Chiba Days #38 - Goodbye

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale for the final chapter of Chiba Days. That is right, after spending close to six months in Japan, it is finally time for me to say goodbye to the country which I have had the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time in. While it comes at a heavy heart, life does go on as do my professional obligations require me to return to my home country. 

Over the course of my six months in Japan, it has been a tremendous experience with ample amount of material to write on about. In fact, in the past six months, I have not written a single figure review yet still have had sufficient material to cover for our daily coverage here on Tiro Finale. Articles such as Chiba Days, Diamond Rush and the weekly trips to Akihabara would not have been possible without my prime location.

Nevertheless, all good things eventually come to the end. And just as I opened the new chapter half a year ago to live in a country completely unknown to me with the exception of holidays, it was time for me to close that book and move on with a new chapter too. 

One part of closing this chapter involves moving out of my 1LDK apartment in Chiba which I had gotten extremely fond of over the days and months I have spent in it sheltering from the harsh winter that is Japan's. And let me tell you, moving out of a rented apartment in Japan is no small feat. For starters, most renters expect the property to be exactly the same way it was when initially passed rented to you. This means everything from cleaning, organizing and disposing of waste has to be done by the tenant. 

This may not seem like a problem for most countries where similar conditions are upheld in rented properties too. But, the difficulty in Japan rises from the trouble involved in separating and disposing of garbage. To make matters more difficult, large items such as pillows and futons have to be disposed of in a special method involving an appointment with the municipal. As such, the lead up to moving out took me a good week to prepare which, I will admit, really help set the reality in that it was indeed time to go.

Despite all the prior preparation for leaving, a wave of emotions once again rushed over me as I took one final step out of my apartment. That is the scene I see early every morning when departing on my daily commute yet, I always took it for granted. But on this final day, the sky appeared to be particularly blue. I took in a deep breath and thought to myself, "Thank you, Chiba" as I took my first step towards the airport.

With that, we have come to the final chapter of Chiba Days. If you have been following this irregular series throughout the past six months, I thank you very much fro that. And if this is new to you, perhaps I could interest you in taking a look at the series where I make various observations about daily living in Japan. With this chapter closed, Tiro Finale will now be transitioning to our regular style of figure and merchandise reviews. Until that time, thank you so very much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!