Last Day

View of the sunrise from the apartment, on our day of departure

Our last full day in Japan goes well.  We start with a beautiful morning, perfect for me to walk Tie-Dye for a couple of hours while Steve meets with representatives from the apartment building, realtor, employer, and inspector to check the rooms for damage.  They find a few spots on the wall, which we're aware of, but otherwise it all looks good.  Our damage fines shouldn't be too high (hopefully)....

Good to the last drop!

Steve remembers I have a card with money on it for the wine dispenser at the Tokyo American Club.  We try not to be wasteful, so we go there for lunch and to use up the card. :)

Back at the apartment, we're finishing the final preparations, making sure everything is disposed of and packed correctly.  We're checking four bags (and Tie-Dye), plus our carry ons.  I'm a little nervous because the ANA website says the combined weight of your carry ons should be less than 22 lbs.  We have everything that can't be checked/shipped (like electronics & valuables) in our carry on bags, and we test out Steve's - and it comes to 40 lbs.  We realize there's no way we can get close to the limit, so we leave everything in them and hope they don't ask us to weigh them - and if they do then we'll just have to beg for their mercy.

We send three of the checked bags to the airport ahead of time.  About six months ago I learn the shipping companies offer it as a service in the Tokyo area, so you don't have to cart your suitcases around on the trains.  It's pretty simple, and our apartment building is nice enough to fill out the forms for us in Japanese (though Yamato shipping's website has a guide in English, it's probably easier for the employees to read it in their native language).  One (very small) section asks you to write the contents of the luggage.  I just say clothes - that's what it is, mostly (though maybe Tie-Dye sneaks in a bag of dried fish treats to bring to the US).

The shipping part is easy, but it makes packing a little more challenging.  We're trying to remember what we need (clothing, toiletries, dog stuff, etc) for the few days left in Japan and then for a few days as we drive home.  I don't want to pull out six suitcases every night during the road trip, so I try to pack the stuff we'll need in one bag...and I decide I can use the same items during the last days in Tokyo (I can just wash them the final night in the apartment)...until I remember that suitcase is going to the airport three days before our flight.  After lots of rearranging it's all done - or at least I'm stuck with what's left - no more changes!  (And I discover I only put one item in the shipment that I meant to take with me - Tie-Dye's brushes.  We consider buying new ones, until Steve goes to the store and discovers they're $50 each.  We make due with a $7 hairbrush.  I want to brush the loose fur off him, because I'm worried he'll be too warm in the kennel during tomorrow's flight.)

Our favorite waiter!

Our final dinner is at our favorite Italian restaurant, just a five minute walk from the apartment building, Trattoria Casale del Patacocone.  We love sitting downstairs, where Steve can easily go over to watch his pizza being cooked in the giant copper oven.  About six months ago they got new menus with an English translation (instead of just Italian and Japanese), and I joke it took some of the fun out of it.  The specials are written in Japanese, but they always take the time to read them out to us in English. 

Steve tries to pick up tips for cooking pizza!

Goodbye messages with our desserts!  I hope we do see them again.

The next morning, I'm up early so I can give Tie-Dye a nice 30-40 minute walk so he can stretch his legs and completely empty his bladder...plus it gives me a chance to work off some of my nerves, too.  Back at the apartment Steve is disposing of our air mattress and comforter, and anything else we need to get rid of (extra toilet paper rolls, etc).  We're all ready for our pet taxi at 6:50 am.  It's the same company we use for Tie-Dye's eye appointments, One House (website, in Japanese, here).  He's charging us $225, which is better than the $400 we were charged when we arrived in Japan.  His "minivan" is smaller though (it's a typical Japanese size minivan, not a US one), and we can just fit two adults, a large dog, his kennel, a big duffel bag, and our carry on luggage.  That's one of the reasons why we sent the other big suitcases ahead.

The good dog, ready for his flight!

We have a little delay due to an accident (not us), but we still arrive at Narita in time for Tie-Dye's export inspection.  We have to hunt down a flat bed cart though, because the luggage carts (with angled bottoms) are too small for the kennel.  Thanks to the assistance of an employee at the special needs counter (I figure we qualify) we're able to find one and go to the correct doors for the Animal Quarantine Service.  I call to tell them we've arrived, and someone comes out to escort Tie-Dye and me, while Steve stays with our suitcases.  After a couple of hallways, we reach the exam room, which is similar to a vet's office.  I give the inspector Tie-Dye's paperwork, and Tie-dye comes out of his kennel so can he check both his microchips, along with ears and mouth, and listens to his heart.  This is more than they did at import!  But he's all good, and I receive the certificate (and I'm told if he comes back to Japan I need to have both the original import and export certificates).  Tie-Dye thinks he's at a vet, so he's actually glad to jump back in his kennel before he can get a shot (no shots at AQS, but he doesn't realize it).

I wheel Tie-Dye back to Steve, and we go to check in.  As we enter the departure area, Steve remembers we need to pick up our luggage.  I'd completely forgotten!  This time I stay behind while he goes to the correct counter.  I use the time to place Tie-Dye's bucket of frozen water in his kennel.  I've been keeping it in a collapsible cooler, because it's been about two hours since we left the apartment.  It's still solid, so hopefully it won't slosh around when it comes time to board him on the plane.

Once we have all our belongings, we go to ANA.  Previously, we had debated trying to go straight to the business counters to check in, even though we're in coach, because we were worried about Tie-Dye barking and causing problems in line.  But he's doing fine, and the staff actually directs us to a special counter so we don't have to wait (having three carts, eight suitcases/bags, and a large kennel probably helps).  The staff is nice to Tie-Dye, and I don't have the heart to tell them that staring at him and saying nice things doesn't really help him.  Everything gets checked in, they promise to take good care of Tie-Dye, and no one asks to weigh our carry on bags, so we're set.

At immigration we tell them we aren't planning to return, so our residence cards are hole punched, indicating they are no longer valid.  We get to keep them, so that's a nice souvenir.  We make it to our gate, and it's time to board, when they announce a delay.  Fifteen minutes later they tell us we're changing planes (due to a bird strike on the plane we're supposed to be on - apparently maintenance looks at it and decides the plane shouldn't fly today) and there will be another 90 minute delay.  I'm impressed they can have us ready to go so quickly, but I'm concerned about Tie-Dye.  I speak with one of the ANA representatives, and they assure me we're on the same type of plane, so he can fly with us, and he's in a temperature controlled area while we wait.  I hate that he's now going to have to wait about 15 hours before he can go to the bathroom, but there's nothing we can do about it.  [BTW, there's no trouble with getting a meal voucher for the inconvenience of waiting.  They immediately start announcing, in Japanese and English, that you only need to show your ticket at a restaurant or shop to receive a $10 credit towards your purchase (or $15 if you're sitting in business, and $20 if you're in first).  Even the $10 covers the cost of lunch, or a drink, or some snacks.  Very easy - I wish they did this in the US!]

Waiting for takeoff!

Once we're on the plane, I flag down one of the flight attendants, asking her to verify that Tie-Dye is on the plane (especially with the change).  Right as we push back from the gate, she returns and tells me he's on board. (Good, because if she said he wasn't, it would have been quite a fuss for us to go back and get him!)

The flight is pretty smooth, except for some light turbulence that lasts for about an hour.  I can't hear any barking while we're in the air, so I take it as a good sign.  Now that we've arrived in Houston, how do we get Tie-Dye back??