Profiscor on the Your-Japan Blog Network

Deeming the Shinkansen, or bullet train, too expensive, Smith and I decided to go for the cheaper option, the overnight bus.

I had told Satori that we were going to see him, prior to booking, so he helped us find some sites for booking the bus for cheap. But as neither Smith or I are confident enough to book in Japanese by phone, we booked through a recommended site from one of our American friends where you can make the bookings all in English.

I thought that since we were taking the overnight bus, it would be sensible to stay over one night, and then take then the bus back the next day, but Smith had other ideas.

Instead he wanted to take the night bus, see Nagoya for a day and then take the night bus again. So we would be taking 2 night buses, 2 nights in a row! I asked him why, but his only reason was that he didn’t want to stay over the first time he was in Nagoya. He said if I wanted to stay over I could do so but he didn’t want to stay over “the first time.”

There’s no way I was going to stay by myself either. Firstly, it’s a little daunting and secondly, It would mean that Satori, a week before he goes to England would have to look after me as, in everyone’s eyes here, I’m a helpless little girl. I know Satori, and I know he wouldn’t take no for an answer even if I told him that I could wander aimlessly for a day. Plus, Smith may have other ideas, but I wanted to stick together, just for safety and comfort. I made a pledge to myself that if we were to make a big trip like this that at least for the first few times we would stick together. That way, we’re not alone.

I don’t know. It makes sense to me I guess.

So there we have it. Two night buses, two nights in a row were booked, and I still think it’s a ridiculously stupid thing to do, but Smith wouldnt budge, even though I told him that we wouldn’t be able to shower for a day.

It would be worth it seeing Satori before he goes to England.

—-

Sittiing on the steps next to Shinjuku Centre Building, I found the air oddly warm for winter time. I kept thinking how weird it was to be in Tokyo so late and for some reason, the bus attendants in their little red vests working hard into the middle of the night comforted me. The vests reminded me of the netball vests that I used to wear in school for Physical Education class, so it seemed like they were a team, all lively and bubbly sending people off in various directions in Japan.

We were sitting for a while when Smith pointed out the twin government offices. I thought about the time that Firefly I had shown them to me. I smiled and said “Yeah… I’ve been up there”

“What? When?”

I looked at him, wondering how I’d explain myself. I opened my mouth to open when one of the attendants shouts out;

“CALLING FOR NAGOYA, PASSENGERS GOING TO NAGOYA PLEASE GO TO YOUR BUS NOW”

And in the midst of getting on the bus and finding our seats, we completely forgot about it.

It was an odd feeling riding the bus. It sort of felt like I was back in primary school going on a day trip somewhere, but when I looked outside Tokyo was staring back at me. It dawned on me that I was seeing the cityscape and skyline that I’d so longed to see when I was a kid back in London.  I looked at Tokyo through window and then I looked back inside the bus. Everyone was sleeping or bored, and it was an odd feeling to think that someone was admiring something that they were so uninterested in.

I got comfortable, there was a long journey ahead…Well two long journeys, but screw it. What’s an adventure without doing crazy things like this once in a while. I tried to sleep and did so for an hour when I woke to find that Smith had taken half my seat. He’s not the smallest guy so I can imagine that Japanese public transport is quite uncomfortable for him (which also aids the question as to why he wants to do this two nights in a row!) but I need space too!

I shouldered him off my seat and he rolled onto the armrest almost falling off.

Sleeping people are fun.

It was quite an uncomfortable ride after that, I could just not get to sleep. But before I knew it, the driver called out that soon we’d be arriving at Nagoya station.

I took a peek out of the curtains, and a look at Nagoya City. It wasn’t that long after sunrise but already quite a few people were out and about, on their bikes and in their cars. This place was very different to Tokyo and the my first impression was that the city had quite a dull feel. Though in my opinion it’s not the place that makes it what it is, it’s the people.

I checked my hair and gave it a quick brush before arriving. I was relieved that I didn’t look half as tired as I felt.

I got off the bus and felt the cold Nagoya air. For some reason it was much colder here than Tokyo so we rushed inside the station. Satori had told me since he lived quite far from the station these days, that his friend Iyako would meet us first and he would come afterwards. In the mean time he had told us to wait in the station’s McDonald’s.

We had both gotten a voucher for coffee from the bus company so we both decided to use them since this was going to be a very long day. I ordered some food and procrastinated and then decided to brush my teeth and freshen up in the station’s toilets.

I was procrastinating bit more when I got an e-mail from Satori. I had just replied to him when I saw Iyako through the window. I’ve always thought she was so beautiful, even when I met her in England for the first time. I mean I think Japanese women are beautiful on the whole, but Iyako is one of the few that just seems to have this effortless beauty. She hardly wears make up and can be wearing an ordinary jumper and jeans and still just be glowing. She also has this quiet intelligence about her and not the squeaky high voice that I so often hear squeal out “kawaiii ^_^” every 30 seconds.

She ran up to me and gave Smith and I a big hug as Japanese business men waiting for the bullet train looked round, slightly surprised.

Iyako took us outisde and asked us if we had a good journey. I smiled and said it was long and she laughed, knowlingly. Smith was silent, not a morning person I take it.

We crossed the road and I was thankful that it was starting to get warmer by now. We walked down the pavement, exchanging stories and asking how each other were when Iyako pointed to the staircase entrance of the Nagoya Subway.

It took me a second to figure out what she was pointing at, It was Satori!

He was leaning against the side of the staircase entrance and waved to me. His hair has grown so much since the last time I saw him, and I had forgotten how tall he is for a Japanese person.

Excited, I ran round the entrance wall to greet him. Satori put his hand out to give me a handshake but I pushed past and gave him a big hug. It always amuses me how much he hates hugs.

Satori then pointed to an old looking people carrier (I think they’re called minivans in America?) and told us to hop inside. It then dawned on me that Satori had borrowed the family car just to come and get us!

Satori then said “Sorry but it takes about 40 minutes by car to get to my university from here”

FORTY MINUTES? Wow Nagoya definitely makes Tsukuba seem like a one horse town that’s lost its horse. I also wondered if he at all minded doing all this for us, but he was the one who suggested it and he always goes on about how much I helped him in London. Though I really don’t think I did that much, I just showed him around, there’s not much more to it than that.

I looked at Satori’s reflection in the rear-view mirror and realised how much I actually missed him and how nice it was to see him and Iyako again. We laughed and joked all the way to Satori’s university in the back of his parents’ people carrier and all of a sudden I thought to myself that the 7 hour uncomfortable journey was definitely worth it.

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