In Tokyo, rush hour extends to 8pm. Not because of systemic inefficiency, but simply because lots of people work later than 6 o’clock. And I…
The legacy of one William Shakespeare specifically outlined the various separate qualities of a tragedy and a comedy: two stories destined never to interlink, telling…
The black coffee reflects the vague shape of a little boy who thinks he’s a man. It’s rather off-putting, to be honest. Like the transition…
“You are not drunk!” It’s two in the morning and I’m shouting at a mountain – I’m definitely drunk. A weekend trip that replaced Tokyo’s…
It was approaching midnight on a cold Tuesday. My boyfriend and I were drunkenly trawling the backstreets of Shibuya, leading us to the street of…
During my stay in Japan, I observed a lot of fortune-telling in Tokyo. I write “observed” because I found it difficult to get my own…
The first thing I noticed about Colombo Cornershop was its owner doling out takeaway coffees from the side window. His bowl haircut and baggy red…
Hi, I’m interested in your collection. *Delete Delete Delete* Hello, I would like to come and see your dolls. *Delete Delete Delete* Maybe I should…
I can feel my face turning a warm, visibly peachy colour as those uncomfortable, familiar prickles run up my neck, around my ears, even to…
The Sumida river flows through Tokyo the way the memory of Fisherman Yoru (night in Japanese) will course through my head, reminding me about the…
I’ve always been a model citizen. Not a church boy, but just enough so my moral compass feels I’m benefitting the world in some fashion….
I’m 10 minutes into my hike to Abukuma Caves when I realise I have a slight problem. The last few days of marching on a…
