Lakwatsera Fridays: Traveling Alone in Japan

From being hopelessly lost during our family trip to Tokyo, I eventually learned the ropes of getting around in Japan. You really need to learn because taking a taxi is very expensive. Armed with Google Maps and the train card Uncle Fumio gave me, I eventually learned to commute everywhere.

I once visited a school. It was located in the outskirts of Tokyo. Told Yoshi-aan I'll just meet him at the station near the school. I checked the train line to take and the exact time of the train I should take. Uncle Fumio explained there are express trains and trains that stop at all stations. If you're going to a far away place it's best to take the express train. It's always on the dot. 

When I arrived at the school with Yoshi-san, the principal asked how I got there. I told her I took the train from Ropponggi. She was so shocked I made it all the way to their town by myself. I told her I just followed Google Maps. I beamed when she congratulated me for the effort, haha. 

Eventually I got bolder and took the Shinkasen by myself from Tokyo to Nagoya and then Osaka. Train stations in Tokyo are HUGE and you have to be mindful of the line you have to take. Yoshi-san graciously bought the ticket for me and I just asked him for some directions. Well, I made it and met up with him in Nagoya. The next day I travelled alone to Osaka. The funny thing is, Yoshi-san checked on me at the station to make sure I was at the right platform!

I never got scared traveling alone especially in Japan. I took basic Japanese and you can always ask for directions at the station. Knowing how to get around by myself made it easy for me to visit places I was interested in (like my fave place,Tomato). Well, we also had a special session on traveling. We were taught what to watch out for and some basic self defense techniques. Thank God I never had any issue. 

I miss those days when I had opportunities to venture out on my own. There's so much you can discover about your surroundings and yourself when you travel alone. Just always understand the situation locally and be mindful of local practices.

Shared how that trip from Tokyo to Nagoya went: 

http://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2020/05/multi-level-tokyu-hands-in-nagoya.html 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Multi-level Tokyu Hands in Nagoya

I bravely took the Shinkansen alone one cold November day from Tokyo to Nagoya. My friend Yoshi got the ticket for me and gave me instructions to go to a platform. Tokyo Station is huge! Yoshi told me to make sure I entered the right gate because the ticket is only valid once. I found the gate easily, but I hesitated to go in immediately and checked with the information counter which gate to go to. I was right all along.

In true Shinkansen fashion I bought some vending machine food to eat in the train. What I enjoyed most about the trip was seeing beautiful Mt. Fuji! I usually see its tip from our office, but seeing it closer was a rare treat! The last time I've been to Mt. Fuji was in high school.

I arrived in Nagoya in the evening. I just stayed at a hotel by the station since I was scheduled to leave for Osaka the next day. I love train stations in Japan. They're huge and usually connected to a nice mall. I walked around after checking in to look for some local food. I was told that I should try the tonkatsu in Nagoya since they have special sauce for it.

Absolutely yummy!

I walked around a bit more and discovered a gigantic Tokyu Hands branch! I lost count how many floors it had! It was heaven for me! As much as I wanted to go floor by floor the store was about to close. I decided just to go to the crafts floor and got some Christmas decor. They also had a lot of really lovely fabric. I got some sewing accessories I could use for quilting. If you're a crafts person, Tokyu Hands in Nagoya is a must visit!

We had our event the next day and I left after lunch for Osaka. I stayed in Nagoya for less than 24 hours. I stuck around the hotel/station area because it was a too cold outside for me. I had fun going around and observing where locals went. That's how I discovered the yummy tonkatsu above (as they say, line up where the locals buy food!). After Tokyu Hands closed I went back to the hotel and rested. The visit may have been short, but memorable nonetheless. Hope to get to visit Nagoya again someday.

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