Japan Day 2

I woke up early in the morning to start my second day in Japan. I was awake for well over a day and only slept for a few hours, but I was fine. I already knew what I was up against. A new culture and an inability to speak the language have created some obstacles for me, but nothing I wouldn't be able to overcome. Thankfully we live in a digital age and I had my laptop.

My plan was to explore the local area and attempt to become familiar with it, but not so much to establish a routine. Once I find myself going to the same places everyday - morning coffee at the same place at the same time - it's time for me to move on to a new location. I try to maximize my experience by moving around a lot.

I rewrote my phrase and vocabulary list in order to make it a little more organized. I proceeded to look up a few things on the internet. I enjoy parks, botanical gardens, markets, villages etc. I wanted to try some local food and do what the locals do. I think that is a fairly common goal among travelers. What's the point of hanging out in McD's all day...or a 5 star resort for that matter. If I can do it at home, for thousands of dollars less, why not just stay at home? Travelers are looking to experience a different culture.

The streets were just as erratic as the previous night. Except, instead of teenagers running around from arcade to arcade, smoking out on the street and courting girls under the Big Screen, it was locals in suits and dress pants. This still messes me up when I travel. I often forget that not everyone is on vacation like me. Life is continuously moving.

I was staying in Shinjuku and I wanted to take a train to Harajuku. This was the location I had originally thought Tokyo was, when I first came to Japan. Girls dressed as Manga and Lolita characters, hanging out on the bridge all day. Using my phrase paper, I successfully asked for directions to the train station. I was quite surprised and pleased. It was a strange feeling to say something in a foreign language, be understood and gain knowledge of a train station from it.

I am an artist. The reason I bring this up, is the fact that reading and writing Haragana and Katakana is an art form. I asked the lady at the counter for a ticket to Harajuku. I walked up to a large map, which was all in Japanese and found out which train line Harajuku was on. I then followed the signs through the terminal and got on.