The first three weeks - Tokyo.
I arrived in Tokyo Narita Airport on a sunny Saturday (03.02.2012). Around 12:00 noon. I traveled by train (Keisei Line) from Narita to Ueno Station in Tokyo. I asked several different people for directions. From Ueno I took the “JR Line” train to “Minami Senju”. From there, I walked to my hostel where I stayed for the first week.
The first week in Tokyo was easy, because I had planned everything out in advance. I ordered an alien registration card, visited different interesting places (Akihabara 3x, Harajuku3x, Shibuja 2x, Shinjuku 3x, Tokio Tower 1x, Tsukuji Fishmarket 2x, Ginza 3x, Asakusa 4x, Roppongi 2x) I took a lot of photos of nearly everything (over 1,200 in three weeks).
I meet a young boy from “Boston” one day at my Hostel. He planned to go to “Shinjuku” to take some photos by night. I asked him, if I could join him. So we went to “Shinjuku” together and took some nice shots. He shows me the beauty of the night shots. From this day on, I started to use the manual modus of my camera more often to take pictures. It was a great pleasure to meet this guy.
On a few occasions, I met several German people at my hostel. They stayed only a few days in Tokyo. One group of five young people wanted to travel around Japan by car over a ten day period. That must have been a nice adventure too.
I wore my Cosplay two times in “Harajuku”. The first time was on a Sunday. The second was the day I stayed in Tokyo. I hoped to see some Gothic Lolitas on this day. But I couldn´t find anyone. Shame! On this day, I brook one nail of my left foot. The nail was a little bit too long for my shoes. What a crap. What a damn fucking crap! This hurt at every step and I had no shoes to change into. It will take a lot of time until this nail is totally recovered. Next time I have to take care of my nails.
The second time I’ve wore Coplay in “Harajuku” was in the third week. Some people wanted to take a photo with me. That was fantastic. One guy, after taking a picture with me said says “Cosplay makes life more interesting…” He was right.
I visited the "Tsukiji Fischmarket" two times. I wanted to visit the Tuna auction. I was there at 0500 but they kicked me out of this area. Visitors can access this area only after 0900. For the tuna action you have to register first. Shame! So I wasted my time at this place two times. But I could see a big fat rat between all these fucking fish. Hm. Not so clean I think…..
I visited the "Tokyo Tower." From the 250m platform I took a picture out of every window. Later, I want to make a 360° panorama picture with all these photos. This will be good practice.
I had a job interview at a BAR, called “The new Matrix BAR” but the boss searched for someone who had a little bit of bar experience. Shame too.
I had a Job interview in a restaurant. They sell sausages from Germany. But without Japanese skill, I couldn't get this Job. Fucking crap!
For the second and third week, I had to find a new hostel, because of, the hostel didn’t had enough free rooms. So I moved from “Aizuya Inn” to “Kohasan Annex” in “Asakusa”.
I search a long time for a good bike. Yes! Searched! Because, I inspected a lot of bike shops in the districts I´ve visited. I found one good bike. But it was more expensive than I wanted to spend on a bike. But, shit! This is a nice bike and I want this one. So I bought it for 378000YEN. Damn! Quite expensive!
Most the time, I walked alone around the different districts. I had a step counter. Every day I walked round about 20km. One day the counter stops at 25km. I guess, that I walked over 500km in this three weeks.
I wasted most of my money on the hostel. And some money for the food and restaurants. I decided to buy a “mini SuperDollfie” for round about ￥40,000 yen. That is the last thing I want to buy in Japan, before I have to leave this country.
The next two weeks - Leaving Tokyo to arriving Nagoya
First I thought that I´ve booked one more night in the Hostel, but shit! I have to leave Tokyo one day earlier as I thought. So I had to find a solution to carry all my stuff with me. No trailer for my bike. No Bikeshop think it is possible to build a rear carrier to this MTB. I was nearly to stay this night under a bridge, but I had to find a damn good solution. I traveled the whole afternoon across the city to find a trailer for the bike. No chance! I found a big Store called “Olympic” I bought a rear carrier for 27inches bikes (my bikes is 26inches) and some tools. With this, I was able to assemble the rear carrier to the MTB. First problem solved! Next was to stretch the two big suitcases to the rear carrier. This was not so easy, but finally I made it. I can´t go very fast, with the 50kg suitcases and the 15kg backpack.
