Crazy Bank Non-Adventures

Okay, since I'm down to like 200-300 yen in cash, I decided to exchange some hawt traveler's cheques for the sweet cash monies today. This would have been great, if banks were attended by human beings. The first day I got here, Declan Murphy, the Student Services guy who took me to my apartment, pointed out the Shinkin Bank and told me that was the best place to take care of all of my monetary needs, including traveler's cheques. So I went to said bank after school today, only to find a 15 square foot (roughly) room with to machines on it, that didn't seem to have anything to do with traveler's cheques. Hmm.

Phase 2: I decided to try the bank behind the train station that my classmate Christian Hoelzl (pronounced "Hoyjvkdjfjhfhfrytgfhryghfhjfhvnvnvgjfnzle") told me about. I found the bank, which was also a Shinkin Bank, and it too was just a small room with some machines. Hmmmm.

Phase 3: I decided to try SoftBank, a place right near my apartment that I pass by everyday, that appeared to be a small private bank, so I wasn't sure they would do traveler's cheques. So, I walk into SoftBank, and start gesturing to me traveler's cheques and using key English words like "traveler's," "cheques," and "exchange." After some mostly indecipherable babble, the attendants pointed to the side of the room. At the very moment I looked to this area, I realized that SoftBank was simply a poorly named cell phone store. Embarrassed, I successfully asked in Japanese "Ginkowa doko desu ka?" (Where is the bank?) and they told me the bank, wherever it was, closed at 3. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Will James find a real bank? Will the attendants understand him? Will he rightfully recieve his yen for exchanging his coveted traveler's cheques?

Who knows, but I'm not about to use the cliche you all were so clearly anticipating. Instead, enjoy this picture: