The Kindness of (Japanese) Strangers

From a previous post:

I did not realise that there were TWO terminals at Haneda, and we were at Terminal 2 looking for JAL when it was ALL ANA flights. 30 minutes before our flight we were still at Terminal 2, and we approached ANA ground staff to ask about our flight. They told us we were at the WRONG terminal. So I tried to find my way to Terminal 1... with less than 30 minutes to spare.
Fortunately, the ANA staff ran towards us, checked our flight and bookings (I had a print out of the details), and ran with us to the shuttle bus (shuttling between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2), caught the shuttle bus to Domestic Terminal 1 and put us on it. At Terminal 1, we hunted for the JAL check it, connected with their "Smile" service, and the woman immediately sprang into action! 

(We had also asked a security guard for help and he sent us to the second floor to the check in counter). 

The JAL ground staff took our documents, and checked us through.
It was less than 15 minutes to our flight.
She tagged our luggage to be checked in and we ran for the gate. 
Fortunately, the flight was delayed for 5 minutes. For us? I do not know. Didn't think so,
The flight crew did not mentioned that. We did not seem to have caused any undue delay, so the 5 minutes holdup might just have been lucky coincidence.

We had left the hotel at about 10 am, taking their shuttle bus to Narita train station. We caught a train to Haneda, but had to change to the express train at some station (may have been Shinagawa).

We arrived at Haneda close to 1 pm. Our flight was 2 pm. I thought we had some time, so we had lunch and tried to check in at about 1:30.

When we couldn't find the JAL check in counters, we asked the ANA counter and the staff told us we were at the wrong terminal. 

So we walked off, I was desperately looking for Terminal 1 and the JAL counter.

Then the ANA counter staff ran up to us, asked for our check-in information, took a look and it and asked us to follow her. 

She started running. In heels!

I picked up my kid (4 yr old), and ran after her. My wife trailing with the luggage.

The ANA ground staff led us out the terminal to the bus stop where a shuttle bus was waiting. She got the driver to wait for a few seconds while we caught up with her.

We boarded, had only enough time for a perfunctory thank you" to her (our "thank you" was probably rude by Japanese standards), and the bus moved off.

But I was incredibly grateful to that ANA counter staff who went beyond her job to help people who weren't even her customers.

And the JAL staff who sped us through the check-in process.

That is omotenashi - wholehearted service.

And I am humbled by Japanese omotenashi.