In fact, before returning to China in April, I started planning a trip to Japan. I applied for a visa in the United States and bought a Japan Shinkansen train pass that only foreign tourists can buy. I got in touch with a friend who has been teaching English for two years in Fukui, a large rural area in Japan. Just in time for the May Day Golden Week in Japan, she also has a week off and can play with me. Together the two made a…