The perhaps not so excruciating overnight flight (6.5 hour) from Bangkok to Narita, Japan was aweful, I didn't manage to get any sleep but all was good and well as I had arrived in what is now my 53rd country - Japan!!!
Japan is a place I have always wanted to see and what better way to see the country than cycling around it.
I have brought my bicycle from Thailand and the baggage handlers seemed to have looked after it this time with no evidence of damage on the box I packaged it into.
So, what are my first impressions of Japan? In a word, amazing!
The moment I walked out past immigration and quarantine pushing my cart with my bicycle box placed horizontally across I was barely able to get through the sliding doors and i was immediately approached by a camera crew waving their limbs at me to grab my attention.
To see what all the fuss was about I walked over and they hosted a show called "why did you come to Japan?".
Apparently it's quite a famous show where they would interview foreigners about their endeavors in the country.
I went through a relatively short interview with them but then was asked if they could touch base with me at intervals on the bike trip to track my progress. Wow! This will be awesome if they follow through, I'd be somewhat famous in Japan. Haha
The translator Miyuki even bought me breakfast and my bus ticket into the center of Tokyo, fingers crossed it all works out :)
So far so good and I hadn't at this point left the airport.
Arriving at the main Tokyo station I then had to transport (by carrying) my bicycle to the nearest bike shop to reassemble the damn thing that had only been in a box for less than 20 hours. So with great effort, a break every 25 meters and profusely sweating I managed to get it into a bike into the shop. I was a little disappointed that nobody stopped to help me along the kilometer that I carried the box and the rest of my gear but I managed it.
Having bodged my bike together so that it was only just ridable I made my way around the non-navigatable streets of Tokyo to find the capsule styled hotel I booked 3 nights in. This was a mission and a half as it took me several hours finding the place and understanding the rules for cyclists in the city. Most people cycle on the foot path here and to take a right turn if cycling on the road at an intersection you have to cross to the opposite left hand corner and wait for a green light from there, this and the multitude of traffic lights in the city meant that it took a hell of a lot longer to get to my destination.
Along the way I was approached by a kind guy named Go who was mind enough to help me find some food. Unfortunately there are no street vendors here in the city like everywhere else in Asia so food it found in restaurants - meaning it's not cheap... And everything is paid for outside the shop using a vending machine styled menu. Strange, but also what I expected of Japan.
Finally making it to the hotel, that only allowed male guests(!) I quickly met a British guy and he filled me on things I should know about the Japanese and their culture as he had been here for a couple of days. Here are a few:
The Japanese do not like confrontation so will be unlikely for them to talk to you but also they are afraid to practice their English because they would think it's not good enough.
Camera shutters on digital cameras and phones will be permanently set to a higher volume for those perverted men who like to take photos of the underskirts of women and when caught it is a considerable jail time.
Vending machines selling used woman's underwire has now been outlawed.
Dancing is now against the law in all establishments except those with a proper license.
These are just a few things I learnt within one day of being here.
Crazy no!?
Let's see what these remaining days in Tokyo offer before i set off and explore the rest of the country.
Being interviewed at the airport
No Dogs, just cats about in the Parks.
Perhaps they worship them…
This is Go, a helpful and friendly individual who I met on this first day… as it so happens, meeting kind people like him in Japan seldom happens.
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