Japan Adventure Series Part 4 - Amazing Race: Lost Passport Edition

Every tourist knows that losing their passport in a foreign country is unspeakable. I would say it’s tantamount to making “harmless” bomb threat jokes. Exaggerated? Perhaps. But I’m allowed to say that because I had firsthand experience and it sure felt like a nightmare. But let me start with the calm before the storm.
_{Part 1: Travel Paranoia / 25 on 25th / Part 2: Hello, Deer / Happy Muggle / Part 3: I Saw Her Majesty}

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A Happy Pancake

What a good morning! Did the concert really happen yesterday? I checked my phone for the embarrassing videos I took of myself. Okay sure, it happened!

The day started perfectly. We had our itinerary planned out. We’re going to eat brunch at A Happy Pancake in Shinsaibashi, go to Cup Noodle Museum, go back to the National Museum of Housing and Living, and finally be on our way to the airport.

I really made sure to eat at this place before we go home because Anne Curtis, a famous celebrity in Philippines, shared her experience eating the fluffiest pancakes she’s ever had in A Happy Pancake in Osaka. Since I’m already here, might as well try it!

Thankfully, the place was not jam-packed. Usually, people make a reservation before they go here. Unaware of the typical procedure, we just walked in, and seeing that there are still vacant tables, they accepted us. It took a long while before brunch was served but it was worth the wait. True enough, they really were the fluffiest pancake I ever tasted! Plus the ambiance and presentation were so posh!

Almost On Our Way to Cup Noodle Museum

With our tummies full, we were now on our way to the Cup Noodle Museum. Before making the trip, we left our luggage first in one of the coin lockers in Namba station. Then, we were headed to Ikeda station, the nearest station to the Cup Noodle Museum. From Namba station, the trip was longer than usual. All seats were taken at the start of the trip, so I was just standing by the door.

Here’s the first trigger of the domino effect.

My shoulders were aching because my backpack was heavy and I have been standing for a while.

So, I placed my backpack above on the luggage rack.

When some commuters went off the station, I took my seat located across diagonally. Because I was full, I slept for a while 🐷

When I woke up, I looked at my phone to see if we were near, but then realized we just missed our station!

No matter, we’re just going to get off the next station and ride the train back.

As soon as we reached the next station, we immediately exited the train. Suddenly, an old man probably in his 70’s who’s using a cane caught our attention. He was speaking Japanese so we didn’t understand him. He was making hand gestures which we interpreted as him saying we should just take the train across to get back to Ikeda station. We thanked him.

As we were sitting on the bench waiting for the next train, I found my lips chapped. The picture above was literally the moment I noticed my lips were chapped and seconds away from the realization. I reached for my backpack to get my lipstick. But where is it? This is where the disaster starts to happen, ladies and gentlemen.

I exclaimed, “Hala!” which elicited concern from my mother beside me. I immediately voiced my realization to my parents. I left my bag in the luggage rack and that old man was trying to tell us that I forgot my bag! Dumbass. I only had my phone with me. The rest of the essentials - passport and wallet - were in the bag. It was 1 PM. Our flight was at 9 PM.

Forget the itinerary, the race was on.

Level 1: Hankyu Railway

Ok, we got this. We’re in Japan. When it comes to systems, they are the creme of the crop. They can find my bag. I just have to give all the details. So, we went to the information center of Kawanishi-noseguchi station.

Most of the Japanese people we interacted with cannot understand when we spoke in fluent English. So, there was a language barrier even with the hand gestures. I used Google voice translate on my side, while they have their own translator gadget to communicate to me. Even with all the hassle, the Japanese people are still very accommodating. They made calls and we waited anxiously.

After about an excruciating hour, they said they haven’t found the bag. Unless someone got hold of the bag, which I hope didn’t happen because Japanese people are honest and good beings, the bag must still be there. They assured us that by the end of the day, the bag will be returned. But that wasn’t very reassuring at all because our flight was tonight! I can’t leave without my passport!

Level 2: Police Station

Despite the stressful situation, I expected my parents to nag at stupid forgetful me but they were cool under pressure. The next logical step was to call the Philippine Embassy, suggested by my father. I used the nearest payphone. For the life of me, even if I placed whatever coin and dialed, I still wouldn’t understand because all I heard was Japanese!

So, we badgered another poor random Japanese soul. She was a vendor working nearby but kindly left her station unattended to assist us. She dialed the payphone and gave it back to me as soon as I reached the embassy. When I heard the lady on the other side speaking Tagalog, I felt a huge wave of comfort embrace me. I told them about my situation. They said I had to go to the nearest police station to file the loss, then bring the police report to the Embassy for processing. Oh, they close at 5 PM. It was already 2 PM.

Another helpful staff from the information center guided us right outside the train station to the nearest police station. After explaining our situation, she handed us to the police officers. There was another language barrier. So much information was being asked and the information relay was so slow it was one of the most painful moments of my life. The police officers were once again very helpful. They were concerned that my flight was tonight so they cooperated and worked fast with the report. We finished by 3:30 PM.

Level 3: Philippine Embassy

We can’t take the train back to the Embassy. That would be about an hour’s travel. I can’t risk the delay. I was aware that taxi cabs in Japan were insanely expensive, but we had no other choice. It was the fastest way. It was another painful moment of my life. Not because it was slow, but because I was riding shotgun and I can see the fare rising. No matter how hard I tried telekinesis, it just keeps increasing! I wanted the ground to eat me up at that moment every time I heard my father sigh at the backseat. It must be more painful for him cause he’s the one paying 😅 After 20 minutes, we arrived at the Embassy. The fare? It was more than 8000 yen. That's almost PhP 4000 for just a 20-minute ride! Painful, I told you.

