As jet lag strikes with a vengeance, I find myself wide awake at 3:30 a.m. local time.
Yesterday, I made the trip to the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo with my Uncle. In order to get the bike registered in my name, I am told that I require a notarized signature by an Embassy official. This is pretty much a CAD$50 exercise where the official attests that they have witnessed my signature. The entire process should take less than 10 minutes. (Well-in my case, it took about 1.5 hours but due to a non-administrative mix up on their end, so I won’t get into it). On Monday, I am heading to Yamanashi to finish the registration and insurance process and then I will officially take possession of the bike.
The drive to and from the Embassy gave me a good opportunity to assess the traffic conditions in Tokyo. My first piece of advice would be to ensure that you are very comfortable with both the signage and traffic signals. This should be very intuitive, but in case it is not, I would suggest that you make sure you are so comfortable with them, that they take you zero time to process. The highway signs in Japan are very confusing due to the sheer complexity of their urban highway system. You do not want to be in the situation where you have to struggle to figure out your direction as well as the road rules. The latter should be completely intuitive before you even think about throwing a leg over! I found an excellent resource online that does a good job explaining all the rules in English for motor vehicles, non-motorized vehicles and street cars. Most of the signs are intuitive or similar to North America so it is not a big undertaking. However, keep in mind that in addition to the traffic rules you must follow, you will also need to read the traffic laws for other vehicles, both motorized and non motorized, to better understand how they will maneuver when you are sharing the road.
I thought it would be a good idea to get feelers for the local driving conditions before actually heading out. Personally, I think the biggest shock for me will be the fact that traffic merges on and off the highway on the opposite side. This is not something I really appreciated before actually being there and seeing it. The consequences of screwing this one up will also likely mean that you are paying with your life!
I have also realized that some of the advice I have been given by friends, family and random people on the internet may be nothing more than myths, such as the following:
The traffic in Tokyo is so awful, it will take you at least several hours just to get outside of the city.
I start with this one because it was probably my most discouraging piece of advice and had me considering if I should seek accommodation outside of the city. My time here is limited, so I do not want to spend an entire day trying to embark on a ride without actually going on one. The drive to the Canadian Embassy with my Uncle gave me a little bit of context into how much time I would likely spend in traffic riding through Tokyo. It was around 20 kilometers away from my hotel and required us to go through some highly congested areas of Tokyo (Ginza, Shibuya..). The trip took a little over one hour in my Uncle’s car. As a comparison, I think it would take me the same amount of time riding the length of the Gardiner expressway in Toronto on a Friday afternoon. Yes, the traffic in Tokyo is bad. But not much worse than other urban city centers. Plus, lane splitting is permitted which can cut down on your time in traffic.
Motorcycling in Japan in September is not a good time. You are up against extreme humidity and Typhoon season.
I caveat this by saying I am totally knocking on wood here since I am still early into my trip.But so far, the heat is not awful. It is similar to a 30 degree summer day in Canada. To be honest, I don’t find it as uncomfortable as I thought I would given the warnings I have received from everyone. If anything delaying the trip to September may have benefited me since it has cooled down a bit (relatively speaking) and I have avoided the rainy season in Japan. I have also been checking the radar for Typhoons, and it doesn’t appear that there are any immediate threats. I do have adjusted expectations, so I will not plan a trip anywhere where I am at risk of having roads washed out. However, I am told by fellow riders in Japan that Typhoons move very fast. So they will hit an area really hard for a day or two, but the day immediately following is almost guaranteed to be the most beautiful day. I can live with that.
The cars on the road in Japan are much smaller.
Yes, some of the vehicles are smaller and I haven’t seen as many larger transport trucks as I do on the 401 in Ontario. But overall, I don’t think I will even notice this tip while I am on the road. There are still plenty of Benzes, BMW, Priuses and other cars that are common in North America.
Japanese people are more courteous drivers.
I am laughing out loud! Although this may be true on an individual level for some, it is definitely a misconception at the national level. I saw firsthand my Uncle getting cut off by plenty of weaving cars with no turn signals!
And finally..
Japanese people do not eat much.
I have done nothing but eat since I got here, to the point where I am concerned about being able to do up my riding jeans next week! Last night, we had a four stage Teppanyaki dinner and the night before that we had appetizers and massive bowls of ramen! In no way shape or form am I complaining, the food and time with family has been amazing! But I think I am on track to set some kind of record as the only person I know who traveled to Japan and got fat!