Cracking the Code

May 2

So, I took Stevens advice and worked out a plan. I got up early and went to the Train station (sans pack), where I had my first exhilarating heart-racing breakthrough.

I studied a map and realised, for the first time, that all the major stops were also in English. I had been so freaked out that I had a mental block and could only see hieroglyphics. I knew I needed to get to Osaka Station in order to get to Shikoku, found it on the map and set off to attempt to get a ticket without anyone's help.

The ticketing system is really very simple in Japan. One just needs to know which line one needs. There are billboard sized maps of the lines, with all stations clearly marked, above the ticket machines. Upon identifying the line, then the station, you look for the stop and it says two numbers - these are fares. The higher number being the amount for adults and the lesser number for children. The machines have screens with big squares. You put in your money and the amounts within the money range you have put in, will come up on the squares. You press the relevant square and a ticket pops out, followed by change.  Once you have the ticket, you walk through the gates, putting the ticket in the slot, it reads and clips it, then it comes back out at the other end of the gate for you to keep until you get to the destination station. After getting off the train, you walk through an identical gate, putting the ticket in again, but this time it calculates if the fare paid is correct, and if it is, it keeps the ticket, the screen says Thank You and the barriers open. If it isn't, the barriers stay closed and the screen asks you to see an attendant.

I was ecstatic when I did it, all by myself, for the first time. Only later I found out that I'd got it for the wrong train service because I got to the other end, confidently put my ticket in and the gate closed and I had to see the attendant.

Two days ago that would've had me writhing on the station floor in a sobbing hysteria, but today, even that couldn't set me back - I had cracked it...