Im here currently in japan on a short business trip. I initially stayed in a place called Tatebayashi (Gunma Prefecture). The hotel where i was put up (Hotel Grand) wasnt exactly to my liking.
1) they dint have free internet (even slow speed)
2) they dint have a fridge in the room, nor a microwave oven.
The only good thing about staying in tatebayashi was the travel time to my clients place. It took me 20 minutes and about 2600 Yen (INR 840). I usually returned to my hotel in the company bus which dropped me off to a station nearby called Kawamata (kawa = river). From kawamata i took a train to tatebayashi (the tobu - isesaki line) which costed me about 160 yen (INR 64).
Surprsingly tatebayashi had 2 indian restaurnats. I visited Amber which is run by an indian. The other one i presume (and fom Ambers owner) is run by a Bangaldeshi. There is a deluge of Indian restaurnats here in Japan. More on this in a separate blog.
2 weeks in tatebayahsi and then i moved to Tokyo. A welcome relief. I stay in Asakusa (the older part and more cultural part of Tokyo) and my Hotel (Hotel Dormy Inn) is right in front of the station. Its convenient from the Hotel to the Station, but otherwise its a 1.5 hour journey from Asakusa to Kawamata. I take the 6.47 local which reaches kawamata at 8.13. The journey distance is 70.5 Km and the route has 22 stations. :) More detials on this must_use site if you are staying in Tokyo (http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/)
The interesting thing about trains and the timings are - they are never ever late. Always on time, on dot. I screw up my entire scheudle if i miss that train. I miss the connecting bus and the taxis are not there coz the regular people are already using them.
It so happend that i missed the train on one occassion and it happened to snow rather heavily that day. I stood for a full 20 minutes, freezing (although i had enuff warm clothes) waiting for a taxi. Since i dont have a phone, i couldt call one either. A kind hearted couple luckily dropped me off to my clients place, but i still reached a full half hour late to office
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