１８切符

I knew I wanted to go to Tokyo for a change. I studied hard from April to August and survived the reports nightmare. I was desperately needing a brake. I didn't want to spend too much money on my journey, since I'm going to Vietnam beginning of September and need the money for my other adventure (this time I'm travelling on my own! ouch).

I made up my mind about when going to Tokyo pretty much late. I knew I wanted to go, and had first thought of the weekend 12-13 August. As I had heat exhaustion some days before I was doubting whether going or not. The night bus tickets to Tokyo had been sold out 3 weeks earlier due to the Obon season in Japan and I didn't want to afford ¥30.000 (USD 260 approx.) for a return ticket to Tokyo in the Shinkansen (bullet train). So the option I had left was using the discount seasonal ticket 18kippu.

Basically, the 18 kippu （青春十八切符） is a set of 5 tickets at a reasonable fare of Â¥11.500, which makes Â¥2.300 each. Very cheap, according to the distance you travel. The longer you travel, the better yields you'll get from it. So, going to Tokyo for Â¥2.300 (one way) is very cheap, considering that the cheapest night bus ticket is Â¥4.000 (one way). I went to JR station on Thursday Aug. 10th and bought my 18kippu. Then I asked the guy in the station （駅員さん） how to go to Tokyo with 18kippu. Ohhhhhhhh!! He looked at me as if Japanese people wouldn't do such a journey! He advised me it were going to take like 11 hours, a fact that I had already considered. After this, he took the time to look for the time schedule and where to change trains.

It took me 10 hours and a half travelling by local or semi rapid overcrowded trains, and sometimes sitting on the floor. What an adventure! This is not something everybody can do. A few foreigners where doing the same (probably foreigners living in Japan, since tourists come to Japan with the Japan Rail Pass). And of course, a lot of other Japanese people where having the same experience as me.

It took time, but I read a lot on the train. I even slept in a hard local train from Hamamatsu to Otami.

Last year I went to Mt. Fuji with this 18kippu and then to Hiroshima. At that time my Japanese skills were still weak, so I was always afraid of missing some connection. This year, I am more confident and relaxed a little more...