On the road again!
Today is the first day I start my true travels through Japan. The time I spent at the Solar Cafe in Narusawa was an exciting experience and provided a different type of life than I’ve been used to, but it was too easy to make myself at home. By the time I left I had friends that were like family, 2 pet dogs and a rooster, a bed of my own, a favorite grocery store, a bike and even an SUV at my disposal (not to mention an office with a great view). Strapping on my daypack and taking weekend trips to Tokyo was exciting, but not much different from short hops to NYC or Phila back home. I never really felt like much of a vagabond… but that is all changing. Now I leave to begin my nomadic lifestyle. For the next six weeks left of my visa, I’m backpacking and hitchhiking south west through Japan bound for South Korea.
I started the day with a refreshing onsen at Yurari and then hitchhiked to Kawaguchiko station. Despite warnings that I wouldn’t get picked up in the rain, the first car pulled over to my aid. That’s it… I’m definitely hitching to Osaka. If I didn’t have a tattoo appointment at 5pm I’d try it now.
After arriving in Tokyo I set myself up to stay a little more comfortable by buying a phone card and Suica pass (makes getting around the metro/rail system so much quicker. I highly recommend getting one if you plan to visit Tokyo for more than a couple days). I made it to Otsuka just in time for my final irezumi appointment. Everything finished up nicely and I’m now the proud owner of a traditional Japanese design half-sleeve! It’s still healing now, but I’ll take some detailed photos soon to show off to the world. The session took a little longer than the initial estimate and I ended up sitting for six hours on this final day.
Remarkably, after six hours under the needle and a full day of carrying around my pack at 11pm I still had enough energy to keep going. I called Mihye (Michelle) and we went out for a late night Izakaya in Shin-Okuba before my vitality drained and I crashed in an internet café for the night. This one wasn’t as nice as the one in Shibuya, but I can’t really complain about a full nights sleep, a few hours of internet access and free drinks for less than $20!
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Tags: - Transport & Travel, Asia, Japan, Japan: Toyko, Tattoo, Tokyo
Adam Shane
once again god speed my good man!!!!
where are you going from japan in six weeks?
Its always sad to leave new friends, but when you sling that pack back on, you can feel the rush through your whole body.
Good luck man!
Greg
The difference between there and Philly and NYC is that the asia girls you encounter aren’t all art school druggies…