The Driving Lesson

One of the first things you learn about Japan is that things are done in a big way in small places. Even where I’m at, on the outskirts of Tokyo, the population is large, but it’s crammed into a small place. The population density here is between 5,000 and 6,000 people per square kilometer. That is a lot of people per square inch. Houses look large, until you realize that in the space the size of my small house in the states, there might be three separate family apartments. There are no yards to speak of and any spare space is usually taken up by a car or a small vegetable garden.

I bravely ventured into Japanese traffic today. The first hurdle you have to jump is driving on the left side of the road. Japan is one of a handful of countries, (mostly holdovers from the old British Empire, and others like Thailand) that put the steering wheel on the right side of the car. After driving for almost 40 years on the opposite side of the road, trying to drive here is an effort and just a bit scary.

Since I’m here at an Air Force Base, I practiced driving around the base for awhile. On a Saturday, there isn’t much traffic and I figured it would give me a good feel for driving in the civilian community. WRONG! I drove around the base for a good hour exploring parts that I hadn’t had a chance to see on foot. Wonderful. I managed to stay in the proper lane and not kill anyone or dent the hardware. Then I headed for the gate. (I have a rental for those of you who are wondering where I got the car and an international driver’s license which is valid in Japan.) Once I left the gate, I immediately knew I was in deep-fried trouble.

My destination was the Seiyu Department Store, about a kilometer (.62 miles) from the base. (Seiyu is also Japanese for Wal-Mart.) I made it down there, but by the time I got there, I was terrified. The streets are narrow and when I say narrow, I mean they are narrow. Many are about 2/3 the size of most American roads and some even worse. I was driving a small Toyota van called a “Hi-Ace”. I got near the Seiyu and took a wrong turn down a one lane side street and wound up in some unfamiliar territory. By the time I figured out where I was, I was sweating bullets. I found my way back to the base, parked the car and walked back off base down to the Seiyu Store and explored a little on foot. I wandered around and almost got lost walking the roads less traveled. My feet hurt a bit, but it was a lot less stressful.

I’ve decide to stay on base unless I walk. For a few bucks, I plan to take the train to the next town tomorrow and wander around a bit. Wish me luck!

When I return, I’ll be posting some pictures.

VW

Comments

[thirdee]

I recommend not driving. :)

Looking forward to the pics.

[wordsmith]

Saw your post at another blog, and you mentioned Yokota AFB. So I had to come here and pay you a visit. I take it you are retired now from the Air Force? My dad's served 32 years in the AFB and for over a decade now, he and my mom (who's Japanese) have been living in Japan. My dad works at Yokota, teaching math courses to the enlisted, for the University of Maryland.

Anyway, this is just a quick post, as I'm on my way to work. But I'll be back for visits. Reading this particular post has made me feel a bit closer to my parents (I know that sounds sappy), and makes me remember all the times I've been to Japan. Yes, I know Seiyu!!!!

[Violence Worker]

Wordsmith,

Scroll down the main for some more posts. I've been here sine the 18th of January and will be leaving sometime this week.

VW

[Just another republican]

If your worried about driving in Japan I could give you a few pointers. Traffic laws are just suggestions and you can only park somewhere if it's going to be an inconvienence to someone else.