vicarious voyage - Japan

I am joined in a program on Semester at Sea called Vicarious Voyage. The program connects us with classrooms back in the states and our job is to write a sort of report about each country or each port. Ideally, students would just choose one topic to share with their class about, but a general overview of our experiences work too. For Japan I decided to write about the public transportation system. I thought I would share with all of my friends, not just my brother’s classroom at Polaris K-12. Enjoy! (feel free to ask any questions about anything, my email is sheffieldjulia@gmail.com. As an extra incentive for emails-those for questions or news- I may just send you some photos…)

Japan, compared to the United States, is a very small country. In the United States, it is most common for people to get from place to place by car over short distances and by plane over long distances. This is probably also true for Japan, but the in Land of the Rising Sun it is also possible and very easy to get around by trains. Of course as I was a visitor to Japan and one who only knew a couple phrases in the language so for me, navigating the rail lines were perhaps not very easy. But I was able to get around just fine on my own and with my friends.

            I spent five days in Japan. The first day I traveled from Yokohama to Tokyo. I spent two days in Tokyo then went to Kobe to meet the ship and join in some activities. After one night and part of the day in Kobe I continued on to Kyoto, spent one night there, the next day went to Nara and spent the night there, and the last day returned from Nara to Kobe and got back on the ship to sail to the next port. In every city, we rode subways and metros to get around. The longest trip was from Tokyo to Kobe, that trip lasted about three hours. Kobe to Kyoto was an hour’s journey, the rest were shorter train rides.

            While staying in one city we would use the subway to get around. The average ticket then was about two dollars, or 200 yen in Japanese money. Of course in the stations the signs were mostly in Japanese characters but usually we would be able to see the English translation of the place and station names. No one I spent time with in Japan got lost in the public transportation system. This is not because it was not confusing, but because the people working in the stations as well as the passengers were so nice and helpful. I am not sure any other country or culture could match what I experienced in Japan when it comes to public transportation.

            I asked multiple people for assistance in almost every large station I visited and not once did anyone not do their best to assist me. The language barrier was a bit of a problem but I found that if I just said in English the place I was and the place I was trying to go, they would be able to point me in the right direction. In the Kobe station I wanted to make sure I was on the right platform to get to Kyoto, so I used English words to ask the lady next to me and showed her my ticket. She instantly took me over to look at the information board on the platform and nodded that I was in the right place. When the train pulled up and the doors opened, she beckoned me on behind her with a smile. This ride was about an hour long. After a while I felt tapping on my shoulder. The same lady from the platform showed me her phone where she had translated text to tell me that I needed three more stops to get to Kyoto. Then she got off the train but waved to me as she walked away.

            When my friends and I were finished with our time in Nara and were trying to return to Kobe, there arose a problem that we needed help with. We asked the man in the ticket kiosk if he could help us. He came out of his station, took us to the ticket machine and showed us the way to go. He was extremely patient with us and did not return to his place until he was sure that we were okay. I have similar stories and examples from all the towns I visited. But the most memorable experience I had with the Japan public transportation system was my trip on the bullet train from Tokyo to Kobe.

            In the larger cities and main transportation systems in Japan, the train stations have platforms for many different rail lines and train types, but they also often have many restaurants and shops inside also. The morning I was to go to Kobe I did not have time to visit any of those areas, but I did have to navigate them to find the area for my train. I knew from visiting the station the day before that I would be on the Nozomi train that left at 8am. I did not know exactly where that area was, but I had given myself enough time to find it. The first ticket office I spoke to knew of the train I needed and where it was. I used my credit card instead of yen to buy the ticket and did my best to follow his directions. I did have to ask someone else but I did find the train and even a window seat.

The Nozomi train I went on was called the Shinkansen. It gave written and recorded information in both Japanese and English. The experience was a lot like being on an airplane, only on the ground and with a lot more leg room. But we were able to walk around and there was a beverage service. Tokyo to Kobe took about three hours. In Japan, all the bullet trains are called Shinkansen and are run by different transportation companies. The Shinkansen lines cover almost 1,500 miles and can go as fast as 199 miles per hour. The word Shinkansen translates to new trunk line in reference to the new lines that the bullet trains run along. The bullet train name is due to the speed and appearance of the trains. This information on the Shinkansen I did find online and there is a lot more history there about them, I suggest looking into it more.

Anyway, I got to ride on a bullet train and it was a fantastic, definitely the highlight of my Japanese public transportation experience. I even made a friend. The person who sat next to me was very interested in my home and why I was traveling. Once I got to the station where I needed to switch trains, he helped me find my next train. Tokyo to Kobe was the longest travel day I had. But the train made it fun. While all of the stations and trains were very different, the routine of getting tickets and boarding did not change much. If I ever return to Japan I know that I will be able to navigate the country and the train stations pretty well.