Tokyo Heart

She fell and couldn't get up

 

We were driving along Itsukaichi-kaido (the road that leads to Fussa) today and as we passed by a side road I noticed an elderly lady half sitting, half lying, at the side of that road with a bicycle lying on top of her. I made the first possible U-turn and drove back to the side road. She was still laying there so we stopped to lend assistance and call an ambulance if necessary. She didn't want an ambulance, and she didn't want us to call her house, but she could not get up or stand unassisted. We helped her up and she wasn't even able to move for a few minutes. She was in obvious pain. Eventually we got her into our car and while I drove her home my wife followed on the injured lady's bicycle. Fortunately, Mrs. Kikuchi (the injured lady) was clear of mind and she was able to give me precise directions to her house. We got there and figured out why she didn't want us to call her husband. He was wearing a back brace and unable to lift anything. Between the three of us we managed to get her into her house and seated on the step in the genkan (entry). Her husband said he would call an ambulance because it was clear that she was going to be immobile for a while and he probably wouldn't be able to help her. Hope she let him call that ambulance.

I do wonder, though, how many people may have passed by in their cars, saw her sitting there and didn't stop, or how many passed by on bicycles and just looked at her without stopping to help. The reason I wonder is because Itsukaichi-kaido is a busy road.  And, while we were helping her, at least half a dozen people road their bikes by us. The only thing all of them did was stare until I finally called out to a couple of them to ask if they knew her and if she's from the neighborhood. No one knew her, but one lady I stopped asked if she could help by riding the bike to her house, but my wife was doing that so we were all set on that point.

Mrs. Kikuchi told me she was on the way to tend to her garden and as she got off her bike she somehow fell. We're guessing that she grabbed the bike for support and pulled it over on herself. So, it wasn't a bike "crash" as we first thought, which could have caused more damage, but as it is she was - and is going to be, I imagine - in pain for a while. But, even in pain, she wouldn't let us leave her house without giving us a gift of a box of tea that she had her husband bring from one of the rooms in the house. We didn't get her address or phone number, and they didn't ask for ours, so no way to call later and see if she's okay. Just hope she is.

Golden Week is upon us

Golden Week - that period of many holidays in Japan - is upon us! For some, the long holiday period started on April 29 (Tuesday) and will stretch through Sunday, May 11. A "hearty" few even took April 28th off, giving them 16 days of vacation time with only 7 days of actual vacation days used. Many companies close for part of Golden Week and many for the whole period.

Ask your Japanese friends what the actual holidays are though and chances are many of them won't be able to tell you. They just know that there are four holiday during this period. The actual holidays are:

April 29th - Showa Day
Birthday of the former Emperor.

May 3rd - Constitution Day (Kenpo Kinenbi)
Japan's new post war constitution was put into effect on this day in 1947.

May 4th - Greenery Day (Midori no hi)
Japan has a few of these holidays that are supposedly dedicated to nature (including Umi no hi - ocean day and a new one that will start in 2015 in August, Yama no hi - mountain day).

May 5th - Children's Day (Kodomo no hi)
To honor the children and hope for their health and future success.

This year May 6th is also a holiday since two of the above days fall on a weekend.

It used to be that Tokyo was deserted during GW, but these days the shops are open, trains are still busy, and many people are out and about enjoying the spring weather. Still, traffic is lighter and people are in a holiday mood, so it's a good time to be here in the Big Mikan (as Tokyo is sometimes known).

Traveling around Japan is not quite as much fun during GW. Trains are crowded, tourist spots are jammed, the roads incur massive traffic jams (I've seen jams that are over 30 miles long), and the hotels and onsen (hot springs) increase their prices, assuming you can even get a reservation. Traveling to and from Japan is just as bad. The news reports this year - as every year - tell us of the massive crowds at the airports and on the Shinkansen. And, or course, air fares are usually higher than normal.

So, if you do come to Japan during this period expect nice spring weather, crowds wherever you go, and watch for the festivals around the shrines with their food stalls that will give you a chance to try some of Japan's stall foods like yakisoba (fried noodles), tako-yaki (baked balls of dough with octopus bits), chocolate covered bananas, crepes, grilled sausages, and much more. Spend some time hanging out in Harajuku (see Meiji Shrine) and Yoyogi Park (food stalls, young people in interesting costumes), Shibuya, the Ginza (shop till you drop), or jump on the Chuo or Inokashira train lines and head to Kichijoji and it's great park, Inokashira-koen.

No matter how you enjoy your time in Tokyo have a great Golden Week.