4:17pm Japan

I believe it’s after midnight back home. My first view of Japan was out the airplane window across an aisle and two or three seats, and it was a golf course. I was a little bit disappointed at how familiar it looked. Since then I’ve been through immigration/customs, picked up my rail pass, and am now on the train from Narita Airport to Tokyo - comparing the time now to Alex’s timetable. Sweet irony of life at last I’ve found youuuuuu... Something nifty Holly told me about was that there are “smoking” cars on trains. I wasn’t able to get a seat in a smoking car for the train from Tokyo to Aioi but I did for this train. Looking out the window, it looks like the suburbs of Seattle from I-5, except for the fields of waving... Rice I think, and I saw the top of what looked like a pagoda a few minutes ago. I’m stuck between wanting to write down everthing I see, and not wanting to be distracted from seeing it. Side cranky note: cigarette lighters are no longer allowed on planes in the US. I forgot. I have a carton of cigarettes and am on the smoking car of the trian but can’t smoke. Alex suggested that when I have questions I first ask young people, particularly women. The main reason being English knowledge but I got the impression that there was another side, one awkward to mention to a feminist. This train car is full of older (middle-aged) men. Asking someone to light your cigarette can be intimate in any case and now I’m totally weirded out. I’m going to try to buy a lighter or matches at the Tokyo train station. Now... I’m going to stare out the window.