Fukuoka Week 2

 Sunday 

Okay now I have discovered why the hotels are so expensive. And so booked out. This morning thought I’d grab a coffee from a close Starbucks (yes I know I shouldn’t but it’s the only coffee place open before 11am) and it was packed. At 8:30 Sunday morning, in Japan. What’s going on? It dawned on me that yesterday the station was packed. Even the bookshop had a long queue - a bookshop for crying out loud. Clearly this is more than a festival or a baseball game. Apparently, it’s Silver Week. 

WTF is Silver Week - it’s collection of holidays that run from 19th -23rd Sept. Monday is Respect for the Aged Day — I’m looking forward to pulling some weird shit that day. Tuesday is Citizen’s Holiday (no fucking idea) and ends with Autumnal Equinox Day. Australia needs to embrace at least one of these days as a national holiday. Apparently the last time these days align to form such a string of hols was 2015.  Ouch just reali

Speaking of Hakata Station it is much larger than I thought at first. And I’m used to Tokyo and Shinjuku Stations. I dunno how I navigated my way when I first arrived - blind dumb luck. 

Here’s a life question for y’all: would you rather be lucky or smart? 

Anyway, some facts about Hakarta Station. It is 2.15 billion sq feet /  200,000 sq metres. An average of 130,000 people board trains and 450,000 use the station each day. “Above” the actual train tracks are 3 different department stores with over 320 shops -  one store is 10 storeys high - I know this because I was caught in the escalator traffic to the 9th floor (bookshop). And I found 2 basement floors. Here are some picture…some aren’t mine because it’s too big for me

Hakata Station = NOT mine

Looks fab at night, right

Yesterday the taxi traffic around the station was shocking - the roads were congested and one driver honked! Japanese drivers never honk - so people really jumped and glared - his stress musta been great. This morning another taxi slipped through a red light -on a  left hand turn- and the pedestrians around me literally gasped. Me, I was like “yep, I don’t blame him”.  

Despite the crowds, the shop assistants are unfailingly polite and helpful:I was buying something and the woman helped me download an app which gave me a 300Yen discount - honestly I felt awful holding up the line. But she was totally unflustered and had the amazing talent of reading upside down. The bigger shock: not one person behind me clicked their tongue or did a Karen sigh. Like I woulda done. 

So I’ve walked to my “usual” Starbucks which is several streets back from the station and it has plenty of room. I have noticed that the Japanese would rather wait in line and then crowd together. Needless to say I rolled my eyes (which is why I wear sunglasses) when I saw the  queue at the first Starbucks, turned on my heel (watch that knee) and walked straight out. I’m sitting here feeling pretty pleased at finding a quiet place.

Crowds

It’s more confusing here than Tokyo - yesterday I got lost in several stores. Because they’re so big. A building houses dozens of types of stores - electronics alone include mobile phones, phone plans, electronics from computers to fridges, clothing, make up, household goods, services such as travel agencies and places to pay bills, restaurants (usually on the top floors), food (usually basement floors), books, luggage, and surprisingly LARGE camping and outdoor stores (huh?). The signage is overwhelming — it’s everywhere - this is a bad photo because I don’t want to annoy people but you can enlarge and see the overhead signs —-

I was looking for a simple exit sign…

My plans for today have taken a swerve. I have to avoid public transport - so today’s trip to the Nanzoin Temple, with reclining Buddha, has been postponed. 

Reclining Buddha at Nanzoin Temple

I am going back to the hotel to plan my trip to Nagasaki - I’m supposed to train it on Tuesday BUT  apparently Tuesday is one of the “peak” travel days. Damn. As the hotel in Nagasaki had vacancies I’m assuming that people aren’t travelling there for the day BUT … 

Fashion Aside: I just glanced out the window and saw a man and woman waling past…she had a handbag and so does he. A literal handbag. I was going to snap it but I was too slow. It is a LV I think. Not a long strap messenger type bag or a wrist strap man bag or a utilitarian backpack- I think it is this LV bag.

Definitely not a mannish bag- right?

Salaries in Japan. I just happened on an editing and writing job in Japan. It’s a fairly complicated one as senior editor in charge of a team of writers and also required photography skills, tourism experience, English and Japanese, and quite extensive internet/website experience etc. The salary is 4million yen - that’s $38K a year. What!? 

This prompted me into a quick dive into salaries, and it seems that the patient shop assistant yesterday was probably earning $10-$12 per hour. University professors (tenured, full time) range 7-10million - $62-90. Ouch. No wonder everything is so cheap. 

Okay more photos and stuff later…