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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
I arrived back in Nagano at 7:30, in time to teach one more class.<\/p>\n
I’ll be returning to Tokyo tomorrow \u2014 work on Saturday and then some fun for the rest of the weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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… Continue reading Quick Trip to the Big City<\/span>