Yesterday I bought my airplane ticket to Japan for the Tokyo Marathon. I bought it from IACE Travel, a Japanese travel agency that has an office in Columbus. When I walked through the door, all of the employees shouted out in unison, “Irrashaimase,” which means “Welcome” in Japanese. The office was completely typical of a Japanese office (I should know, since I worked in one for three years), and when I walked through the door, it was like I was instantly transported from Columbus to Japan. It was really quite amazing.

I leave Columbus on March 19, make a stopover in Detroit, and arrive in Tokyo on March 20 (total flying time about fourteen hours). The Tokyo Marathon is March 22, and after the marathon, I’ll have a few days to hang out in Tokyo. I leave Tokyo on March 26, make a stopover in Detroit, and arrive back in Columbus on March 26 (total flying time about twelve-and-a-half hours). I’ll probably be a little bit tired by the time I get back.

Tags: marathon, marathons, Tokyo Marathon, running