From Frankfurt Airport — Germany Business Trip Journal 1
Hello. I am Tomotake Ichikawa, owner of 1basketry.
As I mentioned in my previous journal,
in September 2025 I traveled to the town of Lichtenfels in Germany
to visit and report on a basket festival held there.
In this journal, I would like to share with you what I experienced during that trip—
the landscapes I saw, the many baskets I encountered, the food I enjoyed,
and the people I had the pleasure of meeting in Germany.
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For this trip to the basket festival in Germany,
there were several people I very much hoped to meet.
If the festival in Lichtenfels had been my only destination,
I could have flown from Japan into Munich or Nuremberg
and traveled directly to the town from there.
However, there were places I wished to visit beforehand,
so I began my journey in Frankfurt—
a major German city often described as a gateway to Europe.
This was my first time setting foot in Germany.
Until now, I had traveled to Europe three times—each visit to Poland—but on those occasions I was always part of a team.
This time, however, it was my first solo trip abroad.
During the roughly fifteen-hour flight from Haneda Airport,
I imagined that I would not know my way around in Germany at all.
With a mixture of quiet nervousness and anticipation,
I spent those long hours thinking about whether I would manage my schedule smoothly,
about the people I had long hoped to meet or meet again after some time,
and about the basket festival I had been invited to and had long wished to attend.
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At last, I landed in Frankfurt.
It was around 6 p.m. local time, and the airport was filled with long lines of people waiting for immigration and baggage claim.
Moments like this tend to feel longer when you are alone.
After finally completing the procedures, I headed toward my hotel in central Frankfurt by train.
But before that,
since I had chosen a lighter, healthier in-flight meal, I was already quite hungry.
I had heard that many restaurants in Germany close early in the evening,
so I decided to look for a place to eat inside the airport.
I went to the information desk, where a staff member assisted me through a large video screen,
and asked where I might find something to eat.
They told me there was a food-court-like area in the basement and recommended I try there.
Carrying my heavy luggage, I made my way downstairs.
The pad thai I enjoyed at a German airport was delicious—perhaps seasoned as much with a sense of reassurance as with spices. 
I noticed that airport security staff and police officers (POLIZEI) were also stopping by to eat there.
At last, I was able to satisfy my hunger.
Before I knew it, it was nearly 7 p.m.
From the airport, I made my way by train to my hotel in central Frankfurt.
This is the S-Bahn, a train line that connects the airport with the city center.
The bright red color of the train cars stood out vividly against the underground station.
There are also the U-Bahn, the city’s underground metro system,
and the ICE, a high-speed train that travels between major cities—much like Japan’s Shinkansen.
This is a one-way adult ticket for the S-Bahn from the airport to the city center. I was able to pay by credit card, and it cost €6.6 (about ¥1,150 at the exchange rate at the time). Ticket machines were located on the station platform. 
Because Germany lies at a higher latitude than Japan, even just before 7 p.m. in September the sun had not yet set, and the sky was still bright enough that patches of blue were visible.
And now—here comes a little quiz!
What do you think this is, placed on the station platform?
Here is a hint: it might have been possible in Japan long ago,
but today it would be rather unthinkable.
And perhaps it feels slightly unexpected in Germany as well?
You will find the answer in the next journal.
(Please scroll to the very bottom of the next article.)
It was my first time riding a train alone in Germany.
The feeling reminded me of when I first traveled alone to Canada as a teenager.
With that long-forgotten sense returning, and taking in the streets and people of Frankfurt,
I felt both excitement and nervous anticipation as I safely arrived at Frankfurt Central Station.
The following day, another long journey by train awaited me,
so I decided to turn in early at a business hotel near the station.
Before that long trip, I planned to take a short walk around Frankfurt the next morning,
and with that in mind, I went to bed.
Until the next journal.
Tomotake Ichikawa
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“The One Table” Special Exhibition
European Baskets We Discovered in Germany
2026
February 19 (Thu), 20 (Fri), 21 (Sat), 22 (Sun), 23 (Mon, Holiday)
26 (Thu), 27 (Fri), 28 (Sat)
March 5 (Thu), 6 (Fri), 7 (Sat)
Open | 11:00–16:00
In-store | 1basketry, Minami-Senju, Tokyo
