4 days and running...
Considering we are now homeless, it is fair to say we have started our crazy westward-when-we-should-be-going-eastward return home. The first four days, all spent in Japan, have been a wonderful goodbye to a country we have lived in and loved for two years.
See the photos at
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Day 1 - Sakata, Fujimicho Kenshokuin Apartments #7
We woke up at 6 am to an empty house. Our stiff backs and ultimate exhaustion, both physical and mental, forced us into a zombie like state from the start. Waking up is not easy when; A) you have no food or drink in your house, B) you have no electricity to cool food or heat coffee anyway and C) when your shower is not only cold but done with cups full of stale water from a bathtub you had filled up more than 12 hours earlier. We gamaned straight through, exhausted enough to be unaffectable, and made our way with the last of our possesions to the station by foot. Used to the same walk, only in reverse, from 2 years of nights ending too drunk to ride our bikes home from the station anyway, we trudged under the highway, past the park and along the river to Daniel's house, Jessica's replacement, to give him our last futon.
I vainly left Jessica alone, late as we were and frankly always are, to try and get us some breakfast. No time however, as I made it to the station with only 12 minutes to spare for the last train of the day, at 7:40 no less, that could get us to Nikko via locals only.
Okuyama-sensei, a teacher at Jessica's main school, was waiting at the station. He looked close to leaving, perhaps sure we were not coming afterall, and we were both surprised at that moment to actually see each other one last time. All week everyone had apologized for being unable to wave us off due to the early hour on a working day. Here was Okuyama-sensei showing rather unexpectadly that he truly cared.
It was the first time that morning I truly felt something and I was happy to be tugged into some sort of awake emotional state. "Two years is a long time" I said. "You are much older than when you came ne?" Okuyama-sensei said and I decided it was best to leave my public thought to ellipsis. "Not a harmful misunderstanding but a typical one...", I thought.
"Please tell everyone thank you for everything"I said and I smiled "See you again." "See you again" Okuyama-sensei repeated as Jessica entered the station with moments to go. I let her say her goodbye and I walked over to the small food stall in the station to buy some coffee and onigiri. A breakfast made for Japanese palletes. It takes two years to appreciate fish in the morning.
We activated the 3rd day of our 5 day "Seishin 18 kippu" (Youthful 18 ticket - a ticket sold at a student friendly price but useable for everyone to travel unlimited local trains for 5 days, activated in the morning and ending at midnight, on the whole JR network) and we entered the gates, shuffling with heavy bags to platform 2 bound for Shinjo. No tears this morning. Too exhausted for that.
As we came to Amarume my keitai rang for the last time in Japan. It was Matsunaga-sensei, my supervisor, who was in Akita with her family for Obon vacation. She said a very sincere goodbye and I was thankful again that Okuyama-sensei had woken my heart up some, as sappy as that sounds. She asked her son Tomoki to say goodbye to me as well. "Goodbye Dylan-sensei" Tomoki said in wonderful English while I could hear in the background Matsunaga-sensei tending to her youngest child, now two and crying very loudly. Awkward pause ensued, what else do you say to a five year old anyway, until Matsunaga-sensei returned. She prompted Tomoki to say goodbye to me, not hearing his excellent first go, and Tomoki hesitantly said "Goodbye Dylan-sensei?". Question intonation and all.
I hung up the phone and looked out the window. Out of the morning haze Chokai-san emerged enough for one last goodbye photo as we all too quickly went east along the Mogami-gawa, out of Shonai for the last time.
It was such a sleepy train ride, not much to be said at this point except that we made all the transfers and made it to Yonezawa in the southeastern most corner of Yamagata-ken. There we had a 2 hour layover for a transfer to another train to take us further south through the mountains into Fukushima-ken. We bought two eki-ben, made of rice covered with ginger marinated Yonezawa beef, for 710 yen a piece and enjoyed our last Yamagata meal.
The train arrived early enough for us to get on, get a seat, and wait the last 40 minutes in nap mode. I was woken up by someone politely saying, in near fluent English, exuse me while poking my head. I did not open my eyes at first, and instead begrudgingly moved my large pack a bit so they could squeeze into the seat beside me. It took me a few moments to realize that the person who woke us up was Shige. Shige is the life of nearly every party he goes to and he is the husband of 5 year kiwi JET Cherie. What a surprise, on all possible trains, to find two of the most interesting people we have met over the last two years. Coolest part was that Shige and Cherie were traveling south along most of the same route we were to go and climb Fuji.
Having company, Jessica and I woke up enough just in time to hit Toge station on the border of Fukushima and Yamagata. Toge is famous for a traditional mochi rice cake that before the train came through was sold to people making the trek over the mountains by foot. Five minutes and 1000 yen later we were all enjoying mochi and laughing at all of our luck lining up that day. It was lucky because rather ambiguously a few days earlier at a goodbye lunch Jessica's former supervisor Sasaki-sensei had told us about Toge and how interesting/delicious the tradition is. Funny that we would actually find it. Funny that it would all work out like that.
We spent the hours talking to Shige and Cherie about their around the world trip and ours. They will be traveling for almost a year. Crazy, but true. Through many transfers we got seats just before the crowds came in. We transfered at Kuroiso onto a 10 plus car commuter rapid to find the front standing room only and the back completely empty. It was like having private hotel beds. Wonder why no one bothered to move along if they were going to have to stand anyway.
