Our original departure time was 11:20am, but once JAL had updated their flights with the longer route, we were scheduled to leave at 9:25am. With needing to be at the airport three hours before take-off we had no morning left before needing to leave the hotel. We always stay at Hotel JAL City Haneda, about 10 minutes away from the airport as they have a free shuttle bus that leaves frequently. We got the 6am bus from the hotel and it was pretty packed, so if you stay there do go down 15 minutes before departure. We had flown out of Haneda in February and it had been very quiet, but August was completely different, it was packed.

After waiting almost an hour to check our bags in, we dropped off our portable wi-fi in the post box and went up to the observation deck. From here you have a great view of the runways, Tokyo city, and if you are lucky Mount Fuji. We had a quick breakfast of some onigiri, drank as many delicious drinks as possible, and went to the customs line. The customs line was something else, it wrapped around the terminal, we followed the snaking line of people and joined the longest queue I have ever seen. Luckily it moved quite quickly, and after a brief argument with someone who tried to sneak into the queue ahead of us, we made it through.

Getting back to Heathrow is always the worst part of returning (other than leaving Japan haha) as it is such a shocking return to the inconsiderate British public. Even with the long queues in Haneda everyone remains polite, and quiet and follows the rules. Heathrow arrivals are one of the loudest places I have ever been, and everyone seems to be out for themselves. Luckily we had suitcases for sweets and treats, below are some of my favourites from this trip. The Kaga Shizuki Jelly from Ishikawa prefecture is a highlight. So is the koshihikari rice from Niigata, the premier rice-growing region of Japan. I guess all that can be done now is to plan another trip, we will be back in Japan this summer ❤