I took a work-related trip to Tokyo yesterday, just for the day. Travel time from Nagano is about an hour-and-a-half by Shinkansen (bullet train). Once in Tokyo, I took a local train to Shinjuku, and promptly lost my bearings upon exiting the station. I pride myself on having a good natural sense of direction, but Shinjuku is one of those places that doesn’t make any sense until you’ve experienced it repeatedly. I wished I’d had the compass I bought recently for hiking, just to figure out which way was north.
In Japan, maps posted in public aren’t oriented with the top facing north. They reflect whichever direction the viewer is facing while looking at the map. At first, this can be a bit confusing when you’re used to another standard. But when you don’t know which direction is which, it’s a big help. After some wandering and staring at maps, I found the way to my destination.
Heading home, I missed my scheduled Shinkansen, and my reserved seat. So I had to take the next train (only half-an-hour later), but without a reserved seat. This involved standing in a long line waiting to board, and relief at just barely getting a seat. Then came the horror of a hundred flicking lighters and billowing clouds of cigarette smoke. I’ve never seen visibility disappear so quickly. I grabbed my bag and fled the smoking car, barely able to see the door at the end of the car. So I was stuck standing in the reasonably clear air in the compartment between cars for half the trip home.
I arrived back in Nagano at 7:30, in time to teach one more class.
I’ll be returning to Tokyo tomorrow — work on Saturday and then some fun for the rest of the weekend.