We said our goodbyes at Utsunomiya and Jessica and I grabbed two hotdogs from Beck's coffee in the station for a little over 500 yen. We got on the train for Nikko just as it started to pour down rain. The southern part of a major storm that flooded much of Tohoku, our former home region. Luckily it stopped just before we entered Nikko station and we were able to make the 30 minute walk to Nikko Park Lodge without too much difficulty aside from crazy hills and a big gorge. Thirty minutes felt like thirty hours.
Nothing left to do with our day but sleep. From 8 to 8 we slept off our burden of exhaustion.
Day 2 - Nikko Park Lodge
First day of toast and coffee for breakfast on the trip. At least it was cheap at only 390 yen a piece. Well, relatively cheap I suppose.
We took the morning easy and we did not head out till 11:00. Poor for Japan, as we were saving money for the trip of course, we found a cheap Shrimp pilaf lunch in a shack of a restaurant along the tourist strip (750 yen). The lady owner was strange. She kept herself very busy the whole time we were there by making tiny origami cranes. She gave us three for "service". Cheers for the fragile gift.
We walk the next half a kilometer or so to Nikko World Heritage park. We remember we are poor. Bah. No Toshogu Shrine again, we just couldn't justify it. A year ago we tried to go as well but Jason got really sick on the trip and we spent the day in the car so he could relax. Next time...
We do all the free things, watch lots of people and take lots of photos. Still exhausted we head back to the lodge for a curry dinner made by the zen vegan monk dude that owns the place. Wicked. Tofu full and spicy. Only 800 yen too.
I spend an hour or so down in the lodge main room helping two Brit girls with their trip to Japan. Turns out living in Tohoku, the ruralest of the rural places in Japan, was good for something other than my patience.
We end up studying kanji together for hours. Probably more time in that one night than our entire time studying together in Japan. Better late than never. I learn what Nikko means at least. "Sunshine City" it is. Well, by name at least.
We occasionally go down to see how the olympics are going but as we find for the rest of our time in Japan they are showing little live and mostly highlights. Kitajima's swimming gold finish is most of what we see.
Stupid swimming.
Day 3 - Nikko Park Lodge/Sakura Hostel in Asakusa, Tokyo
Four pieces of toast is too much. So is three cups of coffee. I will splurge eventually. 390 yen is the most I hope to spend on toast for a while.
9:30 shuttle to the train station is packed with all of the lodge guests. Incredibly international. Holland, Britain, France, Taiwan, US and a few others I am sure are represented. I hope it is that way for the rest of the trip.
We take the local trains from Nikko to Ueno in Tokyo. It is nice and easy. It reminds me of how much experience I have traveling this country and how normal/regular/predictable it all is now.
As I enter Sakura hostel for the last time I get a hardy "Hello Dylan-san". They remember me! How many times have we stayed here? I guess I have spent two years networking in a country I will no longer live in. Great...
Still poor, lunch is a mixed deli salad plate with noodles, potato salad and some crab meat thing (390 yen) with crushed crackers we brought from home. Still Japanese highlights on the TV so the conversation goes to what to do next and how to leave this country as happy as possible.
We walk to Ueno station so we don't have to pay the 300 yen combined fare on the metro. There we find a large Docomo so we can cancel our cell phones for good. Last bill finished and done with. Only took a little over an hour and $150. Thanks for two years, chumps.
LAST MAJOR LEAVING HURDLE CLEARED.
Can't wait for track and field on TV. It's table tennis at Docomo. Highlights again. When is it live anyway? I guess they want to make sure Japan is watching the winners...
We head to Yokohama to get the most out of the 4th day of our Seishin 18 kippu. Sunset. Jessica reminds me that she promised me we would ride the ferris wheel, the Minato Mirai 21 Comet, if we ever came again. Obviously she secretley wishes so. Turns out to provide the best omen for a good trip ever.
Fuji.
It's obvious that Cherie and Shige will be having a great night's climb. I am secretely jealous. Scared at the same time of heading back into Tokyo. We watch a major storm pound the skys from Yokohama in the south. The next day is our last day in Japan and we know it.
We jump a train for Tokyo, stop at Shimbashi and grab a Nathan's chilidog (1310 yen with fries and lemonade). Worth. Every. Penny.
Sleep.
Day 4 - Sakura Hostel
Only so much toast a human can eat. I feel like a goose. This time we splurge on yogurt addition.
We wander Tokyo from 10:00 till evening searching for...well...not sure what. We eat lunch at Shakey's pizza in Omotesando for 2800 yen, stuffing ourselves silly over 2 long hours while it rains outside and the restaurant workers eye our table, bussing it once before we are even finished. Patience people. I learned it.
It's a bad idea to stuff yourself when your breakfast is so simple and you're so hungry. Sickness ensues. We walk it off as best as possible. Walking from Yoyogi to Shibuya, slowly connecting more of Tokyo in a mental map we will hardly ever use again. Still worth it. I know I will miss these metropolitan haunts.
We get bored of Shibuya and take the metro, Ginza line, to Asakusa and the hostel. It rains even harder.
No dinner because of the pizza stuffing. Instead we buy some Dr. Peppers, rare in Japan, and get our final purikura. What a silly habit for a grown man to have.
I then spend hours typing this blog entry in a vain attempt to remember the macro, the micro and the in between. At least the photos are interesting.
