Tokyo rose

If you need fresh evidence that things are still on the rise in the East, look to All Nippon Airways (ANA), which just inaugurated its second daily flight from Manila out of NAIA3, to Haneda Airport.

Haneda is closer to downtown Tokyo than Narita (just 20 kms away, next to Narita’s 57 kms) and a convenient jump-off point for other domestic Japan destinations. And in life, timing can be everything.

Speaking of timing, our inaugural flight coincided with that most picturesque time in Japan: cherry blossom season. Cherry blossoms typically bloom once and only within a two-week period, so catching them in full flower all around Tokyo is a rare treat.

Timing, indeed, was a theme of our trip. ANA prides itself on its high “JOT” (just on time) percentage (ForbesTraveller.com cited Haneda, ANA’S base, as the most punctual airport in the world in 2009, with 94.3 percent of its flights departing on time and 88.6 percent arriving on time); and representatives from the Japanese Embassy, ANA and DOTC gathered at NAIA3 for an early-afternoon ceremony that emphasized the timely nature of the added flights to Tokyo as ANA’s inaugural plane, a Boeing 767, received a ceremonial shower-down from local fire trucks.

ANA — the ninth largest carrier in the world, the top domestic carrier in Japan, and a favorite of business travelers — is now in expansion mode. It just purchased 55 brand-new Boeing 787s, which helps them phase out their last 747s and take on more North American and European routes. ANA is looking to pick up a lot more Filipino visitors in the process with its second daily flight to Tokyo. Seats have been averaging 80-90 percent full from Manila to Narita, so ANA’s launch comes at just the right time.

Said Japan Ambassador to Philippines Toshinao Urabe: “Since 2010, Filipino visitors increased from 77,000 to 108,000 last year. The launch of this flight takes place when more Japanese countries are interested in investing in the Philippines. Not only people-to-people exchange, but also closer trade and investment ties will be promoted by this flight.”

DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya noted: “Surely ANA’s directly flights to Haneda will translate to more visitors in coming years and further cement Japan’s position as one of our top source markets for tourism… For our part, the DOTC is strongly committed to providing the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the growth of tourism and the airline industry.”

Added ANA senior vice president for Marketing & Planning Shuichi Fujimura: “Why is this flight so important for the two countries? Because Haneda is much closer to center of Tokyo than Narita. Also at Haneda, this flight is well connected to Japanese domestic flights to Japanese local cities… I am looking forward to seeing more Filipinos and Filipinas on our flight to Haneda. Mabuhay!”

For a sampling of what Japan has to offer during cherry blossom season, we took a 767 to Tokyo and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Toyama, a one-hour destination from Haneda that is surrounded by majestic Tateyama alps; it’s the location of Masuno Sushi — the biggest supplier of trout sushi bento boxes to Tokyo’s millions of train commuters every day; it’s home to one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in Japan, Kokando; our visit took us to the old shipping business district, with its distinctive wooden houses dating back to the 1800s, and inside the remains of Toyama Castle, dating back to the 16th century.

The day before, we toured Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3 to get an inside peek at the ANA’s flight management center — a hive of 500-plus people hovering over laptops, computer terminals, pilots checking flight plans and overhead screens flashing updates. Not unlike a Wall Street trading floor, its ceaseless activity is the reason ANA stays on time, most of the time. We even toured the hanger where ANA’s fleet regular routine maintenance checks. ANA has bet big on the wide-body Boeing 787 (despite battery-related issues that led to grounding of some planes last year), purchasing 55 of the midsize jets for long-haul and domestic flights, with more on order, at a reported cost of $16.6 billion. ANA clearly wants to compete in the international skies in a big way.

(Surely there are few more pleasant ways to travel the four-hour leg to and from Tokyo than relaxing in Business Class on a new Boeing 787, seat in full recline, with a personal movie and a glass of Pinot Noir nearby.)

Back in the city, Tokyo always has its attractions, and we found ourselves touring downtown, ascending the 234-meter landmark Skytree tower to get an overview of the city’s 17 million residents. We headed across the Rainbow Bridge, with Mount Fuji in the far distance, to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. There, we had a quick visit with Asimo, one of Japan’s first and most durable functioning robots, who gave a vivid display of how more and more of Japan’s elderly population will be assisted in the near future: picture morning calisthenics with a squat-looking white robot counting off the knee bends. Will Filipino health workers fill those jobs in elderly care homes in the future, or will it be troops of kawaii robots? I must admit, Asimo was cute… until he started bolting across the room towards our cameras at full speed to demonstrate his agility: then I couldn’t help thinking “Terminator.”

The Museum also displayed robot dogs and voice-activated servants. Of course, Japan’s culture has had a long time to absorb the presence of robots in their daily lives. But robotics scientists warn of something known as the “uncanny valley”: a point where robots begin to resemble us humans so closely, that we’re repulsed. Fortunately, Asimo is still too cute to freak people out just yet.

Downtown, we visited Senso-ji, the oldest temple in Tokyo, with its incense vendors and prayer lockers. Lining the road leading to this 6th century shrine, reconstructed after WWII bombing, is the Nakamise, a street of vendor stalls that still sells kimonos, folding fans, woodblock cuts and special snacks to visitors and pilgrims, as it has for centuries. Nowadays, you’re also likely to find ninja costumes, Godzilla dolls and homemade ice cream among its kiosks.

Our stay at Royal Park Hotel in Shiodome allowed us to visit nearby Ginza, with its chi-chi shops, sidestreet karaoke joints and ramen houses, and of course, Don Quijote, the multi-level bargain shopping plaza that always attracts Filipinos (don’t miss their cosplay section on the fifth floor). Our arrival dinner on the 42th floor at nearby En Shiodome — with tables overlooking the Tokyo skyline at night — was a treat (cue: My Bloody Valentine’s Sometimes).

Then there’s Shibuya, for another classic Lost in Translation moment, watching the massive billboards and the endless variety of people at the scramble crossing. But what also made Shibuya magical this time was the abundance of cherry blossoms in bloom, dotting the intersection — another thing that makes Tokyo special, yet another moment captured in time. 

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All Nippon Airways now flies twice daily to Tokyo from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at 9:30 a.m. to Narita Airport, and 2:40 p.m. to Haneda Airport.

For booking information, visit their website (http://www.ana.co.jp/asw/wws/ph/e) or call their Makati office (553-8000).