We landed At Narita International airport around 2:20 PM on September 30th, which in date time is two days after I departed Seattle, due to Japan being across the International Date Line and 16 hours ahead of Oregon by time zones. I walked off the plane and headed toward customs (yet another thing I had never dealt with and was completely new at). At the customs window I had my first run in with the language barrier. There were Japanese airport personnel directing people to where we needed to be, but I couldn’t understand a word they were saying. I just watched where they pointed and followed the other people that I thought might know what to do. At the window, I handed the gentlemen my passport, visa, and paperwork I was instructed to bring. He had me lay my two pointer fingers on a small electronic pad that kept my prints on record and also had me look into a little camera box to get my mug shot. I’m sure I looked like a movie star after 13.5 hours on a plane! He stamped my passport and set me on my way to the next checkpoint behind him. Here, another mad asked me for some paperwork I had to fill out before landing asking about what I was bringing into the country in my luggage. He said to me “do you have anything to declare?” I simply said no and that was that. I was through customs without a single problem and finally safe and sound on the ground in Japan.
All of the signs and things were half in Japanese writing and half in English letters. The English being all I could read, but it sure was a sobering moment realizing that I would have to pretty much decipher a code on all signs during the duration of my stay. A bit scary then, honestly, but now after about nearly a month it’s quite normal.
We needed to get into Tokyo to the place I would stay with my aunt and cousin for a few days so we went to the ticket counter for a limousine bus that would take us most of the way. Here was tricky. None of us spoke Japanese besides the little bit I had studied previously, and we had to ask the lady how much the price was, where the bus would come to get us, as well as make sure we would be going the right way on the right bus. She spoke nearly no English and we had to work by body language and pointing once again (which I’ve grown quite accustomed to in the past weeks). We made it to the bus and rode it for about two hours while I got to see the amazing city of Tokyo for the first time.
The freeway we took through the city (Expressway as the Japanese call it), ran incredibly close to high rise buildings and people’s housing structures. You could literally see in peoples windows from the bus, and this is how millions live in that city. The ride was long but I dint realize because I was infatuated with looking out the windows at all the sights to see. Most of the bus ride (one and a half hours worth) was through the city itself! That’s how far it goes. It’s like it doesn’t end; Concrete jungle for an eternity.
Once the bus arrived at its destination, Shichijoji train station I believe it was called, we had to navigate the city train system for the first time. The system is obviously massive in the city going pretty much everywhere a person might need to go, and using what seemed like maybe 15 different lines or so. In the Portland metro area we have the MAX which you can walk up and board without paying fare if you’re so inclined and you might get away with it, but maybe not. In Japan, you must buy a ticket which you load into a little machine on one end of the gate at the front of the station. Once you insert the ticket the gate will open and you can go through. The ticket shoots out the other side for you to grab and keep until you get to your destination, then you head to the right train platform. After your trip, you are to go to the gate in the second station and insert your ticket once more. This does the same as the first and the gate will open for you to leave, although it keeps your ticket so that you can’t use it for a second trip without re-paying. If the ticket is not inserted the gates won’t open and you can’t leave the station. Also, there is no multi hour passes like on MAX. You must pay both ways and depending on your distance of travel the fare goes up or down.
Once we figured this entire thing out, we boarded the train at the most cramped time! it must have been commuter rush hour in the city because there was literally only standing room, and you had to stand while touching every person around you. It was quite an experience.
We made it to our destination, worked the second part of inserting tickets as I have explained and proceeded to walk to the residence we would be staying at in the rain. We walked through a really cool shopping district street of which there are many in Japan. This one was quite small compared to others I saw later in Tokyo as well as here in Okayama.
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