Ah, the Yamanote line.
A major artery for Tokyo, running in a loop through most of the hot-spots people hear about:
Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, etc…
As much a necessity for tourists as it is for the locals, like these sleepy fellas.
On this particular day in November it came time for me to renew my legal right to stay in Japan as my 1 year introductory work visa was rapidly coming to completion.
This was a bitter-sweet moment for me, to be sure; it was enthralling to be granted legal permission to reside in a country I had always hoped to spend time in, and the prospect of a shiny new visa in my passport was lovely, but the idea of spending another 2 full years abroad was still a bit daunting.
Initially, I had expected to get a single-year contract, as my predecessors had.
I got a 2 year contract to start, and after 6 months of having lived in Japan the company pressed me to renew, extending my contract through to two and a half years instead of my initial goal of a single solitary year... Womp womp.
As a child I would become miserably homesick after spending even a few short weeks away from Vegas, even in the safety of my loving grandparent's home, could I really handle another two full years away from all my friends and family?
In the end I did, but it wasn't always easy.
Anyhow, this fateful day saw me travel to Shinagawa to renew my passport and after a lovel lunch & afternoon coffee I wandered to Ikebukuro to explore the area. In a small jazz bar I happened to make conversation with a friendly duo who were working for the same studio that produced one of my favorite anime, Trigun!
You never know who you'll run into!