I started in Tokyo at 2200 on a Saturday (24.03.2012) and travel south. Always south, on route number one. I stopped at “Tokyo Big Sign”. I want to travel over the “Rainbow Bridge”, but at 2am on Sunday, the damn bridge was closed. I stopped at convenient stores several times to buy some food for the journey and to take some photos at night and early at the morning (5am on Sunday) at a McDonalds for breakfast.
I traveled ahead to “Kawasaki”. I´ve made a nice panorama shot, near a river. I was riding the bike along this river, crossed some roads and went in the wrong direction. I only had a small map and a compass. I was riding in the north direction in state of south. In one village I asked a young man for the way to Mt. Fuji. He says I can follow the route one to Yokohama - Odawara. So I continued my journey on the Highway. Most time, it was easy to climb up the slopes. But this will change in the future. Damn!
I stopped a lot of times for taking photos, asking for the way, eating something and going to the toilet. Finally I reached Totsuka at 3pm on Sunday. I pitched my tent under a small bright next to a river. Not very comfortable, but the best place, in case it started to rain. The total distant was over 57km. First I want to stay only one night, but see what happened.
Next day, I sit at a McDonald's to charge my batteries (laptop, camera) I was to tired to continue today. So I stayed one more night. Next day, one young Japanese student was sitting in front of my tent and he invited me to go with him to "Kamakura". This was the first time, that I meet a kindly Japanese student. And it was so great, that he had shown me "Kamakura".
The next day, I planned to start. The young guy came around again and asked me to visit Yokohama Chinatown with him, but I told him I want to travel ahead to Mt. Fuji. Only 30 minutes later, an old man talked to me and invited me to stay at his flat until Sunday to join him and his friend at a Hanami party on Sunday.
At this small home stay, I was able to visit different places around Totsuka. Yes, “Yokohama Chinatown” too. This damn friendly old man, have a restaurant. I could work at his restaurant for two days, to pay for the Hanami party. This was fine with me. I could use his internet connection and bathroom. So I had no problem working for him.
On Monday (one week after I left Tokyo) I continued my journey to Mt. Fuji. I left the family at 9am and I rode until 4pm. I pitched my tent next to road 246. This wasn´t a quite night!
The next day, I had to leave route 246. I needed to search for a bank to get some money and a supermarket to get some food. On this day, my total distant is round about 6km, because it started to rain. I build my tent next to the road and I hoped the rain would stop soon. Holy shit! This wasn't a normal rainfall. This was a fucking hard storm. At the evening, I had to find someone to help me to rescue my tent, my suitcases and myself from the storm. I found a nice family near my tent. They helped me save my stuff and I could stay there for the night. The friendly woman made a damn good lunch and breakfast for me. I was so glad to stay there for the night.
On the next day, I reached the bottom of Mt. Fuji after a quit hard journey. There was some incredible slopes on the way, but finally I made it. I try to climb as high as possible up to the surface of the mountain. My way was blocked by an avalanche on the road and finally by snow. First I thought it is no problem for me to reach the top, but as I saw the snowstorm on the top through my camera, I was so angry. I had to reach the crappie top but for me it was impossible at that moment. Now I wanted to leave Japan as soon as possible, because I could reach my goal. It was my plan to take photos from the top of this fucking snowy mountain. But NO WAY! At this evening, I had no plan, as to what I should do next. From far, far away it looks so easy to climb the mountain. But if you come closer and closer it seems more and more impossible. Grrrrrrr….
In front of a Lawson Station I meet a guy from the Japanese Army. He was so kind to bring me and my bike to “Numazu” in the next Capsule Hotel, so that I can sleep this night in a warm bed. He wished me a good journey and I have to thank this young man for his incredible kind help. I wish I could meet him once more again to thank him.
