Category: Tokyo 2006

It was freezing cold. Snow blanketed the landscape. It was as if God dropped a big bucket of paint and it splattered on anything and everything. The view outside was spectacular. Shrubs, trees, roofs and the ground were covered with the pristine whiteness of powdery snow. The sky on the other hand was cloudless. The unblemished blue instilled a sense of joy and hope amid the chilly morning.

Today was an adventure in disaster. Siew Chin, Harry, Kim and Calvin had wanted to pray the Mass with me at the Roman Catholic Church in Hachioji. We got off at the wrong stop. As we were going to be late for the 10.00am Mass, we decided to go for Sunday service at the Methodist Church nearby. We ended up at Tachikawa and got totally disoriented.

The cold sapped the energy out of us. We were tired and hungry. I had salad at the Lumine food court. The range of food displayed was mind boggling. Each and every one of them tantalized my tastebuds. It was difficult to decide. After lunch, we had wanted to make a trip to Central Tokyo but decided otherwise. Changing trains from station to station in that weather simply drained our resolve and sense of adventure.

We decided to head back to the warmth and comfort of the Experience Room in Hino. On the way back to the train station, we did a little shopping at Isetan. There was a fair that displayed traditional Japanese food and crafts. I tried the smooth ice cream of green tea and soy. That was one of the weirdest tasting ice cream I had ever tasted.

It snowed and snowed and snowed. The roads were white. The trees were white. Roofs of cars and houses were white. Frank Sinatra’s White Christmas came to mind. For a while, it was fun seeing snow for the first time. Then the cold bit into every exposed part of the body. I wished I were somewhere else.

Despite the heavy snow, Ai-chan came to inform us of the day’s programme in her wheelchair all the way from her home thirty minutes away. An accessible van would be picking us at 10.00am, then pick Siew Chin and Kim up from the hotel. That particular van could accommodate three wheelchairs instead of the usual two that we used to commute from the Hino Experiment Room to Human Care Association at Hachioji.

When we reached the Odakyu Station at Machida, Ai-Chan and Hippie were already waiting for us. Ai-chan had traversed through the snow from the Machida Human Network office to the station in her wheelchair. Simply amazing!!! We made our way to the train platform to catch a train to Shinjuku.

The trip from Machida to Shinjuku took forty five minutes. First programme at Shinjuku was to take a trip in a non-step bus to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The height of the bus could be lowered or raised. There is a separate door for wheelchair access. The bus driver pulled out a ramp that was kept under the floor. Getting into it was easy. The inside of the bus had space wide enough to accommodate several wheelchairs. One trip costs Y180 irrespective of distance.

We got off a short distance away from where we boarded. Again. Ai-chan and Hippie was waiting for us at the bus stop, they having traversed quite a distance in the snow to reach the bus stop. That was just outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Snow flakes that landed on my knapsack, camera and sweater melted and made everything else wet. Still, I persisted in not wearing gloves because I wanted to shoot images of pure whiteness that looked so virginal. There was a time when I could not feel my hands. They were almost frozen numb. When I wanted to press on the shutter button, my finger tip could not feel a thing. My camera froze several times, too.

Ai-chan had planned to take us for lunch up the observation deck of the building. On normal days, the view of Shinjuku and the rest of Tokyo would be clearly visible. However on that morning, snow and fog obscured everything. The restaurant served only Italian food such as pasta and sandwiches only – not delicious by any standard and expensive too.

The heavy snow spoilt Ai-chan’s programme for us. The ride on the Oedo Subway Line and sightseeing of Asakusa had to be cancelled. Moreover, we had to head back to Hino fast as there was a possibility that the train we were to return on could be stopped because of the snow. Before we left, Ai-Chan and Hippie took us to the welfare shop to look at some assistive aids. I was interested in the chopstick that Hippie had used during the welcoming party the evening before.

At the shop that was part of the Odakyu Department Stores, there was a range of assistive devices for the elderly and those with poor motor function. I bought a pair of chopsticks, a bottle opener and a heat/cold pack. I was also interested in a gel cushion but it costs more than Y41,000. I may also get a pair of gloves for pushing the wheelchair. Many of the items available at the shop are difficult to find in Malaysia.

