I just purchased a plane ticket to Hokkaido (Japan's northernmost island) today. My contract with Bunkyo Gakuin University is up come March 24, and the plan now is to move up to Hokkaido to hang out and travel with Tom for a few months. That means I have only about a month left in Tokyo, which has made me particularly reflective.
Hokkaido, specifically Tomakomai, is much different than Tokyo as requires a little more work to be comfortable. I was just in Hokkaido last weekend for the Sapporo Snow Festival, and during my stay I was reminded of the differences in living situations between Tom and I. I have a convenient little apartment in the middle of Tokyo, which was built only a few years ago so the appliances are new and efficient. I can easily rely on trains and buses to get me around, as the train station is a 3 minute walk from my front door and the a bus stop is even closer. Tokyo has little to no snowfall (last night's inch of snow was the exception), so staying dry and warm is usually not an issue in the winter. Let's just say I'm really comfortable in Tokyo, and frankly, a little bored.
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| A mini-convenience store located on the subway platform with more things than I could ever want |
Hokkaido was an experience this last weekend. It was filled with snow and ice festivals, skiing, mountains, and trips to coastal cities. It was also filled with cold showers, old apartments, kerosene heaters, icy sidewalks, and long walks. Tom's apartment is far from new and has experienced years of misuse. The shower is a crank-and-light, gas-heated, piece-of-crap that has a less than desirable water pressure. The kerosene heater heats one out of the five main rooms in the apartment, so everything has been centralized in one room including the bed, mini-couch, washer, kotatsu (heated coffee table), and TV. The local train station is a 25-minute walk in the snow and ice-covered sidewalks, and the trains leave half as frequently and are about twice as expensive than Tokyo. The temperature fluctuated last weekend between -5-10 C and required a lot of gear to stay warm at the many festivals and outdoor activities. Everything that is avoidable or a non-issue in Tokyo became a challenge in Hokkaido. Despite all of these frustrations, I found myself happier there.
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| The main living space in Tom's apartment |
Convenience is nice, but it leaves something to be desired. When daily life is easy, it leaves little for you to work for. Working and waiting for the apartment to warm up made me appreciate the heater. Same with a warm shower. Trips to the grocery store became more meaningful and rewarding. There's something especially satisfying as you defrost from a long day skiing over a hot bowl of ramen or dry off after a cold shower in front of the heater.
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| Tom and I on Mount Isola at the Rusutsu Ski Resort in Hokkaido |
Sure, I'll miss the 7-11 around the corner from my apartment and the temperate Tokyo climate, but I more look forward to face little challenges in life to make life more meaningful in Hokkaido.
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