Sorry for the delay in my posts guys, I have less time here in Japan so I'm finding it harder to keep up my daily posts like in Korea haha.
Today was my first day outside of Machida! I had located the Machida Station near my hotel and it turned out to be only a 5-7 minute walk or so. Once I got closer to it, I noticed the street had been closed down and there were tents and food and performers everywhere....it was a festival of some sorts!! I felt so lucky, this is the third time I've just stumbled upon a festival happening on my first day exploring there, when otherwise it'd just be a normal road any other day. There were lots of firefighters and people dressed in traditional costumes around, as well as plenty of children (I saw some running around in firefighter's clothes and it was ADORABLE. I was this close to snatching one and taking him home with me to America hahah). The parade going down the street had dancers doing a traditional dance with scarves and the wonderful part of it was that they were performers of all ages. There were the typical young women and men you see doing these performances but also some slightly younger ones that didn't quite have the dance down, and even an elderly gray-haired grandmother placed smack in the middle of the formation, dancing with heartfelt gusto. For some reason this performance was more touching than the others I've seen, because it WASN'T perfect and therefore more real and representative of Japan's citizens. It was definitely a fun start to my day!
The first thing I noticed when I got to Machida Station was that there was no English on signs anywhere :( I only got to the correct line entrance by following signs with the JR symbol on them (there is another Metro line that comes out of Machida Station). I was undecided on whether I was just going to scope out the subway station today or actually go on one but in the end I decided to just do it. I was scared, had no idea where I was going or where TO go, and completely lost but...sometimes you just gotta go for it (channeling my Daddy here haha).
I showed my JR Foreigner Railpass to the attendant in the side window as I had been instructed (Thanks Jen!) and was in with no problems. Luckily the signs inside had English romanization of station stop names so I could read them. They had numbers for the different sides going either way and 2-3 major station stops that each side would hit to let you know which way it was going. Being a Tokyo newbie, I had to consult my map at length to find each of the stations listed on the maps before deciding which way to go haha. Felt like my first days in Seoul all over again.
I jumped on the correct train to head towards some junction I couldn't read the name of on my map (hoping the train would announce when the next stop had transfer lines available there, like Korea) where I could get on another line to get to Shinjuku.
However, it wasn;t long before I realized there weren't any English announcements on train or electric signs on the subway walls announcing stops, like I was used to... oooo I am in troubleeee...It should have been the other way, since I can at least understand enough Korean to understand the announcements. Here though I can barely recognize the station stop names since they say it so quickly and my Japanese is still being resurrected from it's grave.
I showed my JR Foreigner Railpass to the attendant in the side window as I had been instructed (Thanks Jen!) and was in with no problems. Luckily the signs inside had English romanization of station stop names so I could read them. They had numbers for the different sides going either way and 2-3 major station stops that each side would hit to let you know which way it was going. Being a Tokyo newbie, I had to consult my map at length to find each of the stations listed on the maps before deciding which way to go haha. Felt like my first days in Seoul all over again.
I jumped on the correct train to head towards some junction I couldn't read the name of on my map (hoping the train would announce when the next stop had transfer lines available there, like Korea) where I could get on another line to get to Shinjuku.
However, it wasn;t long before I realized there weren't any English announcements on train or electric signs on the subway walls announcing stops, like I was used to... oooo I am in troubleeee...It should have been the other way, since I can at least understand enough Korean to understand the announcements. Here though I can barely recognize the station stop names since they say it so quickly and my Japanese is still being resurrected from it's grave.
May I also add that I almost DIED several times navigating this subway station haha. It will take some time to adjust to the opposite sides of walkway that people walk on. I almost stepped on the wrong side of the elevator several times, only stopped myself with my foot hovering in the air and then scurrying to the other side quickly. I keep walking up the right side of the stairs or on sidewalks just without thinking about it, but then I keep running into people and getting weird looks. I have to actually think about it and conciously tell myself to walk on the left, walk on the left, walk on the left, WALK ON THE LEFT.
Shinjuku seemed relatively large in my map and I know it's a huge fashion, shopping, and tourist district, so I thought it'd be a good first destination. I had looked up some promising temples, gardens, and popular districts to visit during my first day staying here in Machida. However the train did not have announcements saying when there were transfer lines available at the next station so I just had to stand there and pay attention when the doors opened at each stop. There often weren't any signs saying what stop this was so I would sit there anxious, panic when I saw no signs, sit back down, and pray this stop wasn't the stop I had to get off at lol.
