3-Week Mark: Learning How to Get around Japan

Three weeks in, and I can firmly say that when I ride the subway, I usually know what I am doing. For the traveler with no knowledge of the native language, the subways and the stations have been made very accommodating. Every overhead sign with info about the incoming train is in English. When riding, you’ll also hear every stop is repeated in English. Google Maps will become your best friend when you’re here. Just type in what station you’re at/near and what station you want to go to and it shows what route is the quickest, what trains to ride, whether it’s local or express, what platform the train arrives on, and even the approximate cost in yen of the trip. The trains are always on time, and if you miss your train don’t feel bad–there’s another one arriving in 3-5 minutes.  The subway is the go-to for traveling within and around Tokyo.

As it was mentioned during orientation here, Japan is not just Tokyo. There is also the city of Kyoto, which I highly recommend visiting, that has retained traditional elements of Japanese culture. Here you will find older shrines and temples, more people wearing kimonos and yukatas (a casual kimono), bamboo groves, festivals, and the elusive geisha. Now getting there from Tokyo can be a bit expensive. Everyone tells you to take a shinkansen (the bullet train) which gets you there with 2 to 3 hours. Tickets are around 12,000 to 16,000 yen one-way (about $120-$160) and get even more expensive if you really want to travel in luxury.

However, there’s also a second option that I chose to take advantage of, and the round-trip fare cost less than a one-way ticket for the bullet train. I took an overnight bus that departed Tokyo Friday night and arrived in Kyoto Saturday morning, and then picked me up Sunday night and dropped me off back in Tokyo Monday morning. It was easy to make the reservations on the website–it’s mostly in English and tells you the exact pick up and drop off points and the times to be there. Now, since I spent the weekend, I needed a place to sleep. Hotels are fine, but if you want to save money to use for other activities, I recommend staying at an 24-hr internet cafe. Another unique feature of Japan, these cafes allow you to spend 5 hours overnight for around $15. You get a small cubical that comes with a PC, all the Japanese manga you could read, a shower, snacks, and free drinks. They are surprisingly quiet, like most of Japan, and can be a great place to get some sleep.

I would also highly recommend taking any trips to places far away from Tokyo during the first couple weeks of your stay. You’d be surprised by how fast your weekends fill up. Depending on what kind of classes you’re taking and how many TUJ student activities events you sign up for, your schedule can become very busy. Almost every weekend since I have been here has been occupied with either class field trips or TUJ trips (TUJ trips are particularly fantastic, and are offered at a great price!), so it’s always beneficial to plan ahead. Japan is filled with so many beautiful unique places and cultural experiences that it really makes you consider signing up for a second semester abroad.