I'm in Japan! I'm on a bus heading from Narita Airport to Tokyo. The highway looks exactly like Scioto County. I somehow slept on and off for most of the flight from LAX (Thanks LAX for having a vegan restaurant with gluten-free options!), so the 12-hour flight melted away.
I'm armed with a list of everything I can and can't eat written in Japanese (my eternal gratitude to Hiro for translating and my mom for having the idea to write what I CAN eat after leaning the hard way in China).
Vocab I practiced silently on the plane:
Konnichiwa- howdy
Domo Arigato- Mr. Roboto
Gomen nasai- sorry
Sumimasen- excuse me stranger, I need to rely on your kindness
Mizu- water
Combini- 7/11 (thanks Jennifer!)
I'm having the same problem I have in other countries-I learn to say "hello" really well, then people think I'm fluent and start talking to me, and then the look of sheer terror on my face makes them realize I can only say "hello."
I just saw a sign for Tokyo Disney, and I think I can see Fuji-san in the distance!
Update!
I made it to my first resting place- a capsule hotel! I'm packed away in my capsule and about to get some rest before snow monkeys tomorrow!!!