I ended up getting off one stop too early, which I only realized after I consulted my map later in the safety and comfort of my room. Tired out from being stressed on the train though, I just stayed in Higashi-Kanagawa and explored around there instead :) Make something good out of a mistake! What made this a happy mistake was my discovery of another addition for my green tea obsession...GREEN TEA DONUTS. YEA. I ran into a mini-donut and bubble tea shop in the station. It smelled SO tantalizing I had to stop. The donuts were so cute; you could fit three in your palm lying next to each other! They had the coolest flavors too, Monte Blanc, Choco Banana, Green Tea, and other more normal flavors like Chocolate and Plain. I also got a green tea boba (of course).
I've noticed they call boba something different in every country. I have NO idea where the term "boba" came from that we call it in America. I totally thought it was Japanese or Korean or something, but it's neither! In Korea they call it Bubble Tea everywhere, with no comprehension of any other term at all. It's the same in Japan. I tried bubble tea, boba, pearl tea, and all other terms for it I knew but the poor cashier didn't understand me. I finally noticed the word "Tapioca" on a sign, and tried "Tapioca Drink". ::LIGHT BULB:: A ha...
I ended up getting off one stop too early, which I only realized after I consulted my map later in the safety and comfort of my room. Tired out from being stressed on the train though, I just stayed in Higashi-Kanagawa and explored around there instead :) Make something good out of a mistake! What made this a happy mistake was my discovery of another addition for my green tea obsession...GREEN TEA DONUTS. YEA. I ran into a mini-donut and bubble tea shop in the station. It smelled SO tantalizing I had to stop. The donuts were so cute; you could fit three in your palm lying next to each other! They had the coolest flavors too, Monte Blanc, Choco Banana, Green Tea, and other more normal flavors like Chocolate and Plain. I also got a green tea boba (of course).
I've noticed they call boba something different in every country. I have NO idea where the term "boba" came from that we call it in America. I totally thought it was Japanese or Korean or something, but it's neither! In Korea they call it Bubble Tea everywhere, with no comprehension of any other term at all. It's the same in Japan. I tried bubble tea, boba, pearl tea, and all other terms for it I knew but the poor cashier didn't understand me. I finally noticed the word "Tapioca" on a sign, and tried "Tapioca Drink". ::LIGHT BULB:: A ha...
It was freezing cold and had been threatening rain all day so I wrapped up my explorations at a yummy looking ramen shop in the general area of the station. It was bigger than the previous one I had tried, with booths and tables as well as a big bar. The poor young man who stepped forward to take my ramen ticket and direct me to a spot at the bar looked utterly stricken when I spoke English to him hahah. I felt terrible but it was almost comical how worried he looked. Most younger people I run into know some English or are at least okay with it so this took me by surprise. Guess he must be a math kinda person :)
This Japanese ramen is so so filling. It's the kind of full that makes you think omg how am I going to walk out of here and to my (insert method of transportation) without ROLLING? Which was exactly what my thoughts were as I finished my bowl. Holy cow. I hope they don't think any less of me for straight up waddling out of their restaurant...
This Japanese ramen is so so filling. It's the kind of full that makes you think omg how am I going to walk out of here and to my (insert method of transportation) without ROLLING? Which was exactly what my thoughts were as I finished my bowl. Holy cow. I hope they don't think any less of me for straight up waddling out of their restaurant...
After my train ride back home I noted it had started pouring, so I bought a cool clear umbrella from a convenience stand outside the station. I had refrained from buying an umbrella any of the previous times it had rained in Korea because I would soon be moving from wherever I was staying and would be unable to take my umbrella with me (the cheaper ones aren't collapsible). So I had just sucked it up and put my hood on or borrowed one my hotel or from the cleaning lady (as was the case in Myeongdong lol). I'll be here for a few weeks though, it was forecasted to rain tomorrow as well, and my hotel isn't located DIRECTLY next to a subway entrance like it had been in Gangnam and Myeongdong, so I just went ahead and bought one. I enjoyed a nice walk home in the rain :)