OK, the plane ticket problem has been solved. I’ve paid for them, and now I have them! I kept calling back and on the third try, an English-speaking person was able to describe how to pay for them. Simply go to a convenience store and pay them. It turns out two chains of convenience stores have machines in them similar to ATMs. These machines can let you pay for anything - flights, busses, taxes, wire-transfers, ad nauseum.
Then, Aroop and I booked a bus to Tokyo for the swing dance. The shinkansen was full, so we decided to give the bus a go. It’s a bit cheaper (US$20) and and a bit longer (3 hours vs 1.5). Free tea, tho, and an on-board toilet. A proper touring coach. We made a goal to try and book a ferry to some place on the Izu peninsula during the spring, that way we’ll have travelle in Japan by all forms of transport.
So much travel! Many people and things to look forward to! And not long into the new year will Dice and Jo be visiting.
The only annoyance now is the unkillable rotty stuff in the drain of my shower. Draino, pipe cleaner, and kitchen cleaner have yet to make a dent in the hidden nose-sore.