A Fun Day Out

The last week has been such a blend of emotions, it's hard to write blog posts about them. But as I haven't done a huge amount, and I can write about them as I give advice about applying for official alien-ness, and with the Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers, I will skip forward in time to the present, or rather... this morning.

Last night, I arranged to meet a Japanese friend I met on the internet three years ago (a little risky but I was sure it was fine, and it was). We met at my nearest subway station, I was a little late because I did my first lot of washing this morning (but that's another story) and we wandered on up towards Ningyocho street. It was a Japanese public holiday (Adults'/ Coming-of-age Day) so there were lots of people around. He needed to go to the bank and I needed a digital camera. So we took the subway two stops to Akihabara (the discount electronics district of Tokyo) and he bought me a Pasmo card, the Japanese equivalent to London's Oyster card. You can just swipe the wallet or purse that has the Pasmo card inside over the reader and it calculates it! Very clever...

We went up into Akihabara and went into a large electronics department store, Yodobashi Akiba, and found the entire floor devoted to cameras. We browsed for quite a while, and I eventually found one I really liked the look of, a SONY Cyber-shot DSC-T70 and it cost me Y41,000 (just less than £200) including a 1GB Memory card. Looking on the internet, I then found the same camera for about £30 less but I don't care. This is my new (new on the market too) Japanese camera that I bought in Japan! I then got a Todobashi Akiba gold card, which means that I can return tomorrow and get 10% of the money I spent today (Y4,000 or £20) on the card and use it to buy something else there. Basically, because I bought the camera and the memory card there, I can then get a leather case (Y3,000 or £15) for free!

After sorting that, we went for a wander through Akihabara. We went into a couple of bike shops so he could have a look. I practised my Japanese, and he practised his English - moreso the latter!! I really need to get into the habit of using Japanese as much as is humanly possible. Then we went to the bank. We walked for a really long way. From Akihabara up to Ueno Park, where we ate a late lunch (at about 16.30) of tempura and rice, mmmm. This one was of those restaurants where you come in, go to a machine and choose what you want, pay at the machine and keep the ticket it prints for you. Then you sit down and the waiter or waitress comes up and tears the ticket in half an goes and makes the meal, then brings it to your table, checking the remaining part of the ticket for whose meal is whose. I'm glad he was there for that because, as this was my first time doing that, I could have been very confused!

Then we went into a games centre and both lost at a driving game of some sort. By that time it was dark and I said I wanted to see Tokyo lights at night. So we walked from there back to Akihabara, into Ginza and then to the Imperial Palace.

As it was a public holiday, lots of the roads were closed and pedestrianised, which was great. It wasn't too crowded as it wasn't a particularly nice day - quite dark and overcast, but dry.

We spoke about how Japan compared to the UK, and exchanged stories about cultural differences. Particularly to do with differences in where to look when talking to someone, whether it was rude to make eye-contact and how long was best. Very interesting... He asked me how I found being a gaijin in Tokyo, did I get stares much? I said that I'd occassionally catch people eyeing me curiously but they would snap their heads away as soon as I looked in their direction. It's quite amusing.
One of the main things we discussed was the difference in price of things in our countries. And I discovered, to my shock, that at the moment the UK seems more expensive then Japan for most things! After hearing horror stories about how expensive Japan was, and saving thousands of pounds in preparation, turns out I was going to a generally cheaper country! Since I've been here, which is now 8 days, I have spent a total of Y134,682 (£640), of which Y120,000 was spent on my first month's rent and a digital camera. So in just over a week I've spent £40 on transport, food, applications etc., which works out at £5 per day.
He commented on how small my phone was, which was interesting, as Japan is the land of gadgets, you'd expect their mobiles to be smaller, but they are actual quite big, slim but large.

The Imperial Palace was beautifully quiet. It was quite strange to see such an empty open space. There were some roadworks nearby and there was a flashing mechanical traffic warden, whose arm would swing up in the direction cars were being diverted. I wanted to take him home with me.
Now I have my camera, I'll go back to these places and post the photos I take.

Then we took our separate subways back to our separate homes (I saw a rat on the subway tracks but it escaped before it was sliced and diced). It was really nice to spend time with another human being, even if there were occassional language difficulties!

I kept offering to pay him for things he bought me but he refused, saying that in Japan, when you meet someone for the first time and you're their guide, you pay for their things during the day. Shockingly, he didn't offer to buy my camera.

But a fun day out, and I saw a bit more of Tokyo. Now, to set up my camera and prepare for Alien Registration tomorrow!