We’re practically speed-walking, if not running, inside the building to the Philippine embassy. My mom filled the forms for me, I went down to the nearest digital photo printing shop for my passport-size picture needed for the temporary travel document, and my father paid for everything. Divide and conquer!

After all those, there’s nothing left to do but wait. All 3 of us practically begged the workers there and made them understand our situation. We were at a true-to-life Amazing Race.

In the lull moments, I kept thinking about how stupid I was. I was grateful for my parents because they did not make me feel even worse for myself. They said, all those things in my bag were replaceable. The important thing is that we were all safe. Aside from the passport, my wallet still had around PhP 20,000 worth of money inside it. Not to mention my IDs and my ATM cards. Although, my faith was really strong that the bag wasn’t stolen. It’s just that, I would have to leave without the bag. I’ll have to think later about how to retrieve the bag.

Once I had my travel document given to me by merely a few minutes before closing time, we finally released our tensed muscles. We even laughed at everything that happened. Too early for that, I guess.

Level 4: Namba Station

Finding our coin lockers felt like we were searching for the TriWizard Cup in a maze. In the midst of the search, we lost my mother in the crowd. Here are the problems that come with it:

(1) My travel document is with her.
(2) She doesn’t have her passport because my father keeps their passports together.
(3) She doesn’t have any money.
(4) She doesn’t know how to access public wifi by herself because I always do it for her.

On the other hand, she’s a force of nature. She’s a strong woman...who just got lost in a foreign country without any money. Can y’all imagine the stress? Lol

It was already almost 6 PM, but we went opposite ways with my father to find my mom. After a few minutes, we went back motherless and wifeless. We nitpicked into her brain as to what she would probably be doing right now. We tried to page her but we would have to go to the central office. Great, we have to find the locker AND the central office now? Ultimately, we decided that I would find the locker, maybe she had found it and was waiting there for us. My dad will stay at the last place we saw her in case she comes back. I’ll just call him via messenger for updates.

Was this a maze or what? It took me a long time to find our locker. I had to inconvenience a few Japs for directions again (they were all accommodating, I love you Japan). Fast forward, I found our locker but no mother!

I was beginning to worry and was very frustrated at her. I called my dad hoping she came back, but she hasn’t. I was feeling hopeless already. Looks like we were going to miss our flight this time.

Until...my mom is calling via messenger!

I might have cried out a little whimper that garnered some curious stares, but hey I’m having the worst day! When I answered the distress call, I sympathized with her instead of getting frustrated. That must be how they felt when stupid me forgot my bag. I’m loving this family support 🤣 My mom badgered a Jap for her to connect with his wifi, and grabbed him by the arm to let him guide her towards wherever our locker was! I wasn’t kidding when I said she’s a force of nature.

Level 5: Airport Limousine Bus

It was around 6:30 PM already, and we had to catch the next trip of the airport limousine bus at 6:45 PM. The next trip is at 7:30 PM; that was too late already.

The rest of the race involved badgering more Japs for directions, dragging huge luggage bags behind us as we rode the escalator, only to go down the stairs again because the ticketing office was relocated after construction. My goodness!

Suffice to say, after all the stress, we made it to the limousine bus. My feet were aching from all the running and I was very hungry already. I only had the fluffy pancakes in my stomach 😅

Level 6: Kansai International Airport Immigration Office

If you’re curious about how you could pass through the immigration line without a passport, I’m going to tell you. They ask a lot of questions, as they should. The first was at the check-in counter. Luckily, she was the only Filipina among the staff there. So, we felt akin when we told our story. Passed.

Next, was when we lined up for the immigration gates. The lady assigned to assisting the queue lines was also a Filipina. She tsk-ed when I told her I lost my passport hours ago but guided me to the far opposite side where only the plane crew could pass. I gave my travel document to the officers while I waited outside their office. I waited for around 15 minutes. A lot of versions of the worst scenarios were playing in my head. The train of thought was halted when the Japanese lady went out with my travel document, a stamp inked in the box at the bottom of the page. Passed.

You know, I expected to leave reluctantly on my last day. But no, I was in so much hurry to get home already!

Level 7: NAIA Immigration Office

Much like the feeling of paranoia when I arrived in Osaka, I had the same feeling when we arrived in NAIA. I have not considered myself in my home country yet unless I pass the last line of immigration. After much questioning and signing an affidavit of loss, they let me go. Whew! We finally finished the race, albeit the aching feet and the grumbling stomachs.

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EPILOGUE

If you’re wondering where my passport is, it’s with me already :) Technically, I can still use it because the e-chip is still intact.

How? Let’s just say it involved the Philippine Embassy, family friend, relatives of a family friend, Lost and Found department in Hankyu railway, police officers, authorization letters, my godmother (for real), and Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Yes, I lost the passport in January but it came back to my hands last April. Just as I hoped it would be, everything inside my bag was intact. How amazing are Japanese people? They continue to amaze me. I absolutely have the highest respect for them! I can’t say I could retrieve everything in my bag if I were in another country.

If I was going to evaluate my Japan trip, I’d say I had the best and worst times of my life. I spent my birthday sledding and I saw my first concert and it’s Her Majesty, Queen 😆

On the other hand, we missed a lot of sites in Kyoto and Osaka, didn’t get to do extreme rides in USJ, and to save the worst for last, the Amazing Race. But the silver lining was, we now have one hell of a story to tell! Not every family ties are tested in a foreign place with time constraints and turned out fine in the end.

This is an advice to myself: no matter what excuse I could come up with, I would never distance my bag away from my body ever again. No matter what. I think I’ve learned my lesson.

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Closing Notes: What's Next?

This where my trip ends but not the series. There's one more!

I figured I could share with you the preparations we made for this DIY trip. I hope it could help some of you here who are planning to vacation in Kyoto or Osaka. Please check it out in my next post. See you!

 

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