An Awakening in Japan

Written By Lucy Kent

There is a beauty in making plans. There is also a beauty in losing those plans. For my summer vacation I planned an eight day, seven night trip to Japan. I had four pieces of paper covered with places to go. On the day of my departure, I woke up, I picked up my single backpack, kissed my cat, and set off. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a tendency to get a bit lost, so it is no surprise that I started off this trip a bit turned around. Luckily, I made it to my boarding gate about three minutes before they began to board.

I got lost two more times before I finally made it to my hostel in Tokyo. I said a quick hello before I was back out the door. One more incident of going the wrong direction finally led me to my friend. We happily explored the Shinjuku area and went into a few themed minibars. Time flew as we tried new drinks and made new acquaintances. Time ran out before we knew it and we headed out on our separate vacations. And I got lost one more time going back to the hostel.

My plans had to go through an overhaul the next morning. I had no money for a side trip to Kyoto and so I was set to remain in Tokyo. I decided it was a window shopping day. I explored Shibuya, Omotesando, and Harajuku. With no plan but to look, I never got lost. That is, until I tried to find a particular shop. Since I can only say about four words in Japanese, it was necessary to look for an English-speaking person. Luckily, I quickly located my new friend and we spent the rest of the afternoon window shopping.

I once again had to rearrange my plans in the morning, and made another friend at the hostel. We decided to tackle Akihabara together. We arrived with no problem, then got a bit lost for about 25 minutes. In our aimless wandering we found an Owl Cafe, a Ninja Maid Cafe, and figurines galore. My friend had another commitment, so we eventually parted ways. I started to explore on my own, and got lost. Again. But because of that I found another cute maid cafe and stopped for dinner. I asked for directions and found my way back.

In the constant shuffle of my plans, I failed to find a place to sleep on the third night of my trip. So the nice, comfy floor of a Manga Cafe it was. I lost a good night’s sleep but was rewarded with an early trip to the Meiji Shrine. This ended up being the highlight of my entire trip. Peace curls around you as you walk down the path to the shrine. I closed my eyes and could almost hear the horses of young noblemen coming to pay respects to the emperor and empress buried there. The shrine itself was filled with the sound of clapping, bird songs, and one lonely male voice singing out his respect. I approached the shrine and paid my own respects.

The rest of my vacation would seem insignificant to anyone other than myself and my new friends. I spent three days in the hostel, but despite not exploring more of Japan, this remains the other highlight of my vacation. While I may have lost my plans, lost a ton of money (no matter how well spent), and lost a few opportunities, I still ended up gaining many friends and memories that I will treasure forever.