My Life in Tokyo

I started this post over a week ago, then got overwhelmed with preparations for Thanksgiving. Here, belatedly, are some of my recent adventures getting around this unusual city.

A couple of weeks ago, I went in search of an electronics store to buy a webcam and headset for my computer. I decided to go to one called Bic Camera, because I’d been to the store before and I have a “pointo cardo” (they’re really into point cards here). I set out for Shibuya, thinking that was the location of the store I’d been to before. It turned out this was a different store, and I wasn’t sure where to find it. I wandered around for awhile and tried to just enjoy exploring without worrying too much about finding anything. This worked for some time, but then I began to get annoyed because I really wanted the webcam and headset. I found a map near the subway station and located the store on the map. I set off in what I thought was the right direction, but couldn’t find the store. So I checked the map again, and found another location for the store in another direction. I walked up that street and looked, still to no avail. I walked many blocks, knowing it was too far. This is when I stumbled upon Colonel Sanders as Santa Claus. Finally, I found a policeman and asked him. He pointed me back in the direction I had come and added helpfully “right-hand side”. By this time I was determined to find it, so after walking back several blocks, I began walking slowly and looking for electronics. I listened closely. At last, I heard it: “bic-a bic-a bic-a bic camera!”, that inane little jingle that they always play outside the store. I looked up, and sure enough, there it was: The sign. Plain as day. Written in katakana.

It had never occurred to me that the sign would not be in English.

(Okay, in my defense, most big stores have signs in English–even those wtih Japanese names like Takashimaya.)

Another day, I decided to walk to the American Club. I had been told by a couple of different people in my building that it takes about 25 minutes to walk. I had never tried before, and thought it was time. Why had I never walked this relatively short distance in the 2 months I’ve been here? Well, because it’s nearly impossible to find things in this city. Why?

There are not street names in Tokyo.

Okay, to be fair, there are some major avenues that have names. Think University Avenue, Franklin Avenue, the West Side Highway, Broadway. But most streets are tiny little windy roads that are barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass and usually have no sidewalks. And they have no names. So you can look at a map, but you can’t actually find any of the streets unless you have really good spacial reasoning, which I apparently don’t. I took my map with me on this walk and I still got lost several times. But I persevered. I even asked directions from a Japanese person, a friendly-looking woman with young children. Later, lost again, I asked a policeman who spoke very good English. He directed me in a very roundabout way that didn’t seem to make sense according to my map. I asked if I couldn’t go a more direct way, and he said no, that wasn’t the way people go. So of course, being the stubborn, independent American I am, I had to try it my way anyway. And he was right: the “direct” way got me to the service entrance of the club with no way around to the front door. I had to walk around several blocks and up a hill with the stroller to finally get to the front entrance.

After an hour and 5 minutes, I finally made it to the entrance to the club. At this point, I hardly needed the workout–but would you have skipped it after all that effort? I went to the gym anyway.

I think I finally have to accept the fact that in order to learn my way around here, I have to be willing to get lost. Many times. This will be a challenge for me because I am very uncomfortable when I’m lost. And can’t read a map. And can’t ask for directions. It will be a good exercise in letting go, I think. It’s time to branch out a little more.

I’ve met some new people in our building during the past few weeks. Two women who live on the floor below decided to host a coffee for all the stay-at-home moms in the building and I got to meet and talk to several of the women I have seen in the elevator and the halls. It was a great relief to talk to new people and make new connections. And of course, several of them have children close in age to Isabella and Juliet. I was especially glad to meet our new neighbor down the hall, who had just moved from New Jersey with two girls, ages 4 and 6, who are also going to the New International School. To top it off, the older girl is named Isabella! The girls met soon after, and have been running down the hall to visit each other almost every day. Even better for my Isabella was getting to meet Rachel, 10, and Hana, 8, who live just downstairs. They grew up in Tokyo with a Japanese mother and an English father and go to an international school nearby. Isabella likes to hang out with the older girls and get help with her Japanese homework. It makes a big difference for us both to add more people to our social circles. And I think it’s great for Isabella to have friends she can visit completely independently. Finally, she can say “Bye, Mom, I’m going to Rachel and Hana’s. See you later!”

Now, if I can just figure out how to get her to come home on time . . . .