1-2 Heading to the Interview
- Travel to Face
- Nov 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 17
The Interview Day
I couldn’t sleep well last night. Following the interview guidebook, I had prepared so desperately over the past week that even I was surprised at myself. Today is the interview at the travel company in Nishi-Asakusa.
The company is about a ten-minute walk from Tawaramachi Station on the Ginza Line. Although my interview starts at 2 p.m., I couldn’t bear waiting at home, so I left early and first headed to Asakusa Station, the next stop on the line.
Asakusa’s Heat
I had heard that Asakusa was full of inbound travelers. Sure enough, once I passed through the ticket gate, I found myself surrounded on all sides by foreign tourists heading toward Kaminarimon and the Asakusa district.
Climbing the stairs, I stepped into an arcade filled with a heat unimaginable for June. I decided to walk toward Sensō-ji Temple. There were still about forty minutes before my interview.
Everyone walking through the arcade looked like a tourist— soon, everyone even seemed like a foreign visitor to me.
Turning left partway, I came out onto Nakamise Street, buried among the many tourists as I walked toward Sensō-ji.
Around noon, Nakamise Street had no shade at all, and the heat was unbearable. Yet the souvenir shops and sweet stores lining both sides of the street added color to the town and drew the tourists in.
For a moment I forgot the heat, and as I enjoyed the cute souvenirs and watched a foreign parent and child earnestly choosing gifts, I found myself feeling like a tourist.
A Quiet Shrine
Avoiding the overflowing crowd at Sensō-ji, I stepped into the quiet grounds of Asakusa Shrine. Whenever I come to a shrine, I always feel the same way: There is a deity here. A presence that quietly waits and welcomes.
Do all Japanese people feel something like this?
After offering words of thanks to the gods of Asakusa Shrine, I returned to the crowds and headed toward the interview venue.
A Question in the Sunlight
“Why did you decide to apply to a travel company?”
Suddenly, it felt as though someone had asked me directly. Startled, I looked around. The travelers were all absorbed in the joy of being away from their everyday lives.
Why had they chosen to visit here? Why Japan? The questions surfaced, but no answers came. A faint irritation made the blazing sunlight feel even more intense.
“If I join a travel company, I’ll surely understand.” “Let’s go to the interview.”
Leaving the Crowd Behind
Almost fleeing from the tourists, I crossed Kokusai Street and entered Kappabashi Main Street. Here, there were far fewer visitors.
Turning into a side alley, I thought I must be getting close. Finally, rounding the corner of an old apartment building, I saw a man about ten meters ahead, fanning himself in the scorching heat and looking up at the sky.
The Man Outside the Door
When he noticed me, he waved his fan and called out, “Are you Tabina?”
He said my name in a surprisingly loud voice.
“Our company doesn’t stand out, so I thought it was about time you’d arrive and stepped outside. Thanks for coming in this heat! It’s cool inside—come in. It’s our day off today, so I’m the only one here.”
I was the one who had requested a Sunday interview— their regular holiday.
Into the Office
The automatic door opened, and cool air wrapped around my body.
“That man… he’s the president— the one from the website photo.”
He walked deeper into the dim office, his white shirt slowly dissolving into the darkness.
As I watched it fade, sweat suddenly poured from my entire body like a flood.
“Um…” “— — —” “Let’s go over there.”
Catching sight of the faint white shirt ahead, I chased after it and leapt through the doorway into the darkness.
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