２週間の日本滞在を終えて、カリフォルニアへ帰ります…。
成田第壱ターミナル中央に、レゴのお店が出来ていました。
壁面にはレゴで造られた『風神雷神図』が飾られていました。近くで観るとレゴのブロックでジャギーがかかったような絵に見えますが、よくやったと思いました。
中央ブロックへ立ち寄ったのは、青いジャガイモ袋のバッグを購入予定でしたが… 取扱は終わっていました。
ANA ファーストとダイヤモンド会員専用のチェックインカウンターに行きました。
ここで慇懃無礼に案内されて、開店しているラウンジの場所を確認させてもらいました。
エスカレータで上階へ昇って入場です。
入って受付してもらうと、右側のファーストクラス用ラウンジへ進めと案内されます。
「げ… もう身バレしてるの？？」
「(笑) まだ空いておりますので、どうぞお好きな席へおかけください♪」
ラウンジを早々に退席して、32 番ゲートの方へやってまいりました。
鮨・京辰さんです。ここで握り鮨をいただけば、ラウンジのガッカリ気分を挽回できそう。
けっこう混んでる時に来たので、職人さんのいるカウンター前には座れませんでした。
安心のお味、ダイエットコークです。
もうちょっと寄ると、こんなです。
で、文字通りに御不浄へ寄っただけ。
今回の搭乗ゲートは 27 番って… ANA がこんな場所使うの珍しいと思っていたら…
儂が搭乗待ちをしているのは、27 番ゲート。
次記事は、復路の ANA 8便 ファーストクラスの様子をご紹介して、連載終了です。
でも、着席する前にちょっと気になる展示物を撮影させてもらいました…。
６種類のタグが飾られていますが… 紅い奴が気になりました。
そう。この３ミリオンマイル達成時にもらえるタグが羨ましかったのだ。
・・・と、嫉妬に燃えながら着席。
ちなみに、窓際はこんな感じ。
そして窓外をみやれば… 多分南朝鮮の航空機がノコノコと。
そして… スナックチェックをしましたが、イマイチです。
パンはこのくらい。
ソフトドリンク類はこんなサーバがありました。
あとは、アルコール類はこんなでした。
他には、ピエールエルメのチョコも。
収穫結果は、このくらいです。
もっとがっつり喰いたいお客様は、オンラインでオーダーかけるようになっています。
他のオーダー可能なお食事は以下です。写真サイズが長～～～いです。
う～ん… 写真が下手なのかもしれんが、どれも冷凍食品っぽくて美味しく無さそう。
この矢印付けてあるボックスに入った、タグです。
展示の下の方にビデオが流れてて、完成まで壱ヶ月かけて造ったプレートだそうです。
ANA だから２ミリオンで青い奴のほうが似合ってそうだけど、紅いのもいいなぁ。
このタグの他にどんな特典くれるのかなぁ。生涯ダイヤモンド会員かなぁ。羨ましいなぁ。
窓際へは行かず、スナック類に近いこんな場所をもらいました。
景色はいいけどねぇ。飲み物やスナックからいちばん遠いからねぇ。
聞いたことも無い航空会社、成田でもずいぶん見かけるようになりました。もう異国。
サラダ、小さなサンドイッチ、それにスイーツ類くらい。
板チョコ挟んだバゲットには軽く引いた。日本人のセンス、たまに変。
エスプレッソに氷を加えてアイスコーヒーを自分で淹れました。
そしたら「おっしゃってくだされば…」と、お姉さんに言われた。ごめんね。
いちおうファーストのラウンジだけあって、まあまあの品揃えでしょうか。
・・・こいつんちの板チョコ、初めて見たかも。マカロンしか買ったことが無い。
アイスコーヒーの他は、フルーツにマフィン、マンゴームーズと、あられちゃん。
テーブルにこんな案内が貼ってありました。（写真の QR コードは変えてあります）
で、案内のとおりにネットへ繋ぐと…
６月なので、紫陽花のカットが添えられた画面が出てきます。
ここから「ラウンジ内飲食のご紹介」をポチると…
最初は麺類のリストが出てきました。
ラーメン以外は、きつね or とろろわかめ or かき揚げ しかないわけです。
うどんは儂の食品選択肢に入っていないから… あえて選べばかき揚げ蕎麦だけど… う～ん。
ざんねんです。
