First Day in Japan

Well, there is a lot they don’t tell you about traveling to Japan, and yet it’s not as difficult as you would imagine, but it can be more difficult than you can imagine at the same time. My first full day was packed with amazement and adventure, but first I have to start with my first evening. In what turned out to be the longest day of my life, was a fun filled and most stressful event to ever happen to me (except breaking my ankle in the Yaak 2 miles from a road and an hour drive from civilization, I have to say that was pretty stressful). I started out the day having spent the night at a friend’s place in Seattle, getting ready to pick up my visa for traveling to Japan. It took a long time to get it in order, so long that when I finally got the visa it was only 4 hours before my flight took off. I went into the Japan Consulate to find out if my Visa was ready and the man at the desk recognized me from the week before and hand/finger signaled with an X indicating it wasn’t there, my heart fell through the five stories of below that floor and probably ended up somewhere in the basement. He told me that it was printed and almost ready to give to me except it had to get a final OK from the Japanese embassy and that may not be until that afternoon; which was too late for my flight. I sulked my way to the car and spoke with my friend, who really wanted to drive to the local hospital, as someone she knew needed some support from a horrific accident their son was in. I agreed to that she should go, and I would stay at the consulate and wait to see if my Visa came in soon (although with little hope in my heart). Well while I was waiting for the phone call from the Japanese consulate, I called my insurance company to work out my final details for my car insurance while I am gone, then I was called Oh Wow, but it was one of my Japanese friends in America who had been helping me plan out my first day in Japan, or I would be virtually lost and without a clue as to what to do or where to go in Japan alone. Well I spoke with her and explained that I had only 4 ½ hours of time before my flight and that there was a high likelihood that my Visa would not be in for probably another 3 or 4 hours anyway (she has been worried about my trip since I started planning it, especially in part with my Visa, as I have to admit I am not the best planner in the world; I’m just good at doing everything at the last moment—hurray for high stress! My friend thinks I’m a troublemaker and so does my study abroad advisor in eastern, he always knows he’s in for work when I come to his office). So anyway, to my utter amazement while I was talking to her on the phone, having just explained all my troubles, a phone call came in on the line, I switched lines and it was the Japanese Consulate! They said it was ready and I could come get it, I about leaped so high I could have hit my head on the ceiling. After thanking the man, I switched back to my friend’s line and told the good news. I ran to the elevator and into the consulate, they gave me my Visa and I called my friend who was at the hospital was so happy to hear it, and she immediately got to the car and headed my way. So we went to the airport, and I got on my flight! Number 271.

Reflecting on it now there was no way I could have made it to the airplane if I had come any later than that very moment. Although there was a little time to eat a quick cheese burger at a burger joint just outside the airplane terminal just before leaving US soil (the last thing I ate in the US). So then I found myself on the plane, tired because I had drug probably 100 pounds of luggage half way across the airport—twice, and I had driven 11 hours the day before across Washington and Idaho from Montana. I sat between a young man, on my left, who was across the aisle from his family and on my right was what what seemed to be a very sleepy American who had a shaved head. Neither one of them talked to me during the whole 12 hour flight. I could not sleep because of crying babies, being in a middle isle seat, and I had nothing to rest my head on, the seats were just close enough together in front that I could not stretch out or lean forward in the seat—I am made too tall for airline seating, although the seats were fairly comfortable considering the amount of foot space. The flight attendants were amazing, very nice and just great people, and they fed us like kings! The food on the plane was fantastic! I had for the first meal a Korean style dinner, and some kind of peanut oil stir-fry and a bowl of rice with tea and coffee. There was another snack later on, ham sandwiches and mixed nuts. Then the last meal was a beef roast with pasta and salad not to mention fruit as well. Anyway that’s enough of the food, it was just great. So I watched a bunch of movies on the flight, they were free! Avatar, The Incredible Mr. Fox (hilarious movie), and some Chinese or Korean action movie about kung-fu wizards—it was awesome! Anyway the flight got into Korea, somehow I ended up being the last one off of the plane, and I have to say the international airport there was really hard to figure out; it was not good at explaining how to get anywhere, even though every sign was translated into at least 4 languages. It took a long time to get through a second line of security, even though I was just transferring onto another flight. I ended up in the security line for the whole 1 ½ hour layover though they never did have any trouble with my luggage. I even had a metal spoon in my bag, (sorry Nancy for stealing your spoon! I couldn’t even buy a postcard for you either!). Anyway I was the last off the plane and the last to get to the flight, slowed down because another flight got in front of me into the security line. I was the last to get onto my transfer flight too to Kansai/Osaka Airport. One of the flight attendants was running down the hall yell out for the last passenger to Kansai, which was me of course, she found me and we ran down the walk-o-vater things (I can’t think of what they are called). She even commandeered one of the little airport cart drivers car to get us to the airplane on time, (why on earth would they put a transfer flight on the freaking other side of the airport almost a half mile away?) I got there in just the nick of time, the last passenger on the plane, but I definitely broke a sweat getting there in time. All the flight attendants smiled at me and seemed to be relieved to see me. They were so nice too. I have to say I love Asiana airlines. The airplane took off at exactly the time they were planning and I was off again. I had just enough time to eat an in-flight-meal and fill out my disembarkation form.

