Today was Hakone -> Tokyo (Haneda) -> Nagoya with some fun in between. I had to drop RMB and the hire car off, then head to Nagoya, but I figured since the Tokyo International Pen Show was on, and I’m not likely to get a chance again, I’d check it out.
Anamori-inari station to Otorii station because got on the wrong express š
Paying for ticket fail, wouldnāt take my cards online ā¦ also had to buy a three day pass because I forgot to buy a single in time. I took up the option of paying via the machine in a local Lawson Konbini instead, which was fun. You put in your details, it gives you a barcode, then you go and pay (cash only!) at the Konbini register, where they print out more receipts and official tickets from a machine.
Back on the train, then off at Daimon station, and wandered to the event.
Turns out, buying a ticket on the way to the show makes their whole system a little … challenged. I was helped by a lovely man called Bruce who had a captainās hat on, and a lovely lady called Miki? (I hope… I’m terrible.) that shepherded me through and chatted about things.
Thankfully was able to get a locker for my bag, dropped it off and thatās much easier.
The pen show was a lot of fun, I got to handle some pens I’m never likely to again, from brands like Schon Desgn and Navahlur. I saw so many neat things that I could neer justify buying :D
Off to Tokyo station to get on the Shinkansen, grabbed a “rich Anchovy ramen” which was very rich and salty and not particularly fishy, but full of happiness nonetheless.
I tried stopping at the outdoor section of a department store in Tokyo (Daimaru) and of course the outdoor section is at the top of a mountain of escalators š I was hoping to grab some spats/gaiters, but of course there’s nothing in “giant fucking calves” size in Japan, so … let’s just hope the weather isn’t too bad (foreboding noises).
I had issues using my Wise card online for buying tickets on livepocket and hotels with Agoda. No issue anywhere else (yet) but even going through the MFA activation, prepay failed š ā¦ turns out I’d disabled online payments using the physical card. The system works, Iām just an idiot who forgot about it.
On the JR Tokaido Shinkansen (Nozomi 243) at 17:28 to Osaka, bound for Nagoya. The green cars are lovely, for $151AUD I had more leg room than I’d had in any plane flight, a comfier seat and faster wifi.
… at 18:50 there was an announcement
āMay I have your attention pleaseā¦ railway operation has been suspended due to heavy rainā.
Turns out there’s been a bit of weather in western and central Japan! We’d seen a bit of it earlier in the morning, but it got bad enough to stop the Shinkansen between Shin-Toyohashi and Nagoya for some reason.
āSome areas have recorded their highest ever 24 hour rainfallā
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/02/japan/west-japan-rain-november/
Around 19:55 we got going again, woo, and by 20:15 we were in Nagoya station.
The rain had washed the city clean and fresh, and Bic Camera’s song was happily playing as I stumbled to my hotel, the SANCOINN NAGOYA SHINKANSENGUCHI.
Compared to the last few nights, the room’s hilariously small and overpriced, but it’s a public holiday during shitty weather and I’m right next to the shin-eki, so I can’t complain too much.