Today was quite the rollercoaster. It all started yesterday when we had an introduction to the Yokohama Campus Gym. We were given a schedule for the gym’s operating hours, but since it was in Japanese, I couldn’t fully understand the details. From what I gathered from the chart, it seemed like the gym would be open today from 17:00 to 19:00, so I planned my visit accordingly.

When I got to the gym, I waited for 15 minutes only to realize it wasn’t going to open. There was a sign up, but again, it was only in Japanese, so I had no idea what it said. Frustrated, I headed back, and after some searching, I found another schedule posted that seemed to say the gym would be closed from the 14th to the 16th. It would have been so helpful to have had this information yesterday.

On top of that, I had spoken to the dormitory staff, who told me there was a bike rental place near the campus. I need an e-bike because the regular rental bikes don’t allow me to raise the seat high enough, which is a safety concern for me. So, after the gym fiasco, I figured I’d go check out this bike rental spot.

However, finding it wasn’t easy. The dormitory staff had pointed it out on a campus map, but once I arrived, it wasn’t clear where I should go. There’s a map at the entrance near Building 28, but since bikes aren’t allowed on campus, I had to leave mine outside. I couldn’t see the map from the street, so I figured I’d just step over quickly and take a look.

Here’s where things got tense. As I was leaving my bike on the street and walking toward the map, a campus guard started yelling at me. I tried to explain in broken Japanese and English that I just needed to check the map for a moment, but he kept shouting. He even got closer, making the situation feel very threatening. I kept trying to explain, but it became clear he wasn’t going to listen. Eventually, I decided to take my bike and leave to avoid escalating the situation any further. Even as I walked away, the guard followed me, still shouting that I couldn’t leave my bike there. I managed to take a photo of the map from behind a fence, but by that point, I was shaking.

Now, an hour later, I’m still shaken up by the whole encounter. It felt really unsettling, and as an exchange student just trying to follow the rules, I didn’t know what else to do. The whole situation was scary and uncomfortable.

The bigger issue here is that the map isn’t visible from outside campus grounds, which makes things difficult for people like me who might need it. On top of that, the guard’s reaction was far more aggressive than necessary. I understand that he was just doing his job, but a bit of understanding and communication could have prevented this from turning into such an intimidating encounter.

Moving forward, I think the campus should consider placing the map somewhere more accessible, especially for those of us who are trying to navigate the area. And honestly, after this experience, I feel like I could use some support to process what happened. I’ll be heading back to campus soon, but I’m already anxious about how to handle it if something similar happens again.