I arrived in Japan late afternoon on Christmas day, took out some Yen from the ATM, traded in my Japan Rail Pass voucher for the real thing, and made my way on to the train.
This is the first time I'm traveling alone abroad, and while I'm a little nervous for what's to come, I think it's exciting! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want and not have to appease anyone.
My first task was taking the Keisai line from Narita Airport to Nippori and then transferring to the Yamanote line for Ikebukuro. The train lurched forward out of the airport, and, mimicking the Japanese salarymen (businessmen) that filed in, let out a big sigh every time it took a pause at a new station. While I was a little unsure if I boarded the right train, over an hour of worrying was put to rest when I heard the conductor say, "Nippori desu" (This is Nippori).
When I finally arrived in Ikebukuro, I had my first view of Tokyo - bustling streets, bright lights, and heavenly scents. In the first five minutes, I laughed at just how much Japan is a stereotype of itself. I passed Japanese school girls, people in cat costumes, weary salarymen, teens in crazy outfits. The only things missing were sumos, samurai, and ninjas.
It turns out that there was a problem with my reservation at Kimi Ryokan - I had booked a room for December 25, they had it in their system as November 25 - so they helped me find another place nearby. House Ikebukuro is a decent little place, filled with small rooms lined with bamboo mats and tatami (mattresses on the floor). The woman at the front desk speaks minimal English, so my Japanese really came in handy in trying to figure out when breakfast and checkout is! I was looking forward to staying at Kimi - one of the highest rated Ryokan in the city - but so be it! This will do.
The alleyway where House Ikebukuro is located
After getting settled in, I grabbed a Christmas dinner consisting of a bowl of soba noodles in a delicate yet perfectly delicious soup and shrimp and veggie tempura. The place was a whole in the wall, it maybe fit 10 people at the most, and you had to order at a machine in the front, then hand your ticket to the chefs. Once again, thank Buddha I speak a little Japanese, because none of these folks know more than a handful of words in English!
From there, I made my way into 7-11 to get a drink and decided on this little gem:
I wandered around, taking a few photos, and then went to bed early. What a way to spend Christmas!
Yakitori
I honestly don't even want to know....
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