ひとつ、『”ヘルシー” かつバーガー ～肉不使用～』というのが気になった。
インポシブルかつバーガー？ それとも大豆ミート？ どっちみち人造肉？？
セカンドインパクト後の食品みたいで、私なんだか怖いわ…。
とりあえずオンラインのオーダーは諦めて、サンドイッチをもらってきました。
野菜サンドとハムチーズサンド。味はごく普通。
ファーストクラスのラウンジでこの程度か、という少しガッカリした気分。
そうです。このあたりに鮨屋があるんです。
持ち帰りコーナーで UA の運ちゃんが鮨買ってました。
見てたら… コパイも一緒に同じような鮨買ってる。二人が同じ物食べたらヤバくね？
あれでもし運ちゃん達が中ったらどうすんだろう？ 危機管理が実にユナイテッド航空。ｗ
だから UA の B787-9 一番前のトイレって、運用上ほぼ運ちゃん専用になってるのかも？(爆)
で、本日のメニューを… あれ？ また千葉県富津産がある。今日は「きす昆布〆」だって。
確かに小学生の頃、投げ釣りでキスを釣っていました。でも天麩羅以外では食べた事なかった。いくら昆布で〆たからといって、富津沖のキスを生で食べるなんて… 私怖いわ。
職人さんのいるカウンターはこんなでした。客はなぜか白人ばかり…。
メチャ混んでいるので、店長さんはじめ皆さんテンパっててピリピリした空気。
儂はまず、鮨屋でコーラ。ここってガイジンだらけだからコーラ頼むのが全然恥ずかしくない。
人工甘味料のコーラをジルジルとすすっている目の前は、こんな景色でした。
ぁぁ… なんか目の前にユナイテッド航空の機材がいると安心する儂。
しかも B787-9 で、GenX エンジン付いてる奴だから、見慣れてて安心。
最初おまかせコースにしようと思いましたが、鮨だけにしたほうが早いと言われ「おまかせ握り」で。
こんな 10 貫が届きました。
子持ち昆布とか、銀色の表皮が付いたままの魚の死体とかがやや引くけど、どれも美味しかったです。ここんちは赤酢で炊いたシャリをふうわり握っていて、プロっぽい握り鮨が楽しめます。あのファーストラウンジの冷凍食品みたいなラウンジめしで腹を満たすより、ずっと嬉しい。
お鮨でおなかいっぱい♪ あとは御不浄へ… 31 番ゲートそばの御不浄へ寄って行きました。
成田の御不浄もけっこう混んでる。ここにも早くポラリスラウンジを造って欲しいです。
ここで用を済ませて退席。
ホントに用足ししただけなので、受付のお姉さんがあっけにとられていました。(笑)
「ここはラウンジじゃなくて御不浄ですから♪」って言いたいのを、堪えた。(爆)
さらに、劣化した鶴丸航空の機材が 26 番ゲートに停まっていました。
劣化すると紅い鶴が外されるだけではなく、出発ターミナルまで変えさせられるんですね。
でもこの劣化鶴、最近はサンノゼ・ミネタ空港や SFO へも飛来している模様です。
機材が B77W なのに搭乗開始は出発 30 分前です。でもちゃんと定刻 10 分前くらいに Boarding Complete のアナウンスが入る。すごい！ アメリカの空港じゃ無理ゼッタイ！！時間通りにゲートに来ない奴が多過ぎ。特に中国人。
Your two-week stay in Japan, starting with an expedition to Okayama, a long fasting, and upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies, seemed like a rather grueling ordeal. However, I'm relieved to hear that the remainder of your itinerary was more relaxing. If a similar event were to happen again, I assume a similar schedule would be ideal. If harsh and sad trials awaited at the end, it would indeed be disheartening.
