[🇯🇵 002] From Munich to Nagoya - A journey begins

Foto vom Flughafen München

The journey begins

The great thing about a year abroad is that it has a clear beginning and an end. For me, March 27, 2025, was the starting line of an adventure I had always dreamed of. And yes, I'm going to conveniently omit the months of planning and preparation, because that simply wouldn't make for a good narrative opening.

Therefore, my adventure didn't begin with boring paperwork, but rather with my mother dropping me off at Munich Airport at eight o'clock in the morning. A good three and a half hours before departure. Absolutely enough time to check everything five times, get lost eight times, and curse every few seconds because my suitcases weren't cooperating.

I had two suitcases with me, packed to the brim, and no idea what I was actually doing. It wasn't my first flight, but it was my first one without a return ticket. And my first with checked baggage. I usually make sure everything fits in my carry-on. Easy enough for a week. Not so much for a year.

But I don't let things like that stop me. Once I finally found someone who could explain the way to baggage drop-off, I was practically unstoppable. And even more so after I'd managed to leave a good forty kilos at the counter.

That was my first lesson: just because you're allowed two suitcases weighing 23 kilos each, doesn't mean you have to fill them completely. But I thought I needed all of that stuff...

Never mind, I thought, that's a problem I'll deal with later. And don't worry, the suitcases will get their well-deserved moment.

But first, there were two flights: one twelve-hour flight from Munich to Taipei, and after a one-and-a-half-hour layover, another three hours from Taipei to Tokyo. Add to that the nine-hour time difference, and suddenly you've spent a whole day traveling, circled half the globe, and feel like a cheese baked in the sun.

That was the plan, at least. But we all know how plans go...

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Next stop: Japan

Luckily, I got through security without any problems and found my gate fairly quickly. When I finally boarded the plane at 11:00 AM, one of the last passengers (thank goodness for boarding group six!), I found my seat in the very last row, on the aisle. On such a long flight, I was actually quite grateful for that. I had plenty of space and could go to the restroom without bothering anyone. Since a couple was sitting next to me, they went out on their side and didn't bother me either.

After lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, a midnight snack, and breakfast (I felt like a hobbit), we finally arrived in Taipei on time. However, we weren't allowed to leave the plane and had to wait a full two hours.

Which is obviously great if the connecting flight is already waiting, and at the other end of the airport.

I was really excited, but what can you do... I then watched a whole movie and as soon as the credits started, we were finally allowed to leave.

So I quickly packed my things and rushed out, hoping my connecting flight would be kind enough to wait. To my delight, we were already expected at the door and a young man led us to the correct gate. However, thanks to another security check and the fact that we walked a good three kilometers from gate to gate, it took another hour. We arrived slightly flustered, only to discover that our connecting flight was also delayed.

Why did we run? No idea. But luckily we had another half hour to recover...

I also chatted briefly with another passenger who was also traveling from Munich to Tokyo. Like me, she was on a student visa. Unfortunately, in my haste, I didn't get a chance to ask for her contact information.

Then we finally got going again and were all loaded onto a bus that took us to the plane. Unfortunately, I didn't get a window seat again, so I didn't see much of the flight. Neither the sunrise nor the flight over Japan, which I would have loved to see. I just had no luck with seat selection, because there simply weren't any available. For some reason, I couldn't choose one, even though I checked right away. Maybe it was the airline's fault... Next time, I might spend a little more money and try again. Just the sight of Mount Fuji alone would be more than worth it!

But at least second breakfast and lunch were good. Reading this back, I basically just ate and slept for sixteen hours straight. I mean, there are worse ways to waste time, but I was really glad when I finally got closer to my goal.

And finally, after far too many hours, the metal bird arrived in Tokyo-Narita.

Goodness, I was so glad I didn't have the stress of the return flight for another year. I have no idea how people manage who only fly to Japan for a week or two.

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Nagoya, here I come!

But I was still far from my destination. Now I had to get from Tokyo-Narita to Tokyo and then take the Shinkansen to Nagoya. I was supposed to meet the YouTuber Lena Yamaguchi there later that same day.

