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The All-Nighter's Guide to Toyama Station and its Immediate Surroundings!!!
By Brad Griffith
So friend, you've decided to stay out all night? Well, let this guide ease you in to the next day as gently as the smell of Folgers in the morning.
First and foremost, the station itself: Don't look for warmth in the bathrooms, you won't find any. However, the station bathrooms are fairly clean. If you are planning on staying for several nights, you can probably rent out the pay toilet, but that's never a good option since no matter how clean they are, station toilets always smell like tinkle. Rather, I would suggest to you go in to the small waiting room by the Soba Shop. It is a warm place, and the TV is always on. If you can sleep sitting up, feel free to grab an hours worth of intermittent cat naps on one of the many octagonal cushions in the middle of the room. Go ahead, people won't mind. Most of them are bums like you. Especially that real bum that often sleeps, laying down, across all of the cushions. You could ask him to leave, I suppose, but have a heart, the guy has no shoes for crying out loud.
Need some entertainment? Don't try the bowling alley, you silly ass, It's closed until 10am. I found this one out the hard way. I sat staring into its unfathomable darkness at 8am when I ran into one of the employees coming to clean for opening. She smiled that smile you smile at insane people that you half pity, and told me come back at 10. Buck up, though, kiddo. There is still much to do in the twilight hours of the morning! Might I suggest grabbing a hearty meal of mystery meat at Yoshinoyas? Always friendly, always warm, always cheap. Take a load off.
So you've eaten, you catnapped, you've walked about, but you still need to kill some time before you go bowling at 10am? Why not try Mr. Donuts? The family friendly atmosphere, rockin' music, and bottomless coffee make Mr. Donuts a must see for the all-nighter. Every twenty minutes or so one of the nice worker-ladies will walk around with a pot of coffee, filling up anyone who looks tired. Believe me, they will fill you up as long as you sit there. I sat there for over an hour, and they just kept coming! Four steaming cups of coffee later you might still be shaking when you step outside, but it won't be from the cold!
Cap off the remaining half of an hour before Golden Bowl opens with a quick visit to The Circle K across the street. Peruse the 999 yen movie selection while you grab a bottle of champagne and some OJ. It's time to bowl.
Pop the cork and sip on some mimosas whilst you warm up your bowling arm for your 12pm engagement. When all is said and done, you will have been awake for over thirty hours! Kick back and relax, friend. You deserve it.