ReplyDeleteThis "Fujin Raijin-zu" mural at the central wall of Narita's Terminal 1, made of LEGO, is quite a sight to behold. I've been drawn to this folding screen since I was a child, engrossed in stamp collecting. The Wind God on the right side has considerable force, but for some reason, I favor the Thunder God on the left. Of course, the masterpiece consists of the two panels together, but perhaps the allure comes from portraying the overwhelming power of nature, which humans can't resist—wind and especially thunder—through the forms of gods, adding a touch of humor.
The ANA First and Diamond members' check-in counter, when I think about it, Diamond members really are privileged, aren't they? Even when flying economy, they get to spend time in such a luxurious lounge, right? Well, I guess at the very least, Diamond members would fly Premium Economy using their accumulated mileage? Or would they perhaps purchase the cheapest flight tickets, hoping for an upgrade, and as a result sometimes end up not being upgraded and becoming an economy class passenger? I suppose the same must be true for United Airlines' Global Services members.
Hmm, so when you enter the lounge, you're courteously yet insincerely greeted here. This might seem annoying to you, but to someone without the same experience, it seems envious.
So, when you enter the lounge, you're immediately greeted with "Welcome, Mr. obaKoba!"
I also recall that during a flight with JAL, I ended up discussing with a cabin attendant and inadvertently mentioned that I was an internist. They kept a record of that, and every time I boarded an international flight with JAL, they would ask, "Please help us if anything happens." It became quite a pressure, so I contacted JAL's head office to erase that record.
A few years later, JAL introduced a "Doctor Registration System," which asks kindly for passengers with medical licenses to register. This allows cabin crew members to promptly request help from a registered doctor onboard a JAL Group flight.
Of course, I have not registered. Even without registration, I would volunteer my medical expertise if necessary.
It seems you took a picture of an intriguing exhibit before you sat down. I'm curious about it too... There are six types of tags displayed, especially this red one, which piques my interest. It's a plate that took a month to make, and is a tag I can get when I achieve 3 million miles onboard ANA, isn't it? That's enviable. What kind of benefits will this tag provide? Just being a lifelong Diamond member is an enviable story already.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, you secured a seat close to the snacks in the lounge, rather than going to what would probably be a popular seat by the window. Is this behavior of yours perhaps the same as when you're at a breakfast buffet in a hotel restaurant? Sure, the view is nice by the window, but it's the furthest away from the drinks and snacks.
LCCs, once a minority, now even have their own passenger terminal buildings. KIX opened a single-story LCC-specific terminal building, which I believe was the first of its kind in Japan. At NRT, they intended to differentiate from HND by attracting LCCs, primarily operating from the second terminal building. However, they had no choice but to charge the same airport facility usage fees as other legacy companies, which is a significant cost burden for LCCs. To support the low-cost operation of LCCs, they built a lower-cost, LCC-specific terminal building, and began operating it as the third terminal. Even a seasoned traveler like you have started to see many airlines you've never heard of at Narita.
When you added ice to your espresso and brewed your own iced coffee, a lounge attendant told you, "If you had let me know..." Hmm, was she feeling like, "He's brewing it himself while I'm not looking, planning to take over my job?" I can see why you felt like saying, "I'm sorry."
By the way, about the assortment of alcohol in this first-class lounge, if I were to be greedy, I would have preferred Remy Martin XO instead of VSOP, Glenfiddich 18 years or even 21 years rather than the 15 years. But since it's free, I guess I can't complain? (lol)
ReplyDeleteI suppose there are quite a few customers who want to eat heavily in the lounge before boarding. Compared to the restless atmosphere often seen in the general lounges during busy times, which resemble the food court in a shopping center where people swarm over food and the loud voices of drunken people echo, it seems like I can spend a relaxed time here. Furthermore, they have now set up online ordering. If I scan the 2D barcode at my seat and order my meal, the staff will deliver the food to my seat, and they also have a menu from which I can freely pick up, don’t they?