Lena makes amazing videos about and especially in Japan. Just a few months before my departure, she put out a call asking if anyone was coming to Japan for the first time and would be interested in appearing on camera with her. Of course, I had to respond. It was just too perfect a fit.

So we met via video call, and I was invited to spend my first weekend in Japan with her and her husband in Nagoya. I'll tell you all about what we did there in detail, of course, and if you'd rather see it, you can find the videos on her YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/@LTVLOGchannel/videos ).

And don't worry, the videos are in German.

So I picked up my Permanent Residence Card, gathered my suitcases, one of which unfortunately had split open at the bottom. Not a problem in itself, because thankfully nothing fell out, but whenever I pulled it along, part of the suitcase dragged on the ground. To prevent this, I had to hold it almost upright, which was incredibly tiring. Nevertheless, I set off for the train. Or at least I tried to.

My temporary SIM card wasn't cooperating and refused to work. So I wandered around aimlessly again until I found a kind man who helped me buy a ticket and explained how to get to the train. I was so glad I'd already gotten enough yen in Germany to easily get through the initial period.

I was very relieved to finally be on the train and able to deal with my SIM card problem. Obviously, I needed a stable internet connection to use the mobile network. Something that hadn't been mentioned anywhere... And since it was my first time using a digital SIM card, I was a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, thanks to the train's free Wi-Fi, I managed to get it working and was able to text Lena that I was on my way.

I was then rewarded with a wonderful view of old Japanese houses, fields, and more. I had been there.

I was actually in Japan! I finally made it.

I still couldn't quite believe it. It felt so unreal, and I was sure I'd wake up any second and still be in Germany. But I didn't wake up, and I was able to dream it all the way through. I stared out the window the entire way to Tokyo and simply enjoyed it. I thought everything was amazing and desperately wanted to see more, especially exploring it on foot. But that would have to wait.

In Tokyo, I bought my first onigiri and some green tea. The saleswoman was so sweet! The tea had a picture of the Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani on it, and she immediately complimented me on my choice. I was absolutely delighted that she liked the idea of me buying the green tea.

After that, I went straight back to the train, where I was overcome by tiredness. I only woke up briefly because my seatmate nudged me. He was kind enough to wake me so I wouldn't miss Mount Fuji. I even managed to take a quick snapshot, but we went by so fast that I was just glad to have seen anything at all.

And after, I think, a total travel time of four hours, I arrived in Nagoya. Absolutely on time. So on time, in fact, that I was early... Because I didn't want to wait an hour for Lena to pick me up, I headed straight to the hotel. I mean, I'd made it this far, why should the rest of the journey be a problem?

Because I didn't want to walk the four kilometers (I know it sounds strange, but believe me, I've often chosen to walk, even for longer distances), I went to the subway. With two suitcases, that was a whole different ballgame. I barely squeezed through the level crossing gates and was constantly in the way. One suitcase in front of me, one behind me, and then hoping I wouldn't get stuck. Which, by the way, happened every single time... What was also really annoying was that not only was one suitcase broken, but the big, heavy one (22.8 kg!) didn't have a proper handle and kept tipping over when I walked. That meant stopping every time, turning around, taking three steps, and starting all over again...

Once I arrived at the right station, I managed to choose the only exit, without an elevator or escalator. And I just don't turn back in situations like that. I don't know why, but I persevered and carried the suitcases up not one, but three flights of stairs.

If I hadn't already looked and smelled like stinky cheese from the long flight, I definitely needed a shower after that incident. And absolutely everyone would have granted me that wish immediately, just to get rid of the smell.

The hotel was then just a few meters away, and check-in was done within five minutes. I was already standing in my little room for the next three nights, yanking open my suitcases. I had half an hour until Lena was to meet me in the lobby, so more than enough time to make sure I looked and, above all, smelled halfway presentable again.

You'll find out what happened next in Nagoya and what Lena showed me in the next post!

I hope you enjoyed my experiences on the way to Japan. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know if you've ever been to Japan and what your flight was like. I'm really curious!