Well, I landed and again was the last one to be off the plane because I had to put my two bags at two different overhead compartments since there was no room in the one, and there were too many people to get my other bag right away. I got into the Foreigner Passport Inspection line and there was already like a hundred people or more in there, the line snaked from end to end of the room. I stood there for an hour almost just to spend a whole of 2 minutes in front of the inspector. Well 10:00pm rolled around and that’s when almost everything in the airport shuts down for the night, besides just the basic security and loading and unloading. I was freaked out because I had to find the MKcounter which is a bus-limousine service which would take me to my stay for the night. I was worried because that they might shut down and so do the shuttle busses to Sannomiya, which was my alternate destination if I could not make it in time to the limousine service. I finally got out of security and customs, found the booth. The driver was waiting for me and we were off, no time to even stop to update facebook on the wi-fi in the airport. The ride was amazing; the driver was a professional to say the least. I did not know you could drive a big van like that. I don’t even think I could make it with my little car down the alley ways and streets that he went through to drop off the five other passengers two spoke French, two others spoke English and Japanese, and another guy was Japanese, they all got off at different locations somewhere in Osaka, and of course my stop was the very last stop 1 ½ hours away, although it was not too bad for just $30.

I arrived at my friend’s mother’s house, and she was so nice, I only hope she thought I was nice too, though I was really very tired. I got to finally take a shower! I had not had one for 2 days, and it was so nice! She gave me a Japanese style sweet candy, udon I think is what it’s called—it is so delicious. I got on the internet answered some e-mails and got to sleep in a bed. I was so exhausted. I then still had only 6 hours of sleep, I just couldn’t sleep any longer than that as I had to make it to Sannomiya by 10am. My friend’s Mom made a traditional Japanese style breakfast, rice, fish, miso soup, an egg roll, natto, and green tea. It was awesome! I ate everything in sight. I was a little afraid of the natto at first, because it’s supposed to be fermented beans and they are very slimy, but it tastes pretty good I think. We made a run to Sannomiya while stopping to pick up my friend’s grandmother, not before stopping at a candy bakery, and then again for water. She bought me a gift at the bakery, and then we finally made it to Sannomiya JR Station. That is where I met with the faculty of Kobe City University. We went to the information center where I had an interview for my apartment, not even before I could take my luggage someplace to store. I’m glad I wore a suit that day! They seemed liked me and I got accepted, and I think I impressed Misa-san, the coordinator of the international student program in Kobe City University, because I wore the suit to the interview. I also met one other student from America who was also trying to get an apartment at the same place. I also met another student from New York studying here too, and he was also interviewed to get an apartment too. We all made our way to the University, slowly dragging the luggage across Kobe. We dropped all of it finally at the University’s office and we went and had some coffee in the student union center, then we met with our Mentors. Now this was where the day really got started. The plan was to get to get our apartments, to register at the alien registration office, get bank accounts, and also cell-phones. Not necessarily in that order—we had lunch first with the mentors and the guy from New York who speaks great Japanese. I got a big bowl of noodles with some kind of breaded shrimp on top and more tea. We then rode the subway and the bus to get registered at the alien registration office and got apartments. Again I got reacquainted with my luggage! Drug the luggage for probably another half hour to the apartment complex. I was flat out tired, but I still had no phone! How can you survive in Japan without a phone? Luckily, after checking in, getting the keys and dropping my luggage off in my new home, my mentor seemed happy to take me again into the shopping district of Kobe and get a cell-phone, the guy from New York seemed too tired to be in on that. So my mentor and I went to get a cell-phone after riding the subway, and transferring to a second line, we got there just in time before the stores closed, as a matter of fact, after the phone was purchased it was 8pm and the store had closed. Amazing! So we then went to a convenience store and got a little dinner, onigiri, rice rolled with meat and seaweed. I also bought Karintou! My mentor warned me that it was really sweet, and I said yes I know very well, and he was surprised I knew it already, and knew exactly what I was looking for too! Thanks to Kai and Saki for giving me some when they were in America. I was standing outside the convenience store and finally got to take my first picture of the day with my new 8.1 megapixel phone, free with a 2 year contract, yay! Oh and I learned a strange custom in Japan, when you buy something like a cell phone is customary for the store to give you a small token or gift along with it, in my case it was wet toilet wipes, sometimes you get toilet paper too—strange. I had lost my American phone somewhere in my friend’s house I had thought and I was using it as a quick camera to take pictures of my trip. The picture I finally got to take was of me eating Karintou, and onigiri in front of a Japanese convenience store. So my mentor and I were on our way again, back to the university part of town near where I live. When to our dread, the whole subway came to a screeching halt. There was a horrific accident in the Gakuen-toshi station (the station where I live), and we could not get there on the subway. Apparently according to my mentor it this almost never happens as far as he’s ever been concerned. All of this was reported in Japanese of course, luckily I had a guide. So it made out to be a long ride, we ended up taking two more subways trains and catching a local train, to be picked up by his parents by car and driven back to my apartment. I got to meet many people, practice Japanese, and experience just about every way to travel in Japan in the very first day. I also got a crash course in how to use money in Japan too, coins for the win! It was hilarious because my mentor told his parents about the crazy stuff that had been happening to me the first day. About my visa and being a troublemaker, and also losing my cell phone, which turned out having been in my bag the whole time, oh man! So that was the end of my day. I finally got to sleep soundly for a whole night.
Well that’s about all I have left to say now for my first full day in Japan, it’s getting late now on the second day, and I have just been sitting here writing this all day, besides having walked to McDonald’s this morning and that’s about it. I’m a pretty tired guy. I still don’t even own any toilet paper yet. So I should go buy some now. A pillow might be nice too, so anyway, I’ll be back to write more.

