Tokyo 2018
Photos from my month-long stay in Japan
Tokyo is known for its overstimulation: Saturated signs attempt to outshine each other in stuffed commercial districts. Busy commuters pack subway cars and stream through crowded crosswalks. Pachinko Parlors buzz with the inconceivably loud sounds of arcade melodies and descending steel balls. Even small lunch spots play daytime television with five types of flashing graphics.
Yet there is balance.
Extensive gardens give citizens something green to explore and see from the skyscrapers. Subway riders organize themselves into diagonal lines and ordinarily apologize for intrusion. Relaxing onsen provide respite from tiny apartments and black business suits. Secluded shrines pepper discreet sidewalks, offering a place to pray or drink canned coffee from any of the abundant vending machines. This harmony is what makes Tokyo exceptional, more than its reputation as a flashy metropolis.
