Japan: The First Days

Hello Everyone,

Today is my third official day in Japan, and what an amazing time it has been. I guess I should start at the beginning of my story, so here goes:

Our long journey began in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday morning, and ended up with us in Nagoya, Japan, some 24 hours later. The flights within the US went very smoothly and before long, we were sitting on the last plane of our journey. And what a long flight that last one would prove to be. Not only did we not have audio for the videos/TV that was being shown, we also had a crying baby two rows back, and maybe a half an hour of sleep on my end. What a party eh? At long last we landed in Nagoya City, and made our way through customs with ease. Before long we were on our first train from the airport to Nagoya station in the heart of the city (a half hours ride from the airport) in the dark of night.





Jesse Posing


Me chillin'




When we arrived in Nagoya, we were in for our first surprise of the night; no more trains to our home city of Matsumoto, meaning that we would have to stay the night in Nagoya and catch the 7:00 a.m. the next morning. The only problem with that was that we were two gaijin fresh from America with no knowledge of Nagoya or how things in Japan work. We made a call to my friend Daniel who was supposed to meet us in Matsumoto, and told him about our situation. He told us not to worry and that he would meet us the next morning when we arrived. It was a great relief knowing that I would get to see my friend the next day. After our telephone call, we sat outside the train station for a while with our luggage, watching the neon signs flash as hundreds of people milled around the station. I'm sure we were a sight to behold. Finally, we found a hotel across the street, checked in, and set about exploring the area until we decided to turn in for the evening. There were so many new sights and sounds, that I know it will be a night I remember for the rest of my life.

We awoke the next morning to catch our train to Matsumoto. The train ride went smoothly and I had a nice conversation with a very friendly Japanese man who helped us get situated and on the right track. Even with a language barrier, we were able to communicate our thoughts, and I made a friend that morning who will always be remembered. Our two hour long train ride was very beautiful, and we saw so many beautiful forests, bamboo groves, shrines, mountains, streams, rivers, gardens, and traditional homes, that we were entranced the whole way to Matsumoto.

Arriving in Matsumoto, we were shortly met by Daniel, who took us to our hotel and helped explain our situation to the hotel staff. Without his help, we would have been up the creek without a paddle. Literally SOL. After we checked into our rooms, Daniel gave us a tour of the city, and we ate a wonderful "ma and pop" Japanese restaurant on a small street street not to far from Daniels apartment. The food was delicious and the service was amazing. The restaurant could probably only hold 15 people comfortably. After our lunch, we continued our walk up the street to Shinshu University, following the Metoba River that runs through the city.

Some pictures of the University





The Metoba River


Last night was the first real sleep that I've had in days, and it worked wonders. When Jesse got up and around we went for a walk to Agato no Mori Park right next to our hotel. The weather was beautiful and as we walked through the park. We felt alive again. There is a lot to see in this little park; giant old trees, koi, a stream, and fun play equipment (they have ziplines in the park). From the park we took a stroll towards the mountains, passing through beautiful old neighborhoods full of wonderful homes and gardens. Once we arrived back at the hotel we met up with Daniel and explored the city for a little while, going to the post office to use the ATM and looking in a very interesting shopping center. After a few hours, Daniel had to leave us to head to Osaka for a few days, and Jesse and I explored the city and bought some groceries at a mall just up the street. Food is a wonderful thing.

The entrance to Agata no Mori Park


That is all that I really know for the moment. Our plans for this evening are to relax, explore the city some, and wake up tomorrow and take a hike to the mountains. I know that it will be a wonderful day.