As soon as I arrived at my departure gate at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York I realized that all my reading had not prepared me for the reality.  At the gate itself I could feel Asia all over. More than 95% of the passengers were Asian, the food was Asian, and the languages that I could overhear were all Asian.  Right there in New York I felt like a gaijin (or foreigner).  

I arrived at Narita airport after the longest flight of my life.  With my jet lag already apparent, I was excited to finally be in Tokyo.  I was able to manage myself at the Customs even though the authorities thought that my luggage was too large and perhaps I was planning to settle down illegally in Japan.  I do not blame the custom personnel for this attitude - every day many foreigners arrive in Japan with a desire to stay in the country.  This was not my objective - I had a good job in the New York area and was attending business school.  It’s just that I do not travel light - especially to Japan where I was told that everything was so expensive.   (Related article:  Bureaucracy in Japan)

At the arrival lounge I met my friend who was picking me up.  We chose to use the cheapest way to go from the airport to Tokyo.  We took the train that brought us to Ueno station.  My luggage needed to be shipped separately due to its size.  In Ueno we changed trains.  I do not recall my impressions of Ueno, but I remember my trip from the airport.  I noticed the rows of low multistoried, rather ugly I should say, buildings at both sides of the tracks, the lack of trees, and the abundance of billboards with advertisements.  (Related article:  A gaijin's story in Japan)

As I left the train to walk to my future home, I felt it - this was real, I was in Tokyo far from my home, my culture, me people.  It has been my decision to be there, it was my decision to be in a totally different country. 

My first reaction to Tokyo was not as positive as I thought.  I was in a clean, safe city where everything was different from what I had ever seen.  I had traveled extensively, I had lived in three countries and I read a lot and loved Japanese culture, artistic style, ikebana, cartoons, Hello Kitty (English born, but a Japanese citizen) and so many other things about Japan.  I was prepared to feel comfortable and if not at home, at least familiar with Japan.  I was familiar, I was able to identify the Seven Elevens and the Family Marts, but I felt as if I had arrived on another planet.

Do not take me wrong - I loved Japan, but my first few days there were, if not difficult, extremely challenging.  I had what is generally referred to as a culture shock.