Ok so I’m back it’s been two days, and boy the craziness of this place just keeps coming. So it’s Sunday and I was supposed to meet my Mentor (Kazuya) and the other students from America and their mentors too in Sannomiya. First though I did a bit of shopping today too at the super market, I got some bread and peanut butter and honey for lunch. I was supposed to meet with my neighbor here from New York but he kind of flaked on me, so I called Kazuya and told him I was going to be late, and I will have to ride the subway alone for the first time, all the way to Sannomiya, not the most desirable thing to do only 3 days into my adventure in Japan, but I wanted to make friends and I was willing for the challenge. Turned out it was pretty easy to figure out the subway and I made it there in good time, of course I had to run from my apartment to the station and I made it just in time for the 4:00pm train. Wow there was a lot of people, I couldn’t believe how many there were, I thought it was the same size city as Seattle but it seems like there are more here. Kazuya says it’s the last day of spring vacation and everyone is out doing their last chance of shopping, so that explains that. We went shopping at the Hiyakuin ($1 store) for some little things I need around my apartment, and then we went to a Toriyaki restaurant. It was good stuff, had lots of fun with the mentors and Ben from EWU. It was quite an interesting day to say the least. I also found that on weekends there is like a bazaar down the street at the Campus Square, apparently the mentors didn’t know about that so I felt special knowing something they didn’t, but that’s about as far as that goes. We ate piles of food, it was all delicious as usual and then we rode the sub back to my station and that was the end of the night.

Monday, I had an oral language examination, not as difficult as I had thought which is good, but my Japanese is definitely not where I would like it to be, it takes too long for me to think of something to respond with. Anyway, while I was waiting for my test time I took the liberty of walking around the campus, had a cup of coffee and watched as the students all rushed in for the first day of school. There were no class that I knew of yet, it is kind of an entrance ceremony these two days (Monday and Tuesday). There were lots of people sitting on the ground on tarps doing cherry blossom viewing and eating food, a nice way to spend time in my opinion. There were lots of campus clubs looking for new members, I might join the music club, and they were looking for a drummer. The guy was quite excited when he found out I knew how to play the drums. Apparently most drummers here are girls because well, there are mostly girls here, 3 to 1 us guys are outnumbered—an interesting predicament I would say. So anyway, after I met with my teacher (Baba-sensei) she introduced me to the volunteer coordinator of the school and she then introduced me to some students who wanted to show me around the campus we had lunch together, I had chicken-toriudon—it was delicious. The students didn’t speak much English so I tried my best to speak as much Japanese as I could, it was a good thing. The students then showed me around after lunch introducing me to other friends of theirs and I hope I made some new friends or at least some familiar faces smiles in a totally new place. It has been fun though, lots of people seem happy to get to know me; they have been asking for my phone number and inviting me to small events and such.. Some have even seen me talking to their friends around campus and later just walked up to talk to me, which is pretty cool and quite brave—I don’t think I could do that. I have game of “guess my age” and nobody ever gets it, it’s great, and what’s better is I guess pretty accurately everyone else’s age. Anyway that was pretty much all of my day. Later one of Mayu’s friends recognized me from Facebook and walked up and introduced herself to me, it was nice finding someone who actually knows people I know. Just meeting a random person in the Cafeteria I found someone who knows my friend Rie. I have to say people are really nice around here, and it has been exactly as I had thought and hoped it would be. A lot of fun, I just hope that it doesn’t wear off, but who knows, there are a few things that have been frustrating me still, no internet in my apartment, and money not flowing so well. I also don’t know what classes are going to be like so we’ll find out soon! I did open a bank account here in Japan (with Kazuya’s help), at least that part is done. I have found that in Japan everything is extremely well structured and everything is done in one way and no other way with many things—it is quite interesting and different from the US. Also I get the same questions a lot from people I meet. First, why do you study Japanese and why did you decide to come here. Then, what do you think of Japan. I realize now that these are the simplest and the most frustrating questions to answer, they take a long time to get a satisfactory answer across and now I know that when I’m back in the US I’ll keep from tossing those questions at people when it comes to English. So anyway, my day ended over a bowl of soba noodles and chicken with a new friend and I headed back to my apartment, tucked away nicely just a little 15 minute walk from campus. Tuesday I will meet my new teachers and get my class schedule. Hopefully I will buy bedding and pay my rent. Laters!