant experience. The bathroom was clean and had western style bathroom. From what I remember, it was a closed off booth.
The airport was nice. We did a little shopping. Luckily, they did take American cash. Angie was able to add to her collections of places we visited. Then we made it to our terminal. From here, we connected to our flight to China. Unlike the flight over, this plane was not crowded. There were probably 50 to 100 people, if that many. The plane was new and had tv's in the seat.
On the way back, after going through the security check, a man had a seizure in the terminal. The mother of the person kept yelling that she wanted a Chinese doctor. Someone ran up and helped the person.
All and all, I liked the airport in Japan. I can't wait until the day we get to visit this country. Maybe we can plane some days when we take the girls back to China as teenagers.
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