The next morning, I decided to continue to Nagoya. Thanks to meeting this solder I had new hope to reach my final destination. I rode my bike on the route one over 30km until a stupid police officer stopped me with his motorbike and tried to explain me that I can´t ride my bike on this motorway. So I had to leave the route one. I find a small place for my tent somewhere in “Shimizu”. Until this place, I rode my bike over 200km with this fucking awesome, heavy suitcases, and I want to travel by train to Nagoya. But this is so expensive and I had to disassemble my bike. No! That is too much work for me. I pitched the tent by the riverside.
The next morning, as I was about to start, an old women began to talk to me. She invited me in for a cup of coffee at her house. This old woman gave me new hope and power to continue my fucking hard journey. I rode down the street until I crossed the route one once again. I followed the Route a few kilometers. I had to climb a lot of slopes. There were also a lot of fucking tunnels. I love tunnels, because it is easier as to ride over the mountains, but the stupid trucks behind me didn’t love me on the road. That was just a little bit too dangerous sometimes. </span>
For the next night, I pitched the tent a hundred meters beside the route one near a small river. Two old women recognized me as I start to assemble my tent. One of them gave me some heating pads for the night, because it could be cold. The other woman brought me a rice ball and a bottle of hot green tee. That was so kind of these old women. It was unbelievable.
The next day (the sixth week in Japan began now, left Tokyo two weeks ago), I traveled trough some more tunnels and really beautiful landscape. I reached a point where Tokyo is now over 200km far away and Nagoya 163km far away. I rushed through a small town and stopped for the night near a bridge beside a river.
After more than one week of traveling by bike, over the fucking mountains and through the dark tunnels and such a beautiful landscape I finally reached Nagoya. What an incredible story, isn’t it? Sometimes it was so hard that I want to give up. I tried to hitchhike, but nobody stopped. I tried to use the train, but only if I throw my bike away. Now, I´m in Nagoya! What happen next? What will I do in this city? Or better, what can I do in this city?
My Route in names:
Asakusa - Shinagawa - Saiwai - Kawasaki - Tsurumi - Kanagawa - Nishi - Minami - Yokohama - Totsuka - Izumi - Ebina - Isehara - Matsuda - Oyama - Mt. Fuji - Gotenba - Susono - Nagaizumi - Numazu - Fuji - Shizuoka - Shimizu - Suruga - Shimada - Kikugawa - Hamamatsu - Toyohashi - Maibara - Nagoya - ?
Name = stop for sleeping
Week six to eight - Story’s from Nagoya City
The first night in Nagoya was not the best and not the worst. But I had to find a place for my tent for a long time and a job for a short time. I asked at the local Hello work. No chance, without Japanese skill. I can´t believe it. Is this the end? No, not until I have some money. I try to find a place for the tent. North o Nagoya Castel is a big park. I will try my luck at this place. There are so many people, sitting on a blue tarpaulin. This looks interesting and I try to make some photos. One man recognized me and invited me to join him and his colleagues at the hanami-party. This was such a kind guy. So many people from these company where interested in me and my story. I could stay one night at the flat from the man how has invited me to the hanami party. So many people are very helpful in this country. This is unbelievable. This is so awesome, amazing and fucking wonderful.
At the next Morning! (10.04.2012 - sixth week in Japan) I had a lot of time and travel without a destination across the city. I meet one old man on the street. He asked me if I'm from Germany and if this is my bike. He invited me to a cup of coffee. Then he joined me for lunch in a curry restaurant. He was so kind to pay the bill at a curry restaurant for him and me. He says he had more money than I. Maybe he is right. Next, he showed me the Atsuta Shrine. He lives next to the Shrine.
After this, I travel back to Mejio park, north of Nagoya castle to set up my tent for the next few weeks. The next morning I thought I should detach the suitcases from the bike, so that I can ride faster across the city. But I started at this day with the suitcase to explore the city. That was a fucking luck, because only with these suitcases I was able to meet an American guy called Victor on the street. He was so impressed by my suitcases that he stopped me to take a photo from my bike. I asked him for an internet café. But he says, I can use his internet access at his school. That was great.
At this Point, the longest journey began…
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