Day 117 - Unforgettable Encounters: The Kindness and Humanity of People Across Language Barriers

Updated: Oct 9, 2023

Day 117 (28 Apr 2023) - Tomakomai, Japan

DAY 117 (28 APR 2023) – I stayed overnight at Tomakomai, which is situated at the southern end of Hokkaido Island, Japan.

Since I planned to get back to mainland Japan, I tried booking a ferry over the phone but I had some difficulties due to the language barrier.

Luckily, I met a wonderful couple who were also guests at the same hostel. We communicated well since they spoke good English. They helped me to book a ferry from Tomakomai to Oarai.

The ferry was scheduled to depart at 6.45 pm. As I was preparing to leave to the terminal, my GPS and even google maps were not showing the coordinates.

I asked around and got the help of a very kind man who told me to follow his vehicle. Since he was a petrol tank driver - I followed his petrol tank truck all the way to the ferry terminal, which was just 28 km away!

I finally boarded this huge ferry called ‘Sunflower Sapporo’ for a 19 hour journey to Oarai.

Ever since I got here, I have come across many Japanese people who were very friendly and helpful, despite the language barrier. I am very thankful for the help and kindness of these wonderful people in my hour of need.

MY JAPAN JOURNEY MAP