Why is it so hard?

Nothing is ever easy in Japan. Nothing. EVER. At least not for a foreigner that speaks no Japanese. But once you resign yourself to that fact, traveling through this wacky country becomes much more enjoyable.

I`ve found that you must accept that if you tell the waiter you`re vegetarian, chances are, he`ll bring you squid pancakes.

You must recognize the likelihood that as soon as you spend your last 1000 yen bill, none of the ATMs for a mile radius will take your card.

You must embrace the fact that if you`re attempting to travel from Nagasaki to Beppu, not only is it possible that every train that day is cancelled, it`s actually probable. And you will find yourself paying for a four hour bus ride when the two hour train trip would have been free with your Japan Rail Pass. Nor must you be shocked when the bus you`re on does not in fact stop in Beppu, or maybe it did and you missed it because you do not speak Japanese, and you end up in a completely different city. One you`ve never heard of, in which you have no place to stay, and it`s getting dark.

This, my friends, this is just another day of travel in Japan. It`s never easy.