Rail Pass unlocked

Alltough Japan is known as a high tech nation, some things are done in an oldfashioned bureaucratic and complicated way. Tbis is true for the Japan Rail Pass. You want to buy it before you arrive in Japan, because in Japan it is more expensive. What you then get is a paper voucher which you bring to Japan and redeem it in a JR ticket office.

This is also a complicated procedure. The clerk will check your passport for an endorsement, stating you are a temporary visitor. Then they will type a lot of things in a computer, while checking a little pink notebook on the desk from time to time. Then the voucher is divided in two parts which are stamped with different stamps seperately.

After that the clerk will prepare the actual rail pass somewhere in the back of the office and finally hand it to you.

Since 2021 or so you can use the rail pass on the automatic gates of the stations. Before that you had to go to the one where the railway clerk is.

My attempt to eat a traditional japanese breakfast did not work out. The venue google maps pointed me to, was serving only western style food. So I went with a fried egg, sausages, hash brown and toast.

Update: There is a style of food in Japan that is called yoshoku. It is heavily inspired by western food and is served on a plate and with cutlery. I have not figured out if this name is also used for western style breakfast.