tokyo’s alleyways, my sketchbook, and why i hate winter
i woke up to the sound of a vending machine hissing and a neighbor’s cat yowling outside my window. it’s 12.5°C, which is basically a frozen dream, but i rolled out of bed in my favorite oversized hoodie and started painting the alley outside my hostel. the graffiti here is wild-some dude painted a giant octopus with neon eyes, and i swear it looked like it was judging me. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
the neighborhood’s vibe is all chaos. if you get bored, the mountains are just a short drive away, but honestly, i’m more interested in the vending machines selling matcha lattes at 2am. i heard that somewhere a local once told me the sushi place on shinjuku street serves ghost rice, which sounds ridiculous, but i’m sticking with it. someone told me that the train station has a hidden shrine, and i’m 70% sure that’s a rumor. i saw a drunk guy whispering to a statue and then sprint away. maybe he was right?
i tried to take a photo of the octopus graffiti, but my phone died. i had to ask a stranger for a charger, and he gave me this weird bottle of wasabi paste. i put it on my sketchbook and it smelt like regret. the weather here is so consistent-12.54°C, like some kind of digital clock. i don’t know if that’s a good thing. i walked past a pharmacy and saw a sign that said "free cough drops" and immediately thought it was a trap. turns out, it was. next thing i know, i’m coughing up a leaf. that’s my story.
i got lost on the way to the train station and ended up in a park where people were playing some weird game with sticks. they were yelling in Japanese, but i managed to eavesdrop and learned that it’s called "stick ninja." i tried it and immediately felt like a failure. the gray sky was perfect for painting, though. i used my sketchbook as a shield from the wind and ended up with a page that looked like a chaotic underwater scene. i posted it on instagram and wrote "this is how i see tokyo." no one liked it. but i’m still proud.
i also heard that the local bakery sells bread that’s been aged for a week. someone warned me about it on yelp, saying it’s "unaged but still alive." i went there and bought a loaf. it tasted like a secret. or maybe regret. i don’t know. but i put it in my backpack and now i’m walking through a market with a loaf of bread that might be cursed. who knows?
check out the tripadvisor reviews for the best ramen spots-someone said the shop on kanda has a secret menu of happy meals. yelp has a list of the worst coffee shops, which is basically a service to humanity. if you’re into street art, the local board has a map of all the legal and illegal spots. i followed it and ended up in a construction site. turn out, the artist there was a retired dancer. she taught me how to paint with her hands. i think she was trying to pass the time until her next gig.
the map below is just a tiny piece of tokyo. i promise there’s more where that came from. if you’re brave enough, follow the stray cats. they know the best shortcuts. and don’t forget to check the unemployment office-someone once told me they have free sushi if you’re broke enough. i didn’t try it, but i’m curious.
i’m not sure if i’ll write another post. maybe i’ll just paint until the cold kills me. but if you’re reading this, thanks for sticking around. or maybe not. i’m too tired. anyway, the weather here is perfect for forgetting your problems. or maybe it’s not. who knows?
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