10 November 2023
Fights, floods and arguments
Matsuyama to Osaka by train
Today was a bit of an ordeal, I will try to be succinct.
First it was raining, which is no big deal, as it is basically an all day travel day, and as it turns out my hotel in Osaka is directly on top of a subway station, so I never got wet.
Checking out in Matsuyama, I went to the machines, hit English, hit check out, stuck my room key in the flashing slot, and the machine says 'sorry, error', and does not give me back the room key. I think nothing of this and go to the manned reception that does not want to talk to anyone and tell them, they speak English. They tell me I broke the machine and I must check out. I tell them the machine has my room key. They tell me I broke the machine and I must wait. For what? I tell them my room number and ask them to do it manually. They tell me 'we have to find out if you are responsible for breaking the machine on purpose'. Meanwhile, a Japanese couple tried to check out at the same machine, and it ate their key as well. So now they are yelling and screaming, and the receptionist is pointing at me as if I did something. After 5 minutes the manager comes and opens up the machine, and gets out my room card and the other couples room card, and cant find anything wrong with the machine, and puts in a test card, and it fails again. So the machine is faulty. But no apology, they still think I broke it somehow.
Moving on, I walked the 30 minutes or so to Matsuyama station, no rain but it was wet. On the platform I am standing away from everyone, drinking a bottle of water, when I get shoved, hard, from behind. I was not in the way of anyone by a long shot, I spit water and turn around and a Japanese guy goes into an angry rant, which featured the word American about 10 times. I thought of smacking him but realised I would be arrested 100% for sure and certain and held for a week without being spoken to (this really happens in Japan to foreigners, often). So I walked off. Other people saw all this and said nothing.
Next I am changing from the limited express train to the Shinkansen in Okayama, taking a photo along the platform, along with 4 or 5 Japanese guys, and the security guard comes over and yells at me, and demands to see the photos I am taking. I would not give him my camera and told him to call the police. This time a young Japanese guy did angrily talk to the security guard, then apologised to me on behalf of all of Japan.
And now finally I arrived at my hotel in Osaka, which was a zoo at check in right on 3pm with bags piled up in stupid places, again it is check in via machine. I line up. A guy in front of me using the machine seems to finish and walk off, so I go to use the machine, which is on the welcome screen, and next thing he is back yelling directly in my ear from an inch away and spat on the floor! I gladly gave him back the machine and went to another, it seems he had gone to get his ID out of his briefcase, he really had an actual briefcase! The check in staff at reception saw all this, I saw them look away when I looked at them, but of course they all did nothing.
So a strange day, rivalled only by the time I got chased by a guy with a cleaver at the fish market.
My journey to the station on foot under threatening skies went through the castle park.
Here is the JR Matsuyama station. I do not think I took a pic of it yet. It is small, but under re construction. There are signs lobbying for the Shinkansen to be built to Matsuyama.
Yes, Matsuyama is Songshan in Mandarin, which is an airport and major train station in down town Taipei. I was there in May this year.
Possibly while construction is going on, multiple trains leave from the same platform in opposite directions, to the right is the back of my train, to the left is the local train going in the opposite direction. I do believe some people got on the wrong train based on their panic as we set off. It was near here that I got shoved a few minutes earlier and yelled at, before the trains arrived. As best I could tell the guy did not get on any trains, he probably waits in the station all day for foreigners.
The inside of my train, which is the modern looking train in the above photo, is very orange, and the toilets are no flush squatters. Have fun with that ladies.
This is the mid point over the sea heading to Okayama. The bridge is in multiple segments connected by little islands.
Grey and raining for the entire journey.
This is Okayama. A few minutes beforehand, a security guard wanted to confiscate my camera.
And here is arriving at Shin-Osaka. I braved taking a photo on a train platform because I had ridden on the light blue Kagoshima to Shin-Osaka Shinkansen. Still dark and rainy.
And now for my room pics. It is less yellow than this. It is the same as hotels 1 and 2 but not 3 of this trip, in that it is a Sotetsu Fresa Inn. This one is right on top of the Namba subway station.
And for the final shot from my arduous journey, the very heavily requested shot of the toilet. Here is the toilet. Enjoy the toilet.