We said our good byes to Ai-chan and Hippie at the train station. It was freezing cold. The train back to Tachikawa was packed to the brim. From there, we took another train to Takahatafudo and changed to the monorail to Manganji. It had been a long day, very interesting nonetheless. Snow, I do not want to see any for a long time to come. That whole day of being in the cold was sufficient to last a long time.

0635 (GMT +9): We had to wake up early today. Maejima-san was going to accompany us to Machida. We were warned that it could be cold. I had a simple breakfast of prunes, bread and Ensure, as usual.

Manganji Monorail Station

0830: The Sky train station is a stone’s throw away from the apartment. The wind was chilly. My hands were getting numb holding the camera.

0843: We boarded the monorail to Tachikawa-Minami. The snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji was visible in the distant. The blurred panorama outside the train was typical of most Japanse suburbs. The tallest buildings were no more than six storeys. Vegetable patches occasionally dotted the landscape.

0848: From the monorail station at Tachikawa-Minamai, we walked across to the Chuo Line Station. The 8-minute distance was all wheelchair accessible. It was a rather large and busy station.

White Backed Tickets Counter for People With Disabilities

0900: Wheelchair users had to report to the Chuo Line station master’s office. One station master accompanied us to the boarding platform. There was a difference of height between the platform and the train. The station master placed a foldable and portable ramp to allow s to get into the train.

0921: We got off at the Hachioji Station to catch another train to Machida. It has been such a long time since I have rode in a “real” train. It must have been at least thirty years ago since Dad and Mum took me on a train from Butterworth to Ipoh.

Machida Station’s first elevator built thirty years ago.

1011: The train finally reached Machida after a short delay. We got into a lift that appeared run down, one by one, to get to the upper floor. Tsutsumi-san was expecting us. She would be taking us on a tour of the Machida train and bus terminal, the topic for this field trip being City Plan and Design of Machida.

1048: After a briefing of the history of the Machida disability movement and how the city became one of the earliest and most accessible city in Japan, she lead us on a guided tour of the accessible facilities.

Street of Machida City, Tokyo.

1137: It was a beautiful day for a walkabout. The sky was as blue as it could be. The sun was shining bright. The roads were clean. Cars were not parked haphazardly. The walkways and roads were properly laid. There were no potholes. Walkways were wheelchair accessible.

1152: Siew Chin and Kim, her personal assistant, checked into a hotel. Harry, Calvin and I were to stay at the Machida Human Network Experience Room. It had to be this way because the Experience Room could only accommodate three persons.

Machida Human Network.

1237: We bought lunch boxes before proceeding to the Machida Human Care. It is a five-storey building, the fourth and fifth occupied by the Machida Human Care. The fourth floor housed the office and Experience Room, the fifth the meeting room.

Ai-chan with Yuri.

1417: After lunch and a quick introduction of the staff of Machida Human Network, the first session began with a presentation on the History and Activities of Machida Human Network by Ms. Yuri Yonezawa, Secretary-General of Machida Human Network.

1621: The Structure of Peer Counseling was presented by Ms. Mariko Ikeda and Mr. Shuntaro Tanikawa. It was an enlightening session as both Ikeda-san and Shun-chan shared how they had used peer counselling effectively to overcome their fears and lack of confidence.

1753: Harry, Calvin and I moved our belongings into the Experience Room. It had two beds and some simple furnishings. We were to spend the night there.

1829: Machida Human Network hosted a welcoming party for us at the meeting room. There were pizza, sandwiches and Japanese finger food. We had a fun time introducing ourselves and chatted freely about a variety of subjects.

Group photo with Machida Human Network staff.

2022: The party ended with group photos taken. I requested for and was provided with a line to log in. It felt good to be using a regular line to surf. The patchy wireless connection at the Hino Experience Room was a pain to use. When the office closed for the night, I turned on the WiFi, got a strong signal and was a happy camper.