TITLE   : Postcards from Japan
PROJECT : Postcards to a friend
FORMAT  : Printed postcard-sized photos (8) 
          with handwritten messages
SENT    : November 2024

On the second day, we were attempting to walk a half-marathon distance (21 km) across Tokyo. An ambitious plan, as it turned out we were too tired by the end and only finished 18 km. Other than the planned stops like Suga Shrine, the Setagaya public toilet, and 21\_21 Design Sight, we saw a lot of interesting things along the way. A couple doing a photo shoot in wedding dress, the Tokyo National Stadium rising against the skyline, and then, unexpectedly, these sumo athletes. I’m not sure where exactly they came from or where they were headed. But it felt oddly cinematic. I think that’s the charm of experiencing a city by walking through it. It slows everything down, puts you right up close to the city’s life, one step at a time.

You will find many shrines and temples across Japan. When I was in Kamakura, I visited shrines and temples. I did some praying in two different shrines. I learned how to do the praying ritual by observing how the locals do it.

1. Take a bow outside the torii gate before entering the shrine.
2. You walk to the shrine, and take another bow.
3. Throw a coin to the offering box in front of you. (preferably 5 yen coin based on local custom)
4. Grab the rope with both hands and ring the bell twice.
5. Bow deeply twice.
6. Clap your hands twice at chest level then keep your hand pressed together and you pray silently.
7. After you finish praying, take another bow and leave.

Not all travel stories are fun and all. I had a “bad day” too during this trip. On the third day, we went to an outskirt area called Tokorozawa, Saitama. We planned to walk from the Totoro fund house to Sayama Lake, then to Sayama Lakeside Cemetery. The thing is, it was raining all day long. And Tokorozawa is a rural area. We walked through small village roads, farms, plantations, and forest. It was like trekking or hiking. As a person who dislikes rain, this situation was hellish. But not for Adi. He really enjoyed the rain. He imagined he was the main character in some anime world or something, while I was nagging the whole trek. It wasn’t just the rain; it was the combination of the rain, the trek, the atmosphere, and being completely wet. Imagine trekking through a tea plantation in the rain. Something like that. It became more enjoyable later when we went to the neighboring town for lunch. The rain didn’t bother us as much then.

In this trip, I was accompanied by my architect friend. Some of our destinations were architecture objects. I could say, for him, it was something close to an architecture pilgrimage. He told me about some architect figures like Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, and Le Corbusier. He also taught me a little bit about architecture: the material, the facade, the form, etc. I listened and looked, and slowly started to see what he was seeing.

But my favorite spot was the Tokyo International Forum, and it wasn’t even in our itinerary. On the fourth day, while we were strolling around, we stumbled onto it by accident. The place is enormous. And what strikes me first is the verticality of it. A soaring glass atrium that feels simultaneously open and enclosed, like being inside a cathedral made of light. The ceiling climbs so high above me that it made me feel very, very small standing there. Like genuinely small.

If I ever visit Tokyo again, I would not go to Shibuya Crossing. It’s way too crowded, and not in a thrilling way. The kind of crowd that makes you anxious. Too many people from every direction and you just wanna get out from there. My friend felt it too: got overwhelmed, and need to leave. Most people there aren’t actually trying to get anywhere. They’re crossing the intersection just to experience the crossing itself, phones raised, rushing through the crowd, then turning around to do it again. I get it. I did it too. But once is enough. It’s more of a spectacle than an experience, and it fades quickly.

There was one thing I really wanted to do while in Japan: experience an onsen. I convinced Adi to include Hakone in our itinerary after visiting Odawara. Honestly, I didn’t know much about Hakone at first. I just noticed on the map that it was close, and a quick search told me it was famous for its onsen. Good enough reason.

The experience itself was genuinely awkward. Being completely naked in a public hot spring bath, surrounded by a couple of nihonjin men, and being the only gaijin in the room has a way of making you hyperaware of yourself. The nihonjin men acted completely normally. We did not.

Eventually I mustered up my courage and just went with it: walked to the open bath confidently, pretending no one was looking. Adi, on the other hand, remained shy throughout, still covering himself by the time I’d fully committed to the bit.

Verdict: it was a new, awkward, and oddly freeing experience. Would do it again.

Metadata

All photos are shot on film using Pentax MX + SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/2 lens

Film stock (in order):
1. KW 800T
2. Kodak Pro Image 100
3. Ilford HP5 plus 400
4. Fujifilm Fujicolor 100
5. Kodak Portra 800
6. Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400 (expired)
7. Kodak Portra 400
8. Fujifilm Fujicolor 100