Of Bullet-climbing, Bullet Trains and Everything in Between

A trip to Japan as a solo traveller has turned out to be one of the most colourful experiences i have ever had. I have done more travelling, talked to the most number of strangers, experienced the most physically trying activities, done things i have only wished i had before, and used up all my Nihongo in the shortest possible time, than any other time in my life.

This is definitely a tale worth spending time to put into words – in the hopes to capture all the emotions and experiences that really cannot be fully described by a written composition. However, let me do my best and start with the very first day.

DAY 1: The Flight

It was Wednesday night when i hopped on a plane, going straight from the office to the airport. I’m always ecstatic to go to an airport (it just feels nice being there) and this time it was made even more special as I'm travelling to Japan on a solo trip. This is also the first time in a very long time that I'd be taking a ‘real’ plane, and not the small airbus planes that I'm used to when going back home (seriously, they just feel like buses that can fly). And even though it was just a stop over, it was my first time to visit Kuala Lumpur.

On my ride to KL, i had a chance to chat up with a Caucasian guy seated next to me because of the quite bumpy landing. It’s weird but he commented that i had the fingers of a pianist – that made me think of studying how to play the keyboards again. Well, the chat was a nice break from the flight. After the stop-over, it was onto the 7-hour long flight to Narita airport.

The Malaysia Airline flight was quite nice and i was seated along the aisle as i have requested. It was an overnight flight but i did not expect to get any sleep. Getting some sleep on a plane is not something i have managed to learn yet. Although at some point, I managed to doze off but a few minutes later the guy sitting next to me decided to watch a movie with his volume turned up so high i could hear noise on my right ear. It was irritating but did not manage to break my mood – after all I’m going to see Japan again in just a few more hours.

The plane arrived at Narita Airport at around 8AM. It has been 10 years since I've first and last visited her! I never thought I'd be able to go back after a decade. As i don’t quite remember my first time here (and indeed my first time in Japan), everything was all so new to me.. again.

After the immigration, the staff at customs had to check my bag. Yes, it was a bit embarrassing as he asked me to open up my hiking bag and take out a few things. It was all good though, as he said ‘have a nice day’ in the end.

And, I intended to do just that!

Later i noticed that the current passport i had, this one that i just renewed in Singapore, had practically nothing on it but the Japan visa. I guess it looked like my first time to travel.

After having a few dollars changed to yen, i checked around the mobile phone rentals. In the end, i just decided I'm going to rely on hotel and cafe hotspots. I had a (non-binding) reservation with the airport hotel, preparing for a case when i would be too tired and sleepy from the flight. However, i was full of energy and excitement that i decided to drop that and try out a Capsule hotel. I have considered trying it before but didn’t include it in my itinerary because there’s just not enough time. Now, i saw a chance to just do it – plus i wanted to shower.

After a few searches with the airport Wi-Fi, i got the number of the Capsule hotel and called if they have ‘capsules’ for day use. They said yes, and i ecstatically went to the train bound to Shinjuku.

Of course, i had my pictures taken at Narita Airport, when i went to the Keisei counter for the Narita Express train ticket and right before boarding the train itself – everything courtesy of some friendly random Japanese. The train station and counter is at the lower floor, btw where there are several shops.

I got the normal ticket but mistakenly took a seat at the reserved section (i think that’s the reserved section). It was fine, though as i only had to buy an extra ticket for my seat. The train staff there gladly sold me another ticket – i was able to practice a little of my Japanese here. It felt nice that after years of completely not using it, i still managed to understand and say a few words.

Then the real adventure in Japan begun..

(and yes, this is just one in a series of posts)

link to post 2: The Intriguing Capsule Hotel
link to post 3: The Climb to Mt. Fuji Summit