Cover by Takahiro Taguchi Dotombori, 10 pm. The street was neon-drenched and the soundtrack was synthetic saccharine J-pop. I stepped into a bar. “Irashaimase!”, shouted…
I was in the Tokyo suburb of Shibuya when I first laid eyes on one. Nothing about my bright and hectic surroundings felt familiar to…
The trainee clerk at 7/11 gives me a nervous smile as she fumbles my items through the scanner. I wait for her to see the…
Wet necks stretch gracefully; curled tendrils trace cheekbones as heads balance above the steaming water. A wave ripples out as breasts, followed by hips and…
As tame as your ‘Live Laugh Love’ tattoo may be at home, in the Land of the Rising Sun, skin ink has traditionally been associated…
Get There: 3-1 Asakusa 2-chome, Taito-ku. Majestic, colourful Senso-ji is swarming with tourists every day of the week. In fact, its main temple, Kannon-do, is…
Get There: 3 Chome-13-1 Yanaka, Taitō. Nippori is the closest JR station, but you can also get there easily from Sendagi station. Central Tokyo is great,…
It’s an unfortunate reality that most animal interactions you dreamed of as a child – from swimming with dolphins to posing for selfies with a…
Get There: Train to Ikuabata, Sawai or Mitake Station At the peak of summer, being in Tokyo is much akin to being inside a giant,…
It’s dark outside, and I’ve found myself bent over a toilet seat with a hand on my bum and a foot in my face. Grunting…
I was trying to explain to him why the only phrase I knew in French besides, “Oui, oui,” was “Will you please take off your…
An eager young cop kits up, does his hair, knocks back a not-so-fresh brewed café latte from 7/11 and trots off to Tokyo Station, where…
