Day 1: My Big Adventure Starts

Tomorrow evening will mark two complete weeks living in Japan. If I had known about this blogging-stuff earlier there would have been a blow-by-blow commentary. Shikata ga arimasen (It can't be helped).

I started off knowing there was a lot I didn't know. For instance, after three months of casual searching and another three of serious inquiry I still did not have a place to live. The written and unwritten rules concerning apartment renting in Japan are legion, even more so for foreigners from outside the country. I also knew that because I had studied polite and business Japanese, basic communication and "essential living skills" would be difficult. There was also the expectation that at some time I would experience culture shock.

NOTE: In Japan "difficult" means "nigh impossible."

I had a very pleasant flight from San Francisco to Narita in no small part due to a very kind Japanese lady who encouraged me through conversing in Japanese. Arigatou gozaimashita! Customs was super-helpful, and minutes after landing I was standing in Japan.

Most public places have signs written in both kanji (Chinese-style picture-characters) and hiragana and/or katakana (phonetic characters). Many signs are also in romaji (phonetic spelling via roman alphabet). however, the farther one moves from public places frequented by foreigners, the less common Romaji becomes. I would say that English speakers not knowing Japanese writing miss out on at least 98 percent of all information. Understanding hiragana and katakana - but no kanji - means 80 percent of Japan is unintelligible.

On the positive side, Japan is a very convenient country. Most everything you could want is within walking distance of anywhere, and if it can fit, there's probably a vending machine for it. It is also a very colorful country: most everything is color-coded: Exits are green, men's bathrooms are blue (women's are pink), and so on. There are often cute little pictograms explaining whatever concept they think needs elucidification, but while the artwork is usually very detailed there doesn't seem to be a lot of standardization.

I found a hotel room in Ikebukuro. I got lost right out of the train station, but a kind kusuriya-san (drug store clerk) was able to point me in the right direction. Wow. I eventually found the place, but it was sandwiched between love hotels and "snack bars."

In my room there were five buttons, three knobs and a three-position switch to control the bathroom. Yes, there were instructions, but they were all in kanji (see above note).

I almost panicked, but I took a deep breath and reminded myself that this was an adventure. After all, if I screwed up the plumbing, what's the worst that could happen? (^_^); "Japanicon" of person sweating in nervousness or panic

The following morning I found a Japanese diner serving breakfast. I ordered by pointing to a picture on the wall and ate what was put in front of me. I think it was pork in gravy over rice with a raw egg on top with a side of seaweed and pickled vegetables and a bowl of miso soup. It was very good, but so filling I skipped lunch AND supper.

Afterwards I went apartment shopping, and through a series of coincidences ended up meeting Marika, a dance instructor who also managed apartments in the Shinjuku area. Because her cats liked me and I could talk intelligently about the influence of the Roman bath culture on western European tribes over tea and biscuits (mostly because of her cats), I was offered an apartment. I was told the shoukai - the introduction and the relationship that sponsored the introduction - was often more important than one's credentials, but this really surprised me.

I now have two roommates, both are American, who have lived in Japan for some time. They have helped considerably with such basic stuff as how to use basic household appliances, when to put what kind of garbage out and where to shop for different items.

But I get ahead of myself.

I got lost on my way back to the hotel room and ended up finding a beautiful park full of sakura (cherry trees). I almost passed on the opportunity to rest and enjoy the experience (viewing sakura is so much more than just looking at trees and flowers), when I was reminded of some friends' encouragement to have fun while in Japan.

It was almost silent in the park; everyone spoke softly, if at all. There was only the breeze, the sun, and the sakura.

I now had an apartment, but my luggage was in Ikebukuro. The hotel arranged for Kuroneko (Black Cat) - the ubiquitous Japanese package delivery service - to deliver the luggage to my new apartment. What I didn't realize (because the instructions were in kanji) was that one is supposed to specify date and time for delivery, otherwise it gets delivered when they get around to it.

So I had an apartment, a pocket full of cash, my camera, the clothes on my back, and no clue where my luggage was or how to expedite it.