Japan > TOKYO

I wake up with a different feeling than usual. Today is the big day in Tokyo—the final destination of our hundred-day journey. After breakfast, we leave Nagoya and drive the last 350 kilometers to Tokyo. Quite a strange thought. We soon reach the toll road and are getting the hang of it. In Japan, it’s important to have two people in a European car: all the toll machines are on the right side, so the passenger must take the ticket or pay. The closer we get to Tokyo, the busier the roads become. Sometimes it’s tricky deciding which way to go at highway exits, with signs pointing “Tokyo left” and “Tokyo right.

Japan - Entering the megacity of Tokyo

” We just pick a side. Signs everywhere probably give information about traffic congestion, like in the Netherlands, but it’s impossible for us to make sense of them. Around noon, we pass Mount Fuji. This enormous mountain giant is covered in a thick layer of snow, and clouds obscure the peak. It’s also time to start thinking about what we’ll leave in the car during transport to the Netherlands and what we’ll take as “regular” luggage for the rest of our trip. At a parking lot, we begin sorting the crates while waiting for the motorcyclists. In Tokyo, we won’t have time—or probably the energy—for this.

Japan - After 24678 kilometers we are in Tokyo

For each crate, we decide what can be left behind, stays in the car, or goes with us to Japan. We pay special attention to make sure we take all the charging cables. We also unfold the tent, take out the sleeping bags, and store them in the car—a task we’ve planned for days but hadn’t gotten around to. Today, it has to be done. Saskia and Carla have found a hotel where we can park the car and motorcycles. The hotel is right near the toll exit. For the last time, we pay at a toll booth; today’s drive costs nearly 75 euros. We prepare for the final kilometers into Tokyo. Tall buildings rise on both sides. From the elevated road, we look over the city—a truly magnificent moment. At the hotel, Saskia and Carla are waiting for us with a banner. What a wonderful welcome! The bottle of champagne is opened, and we toast to the success of our journey. I’m actually in TOKYO! The guard from the neighboring hotel, who actually came to tell us we shouldn’t be parked there, tolerates it for ten minutes. The hotel’s parking garage is 2.45 meters high. It’s going to be a tight squeeze getting Brutus inside—we had always assumed 2.50 meters. We just manage to pass under the pipes and sprinkler system in the garage. We have a beautiful, luxurious hotel in the Minato district, within walking distance of the Imperial Palace and the Ginza entertainment district. As the water from the shower falls over me, it hits me that we’ve reached the final destination. Fantastic! In the afternoon, we cross the street for a beer. In the evening, the six of us have dinner in the Ginza district.