First Night in Japan
My journey began with several goodbyes and sleepless nights. The trip to Seattle was relatively painless; I managed to knock out on the flight. However, the flight from Seattle to Japan was much worse. I couldn’t sleep at all in the aisle seat, the seats were too small, and every person heading to the bathroom seemed to bump into my shoulder including Flight Attendants coming up and down. I took the ANA flight to Japan. Besides the small seats, the ANA flight really helped set the mood for the trip to come. Just make sure to book a window seat next time.
Upon arriving in Tokyo, I had already filled out the customs and immigration forms online in the airplane. I was given a QR code with all the relevant info filled out. Why can’t other countries be this efficient? After landing, I got some money, obtained a SIM card, and bought a PASMO subway card, Seeing the long line for the JR Pass, I opted to get a PASMO subway card and headed straight to my hotel instead. I had watched dozens and dozens of YouTube videos preparing me for this moment. So there was a weird sense of deja vu even though I had never been to Japan before.
The subways in Japan are brightly lit, clean, and futuristic—with no rats in sight. Every station is color-coded with a unique number, and every platform has its own identifier. After a couple of trips, navigating the subway became second nature to me. After about three stops, I noticed the train car was getting very crowded. People glanced at me briefly before lowering their gaze. Everyone was so polite, even as they crammed together to fit into the rail car. It seemed like there were hundreds of people stuffed into one train car but no one was yelling or losing their temper. Everyone remained calm. It seemed like about half of the passengers were reading manga on their phone.
Contrast this to New York, where descending into the subway means you are descending into a type of purgatory with the smell of piss everywhere, rats crawling about, paint peeling from the wall, and all sorts of unsavory characters. When compared to Japan, walking down into a New York subway feels like you are entering Silent Hill.
I’ve arrived in Japan two days after the launch of the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The subway car is filled with advertisements for my favorite video game franchise. The dopamine well in my brain which has all but dried from over use starts to drip again.
Walking up the subway stairs into the world above felt immediately different and impactful from any other trip. The streets whirred and buzzed with all sorts of sounds and lights. The advertisements and store fronts talk to you when you enter. What they say I do not know but it makes me feel euphoric all the same. I made my way down the wide streets until they got narrower and narrower until I finally arrived in Shinjuku.
Walking through Shinjuku, I took in retro futuristic sights. I felt I had stepped into the world of blade runner. The alleyways in Japan have alleyways—small shops, ramen stalls, and large bars all stretching into the distance. It was Monday night at 9pm but the city streets were crowded and lively. I never liked New York. Everything smells bad and the buildings feel oppressive. But Tokyo feels different. The lights and constant beeping sounds just make me feel like I’ve traveled to the future. I unfortunately did not have the right camera gear to take pictures at night or at least I thought I didn’t so I didn’t get many pictures.
I feel relief after reaching my hotel room The jet lag, 12 hour time difference, and lengthy travel time have weighed heavily on me. I have to stay awake so that I can adjust quickly to time here. Everything is comically small in the hotel room. I can barely fit my luggage but it’s cheap and it’s enough I remind myself. The toilet seat is heated. To my left was a control panel that I couldn’t make sense of, with multiple options for washing, heating, drying, and music? I use google translate on the control panel and ended up even more confused. Why can’t American toilets be like this? Maybe Muslim countries should follow the same model instead of attaching a hose to every bathroom stall.
Visiting the nearby convenience store, I felt like a kid in a candy store: KitKats of all different flavors, chocolate-covered potato chips, cupcakes in plastic jars, endless energy drinks that I dared not try. There are convenience stores on nearly every street corner. The food offered in these stores are light years ahead in quality and taste from their garbage American counterparts.
That night, I forced myself to stay awake even though I was running on day three of no sleep. I thought to myself that getting a direct flight must be worth the extra money and sleep saved. Next time.
Step one in any place: find halal food.
Lots of Turkish food shops appeared. Turkey and Japan have some sort of special relationship that I do not understand.
Am I really going to settle for Turkish food in Japan? No.
I checked Google again and scrolled down to find a magical new option: halal Wagyu beef, just six minutes away.
The joy of sighting that halal symbol is something few can understand.
Walking into the Wagyu beef restaurant, I met a man who greeted me in perfect English. His name was Kinya; he was half Japanese and half Mexican, with a Californian accent. Kinya was extremely kind. He offered to teach me how to cook the meat so that it was tender and not overcooked. He told me about his story how he ended up in Japan. I honestly can’t recall it more than a year later. I promised to advertise his restaurant on instagram and I did.
Halal Wagyu Beef feels like a massive reward for the journey here. It tastes buttery and sweet unlike any other meat I’ve had back home. Almost like candy. After my meal, I meet the owner who seems less than enthused to see me. I knew he was the owner because his face was plastered over the restaurant banner outside and on a sign advertising the restaurant. I give him a firm handshake anyway and look him dead in the eye thanking him for making my night. I walk six minutes back to my hotel through the same neon lit alleyways. Knowing that my first night here was not wasted at all and I had already completed a major objective of my trip. Eat delicious Halal Wagyu Meat.
I returned home to my crowded hotel room, set my phone to silent, and fell asleep knowing the world I left behind was fully awake but a much better one was waiting for me tomorrow.
