Coronelli - How to Have an Adventure in Northern Japan

By Raffael Coronelli

Nonfiction

HOW TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE IN NORTHERN JAPAN

N ovels

DAIKAIJU YUKI

Y2K: YUKI CONQUERS THE WORLD

MOKWA: LIFESBLOOD OF THE EARTH

YUKI VS. FLESHWORLD

MOKWA: URSA MAJOR

BIG EGG

Novellas

SCYTHIAN FROST AND OTHER STORIES

PHARAOH OF EELS

How to Have an Adventure in Northern Japan

Copyright 2020 Raffael Coronelli.

Photography by Raffael Coronelli.

Edited by Dillon K. Maguire.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical or analytical articles, reviews, or discussions.

This book is based on true events. For the sake of privacy, the names of some of the persons portrayed in the situations herein are either pseudonyms or omitted.

ISBN: 9798671016772

First Edition: October 2020

Dedicated to everyone Ive met in Japan.

Naritayamamakotokyu Temple

Asahikawa, Hokkaido

Journey to Asahikawa

Land of Ramen and Darkness

Domestiku taminaru wa doko desu ka? I blurted in terrible half-Japanese to the information desk lady at Tokyos Haneda Airport.

The woman standing at attention behind the desk appeared exceedingly patient, polite, and eager to help me with my query. This type of customer service makes the experience at Japanese airports run a lot more smoothly than at American ones or in any other country Ive visited, for that matter.

Unfortunately, in this particular instance, it just wasnt to be.

There are two domestic terminals, she replied in flawless, barely accented English something shed no doubt worked hard to achieve in order to perform her job in situations like this exact one Id placed her in. Which one is your flight leaving from?

Ichi? I stumbled. Ehhh ANA flight... desu.

Through the charming, polite smile, I could see her true reaction to what was happening irritation. This obnoxious 28-year-old foreign guy was going to try to speak abysmal Japanese to her, despite her hard-earned English fluency. I could see my mistake, but Id just arrived in Japan and wanted to try out my infant-level language skills. I shouldve just given in and saved my attempt at the language for some convenience store clerk whod be otherwise flustered at how to interact. Instead, for whatever reason, my brain kept telling me that it was time to try to speak Japanese to this poor woman.

ANA flights leave from terminal two, she said, trying not to break composure while the expression behind her eyes intensified. Terminal one is for JAL.

Sou desu ka! I said excitedly at the information.

Nihongo wa [something I didnt catch]? she said quickly, patience finally giving way.

English... I replied, realizing what had happened, is fine.

She proceeded to tell me more useful information, her smile tightening to hide the fact that Id accidentally disrespected her entire ability to perform her job.

If you arrive at Terminal 1, as I had, and your flight is for a non-JAL or affiliated airline, you have to take a short, free bus ride to Terminal 2 that leaves from just outside. Its not hard to figure out once you know what to look for signs that clearly mark where to catch the bus. If you have any more issues finding it, then by all means talk to the completely English-fluent information desk attendants. Theyre happy to help you, and theyve worked very hard at being able to communicate with English-speaking travelers. Please, and I cant overstate this, dont passively insult their abilities, even by accident.

A major element of Japanese culture thats lost on many foreigners is being hyper-aware of how your actions and words are affecting other people, mainly because they wont outwardly tell you if theyre upset. Thats one of the reasons Japan has such clean streets, low petty crime rates, and a generally high-functioning society. Its the reason everyone wears a mask when theyre sick, or when a global pandemic is in full swing (something that this trip fortunately missed by a couple months). Its expected that people are genuinely careful not to inconvenience or mistreat those with whom they interact. It still happens every once in a while, of course, but its frowned upon in a way that everyone for themselves cultures dont bother to acknowledge.

With that, I thanked the information desk lady and took the bus to Terminal 2 haunted by the tightened smile hiding utter devastation at her perceived failure to do what she was hired to do. How many people had she had that exact interaction with that day? Who knows, but I made a note to figure out whether people wanted to speak Japanese or English before accidentally doing that to anyone else.

Soon enough, that incident was in the past. I was embarking on a real adventure.

Part of the impetus behind my trip at the close of 2019 was that a friend, Dillon, was living in a city further north than most tourists ever venture to go. The standard trip to Japan is to visit Tokyo, and then maybe Osaka and/or Kyoto. Those are must-sees, and if youve never been to Japan before then by all means go that route. Northern Japan is a different, and maybe more involved endeavor. When going north, most foreign tourists start out from Tokyo and head up into Tochigi. Since I wanted to hang out with my friend first, I chose a different route from north to south that would launch me into one of most exciting undertakings Ive ever attempted.

My initial journey would take me into the far reaches of Hokkaido, the northernmost Japanese island. That would mean flying to Sapporo, and then taking a train a further few hours out to my destination the industrial city Asahikawa, home of the legendarily delicious Hokkaido-style shoyu ramen.

Airport security in Japan is a breeze. Its partially because you dont have to take off your shoes, but its also just because the way the airports function is so quick and efficient that youre through the line before you know it and free to wander the shops and kiosks of Haneda.

Theres a variety of food options to choose from in Haneda airports domestic terminal, but Id eaten a konbini feast that morning of Lawson egg salad and a spicy tuna onigiri. Incidentally, Id sat to eat it beside the south Tokyo canal from which Godzillas Kamata-kun form emerges in Shin Godzilla .

With breakfast out of the way, I got myself a Calpis (one of my favorite soft drinks anywhere, a sugary, lactose-based beverage) from one of the many magical vending machines. Vending machines are actually a convenient way to cut down on all the loose change youll end up carrying in Japan. Its a cash-based society, so get ready to pay for almost everything in cash unless its a big department store purchase or a ticket for something. Ive heard thats changing as of 2020 as contactless payment emerges as a more sanitary option, but my experience in Japan has always been very cash-oriented up to now.

I should preface this next statement by saying that no company has endorsed me or sponsored me to say it. ANA is the best airline Ive ever taken. I travel a lot, mostly within the United States, and the experience is often akin to taking a long bus ride. International flights are a little better in terms of how youre treated, but its still a flight. ANA is so dedicated and attentive in making sure youre having a good flight that it puts all other airlines Ive traveled to shame. Bowing to the passengers upon swiping our boarding passes, the airline workers made sure the back-to-front boarding process was as convenient and easy as the rest of the Haneda airport experience.