Breakfast Finally
Today I had traditional Japanese breakfast. A branch of the restarant chain Nakau did the trick. The are open 24 hours and serve common Japanese dishes. So I had a salmon meal set for breakfast. It came with rice, miso soup, spicy nori leafs and pickled vegetables.
Orders are placed on a machine with a touch screen. You select what you like and when you have everything together you also pay at the machine. I was a bit to quick for the slot meter, so it jammed and the order was aborted. Immedeately a clerk came to assist. She seemed to be the only personnel on the premise. Waitress, cook and assistant to all to impatient gaijin guests.
After this glorious victory I went back to the ryokan, packed my stuff and went on my journey to Nagoya. Google maps pointet me to the best connection which was the Nozomi Shinkansen, the fastest bullet train in Japan!
When I took a seat in the train, I found out that my JR pass was not actually valid for this super extra special express connection. It seems that I have discovered some sort of a loop hole here, as the gate obediently accepted my ticket and let me in. In the train I was also not asked to show my ticket and when I left Nagoya station, the automatic gate was again satisfied with my rail pass.
To the hotel I took the subway, which is also not included by the JR pass. But I am already routinend with the virtual Suica IC card in my watch. Just flash it to the reader on the gate and off you go!
Actually I had a little accident with a ticket gate one day earlier. I went through the exit gate after one person too quickly. So the gate did't stop me, despite it did not pick up my card correctly. When I tried to change to another train line, it would not let me in, because it thought I was still in the other line. So I had to go back to the first line, reach over the gate from the outside, to also go outside officially.
If you are confused now, I will briefly explain the ticket system for regional trains. At the departure station, you look up the station you want to go to. It will have a number written next to it. That is the price for the ticket you need. Then you go to the vending machine or the counter and by a ticket for this price.
To enter the platform you stick your ticket into a yellow slit at the beginning of the gate. The ticket will then come out about one meter further away, where you take it back. If the Ticket was valid the gate won't close when you walk through. If not it will close and an alarm will ring. Then you better withdraw quickly so you don't block the following passengers.
At your destination you need the ticket again to leave the station. This is how they check if you paid the correct price. You put it in the gate and this time it won't come out again.
