Jostling for space with Chinese expats renewing their travel documentation; jaded business folks trying for a quick turn-around; tour group reps processing dozens at a time; and the odd adventurer looking a spot of something else. Miss the homely ambience of some of Tokyo’s more petit embassies.

Every interesting journey starts with the spark of an idea, rapidly followed by a visit to the consulate to obtain visas. Today’s embassies are Japan (quiet, clam, super efficient) and China (crowded, noisy, super efficient). Need to somehow squeeze in the Pakistan Embassy in DC to obtain an Iranian visa, and the Turkmenistan embassy prior to the next trip – mountains and time off the grid beckon.