Japan
Towards the end of the afternoon we arrived
arrived in Yokohama.
Entry was straightforward - passports were stamped and that was it. After disembarking, we noticed that there were a lot of people around the port. There were food stalls everywhere and it looked very festive. We thought: "Let's just stay here and see what happens." It was a pleasant summer's day. Suddenly a magnificent firework display went off and lasted for over an hour. I said to Rolf: "That must be in our honor!" He just grinned.
First impressions in the port of Yokohama
Our first impressions of Japan were above all the friendliness of the people and this incredible calm that was palpable even in the busy port. The air felt clearer, the sounds more subdued than in Russia, and everything seemed to move in an almost meditative order. We left the harbor area and walked along the water without a destination. The smells of exotic food from small cookshops and market stalls kept enticing us. Many locals wore traditional clothing, which gave the whole day a very special atmosphere.
Youth hostel in Japan
Late in the evening, we finally found the youth hostel that we had already chosen in Switzerland. There were only Japanese people there - almost all young people, I guess under 20. They were really staring at us.
The person in charge showed us the rooms very nicely, including the toilet (which was a bit special for us Europeans), shower and bedrooms. Everything was tidy, looked fairly new and was super clean.
The dormitories each had six normal beds. The Japanese youngsters followed us everywhere and listened intently to our explanations. Then we went into the common room - and everyone followed. It took quite a while before one of them dared to ask us in shaky English where we were from. He then translated everything for the others. It was question after question.
The lights went out at 10 p.m. sharp - accompanied by music and the Japanese national anthem. Then we also went to bed.
At 6:00 a.m. the same music sounded again - that meant: day and get up! The young Japanese were practically standing in front of their beds like in the military. We showered first (the showers worked perfectly), then we went into the common room and got crispbread and coffee from the vending machine. I had already bought a few yen in Switzerland as a precaution.
We asked the young people how best to get to Tokyo. They told us exactly which train we should take and where we could find a relatively cheap hotel. (What was considered "cheap" in Tokyo, however, was something else than we had imagined).
Trip to Tokyo
After arriving in Tokyo, we first looked for our hotel and checked in. We then sat on a bench for an hour and just marveled at the crowds of people, the traffic and the incredible cleanliness of the streets - no cigarette butts, no chewing gum on the ground. The only negative thing we noticed was the bad air.
At the station, we found a tourist office where we could communicate really well. The people there were very helpful and explained to us that the best way to explore Tokyo was by subway. We had no idea - in Switzerland, where we grew up, there were only three bus lines, let alone a subway.
The employee took her time, showed us the most important sights on a map and explained exactly which subway line we should take. I have to say: we found our way around surprisingly quickly and started taking the subway to everything that interested us. We also bought a small season ticket for several days from the friendly lady.
When I got on the subway, I immediately noticed a few things: No crowds. Those waiting line up to the right of the doors, leaving an aisle in the middle for those getting off. Everything is quiet, almost nobody speaks, the train is super clean. There is a huge amount of mutual respect - even between the generations. Many people doze off. And to my astonishment, it smells good, no unpleasant odors.
Impressed by these experiences, we were already looking forward to the next stops on our long journey.
Visit from Nikko
Outside Tokyo, we visited Nikko National Park. We first took the subway, then a normal train. We spent the whole day there and ate our very first real Japanese meal. In the evening we went back to the big city of Tokyo.
We took the train from Tokyo to Kamakura in about an hour and visited the famous Great Buddha and the small alleyways there.
Unfortunately, our wish to attend a judo school in Tokyo turned out to be impossible. It would have worked in principle, but our budget didn't allow for it. So we buried this dream with a heavy heart.
We visited the following places in Tokyo:
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
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More InformationImperial Palace
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More InformationTsukiji Fish Market (Old Fish Market)
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More InformationSaitama Chichibu tour with many temples
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More InformationAn unexpected reunion in Tokyo
On my trip around the world, I met people who have influenced me to this day. One of them was Nobudada - a young Japanese man we had met years earlier in Biel. When we finally arrived in Tokyo, a simple address led to a warm invitation, a traditional Japanese bath, an unforgettable dinner and a night on tatamis.
A fleeting encounter turned into a truly wonderful moment of genuine hospitality - in the middle of the largest city in the world.
A Japanese in Biel
Some time before we left, we met a Japanese man in Biel. He was doing a practical apprenticeship in a mechanical company there. His name was Nobudada. He kept telling us: "If you're ever in Tokyo, make sure you come and visit me!"
We had an address, found it reasonably well and when we got to the accommodation, countless people helped us to find him. He wasn't there himself - the address belonged to his older brother. He had a small carpentry business. It was easy to communicate with him. He told us that his brother lived and worked on the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo is
the largest city in the world in terms of area - you can imagine what that means: "on the other side of the city"!
The older brother called him. Nobudada came all the way over from the other side of Tokyo and we met him at his brother's house.
Typical Japanese bath
The older brother invited us to a Japanese bath in his house. Until then, I had only heard about it from hearsay. This is how it went: first all the men (there were five of us) went into a room and washed ourselves thoroughly from top to bottom. Then we went into another room where there was a large wooden tub. The water was bloody hot! We got in and patted each other's backs with a tuft. Then we got dressed again.
Typical Japanese food at home
Afterwards, we were invited to dinner by the brother's wife. There were lots of little bowls with countless things that I had never seen before. Everything tasted delicious - even the raw fish. After the meal, the older brother invited us to go bowling.
Bowling in Tokyo - 150 lanes!
At the entrance you had to put on special bowling shoes. An employee measured my feet and apparently made a funny comment about my shoe size to the others. He disappeared and came back with a pair of rather dusty shoes. They fitted anyway and we got started.
The evening was cheerful and relaxed. I counted the lanes - there were 150 bowling lanes in total. I'd never seen anything like it before.
We then drove back to the brother's house. His wife had prepared berths on tatamis for us. Good night, Japanese breakfast in the morning and a warm farewell from everyone. At the end, they explained to us what we should definitely see and the best way to get there.
Sleeping on tatami
Later, we returned to the brother's house. His wife had prepared sleeping places for us on tatamis.
In the morning, we had a traditional Japanese breakfast before saying goodbye. We were given lots of good tips on what we should definitely see in Tokyo and the best way to get there.
After we realized in Tokyo that our money wouldn't stretch far, we decided to travel on. By ship. At a passenger office, they found us a "remaining space" on a cruise ship - the Princess Oriental. The ship came from San Francisco and was cruising through the Pacific.
We were given a cabin at the very bottom, but with all the comforts. The other guests were almost exclusively senior citizens from the USA. They invited us for a drink every now and then - which was noticeably easy on our wallets.
There was also a captain's dinner party. As the oldest Swiss person on board (there were only two of us), I was allowed to sit at the captain's table. Incidentally, it was a Chinese ship. The captain's dinner was super exclusive Chinese, the other meals were Western. Everything was very good and the entire crew was Hong Kong Chinese.
The crossing from Yokohama to Hong Kong took 4 days and 3 nights.