May 1999

Tuesday 4th May 1999

Had my leaving party/barbecue on Sunday. Had a great time. I didn't know there were so many people wanted to say "Clear off"! Seriously, it was wonderful to see so many people turn out. I know the biggest thing I'll miss in Japan is all the people I have to leave behind. I'm continuing the arduous process of clearing out my flat. How did I ever hoard so much stuff? I hope the charity shop appreciates their windfall!

Friday 14th May 1999

After much frustration, prolonged hard work and just a little trauma, I've finally arrived in Japan!

There was more than a little panic on my last morning in England as I called out the emergency locksmith to rescue me from "lost garage key syndrome". After not insignificant expense, I managed to regain access to store my few remaining items. Then there was the matter of the 500 pounds (sterling) excess baggage at the airport - time to jettison all those non-necessities! It's amazing how you think you're taking only the bare essentials, but you can always get rid of so much more. Got through with no charge eventually.

I've been staying in a hotel for the first few days until my apartment keys were ready (today). I couldn't believe he was serious when the waiter gave me a huge paper apron to wear to eat my sizzling steak - how embarrassing - shan't be having that again! The big day has now arrived when I can move into my flat. Tomorrow my TV, video and Hi-fi are being delivered (cash on delivery - try getting that in the UK). There seems to be a completely different level of trust out here. Unfortunately my furniture, bed included, isn't going to start arriving until next Saturday! I've also had no word of my belongings from England yet!!??? Stuck in customs, no doubt.

Monday 17th May 1999

I've been here a whole week now! I'm starting to find my way around a bit better. I watched Arsenal fail to win the English Premiership live last night (thanks to Tottenham's inability to hold their lead over Man Utd) :-( . At least the bars here are open late enough to watch the football, which on a Sunday starts at midnight. I have improved my living conditions.... I now have a quilt and a pillow with which to curl up on the floor! Oh, and my TV, video and Hi-fi help a lot. People in Japan always take their shoes off when entering a house. I'd decided not to do this in my apartment, but the floor is basically wood effect sticky back plastic tiles, so I think I would damage them in no time. Therefore I am forced to comply! The view from my balcony is fantastic. I overlook the Tokyo Tower which is a bit like the Eiffel Tower but it's orange and white. It is illuminated at night and looks great along with the many other neons of the Tokyo skyline.

Things are slowly coming together at work, sorting out e-mail accounts etc. I can actually walk to work in around 15-20 minutes or it's just one stop on the subway. The subway trains are very good and frequent, there are even areas marked on some of the platforms where the door will be when the train stops! One thing that takes time here is crossing the road. It's not the law to wait for the green man, but most people do. Taxis are quite interesting too, their back doors open and close automatically, but I tend to forget and slam it anyway! You don't tip taxi drivers (or anyone else) in Japan. That'll save some money, and the embarrassment of not giving enough.

Friday 21st May 1999

Had my first Japanese lesson since arriving. Apparently, I have a "good ear"! I learnt a very important sentence "Yasui no arimasu ka", "Do you have a cheaper one"?

My things arrived from England yesterday at last. I'd had a few calls from the shipping company asking "What is the value of the coffee and tea"? "Are the declared items new"? etc., etc. It was good to get my CD's because I only had one until then (although it must be said that INTER-FM on 76.10 kHz in Tokyo is an excellent bilingual radio station). I finished installing my satellite TV system today. I now have two weeks of free viewing (including live Premiership football from England!) while I decide which channels to I'd like to subscribe to.

Monday 24th May 1999

Had my welcome party on Friday night (arranged at a local restaurant), good meal, plenty of it and typical "all-you-can-drink" quality beer! Went on to a nightclub where the American bouncer wouldn't let me in without ID. It's compulsory to carry your passport or Alien Registration Card in Japan - I must get my card soon. You must obtain your card in 90 days or your working visa will be invalid. Anyway, we went on to "What The Dickens", an "English" pub in the Ebisu area of Tokyo. This time no problems but a bit expensive (1000 yen/pint - about 5 UK pounds) and not very much like any English pub I know! One good thing here, is that the Japanese mix quite happily with the foreigners in these so-called foreign bars. There is no attitude of "What are you doing in my pub"?

My furniture finally arrived on Saturday morning. The deliverymen are, like most Japanese, incredibly polite and as is customary they remove their shoes as they enter the apartment (not easy when you're carrying heavy furniture)! It was so great to sit back in one of my recliners, put my feet up on the footstool, and watch TV in comfort for the first time in what seemed like forever!

Took a walk to Tokyo Bay on Saturday, it's only about 30 minutes from my apartment. It's not a very plush area except the big hotels, but it's undergoing redevelopment, a bit like London's Docklands. Unlike in London, there is still a very busy port in Tokyo Bay. I decided to visit The Rainbow Bridge. It's not, as the name would suggest, multicoloured, but white. The name was chosen from over 20,000 competition entries and is supposed to suggest a bridge to the future. It was built in the mid-nineties to link downtown with a new development on reclaimed land in the bay. The development consists of four distinctive futuristic zones where people will live and work with the ultimate in technology and communications.

On Sunday I visited the Tokyo Tower. This is a very large iron tower very much like the Eiffel Tower, but slightly taller and painted orange and white, as are cranes and everything else which extends high into the air in Tokyo. This is a regulation set down by the aviation authority. Remember if you go to the second (top) stage of the tower to have some film left in your camera. I had to buy my film at the first stage..... on the way down. Still, I got some pretty good shots of my apartment.

Wednesday 26th May 1999

Went to Kyoto yesterday on a business trip. The trains here are pretty decent. You are asked to use your mobile only in the passageways by the doors at each end of the carriage, so you don't have to suffer some Yuppie buying pork bellies and selling Namibian coffee beans! Had a fantastic view of Mount Fuji en-route. It looks spectacular with its classic volcano shape and its snow covered peak. After my meeting I had time to wander around a huge temple in Kyoto, headquarters of the Shin sect. I also spent some time looking around Kyoto train station. I found this far more impressive than the temple. It is an amazingly over-the-top futuristic design. Masses of light and space - you really have to see it for yourself!

I also, unfortunately experienced my first instance of discrimination in Japan. I wanted to buy a drink from a kiosk on the platform for my return trip. The woman, in her late fifties, made no effort to serve me as she let some Japanese jump to the front, and when there was nobody else waiting served me very abruptly with no words of politeness whatsoever. In Japan people never serve without a nice welcome and a very polite thank you. This, I'm sure will not happen very often, if ever again. On top of that, what I thought would be limeade was yet more cold tea!

Ordered a bouquet of flowers for my sister's birthday today. Thankfully, it is so easy to do these things globally nowadays. Helpful hint: Call a florist near the recipient and pay by credit card, don't waste money on some international service which eats up most of the cost in bureaucracy and profit and delivers a daisy!