Japan

It is now few days that i arrived in japan. I took the ferry from vladivostok to fushiki in the Toyama prefecture.

Getting down from the ferry was a shock for me, after some crazy month in siberia and far eastern russia in winter, where i passed most of my time in small village.The two japanese which where with me in the ferry asked the first truck from the japan post they saw in the middle of the street and send their bags to their house. They said that it will arrived the day after.

I start cycling in very quiet street with trees in the street and no snow on the road. It was so hot, +5 degrees. i could revive. I went to the first supermarket to buy some food, and after checking everything, i came outside with just… instant noodle!! I think it will be my food for the next months in japan… Me, who lost 10 kilos in the last 3 months, i am not very happy with that.

Japan is so different from what i know and from where i was before. People are very quiet here but relly helpful when you need their help. Japan has been for me, one of the most biggest cultural shock of my journey. It is a modern country where the people still keep old traditional tradition and culture. Quiet and shy with people they don\’t know, expressiv, smiling and very funky between friends. Their dress is a big way of expression. Young people are smiling everywhere and joking between them, but keep respect to the other. young and old inclin themselves to say hello or goodbye to show their respect. Even the police told me \ »sorry\ », it was the first time a policeman were sorry !!! good moment !

In all those big cities, you can really feel the silence walking on the street. The good and new japanese car making no noise, no works on the street, no police shouting at everybody, no klaxon, but laugh of people, noise of the machine for pedestrian crossing \ »bip, bip\ ».

So far, japan is a incredibly easy country to travel. I buy my noodle in supermarket and take my hot water in the various convenience store on the road. People are very friendly everywhere trying to help you if you ask for it.

I arrived the first day to kanezawa, my first big city in japan. It was so amazing to be there at least. I saw a lot of Mac donalds and startbucks. Welcome to the civilized world !!!

I learn that i can drink water everywhere, and also sleep everywhere and people won\’t disturb. I spend my first night in a closed parking protected from the heavy rain falling. I will spend the other night in te floor, in garage, parking or on the floor of shops under roof to protect me from the rain.

The third day i cross entirely the biggest chain of mountain in japan. Easy… almost! My new japan friends have constructed tunnel everywhere so it is not even difficult to pass the mountain.

At the top of one hill, i even get internet for free but the keyboard ws in japanese. At the beggning of the last difficulties without any bridge, one japanese who whated to much K1 or other pride (fighting event) told me to \ »fight\ » to encourage me.

I spend most of my evening wandering the computer shop, the manga/comics shop and other supermarket and shopping center. I am so amazed by the japanese culture. and sleep after. In a country, where they let outside with no security the most read book in japan during the night, i know i will be safe.

The dialogue with japanese is diffucult. It is a very quiet people and i don\’t speak a word and understand nothing to japanese letter.

I arrived in kyoto, from where i m writing now. I passed the biwako lake, which whom i enjoy to cycle , much more than the lake baikal, where i almost broke my knee. Kyoto is a very quiet and incredibly beautifoul city with hundreds of temple, gardens, shrines. You can see them for many days, but it is a pity that everything is so expensive. so i just enter one, the golden temple.

I wondered also in the gion area, the very traditionel area for Geisha. Geisha and maiko (aprentice geisha) are very respected here. It\’s very traditional. In europe we have the feeling that geisha means prostitute but it is REALLY different. They are here to entertin male but they belong to the high society and meat important and rich people who can afford their services.

The gion area is full of very traditionnal house in wood and tatami. I saw two maiko, 1 during the day who did\’nt know how to walk with the traditional wooden shoes, and another one during the evening who was very gracious and elegant and who was almost running

The food market is full of incredible thing, and when i look at it, i have no idea of what is it there is everything and nothing. In russia, i recognized very easily patatoes and pasta, but here, i spend minutes wondering what it could be… Sometimes, it looked good, and sometimes…

Today i was interviewed by Saki, the presentator of a very famous television show in Kansai area (kobe, osaka, kyoto). I am wondering the effect of this interview on my journey. I hope it will help me to discover more japanese people. I am am heading now to south japan an plan to arrive in tokyo in one month. I can’t wait to be in this incredible city.