The WIT project began as a half-drunk notion several months prior to its fruition. The inspiration was born of two things: 

1) The fact that it is, in theory, possible to board a 747 in San Francisco, enjoy a couple of days in Tokyo, and return to work, dazed, but on time.

2) The fact that a legendary and generous friend of mine, Norm Cho, is an employee of Northwest Airlines and could, in theory, provide such passage, (in luxurious First Class no less) at a substantially discounted fare.

Then one day, the 75th time I suggested it. The mad notion became an insane truth, a date was established, and four San Franciscan argonauts were recruited, Charles, Andy, Karen, and myself, along with Captain Cho. 

Our schedule was as follows: 

  • Leave San Francisco at 1pm, Thursday the 5th of August.
  • Arrive Tokyo at 4pm, Friday the 6th
  • Leave Tokyo Monday the 9th at 5pm
  • Arrive San Francisco (back in time) on Monday the 9th at 8am, just in time for work
Necessary provisions were acquired and we counted the days!

Caveat: Any true traveler knows that a 4 day jaunt to another nation is hard to consider "real travel". To really sink in and appreciate all that a new place has to offer, it is best to journey for a considerable length of time, perhaps several months or more. But, of course, this trip was designed as a novelty; an experiment if you will. An action packed weekend of maximums! Maximum culture shock, maximum distance, maximum sensory overload, and maximum modern day technological wonder! In the end I reached numerous conclusions. Please, read on....