Early impressions (5)

More of my diary from when I first came to Japan (three years ago). Sorry that these are the only posts I make now, but since I'm not in Japan at the moment, I don't have the inspiration to write much that's new. ^_^

This post shows a nice contrast to my post on taking trains. In that post, I said that actually, taking trains in Japan is reasonably simple... but advised readers to procure a map. This old diary entry of mine proves why a map is a good thing. (It also helps if you're not a person like me, who hates asking people for help. Hahaha.)

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Going to Roppongi, aka 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing'

[I wrote this on Christmas Eve as a way of venting my frustration. It's probably rather laborious to read, so just imagine doing it!... This is an entirely accurate representation of my worst experience on Japanese trains. :)]

What a day...

This morning I set out for Sakuragicho to enjoy the sunshine. (I love the word 'Sakuragicho'. It just rolls off the tongue.) It was nice too. My plan was to then go to the immigration office in Ishikawacho - I brought my visa papers - and then finish the day by seeing the Christmas lights in Roppongi. (Roppongi is in Tokyo.) Remembering what happened the last times I went into Tokyo, I made sure to bring my train line maps with me. I knew from experience it can be difficult to negotiate the train system if you don't have your own maps.

In Sakuragicho

As it turned out, I forgot to bring my passport, so I couldn't go to Ishikawacho. Instead I came home to get it, decided I didn't have enough time to get back before the immigration office closed, and by that time had started developing a cold. So I decided to chill out until the evening when I went into Roppongi.

As I got on my first train to go to Roppongi, I realised that I didn't have my train maps. Drat! I'd put them in the bag with my visa papers - because I had thought I would be taking that bag with me to Roppongi - but then left it at home. Nice going! You did it again! I was having a really triumphant day with remembering things...

After that, I made just about every mistake it was possible to make!

Anyway, this is the process I took to try to get to Roppongi without a train map:

I took the Yokohama line to Higashi-Kanagawa and then changed to the Keihin-Tohoku line.

I took the Keihin-Tohoku line to Oimachi because I had a vague memory that the train line I wanted went from near there.

It didn't. But by the time I realised that, I was in the Saikyo line station, so I didn't want to go back to JR Oimachi to get back on the Keihin-Tohoku. This Saikyo station at least had a map on the wall. Roppongi wasn't on it. The only thing I knew for sure was that Roppongi was a Tokyo Metro station connected to the Hibiya Line, so I decided the only course was to get myself to a station I *knew* was connected to the Tokyo Metro, so I could at least see a subway map. I didn't recognise any of the stations on the Saikyo line as being on the Metro system. Thus, I took the Saikyo Line to Osaki so I could change to another line.

In Osaki I changed trains. I had to decide whether to go to Shibuya or Shinjuku, as I knew they are both connected to the Tokyo Metro. However, the Osaki map, not being a Tokyo Metro station, didn't have Tokyo Metro stops printed. So I didn't know which Metro train lines connected through Shibuya and Shinjuku. I (wrongly) 'remembered' that Yoyogi was on the Hibiya line, and Yoyogi is near Shibuya, so I went to Shibuya. As it turns out, Shinjuku would have taken me to a line connecting directly to Roppongi. But Shibuya didn't.

At Shibuya, I had a choice between walking to the Ginza or the Hanzomon lines. I knew that there was another line connecting directly to Roppongi apart from the Hibiya line, and I knew for a fact that it wasn't the Ginza line, and I couldn't remember what it was - so maybe it was the Hanzomon line? So I walked to Hanzomon Metro station, which was, of course, further away.
You must realise it took me all this travel time simply to get myself standing in front of a Tokyo Metro map.
Once at the Hanzomon line, all the train maps had English on them, except the map of the Tokyo Metro - the one I wanted to consult. By a Freak Chance, I recognised the kanji for 'Roppongi' - it's made up of three of the few kanji I know - and realised that I had to take the Ginza line and then change in Ginza. Drat!

So I walked back where I'd come from, to the Ginza line, and took the Ginza line all the way to Ginza.

