Fulfilling a lifelong dream

The reason for this blog is to write about the prices of things in Japan to hopefully remove the myth that Japan is incredibly expensive and to show stuff I find interesting.

Ever since I saw my first anime at age eleven I have felt a strong connection with Japan but it hasn't been until now at almost age 30 that I decided to finally go there. I have had doubts and fears going through my mind, always thinking that I will just fail, it is a waste of time and I must focus on a career based education because "that's what everyone else is doing".

But now, just a couple of weeks shy of my thirtieth birthday I am here, in Tokyo, for at least a year and I don't regret it one bit!

I enrolled at KAI Japanese Language School via Go!Go!Nihon. They also helped me finding a place to stay. I got lots of options what kind of place I want to live in, such a price, distance to school, apartment, shared house or even shared room. I finally settled for a private room with BORDERLESS HOUSE.

If you or anyone you know is interested in either go to Japan, study Japanese or even find a place for a longterm stay without studying, Go!Go!Nihon will gladly help you out. If you have any questions or doubts, just go to their page and send them a message. 

I flew with Cathay Pacific Airways from Copenhagen to Tokyo. Two transfers in London and Hong Kong. The staff was ver friendly, polite and professional. And I even got lots of leg space on all three flights!

I arrived 21 hours later at Haneda Airport tired but otherwise fine. The only setback was that my luggage was left in Hong Kong when I arrived, but that airport staff were all very nice and arranged for it to be sent to my home for the next year. It arrived in less than a day!

I spent the first night at Hotel JAL City Haneda Tokyo since my arrival was later than the moving in time at BORDERLESS HOUSE. Also very nice staff and a great bed to crash in after sitting in an airplane for so long. The room felt really fresh, the AC was already turned on and I even got to wear a night gown! Don't knock it until you've tried it!

I thought that since I am here to study Japanese I might as well get acclimatized to hearing the language every day so I turned on the TV and watched president Obama talk about the government shutdown in the US until I fell asleep ten minutes later.

I woke up already at 8 in the morning despite being incredibly tired, but who can sleep when they are about to embark on a lifelong dream? I unveiled the curtains and even the kind of rainy and grey weather couldn't bring me down. And the fact that I enjoy rain.

I had been in contact with the landlord and staff from BORDERLESS HOUSE and they had arranged for one of them to pick me up at 12 o' clock near Korakuen train station and show me the way to the house. I arrived a little early and was glad that my luggage was left in Hong Kong for the time being, I still felt tired from the jetlag and carrying that around would've just given me a headache. I walked around the station for a while and there is apparently a very small amusement park close to the station. There are a few restaurants, a Moomin Cafe, a roller coaster and even a log ride attraction!

Mizuki, the staff member showed up shortly afterwards and showed me to my room and helped to settle in.
I still haven't taken any pictures of the room, but will as soon as I have cleaned up and put everything in order. Some of the other housemates showed us around the area, where to buy food and how to get to the different train stations.

After slowly realizing that this is where I will stay for the following year I ordered takeout: an appleburger from Firehouse!

Expenses

• Appleburger 1300 yen
• Udon soup 440 yen