In Tokyo, the primary means of transportation, the rail system, shuts down for the night around midnight ~ 1am. Those left out in town in various stages of intoxication are left with few options for surviving the night. The two main options for those stranded in the city are 1) take a cab, 2) camp out somewhere. Option 1, unfortunately, is only for the rich, as cab rates skyrocket just when the rail system closes down. Option 2 is slightly easier, since many bars and restaurants stay open late, and some cafes and all convenience stores stay open all night long.
Last night, as a result of a wild party with some old friends I hadn't seen in 2.5 years, some of us lost track of time and missed the last train home. I took a cab with one of my other stranded friends, which brought him pretty close to home, and me about eight train stops away from home. He offered me shelter for the night, but for some odd reason, the idea of walking home in the rain seemed unbearably appealing to me. When I asked our cab driver how far I was from my area, I was told that I was no more than 7km (4+miles) away. With my pair of legs, that equates to a nice one and a half hour walk.
And so it was, that at 12:30am, I set off into the midst of a rainy Tokyo night, under the illusion that I would be home by 2am... Read on for an illustrated timeline of my adventures.
Show Rest of Post
Posted Wed, April 28, 2004 03:24 by Gay Hitchhiker
gay hitchhiker
[moderate]