(rewritten from original post)
Getting my train pass fixed was surprisingly easy, thanks to basic level Japanese and helpful JR staff.
After work I went for some beer with new trainees. There is another Canadian! He is unfortunately from New Brunswick, but I won`t hold that against him. I learned that there was a sequel to Trainspotting (the book) called Porno. Parts of the book are written in phonetic Scottish to communicate how strong some character’s accents are. Reading a few pages of it melted my brain.
Drinking in Japan 