Sleepless nights and Konbini vibes

Somehow, I found myself in a completely different universe. I’ve flown all the way across the world to be a student in a Japanese university with subpar knowledge of the Japanese language. As soon as I put down my bags, took off the unnecessary layers of clothes, I realised I am completely enamoured yet paralysed by this “larger than life” city - Tokyo. The pre-journey jitters made me avoid all Japanese related content and vigorously look on Google Maps to find my dormitory, the university and everything of importance regarding my navigation. The first month felt like an extremely luxurious brain fog - managing my new ‘social’ life, filling paperwork to become a Japanese resident and student, dealing with the extreme weather. All this was all bubble wrapped by my endless exploration of the city and its most fascinating neighbourhoods. After classes started a month later, I realised I could never grasp the mundane; not the way I am experiencing it, not in the way I experience the sightseeing and exploring part of my life in Japan. 

The hype of Tokyo can never be truly perceived without understanding the availability of the convenience stores, the pleasure of drinking an exteremely cheap whiskey soda, being a tourist in the touristy areas while also a local in the residential area. I am living in a cash society that relies on extreme use of paper and plastic, with the fully conscious decision to keep using fax machines, but at the same time years ahead in their efficiency and convenience and revolutionary train station jingles. 

Japan can make you feel like you are somewhere worlds apart. And it’s not a lonely feeling, rather it’s a masterpiece of a dream -  the passion for baseball, the liveliness of their nature hugged between a million skyscrapers, the extreme politeness and eagerness of its citizens, the extremely busy and convoluted train stations. Once the sun sets, the izakayas start filling up, people start passing out on the ground and the sheer volume of the  crowds in Shibuya reaches its peak. And if I could make visiting Japanese thrift stores, drinking at jazz bars and contemplating philosophical ideas on the train last forever, I would.