No amount of research could have fully prepared me for my time in Tokyo. The hustle and bustle of the city with its packed trains, small streets, and busy people is enough to confuse anyone who isn’t a local at first. Once I figured out how to get around, a whole new world opened up that offered the most profound experiences in my time abroad. Interestingly enough, some of my most memorable experiences happened outside of the city.
From roaring race cars to hidden shrines in bamboo forests, the contrast and variety of things to see in Japan is enough to give anyone a break from the busy city life. Further, exploring the depth of those things can give first-hand experiences of culture that you would never see through social media or staying in tourist spots.
My first experience of traveling off the beaten path was early in my time here. Before coming here, I had really wanted to experience the car culture so I decided to go to a local track named Mobara Circuit in Chiba, just outside of Tokyo. That day, I had woken up at 7am and traveled two hours to a small town. The track was so far outside of the city, that the famously efficient and large Tokyo metro couldn’t take me there. Instead, I went as far as I could and took an archaic looking bus through the countryside. After 30 minutes, I was dropped off in the pouring rain in front of a sign that read “Mobara Circuit” in a fading yellow and blue. I was filled with a childlike excitement, I had finally made it. Once inside the track grounds, I felt like I had entered another world. After spending years scouring the YouTube algorithm, watching and saving videos of locals enjoying their time and building community at this track, I was there. Being able to recognize some cars and drivers was truly a surreal experience. While the language barrier made it difficult to interact with the locals, I will still be able to share in their culture through my photography and filming. Even if it was just showing a driver a photo and having them say “So cool!” The smiles shared were enough to demonstrate and connect through this common passion.
Despite all that, the most profound part of the day was my struggle to get home. Excited to start the day, I left my dorm forgetting my portable battery. This would come back to haunt me later in the afternoon when my phone was starting to die. Once I received the low battery warning, I checked when the next bus was. The app said two minutes so I figured the bus was coming in regular intervals. About 10 minutes later, I checked the app and the next one was not coming for four hours. I desperately needed to get to the station before my phone died so I had no other choice but to embark on the two hour, four mile walk into town. I bought water from a vending machine, wrote down the directions on a sheet of paper, and set off.
While initially anxious about the long walk and the possibility of being stranded, I quickly calmed down when I realized how beautiful it was. Seemingly never ending rice patties, traditional architecture, and beautiful rolling hills were part of the entire walk as I slowly transitioned from rural to urban. The views were serene, so much so that it is difficult to put it in words. Unfortunately, since my phone was on low battery, I was unable to get many pictures. Despite this, I felt like I was placed in a wordy poem or beautiful ink painting that was only interrupted by trucks occasionally driving by. It was dead quiet. I would pass by another person or crossing guard maybe once every thirty minutes. With no time to waste, I would give them a polite smile and charge on full steam. I kept putting one foot in front of the other and after some time, I eventually made it back into town.
The next experience was at Inari Shrine in Kyoto when my family was here visiting me. Famous for its thousands of orange Torii gates, I was expecting it to be packed full of tourists and a quick photoshoot before hitting the next spot. Luckily for me though, it was pouring rain that day and there were not nearly as many visitors as there normally is. I started up the path under the gates and eventually came to a fork in the road. I was faced with a choice, continue on the marked path or follow the small dirt trail into the woods.
Armed with my umbrella and a curiosity for what lies just beyond the horizon, I started on the trail. Initially it was very uncomfortable, water was flowing down the path and my shoes were soaked. Once I got over that, I was amazed by the sights I was seeing. The dense trees turned into bamboo and before I knew it, the only things I could hear were the birds and the rain. I was completely alone walking up the mountain. Eventually, I came to a weathered shrine. Everything was made of stone and there were some tattered banners hanging from a gazebo. With my Beginner Japanese, I was able to tell that the banner was for an event at the shrine back in 2018 and it felt like no one had been there since then.
After my brief refuge from the rain and admiration of the beautiful shrine I had just found I decided to continue down the path. After what felt like an hour of following the trail, I found another shrine. This one was much more surreal as it was built at the base of a small waterfall. When I descended the stairs, I was politely greeted by the person looking after the shrine. At the bottom of a small ravine, a shrine was set up with a waterfall right behind it. It seemed like something out of a movie and I felt like I was about to be transported into a fantasy world. The loud sound of the water crashing down made it impossible to be anything else but entirely present. Before my long trek back, I took a few minutes to take in the waterfall and the rest of the beautiful view.
These experiences were some of the best during my time here because they taught me some valuable lessons. First, I really learned that there is a whole world out there. While that seems obvious, I find that it is easy to become complacent and forget to search for new experiences. If I hadn’t felt adventurous, I never would have even come close to experiencing those things. Additionally, It taught me to be myself without reservations. If I had given up on doing these things to be with the group, I would have missed out on such moving experiences. Through prioritizing my passions and fostering my curiosity, I was able to take advantage of my time abroad and learn so much about myself and the world around me.
Eduardo Gonzalez del Valle
Spring 2024
GW Exchange - Waseda University
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major