Lights! Beer! Money! People!

I have been in Tokyo for a month. Officially. I arrived September 13th.

Today I also felt my deepest love and strongest aversion to this city.

Tokyo is exciting, fun, and interesting. But a challenge, every day.

I finally did some real shopping today; I went into Harujuku and came out a little lighter in the wallet, but a little heavier in Tokyo style. And it took a while, but I even found a store that carries shoes in my size. No joke, the highest size that most stories carry is LL, which fits about 2/3 of my foot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cinderella was Japanese, and her two step-sisters were American.

In Tokyo there are always lights! Always people! So much wealth! And beer! After Harujuku I went to the nearby Yoyogi park, which is SO beautiful! It is right in the city, but it’s so big and quiet. Sitting there, listening to the rush of the water in the fountain behind me, and an amateur saxophonist in the near distance, I felt my first pang of love for Tokyo. Since I arrived I’ve appreciated it for what it is, what I know it to be, but it wasn’t personal. Tonight for the first time something in this vast, busy, wealthy, efficient city actually touched me.

I also realized my saturation point. A friend called – ‘hey, let’s go to Shinjuku!’ But I was in Shinjuku earlier today, and a couple of nights ago, and a few days before that. I was in Shibuya last night, and 3 nights ago, and so on. I am so Shinjuku-ed out. I’m Shibuya-ed out. With respect to lights, people, money, and beer, I’m Tokyo-ed out. It’s easy to go with the excitement, it’s easy to get carried. Being in the calm and seclusion of Yoyogi park showed me the frenzy that I was taking part in.

I still love Tokyo as much as I did in the park. It’s not a grand love, not yet. But what’s there is real. Because Tokyo is real. The sushi, crowded trains, Kanji, fashion, sumo, last train, futons, typhoons. The good, bad and everything – and this is what I wanted. To experience the city as an insider – as inside as a fresh Gaijin can be. I’m able to feel love for Tokyo because I can see its imperfections too.