In Ginza, I changed to the Hibiya line and took it for a few minutes.

FINALLY ARRIVED IN ROPPONGI AFTER TWO WHOLE HOURS AND SIX WHOLE TRAINS.

And don't forget, every time I leave a train station to change trains, it's costing me the fare of a subway ticket! -_-

I realise this whole affair makes me sound really incompetent, but the fact is this: because Tokyo is connected by multiple rail networks, often you can NOT find a map you need and so you have to just randomly go somewhere and hope you end up able to get to the right place. I don't know what people do. You might say 'well, if you left your rail maps at home, why didn't you pick up another one at the station?' They don't HAVE them! Or if they do, they're hidden somewhere!

My main fault was in not deciding to just go to a station where I *knew* there was a Tokyo Metro stop, to begin with, and imagining that Oimachi connected when it didn't (actually the stop I wanted was Hamamatsucho, so don't ask me how I got those names confused...).

This was the first time in Japan I ever thought 'I wish I had my car!' It would have been nice to have been able to just drive home, comfortably, in the warm, without having to stand in trains, get off and on, off and on...

Roppongi Hills was okay. They had nice Christmas lights, and a small German 'market', and some carol singers. I had a hot bowl of Chinese soup. It's not quite my scene though. I never like designer shops; in fact, designer things and rampant commercialisation actually kind of annoy me. Also, it's funny to see how my attitude changes when I have a cold and I'm annoyed after spending two hours catching six trains to get somewhere!

You see, Christmas Eve is a time for lovers, and there were soooo many young couples around. Ordinarily I'd be like 'ohh! That's so sweet! Isn't this nice, all these cute young couples!' But with a runny nose and my head all stuffed up, I was like 'geez... there are too many people here... all this lovey-dovey stuff is getting on my nerves... have a bit of self-respect, girls... and don't buy such expensive jewellery, you don't need it...'

Hahah...

Anyway, coming home was much more straightforward, as I'd seen every possible Tokyo train map by this stage. I still had to make a number of choices on my journey home, but this time I learned my lesson and made the right decisions. The lesson is: if presented with a choice between a) an unknown option that *may* be quicker/more direct, and b) a known option which may be slower but will definitely get you to the right destination - always, ALWAYS choose B!

Even a 'straightforward' route home from Tokyo can look like this:

I took the Hibiya line to the end of the line as I could see a way to end up at Kikuna, a station on the Yokohama line.

The Hibiya line went through Ebisu. The announcement said that this station 'connected to JR line'. Yes? Which JR line? It's kind of a relevent detail, you know! So, not knowing if it would be a JR line that I wanted, I stayed put.

At Naka-Meguro I stopped to get on the Tokyu Toyoko line. The first train that came along was an Express train. Well, I didn't know if Express would include Kikuna (I was 95% sure it would, but by now I was a broken woman, unable to face the possibility of getting it wrong yet again), so I had to wait for the next train. 

The next train, unfortunately, didn't go all the way to Kikuna. So I had to get off halfway and wait for the next train (along with everyone else on that train). The next train, unfortunately, was a Ltd Express. Again, I didn't know if it would include Kikuna so I had to wait for the next local train AGAIN. (To be fair, the trains are not far apart. But it is absolutely, completely FREEZING tonight, so not much fun waiting on platforms outside.)

Finally arrived in Kikuna. Changed trains to the Yokohama Line and finally returned home.

Yeesh! I should have just stayed home!

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[Update, 2011: Just to comment on this, express and limited express trains DO stop at Kikuna. At the time I wasn't familiar with station maps and the features of the stations I was to frequent, so I didn't know how to check. I think I was reluctant to ask anyone for help because at that time, my Japanese was very basic, and I had had a lot of rather demoralising experiences in train stations failing to communicate and ending up more confused than when I started.

I can also report that what most Japanese people do in situations like these is check train timetables on their mobile phones. Failing that, of course they would ask the station staff, like a sensible person. Also, I believe train maps can be gotten from many stations; at least from major stations; but you have to go to the information counter and request them; they are not just sitting around for the taking.]