Shopping In Tokyo

• passport (make sure you have it)
• two meals on plane
• bring a snack
• buy bottle of water once past security
• Vancouver to Narita 10 hour flight (depart early afternoon, arrive following day mid afternoon)
• take 2 Tylenol Sinus one hour before departure (just before boarding) and landing
• bring a pair of slippers so you can kick off your shoes and be extra comfortable
• fill out customs card straight away
  • up to C$10,000 cash without having to submit customs notice
  • no Western pornography (the Japanese don’t want our inferior porn)
• take Zopiclone sleeping pill with your first meal (obtain script from your doctor)
• drink fluids

Water… lots of water!

Sinus issues

Yes, that’s what the Tylenol Sinus is for.  I can’t stand blocked ears, so I use Tylenol Sinus to minimize plugged ear syndrome.  I also yawn/move my jaw a lot during take off and landing.  I love flying, but not the pressure in my head.

Awake vs Asleep

Here is the reality:  unless you spring for first class, you are going to be uncomfortable.  10 hours in a cramped seat is brutal (I’m small, and I even suffer, so I can’t imagine how it is for tall people).

Now, if you’re travelling with a friend, you will have someone to talk to in order to pass the time, but you will still have moments of discomfort.  Not to mention that you are spending 10 hours awake (if you’re talking or watching movies and so on) when you could be resting.

Therefore, I suggest a sleeping aide.  Talk to your GP first, and find out what the risks are for you.  I use Zopiclone (I take this with wine during the first meal) and I’m out for the duration of the flight.  Sometimes I wake up in time for the second meal, and sometimes not.  Just make sure you have plenty of water and a snack that you can indulge in before you land.  Once you land, you’ll be moving at a hectic Tokyo pace (except for the lineups, which really aren’t that bad).

If you plan on using a sleeping aide, make sure you get a window seat so that you aren’t bothered by someone who needs to use the bathroom constantly.  And be courteous and make sure you go to the bathroom just before you board the plane.

On a final note regarding sleep aides — you will still be a bit drowsy when you land in Japan, and you will still be unconscious by 10 PM that night, but you will have stored up some valuable sleep time.

Xan’s Snack of Choice

My favourite travelling snack food?  Apple cheese sandwich.  It’s filling, covers the main food groups and is good for you.  And if you don’t eat while on the plane, and you’re too zonked to go out after checking into your hotel room, it’s a great meal replacement before you fall into bed.

I prefer Squirrelly bread, granny smith apples and extra old cheddar cheese!  Thick slices of apple and not quite as thick slices of cheese between two slices of bread.  Perfect.