Yokohama Street Sign

When Japan ended its self-isolation from the outside world, one of the first ports opened to the world was Yokohama. Now remains as one of the biggest ports (and the busiest cities) of Japan, Yokohama resembled a mixture of East meets West cultures.

The meeting in Fujisawa dragged until late in the afternoon. I wouldn’t bore you out with meeting details, to cut the story short, we dropped our bags (and laptops) to the hotel before heading to Yokohama’s tourist destination, Minato Mirai.

Minato Mirai 21 (みなとみらい21, Minato Mirai 21^?), often shortened to Minato Mirai, is a large urban development in Yokohama, Japan.

The name, which means “Harbor Future 21,” was selected in a public competition. Construction of the area started in 1983. Built largely on reclaimed land, the area now features the Landmark Tower, Japan’s tallest skyscraper, the Queen’s Square shopping mall, the Pacifico convention center, Intercontinental Hotel, and moreThe area is a popular tourist spot together with nearby Yokohama Chinatown. Minato Mirai is one of the few places in the Tokyo-Yokohama area where the seashore is accessible, and not blocked by industry and harbour areas.

From Wikipedia Minato Mirai

Meeting must be tiring...

The other side...

Our hope to catch the sunset at the port was for sure wouldn’t be fullfilled. We caught the train to Yokohama as yesterday, a group of a few Indonesians, a FIlipino and a Malaysian. After Bani splitted in the station, we walked from Minato Mirai station to the port. Woah… I love the view of thousands of lights on the tall bulidings by the water. It’s so different from what I’ve seen so far. The weather was a bit cold of the bay’s strong wind, better pack up a sweater. Though it was summer, still I felt a bit chilly whenever there was no sun.

the lights reflection

There were pathways and docks of wood and bridges that we walk on the side of water, from across the building of five starts hotel and meeting hall stood tall in glimmering lights from top to bottom. One of the atraction was also an amusement park, with its giant ferris wheel also decorated with lights and a roller coaster with screaming spectators.

The place itself was also a common dating place, given the view and the ocassional meeting spots. Suddenly the participants of the “tour” was busy with their own cellphones – calling home. Aaww

Laper banget

We had dinner in the mall, where I tasted one of the best meal in Japan so far, strangely it was Korean food. I never thought that our choice of having dinner first have a consequence of not being able to ride the ferris wheel. The wheel closed at 9 pm and we arrived there minutes too late. So we just went to the park down there and spent some time with the view there. I found Doraemon there! (a ride where kids can get inside Doraemon and have some screen in there). Hehe

Ferris wheel or dinner?

Giant Doraemon!!

just sit and enjoy the view

We spent sometime there before one of our friends joined us and we went back to Fujisawa using the same train.

Seemed that I managed to get some sleep. Feeling slightly refreshed eventhough the face I saw in lavatory’s miniscule mirror was not too convincing : red puffy eyes with the blood lines exposed.

The time is 7:00 am Japanese time (according to the Japanese girl sitting next to me, wearing a flu mask). Thirty minutes to go. Several things bothered me. Thanks to the very unorganized packing moments (Zidane was having his end-year school events, therefore my concentration was divided), I forgot so many things. Chiku’s name card, to name one. The namecards I brought were only the ones of business partners (I’m so ready for the business meeting –pfft!)

Your own entertainment

Btw, the red-neck inside of me amazed when seeing the tiny LCD screen on the back of the seat in front of me. There are wired remote equipped with tiny fingertip keyboards. The girl next to me already watched some dancing movie, but my head was heavy and my eyes hurting. So I spent most of my precious time not enjoying the new Boeing A380 facilities, but sleep.

Now waken up, I tried to play with the thing (like first timer I’m so goofy), and I found there are facilities for language training. Haha… funny huh?The girl next to me must think that I’m pretty ridiculous, but who cares.. Semakin kampungan, semakin PD!

Another thing that I forgot to buy is the electric converter, though my friends had reminded me since I’m still in the country. Yes, yes, my mind is failing me.

And I’m sort of upset for not exchanging my USD with JPY at CGK, because when I tried to exchange in Changi, the rate is bad. So my last chance is Narita. After another meal on the air, we finally arrived. Felt kind of drowsy, I didn’t quickly realized I’m already in Japan. 

On the immigration line (where they segregate Japanese passport holders with the rest), I met one participants for the meeting. Wow, a fellow countryman! Quite grateful, having the cramped mouth for one day without nobody to talk to except for the stewardess. Turned out that we are picked up by the organizer with the same car. 

