I Have A Life.

A City Easy-to-AdaptI am glad that I have chosen Tokyo as the first destination in my journey. It is a modernized metropolis. I found that it is quite easy for me to adjust myself to adapt the life in Tokyo. In only a few hour after my arrival, I felt comfortable to arrange my life and to handle problems in this city.Clothes I brought to Japan were thick. They kept me warm enough in Hokkaido and Nikko, but they are not suitable to travel in Tokyo. I have planned to buy some clothes in Tokyo, but I didn't plan to go shopping at the first night of journey. However, my jean was wet by orange juice on plane, so I wanted another pants to wear on the next day. Shops in Tokyo are closed early. It was 6 o'clock. I decided to go to Shinjuku. I never planned to visit Shinjuku, but I thought that if there were several shops open until eight to give me chance to compare the price and choice, the only answer which a newcomer could have was Shinjuku or Ginza.



On the way to Shinjuku, I have already learned how to take JR Line to go Yokohama by reading the signs in Ueno Station and have got used to travel the surrounding areas of Yamate and Central JR Line. I tried metro systems in the following day. Since I think railway is a very important part in Japan society and my trip, I will leave detail for the discussion on railway in the future.

I found access to internet easily. I could check timetables of railway lines and other travelling information on internet. After the departure from Tokyo, I could not depend on internet anymore. However I have developed strategies to solve basic problems in Tokyo and was ready to face other challenges when I moved on to a new phase of my journey.JR Tokaido LineThere were JR railway lines I could choose to go to Yokohama. I eventually toke Tokaido Line on the next day. I like the coloring of paint on train of Tokaido Line. It is bright orange with a narrow pale green strip. The bright orange gives the sense of the old yesterday in history, and the pale green represents the feeling of vivid modern day.



Homeless Camp



As a tourist, I mainly went to tourists' spots. I did not expect to see to homeless in Tokyo until I passed the fountain in Ueno Garden to go to Sinobasu Pond. At first, I found a smell of downtown Los Angeles. I am very familiar to that smell because I was used to go to the LA downtown every weekday. I started seaching, and found a lot of camps near Toshogu. Later of the day I saw more camps spreading in Ueno Garden and Sumidagawa. I have watched a documentary film about the homeless in Hong Kong and Japan. Other than that film, I don't know much about those I saw in Tokyo.



Someone has suggested me to go to Inotama Garden instead of Hamarikyu. After seeing all those camps, I arrived Hamarikyu by cuisine. There was entirely different part of world. There is an entry fee for Hamarikyu. The place is quite and elegant. I enjoy walking in the garden. I also felt an impact contrasting the world outside Hamarikyu I saw on the same day.



I shopped in the market near train station, then found the homeless camps in Ueno and Sumitagawa, finally visited a garden built for nobles in the past. Within one day, I encountered different classes of life in Tokyo.