It was December of 2019 and I had just returned to the US from a trip to India. I was catching up with my colleagues at work when my manager pinged me to meet him. “We need you to go to Japan for 3 months for a super-important project. Sleep over it and let us know your decision”. I slept like a log that night. Partly because of the jetlag, and partly because my decision was made during the meeting itself. “Another trip to Japan? Of course!”  For context, I had visited the country with my parents and uncle 6 months ago in May of 2019. We toured Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto in the week-long hiatus. But there was so much more left to see in that magical land. So, let the preparations begin! A month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was January 2020. My flight was a couple of days away when a colleague asked me if I was concerned about this virus going around in China. “There is a virus? I had no clue. Anyway, I am going to Japan and viruses don’t jump across seas”- I thought in my head and went back to contemplating whether I should prioritize looks vs comfort for my first business class flight since Germany 2016.

“Cabin crew, prepare for arrival”, the captain announced as my Air Canada Boeing 777 banked sharply for an evening approach into Tokyo Haneda airport. As the wing rolled back to level, it unraveled a stunning sight from my window. Against the pinkish-orange sunset was the gigantic silhouette of the one and only Mt. Fuji. What a perfect start to this extended visit! We landed soon and I headed to the Shinagawa station for the remaining legs of the journey. The subway was choc-a-bloc with commuters breathing onto my face. As it started getting on my nerves, I reminded myself – “Wouldn’t you prefer the hustle-bustle of Shinagawa to the pedestrian-free ‘stroads‘ of Cincinnati?”. And finally, after a two-hour bullet train ride, I arrived in Kobe. My hotel was adjacent to the station.

Waking up to beautiful morning views in new places was something I always looked forward to – to the extent that I lost sleep over it. So, I ended up waking at noon, slid open the curtains, only to see a rather unflattering view of the concrete wall of the hotel’s adjacent wing. Not that I needed a good view. I was going to be at the plant on the weekdays and travelling to some city or nearby country like South Korea on the weekends. But I negotiated for one anyway. The hotel manager was gracious enough and I now had a gorgeous view of the skyline and the bay.

The first week was fantastic. It was surprisingly warm for January. I got a nice walking orientation of Kobe from my project leader. I was super excited to be living in a coastal city for once in life, albeit temporarily. The mountains on the other side of the towering skyline just added to the enamor. My hour-long commute to Akashi, included a Shinkansen ride followed by a scenic commuter train ride that had a stretch along the sea – with a bonus view of the enormous Akashi-Kaikyo suspension bridge. My project teammates were jovial and fun-loving. They called me Prady-San. We had two lovely team dinners – one of them being Yakiniku, which was a sinfully delicious cornucopia of marinated grilled meats ranging from pork belly to cow’s tongue. A glass of Asahi lager was the perfect pairing with that. And of course, there were the decadent desserts. The highlight of week 1 – a wafer filled with a solid dark chocolate and ice cream. Prior to this trip, I admittedly had some doubts about whether my mind would survive the loneliness of these extended stays. Those were now transferred to my heart surviving the gluttony.

I decided to cap off the week with a trip to see Mount Fuji, this time from ground level. Google said I should get there early as the clouds tend to roll in the afternoon. But my 31-year-old body had different plans. After a long internal deliberation, I finally got off the bed and headed out. A couple of hours later I caught a momentary glimpse of the ice-capped volcanic behemoth from the 300kph train. But by the time I got to the vista point, it was too late. The clouds had engulfed the pride of Japan. My 35-odd Instagram fans will not see an iphone picture of #Fuji. Well, at least my taxi driver was kind enough to stay back for me as he knew it would have been hard to find a ride back to the station from there. I decided to stop by and explore Osaka on the way back. I climbed up to the top of the Umeda tower which offered a fantastic panoramic view of the city and the bay. A glorious sunset from up there and a slice of the world famous Rikuro’s jiggly cheesecake in the bedazzling markets of Dotonbori, compensated for the Fuji #Fail and was the perfect end to the eventful week.

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