Recalling my first time exploring Tokyo after living in Tokyo for a month, I’ve made a habit of wandering through its thin streets and alleyway paths aimlessly, taking in the atmosphere and searching for novel experiences. At first, however, I remember being quite overwhelmed by it all, but I wasn’t going to let my nerves keep me from enjoying what Japan’s vast capital has to offer.

Not sure exactly where to begin, I stepped outside the front door of the small apartment I had been staying at in Shibuya-Ku and began to walk. With no destination or route to follow, all I could do was observe. I walked for what felt like hours, listening and watching as people went about their daily lives. Students, office workers, law enforcement, postal workers, etc. each wearing their respective uniforms, hurrying to get somewhere. I continued to walk, admiring the infrastructure of the city until I came across Yoyogi Park. It was there, among the groves of various types of trees and quiet ponds that I sat down to rest. The still air was a serene intermission from the hustle of the streets. Families sat together for picnics on the wide lawns. The sound of someone quietly strumming a guitar came from somewhere in the distance. A group of friends was enthusiastically playing catch as they told jokes, laughing and smiling amongst each other. I felt as though any anxiety I felt up until that point had been carried away by the still-warm early autumn breeze as it brushed past me. I’m not sure how long I stayed there, but eventually, the sun started to set and I returned to the city streets.

As day turned to night there was a clear shift in the overall attitude of the city. Formal uniforms were replaced by casual outfits and there was less of a sense of urgency in the way people walked. Young couples held hands openly and friends teased each other while looking for places to drink. Brightly lit signs contrasted against the dark starless night sky. All of this walking and watching was making me hungry so I stopped for some ramen and a beer at the second-story Ichiran in front of the Meiji-Jingumae station exit. I leisurely enjoyed a bowl of tonkotsu ramen with green onions and sliced pork along with a cold glass of Asahi Super Dry. Feeling satisfied, I walked back across the street to the station and boarded the Chiyoda line bound for my apartment. Before ending the day, I stopped at a Konbini for dessert and then finally fell asleep.