Hong Kong & Japan — May/June 2026
Pre-Departure Guide
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Flights
| Flight | Route | Departs | Arrives | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CX 801 | Chicago O'Hare (ORD) → Hong Kong (HKG) | May 25, 4:15 PM | May 26, 9:00 PM (local) | 18+ hour flight. Arrive Hong Kong evening of May 26. |
| CX 520 | Hong Kong (HKG) → Tokyo Narita (NRT) | May 29, 10:40 AM | May 29, 4:05 PM (local) | |
| CX 507 | Osaka Kansai (KIX) → Hong Kong (HKG) | June 11, 5:35 PM | June 11, 8:50 PM (local) | Haruka 29 from Kyoto Station departs 1:00 PM — collect physical ticket at JR West machine using credit card + 4-digit ID. |
| CX 806 | Hong Kong (HKG) → Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | June 12, 12:10 PM | June 12, 1:55 PM (local) | Arrives same calendar day — Chicago is 14 hours behind HKG. |
Accommodation
| Hotel | Check-in | Check-out | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel ICON | May 26 | May 29 | 51197SF673858 |
| &Here Tokyo Ueno | May 29 | Jun 3 | 73326675999672 |
| Atami Sekaie | Jun 3 | Jun 4 | 3227-2490-4521 |
| Sheraton Grand Hiroshima | Jun 4 | Jun 7 | 81521547 |
| Hotel Kanra Kyoto | Jun 7 | Jun 11 | 2351074222 |
| Skycity Marriott Hong Kong | Jun 11 | Jun 12 | 90411237 |
TA-Q-BIN Luggage Forwarding
| From | To | Drop off by | Arrives |
|---|---|---|---|
| &Here Tokyo Ueno | Sheraton Grand Hiroshima | Evening of June 2 | June 4 afternoon (bag waits at hotel — you arrive June 4 from baseball game) |
| Sheraton Grand Hiroshima | Hotel Kanra Kyoto | Evening of June 6 | June 7 afternoon (you arrive by shinkansen June 7 at 1:19 PM) |
Jet Lag Schedule
Pre-Departure
- May 22 (Thu): Shift bedtime 1 hour earlier than usual.
- May 23 (Fri): Shift bedtime another hour earlier.
- May 24 (Sat): Sleep early. Avoid alcohol. Try to sleep on the overnight flight starting at your Hong Kong bedtime (roughly 10:30 PM Chicago time = noon HKG next day).
- May 25 (Sun — Departure): Light meals. Board CX 801 at 4:15 PM. On the plane: skip the first meal service, sleep as soon as the cabin dims, wake for the second meal.
Return
- June 12 (Fri — Return): You land at 1:55 PM Chicago time. Stay awake until at least 9 PM local time. Brief nap (max 30 min) if needed.
- June 13 (Sat): Sleep in slightly but aim to be up by 9 AM. Full day in sunlight.
- June 14 (Sun): Normal schedule. Jet lag should be largely resolved.
Pre-Departure Checklist
Documents
- Passports (all 3) — valid through at least 2027
- Printed trip insurance cards — Faye + World Nomads
- Visit Japan Web QR code completed before departure
- Smart EX app installed — Andrew + Kim
- Tokyo DisneySea app installed — link reservation A00555726363
- Offline Google Maps downloaded: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara
Money
- Notify credit cards of travel dates
- Withdraw ¥50,000–75,000 yen at Narita Airport (7-Eleven or Japan Post ATM)
- Carry HK$ for Hong Kong legs (ATM on arrival)
IC Cards
- Andrew: Welcome Suica on iPhone via Apple Pay — set up before departure
- Kim: Welcome Suica on iPhone via Apple Pay — set up before departure
- Bea: PASMO Passport (physical) — buy at Narita arrivals, ¥500
Luggage
- AirTags in all 5 locations: 45L, Sling 10L, Duffel, Passport wallet, spare
- Confirm TA-Q-BIN forwarding dates with hotel concierge on arrival nights
Medical
- CPAP packed with international adapter
- All prescriptions filled for full trip duration
- OTTA (Japanese pharmacy antacid) — buy at any pharmacy on arrival in Japan
Emergency Contacts
| Name | Phone | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Embassy Tokyo | +81-3-3224-5000 | 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo 107-8420 | After hours: +81-3-3224-5000 (press 1 for after-hours) |
| US Consulate Osaka (covers Kyoto/Hiroshima) | +81-6-6315-5900 | 2-11-5 Nishitenma, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8543 | |
| US Consulate Hong Kong | +852-2523-9011 | 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong | |
| Japan Emergency (police/fire/ambulance) | 110 (police) / 119 (fire/ambulance) | English available — say 'English, please' immediately | |
| Hong Kong Emergency | 999 | ||
| Faye Travel Insurance | 1-844-329-3299 | Policy number in Faye app | |
| World Nomads | +1-415-901-8235 | Claim at worldnomads.com |
Packing List
Documents & Money
- Passport (Andrew)
- Passport (Kim)
- Passport (Bea)
- Credit cards (Visa + backup)
- Driver's license
- Travel insurance info
- Trip confirmation printout
- Printed visa / ESTA confirmation
- Foreign currency — Yen (cash)
- Emergency contact card
Clothing
- Shirts × 14
- Underwear × 14
- Socks × 14
- Pants × 2
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Light jacket / hoodie
- Belt
- Pajamas
- Travel laundry detergent (sheets)
Toiletries
- Toothbrush + toothpaste
- Deodorant × 2
- Razor + extra blades
- Shampoo / conditioner
- Face wash
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen SPF 50
- Daily medications — full 30-day supply
- Extra contacts / glasses
- Lip balm
Tech
- Phone + cable
- Laptop + charger
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Power bank — 20,000mAh
- iPad + charger (Bea)
- Universal power adapter
- Japan SIM or eSIM activated
- MicroSD cards
- Extra power bank or dual-port charger
Camera
- Camera body (Sony a7iv)
- Voigtländer 21mm lens
- Sony 35mm lens
- Spare batteries × 2
- Battery charger
- Memory cards × 3
- Lens cloths
- Camera bag liner
Health & Safety
- Hand sanitizer
- Face masks × 10
- First aid kit (bandaids, ibuprofen, antacids)
- Melatonin
- Bea's medications
- Children's Tylenol / Benadryl
- Bea's vitamins
- Prescription copy (customs)
- Anti-diarrheal medication
- Probiotics
Misc
- Small daypack for day outings
- Reusable water bottle
- Pen + small notebook
- Collapsible laundry bag
- Portable luggage scale
- Offline maps — Japan (Google Maps)
- Translation app offline (Google Translate)
- Bea's comfort item / stuffed animal
- Bea's activity bag + snacks for travel day
Trip-specific
- Japan Rail Pass — confirm physical pass received
- IC Card / Suica — purchase on arrival at NRT