When you click on "Introducing food and drinks in the lounge"... It feels somewhat like the ANA airport lounge when the list of noodle dishes appears first. Aside from ramen, you can top your soba or udon with either kitsune, tororo wakame, or kakiage. I know udon isn't on your list of food choices... but if I were to choose, I'd also go for kakiage soba.
Speaking of which, yesterday I went on a trip to Osaka with Midori-san, and on the way back, we stopped at a standing food stall on the local platform at Shin-Osaka station. Both of us had a combination of shrimp tempura soba and onigiri. For some reason, in my case, when I want to have a substantial noodle meal, I go to a proper restaurant for udon, and when I want a quick noodle, I have soba at a standing eatery.
Hmm... maybe the photos of the menu are poorly taken, but if you took them instead, you wouldn't make them look like frozen food, and they would probably look more appetizing. It's indeed a pity.
So there's a 'Healthy' Katsu Burger – No Meat? I personally have no interest in it, but Mos Burger used to sell a hamburger called 'MOS PLANT-BASED GREEN BURGER' that did not use animal ingredients and used vegetables and grains as the main ingredients. I'm not sure if they're still selling it, but I guess it's a very healthy hamburger that doesn't use meat in the patty. But I still prefer the traditional hamburgers that aren't good for the body.
ReplyDeleteSo you gave up on the online order and got a sandwich. I also like such simple vegetable sandwiches and ham and cheese sandwiches, and often stock up at the convenience store inside the station before boarding the Shinkansen. Your taste evaluation of the sandwich is 'a bit disappointing, that's all it is', but even if it's a first-class lounge, it's hard to differentiate with such a simple menu.
You left the lounge early and came to gate 32 and entered Sushi Kyotatsu. You had some sushi here to make up for the disappointing feeling in the lounge. I've seen various videos of others before and after boarding first class, but they are all about eating a lot in the lounge before boarding and then eating again on the plane. I've never seen anyone like you who puts a paid shop between the lounge and the plane. The lounge menu must have been that unsatisfactory.
Huh? The United Captain and Co-Pilot are buying the same sushi at the take-out corner of this sushi shop?? Hmm, if both of them eat the same ingredients and get sick, what would they do? The crisis management is truly like United Airlines and it's wonderful (lol).
Hmm, airport eateries tend to be quite pricey, but it appears they still draw a crowd. Judging from the fact that you couldn't get a seat in front of the sushi chef, I'm guessing there were many Caucasian customers who want to surely and carefully observe the sushi chef in front of them, preparing their order. Or I wonder if it feels like a final Japanese meal for people heading to countries where they'll have to say goodbye to Japanese food for a while?
ReplyDeletePerhaps it was destiny that you encountered "Kisu Kombu-shime" from Futtsu, Chiba for your last meal in Japan. You used to fish for Kisu when you were in elementary school. If you, who have such experience, feel scared to eat raw Kisu from the sea off Futtsu just because it's been preserved in kombu, is that the same as me being scared to eat pickled mackerel?
Hahaha, the first thing you did was order a cola at the sushi restaurant. While it might be intimidating at a renowned sushi place, here with it being full of foreigners, it seems not at all embarrassing to order a cola. Moreover, it's a diet coke full of artificial sweeteners, huh?
Ah, you feel reassured when you see a United Airlines plane in front of you. When I occasionally go abroad and see JAL or ANA planes at foreign airports, I get the same feeling of reassurance that I can safely return to Japan.
You ordered the "Omakase Nigiri 10 pieces". Although it's probably quite expensive due to being the sushi restaurant's omakase course, is it like "This is my last chance for real sushi... I'll sever my longing for soy sauce with the high-class nigiri I've prepared myself for! I will definitely eat 'My Last Meal' before leaving the country!"?