Meet with Janessa at Yadoya Guesthouse

Nakano Station building has two levels above ground with eight platforms. The front lobby of station is stretched out with a canopy made of Aluminum Composite Panel until it is right at the front gate of Nakano Sun Mall. When I got there, I exited the north door with a huge paved courtyard decorated with doves which had lunch.

Day was already towards afternoon, it was still cold even though the clock was pointing on 13:40 hours. I just thought of going to the hotel, putting my backpack and starting my first adventure in Tokyo.

I bypassed the parallel road to the right of station’s north gate. Tucked in the haughty feet of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. Only a row of mural art on the wall which had fuction as barrier the rail line which was able to provide a mood booster that afternoon..

Then I began to entering narrow alleys with three meters wide heading north. That afternoon, every street I passed was deserted, the bustle was very subtle along alleys I was walking through in the Nakano District. Maybe it was because the population of Nakano was only three hundred thousand inhabitants.

Even restaurants which were mushrooming along the alley were still tightly closed, later I would see the excitement of that restaurants when night came. The night where in every restaurant there would stand a man who invited everyone to entering into it. In my head memory, I still remembered some of the names of these restaurants. This showed that I was very impressed during my stay in Nakano District. Izakaya, Tsuyamaru, Gyu No Simonya, Hakata Mangetsu and Ikkenme Sakaba were some of the names of restaurants there. Did I taste their cooking?. NO, I explained again “NO”. Because everyday in Nakano, every time I walked on to meet my stomach needs, I could only buy two pieces of onigiri at a regular FamilyMart in Fureai Road.

“Hi, Where are you coming from?” I asked the dormitory receptionist. I didn’t want to just enjoy her beauty in silence. I better started the conversation.

“Hi Donny, I’m Janessa from Portugal”, of course she knew my name, because she was checking my passport number before giving me a bunk bed where I slept at Yadoya Guesthouse.

“Hi Janessa, I’m very surprised because the receptionist isn’t Japanese, but you”, I started with smile.

“Yeah, I’m working here. It’s nice country”, her smile looked happy.

“Donny, your bunk bed is at fourth level. So enjoying to burn your calorie by walking on stairs there”, Janessa added with a little joke.

“Okay, Janessa. It’s no matter. I’m strong backpacker”, I ended the conversation.

Yadoya Guesthouse left so much impression. There were a lot of silliness in it that made me laugh sometimes when I remembered it. Some of them were when a night I had to wash with cold water because I couldn’t find the location of heating button, or a morning when I found two European lovebirds have cuddle sleeping in a small bunk bed with thick blankets. Or a time on the middle of night, It was hard to closing my eyes because my bed seemed to freezing. Maybe a dormitory for 2,000 Yen per night wasn’t suitable for staying in Japan in winter.

From sixteen bunk beds in the room, I met my close neighbor, a solo backpacker from Brunei Darussalam, who was cute in her hijab. Yes, I knew where she came from because I found the image of crescent moon with both hands raised which is the symbol of her country clearly affixed to her backpack.

Whatever I felt, Nakano District still gave a deep impression in my adventure to know Tokyo and Yadoya Guesthouse became the umpteenth home in part of my trip.