After claiming the baggage, my friend spotted the pick-up (spoke a little English). I even got a chance to exchange my money to yen. Yay! I can shop again

After that, we met up with another participant from Thailand. All names will be kept anonymous for the privacy of the actors in this blog  Then all three of us were driven in a van from Narita to Shonan, Fujisawa, where we would join the meeting tomorrow.  Tomorrow? Hell no!!

Apparently the driver had his own ideas to realize. After three hours or so driving, with the thought of having a shower, a clean clothes and wishfully a nap, we were dropped (by force, I should say!) to the university, not to the hotel. I had no idea, who told this guy to have us deserted to the meeting place (with our luggage), and then drove away like a mad man, after I confronted him to take us to the hotel instead. He blurted out some Japanese while unloading our luggage to the yard of unknown site in the university. He had issues, I had to say.

So there we were, me and my two new friends. Had to do something, I opened my suitcase, took out the hand-out the organizer sent us before our departure to Japan, which contained the phone number we should contact for emergency. Now is emergency, I thought as grumpily dialed my friend’s mobile phone on the public phone found in nearest spot. No answer. Tried another one, worked out. I couldn’t hold myself, I told  him about the crazy pick-up from EO. He just laughed, and not long he picked us up from the front of the public phone.

Meeting Day #1

Shortly say, Goodbye hot shower, goodbye clean clothes ( I must stink like hell), goodbye nap time, and Hello… meeting!  

Supposedly make us feel better, there were three other people who had their luggage and joining the meeting right after arrival in Narita. I seriously needed a bath, and I felt very hot. It’s in the beginning of summer, and the room didn’t have A/C (don’t you get cranky when it’s hot?)

I had more or less no idea of the technical meeting (I was first registered to this meeting, but then advised not to join), but then joining. Konyol banget. Anyhow it’s nice to see some familiar faces. The group was small, but has similarities and bonding, which somehow amazed me, an outsider.

It rained that day. The campus was on a hilly ground, covered with green grass with many trees. The air felt fresh on that ground. The classes were on modern building, simple and clean. The meeting was held in auditorium on the basement – explained why cellphones weren’t receiving any signal down there. 

When we had our lunch break, my friend took me to the senkyo (student co-op) to buy things needed. Introductions included the brand of the ‘official tea’ of Japan (he he). I bought a new umbrella – didn’t bring one from home, and some deodorant (oh I still craved the bath).

There were plans to escape the campus and find our way to the hotel, but since the check-in time itself is 15:00, we would be stranded there, so why not stranded here :p Ate our bento and met more people who normally I just talked to on messenger. I should say the hosts were all very welcome.

We had a tour of the server room (typical geeky tour), the messy laboratory (totally understandable), and head back to meeting. After the meeting finished, we were lucky enough to have a bus to drive us, so we and our luggage can FINALLY go to the hotel.

For some of the participants, it’s their second or third or more time in the university. And for some people, they had arrived since a couple days ago. So tonight there were plans to go out. I would be the first one to sign up! 

My friend also offered for a walk after his other meeting. Well, can’t complaint, at least that would give me time to take a shower and rest.

The hotel was located in an awkward alley near Shonandai Station. The bus couldn’t reach this narrow street, so we had to bring our luggage by foot. I got the room on 14th floor. And we said we will contact each other for dinner. 

We had dinner in the Italian restaurant, quite popular among students, named Caesarian. The food was okay, though I couldn’t finish the huge portion of spaghetti I ordered. The price was not bad, around 600 yen per meal.

Walking in Rainy Yokohama 

 

Yokohama (横浜市 Yokohama-shi) is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, located in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshū and is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area.

Yokohama’s population of 3.6 million makes it Japan’s largest incorporated city and second most populous urban area after Tokyo (during nighttime – Yokohama ranks 3rd in daytime population, after Osaka). 

From Wikipedia Yokohama

 

To go to Yokohama from Shonan, we need to go to Shonandai station, take the Sotetsu Line to Yokohama. And there were shops along the streets of entertainment area of Yokohama. One of the shop that I visited twice was the Don Quixote ( I wonder if the store has Spanish origin or something). It’s such a bargain shop, not as cheap as the 100 yen shop but carried a variety of goods (my friend said original). I bought an electric tooth brush with refills for my son and a pink earphone for me.

The Takoyaki franchise

Yummy takoyaki

I don’t fancy the thought of eating an octopus with its purplish tentacles popping out, but given a hot takoyaki (with the octopus well hidden inside the ball of fried flour) was quite tempting, especially because I wanted to experience everything Japanese in its own place. The tips of eating takoyaki : be careful because they are really hot, so better chopped them into two or three pieces and let it cool down a bit.

Rain fell on our way back to Shonan. Too bad I didn’t get to see the whole Yokohama, which I read contains quite a bit of mixture of western and Japanese culture. Probably that just meant that I have to come back.