There’s no breakfast at Montblanc today. When I made the reservation I didn’t book it with breakfast to keep the last day’s schedule flexible. Had the first day’s breakfast proved to be worth it I planned to ask the hotel to add it. It wasn’t and I didn’t.

Much better choices are available. Like Doutor!

What is a trip to Japan without breakfast at trusted lovable Doutor. Nice, good value and reliable. Sandwich or Hotdog plus latte for the price of just ~390Y. I can have 2 of them and still have enough change left to buy a bread at Lawson for what Montblanc’s breakfast costs.

Even better, there’s a Doutor right next door to Montblanc.

 

 

 

 

Check out, leaves luggage with hotel. Our flight leaves at 4, counting in time to get there we get the morning to do some sightseeing. Again not enough to go very far, but enough for maybe one spot.

We decide to go to the Noritake museum, a fine tableware brand, since it’s just a few hundred metres north from here.

Established in 1904, Noritake is well known for its fine china, some even used by the Imperial family for hosting foreign guests. It has turned its original headquarter into a museum and sales centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a science museum with interactive displays about various uses of ceramic and pottery, from nano coated toilets to air filters and plenty more. There’s quite a few exhibits so we decides to leave it for last, should we have time (turns out we don’t).

 

The sales centre has a wide range of tableware and peculiar dining accessories. Like a spring loaded teaspoon that lets you put tea leaves in, so guests can decide how strong they want their tea and take the teaspoon out at the appropriate time.

Photos are not allowed inside, so no not much to show.

 

We barely had time to finish browsing the wares and make some purchasing decisions before it’s time to go.

We pick up our luggage and again take the Meitetsu train.

 

Nagoya Airport (or Centair) is quite the interesting airport. It has an entire shopping level, styled in european archways and facades, filled with restaurants, ramens, souvenirs. Even its own onsen!

Imagine that, taking a dip in an onsen before your flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the bowl of ramen we go through customs and head for the lounge provided by our credit card. It’s the Star Alliance lounge, very high standards compared to what is usually offered.

 

The lounge is small but well equipped. There’s your usual coffee and bread, but also onigiri (rice ball), sushi roll, a good variety of beer and juices, also miso soup and corn soup.

Luck would have it, while at the lounge the Dreamlifter happened to land and roll across the tarmac.

As many of Boeing’s airplane parts are built in Japan, there’s a need to transport them to the US. Shipping by boat is too slow, so they converted several 747 into specialized transports, the Dreamlifters, to fly the parts across the Pacific.