It's been just over a week since I landed in Tokyo; I'm still settling in, but it's starting to feel more 'everyday' bit by bit. It's interesting to me how mundane it all feels; going grocery shopping and doing laundry while the centre of Tokyo is only half an hour away on the train. I knew it wouldn't be the same as the little two week holiday I took between Tokyo and Osaka back in 2019, but it's hard not to feel like my rose-tinted reminiscing hasn't effected my expectations a little. Perhaps it's the lack of jet lag, the fact that I was in the comparatively far more intense Hong Kong a week before, or maybe it's the 4 years I've spent mulling over the idea of this trip.

My return to Japan was greeted by over 2 hours spent in the queue for immigration at a heaving Narita Airport, crowds of excited tourists and likely a few people like me - hopeful travellers anxious to get their Residence Card. Instead of the sunny walk to Meiji Shrine I had planned for my first day back, I spent a miserably wet Sunday revisiting my other old favourite tourist spots in the city; dodging the rain around Sensō-Ji Temple and browsing cramped shops in Akihabara, before stopping by Uniqlo and spending a little too long trying to find a pair of slippers that fit me for my move-in the following day.

(A note on clothing: outside of thrifting American-sized pieces, I think my prospects of clothes shopping are basically zero over here)
[editor's note: I was fine]

All that said, Tokyo is exciting and I'm still just fresh off the boat. Coming from a part of England where - because it's not say, London or Manchester - not a lot goes on, the prospect of a creative and cultural hub like Tokyo being right on my doorstep hasn't quite sunk in yet. "Popping into town" feels strange knowing that now that means a noise rock show in Kōenji or thrifting in Shimokitazawa. After moving back home for half a year towards the end of 2022, "moving out" means travelling nearly 6,000 miles.

(If you're into photography, maybe consider giving my Instagram a follow - I've been making plenty of photos since getting here.)

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This post was originally written in late March 2023 and published on the previous incarnation of this website. It has been reposted here for archival purposes.