I have been in Japan for 20 hours now, so I must be some kind of expert, or not. I have been looking around and seeing echoes of other places I have been, and nothing feels too strange or foreign to me. My first thought on looking out the window was that I had landed in Wisconsin. It was raining, and brilliant, sparking green. Then I realized the apically dominant trees that my brain processed as conifers were, in fact, bamboo. Ok, perhaps not Wisconsin. Maybe Hilo?
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Getting a well needed coffee on the
train to Tokyo |
We taxied for a long time (just like O’hare), then walked forever through the steel and glass Narita Airport (like Frankfort) to the large immigration area (layout identical to Sidney airport.) The train swept us through the countryside of low houses and rice paddies into Tokyo (like something from Blade Runner, but clean and safe.) We traveled through the rain and increasing darkness and as far as I could tell, never left the extended urbanized area of the Tokaido corridor.
Pretty much everything I thought about Japan was wrong. The train station in Tokyo, while complex and busy, wasn’t shockingly crowded or unmanageable. We could eat on the trains (sampled interesting snacks, but not dried fish and almonds). Very pleasant and helpful colleagues met us and helped us on every stage from airport to University. I saw a shop with gorgeous muffins and bagels. And the University reminds me of one I visited in Caracas once. (Why can’t I stop comparing everything!)
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| Outer room where they put us the first night |
This would be a good place to point out that John has had the opposite impression. He feels that he has never been anywhere so foreign and incomprehensible. Everything to him is different and unique. I see connections everywhere. Girls in Ugg boots who would be at home walking across the UConn campus, a café last night close to the university that reminded me of Wolverine Hideaway in Ann Arbor, our cheap lunch spot near the U of M lab. Even the rooms we stayed in last night reminded me of the Undercroft at St. Mark’s Chapel, our church in Connecticut- same kind of carpet (same coffee stains, too.)
Right now, we are sitting in a conference room, it could be at any academic institution in the world, waiting for one of John’s colleagues to finish his start of term lecture that he forgot he had to give this morning.
Last night we arrived in at Hamamatsu train station, a bright, busy, clean shopping mall- with Starbucks, a great looking bakery, clothing, electronics- (reminded me of downtown Evanston Illinois). We went to a café with 5 colleagues for dinner. The poor kids were about asleep on their feet but revived watching a comedy on TV that must have had some universal appeal. We had spaghetti, miso, and pizza. All the kids wanted was white rice, but our hosts thought they should have American food, so that is what they got. It was fine, but not appealing to the tired munchkins. We all got points, however, for knowing a few Japanese phrases and for excellent chopstick use, especially Jane who has totally gotten it.
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| Inner sleeping rooms |
We went back to the guest rooms they had put us in for the night (we will get to move into our apartment later today). The outer rooms were some sort of well used lounge area, but the inner sleeping rooms were old style Japanese with sliding doors, tatami mats, futons on the floor and little pillows filled with marbles. Ok, maybe not marbles, but some hard plastic beans that were just not usable to us as pillows. Luckily, except for Jane, we were really tired and it was quite nice. We had cotton robes for sleeping and a big soaking tub in the hall.
We woke up at 4 am, and waited for the sun to come up before exploring. There were vending machines everywhere and we figured out successfully how to get coffee, juice and cocoa from them. A local convenience store (Lawsons!) provided doughnuts, yogurt, some odd jello-like substance, and nuts.
Oh good! the luggage we couriered from the airport has just shown up. I should be able to upload pictures tomorrow.
Now we just wait until the next step and hopefully we will have a new place to sleep tonight.
All is well in tomorrow!
