Tokyo Through My Lens: Numbers, Fog, and Overpriced Coffee

i've been in tokyo for three days now, and i'm already convinced the city is a giant film set where everyone forgot the script. as a freelance photographer, i came here chasing the perfect neon glow, the mist over the sumida river, the way the rain makes asphalt look like a mirror. but i didn't expect to find numbers scribbled everywhere, like a secret code only i'm supposed to crack. the first odd thing: a crumpled receipt from a konbini with 1864518 printed on it, not an amount but maybe a reference number? i kept it as a bookmark. then, while resting on a bench at yoyogi park, i noticed 1392692794 carved into the wood. it felt like a message from a time traveler, or maybe just a bored student's phone number. i took a photo of it, of course, because my brain is wired to see frames everywhere. weather here is a slippery beast. i just checked and it's... well, it's 7.06°c outside, feels like 4.81°c, humidity 55%, pressure 1020 hpa. it's the kind of cold that doesn't bite but lingers, like an unwelcome memory. i keep my camera gear in a plastic bag to avoid condensation, but the cold still sucks the battery life faster than i can say "overexposed." despite the chill, the light is insane. early morning at meiji shrine, fog between the trees, gives a ghostly vibe. later, around shibuya crossing, the neon signs bleed into puddles. i'm rotating lenses like a mad scientist. my shutter count is probably over a million by now, but i haven't checked; i don't want to jinx it. neighbors? if you get bored, yokohama is just a short train ride away, and the sea breeze carries the smell of ramen and sushi. i hopped on the JR line and within twenty minutes was wandering the red brick warehouse area, where street performers and indie bands set up. it's a whole different rhythm but still japan, still orderly chaos. i've been collecting rumors like i collect film canisters. someone told me that the best tonkatsu in the city is hidden in a basement near shinjuku station with no sign-i heard that from a guy who claimed he worked there. i looked it up on Yelp and the reviews were all in japanese with photos of pork cutlets that made me drool. Check out these Yelp reviews of the legendary tonkatsu spot says it's cash only and the queue starts at 11am. i'll be there tomorrow with my empty stomach and a full battery. another rumor: the izakaya on the second floor of a parking garage in shibuya is a must-overheard that from a bartender who slid me a free soju shot. TripAdvisor's list of hidden izakayas actually mentions it, so it's legit. the place is tiny, with low ceilings and yak grill smoke that clings to your clothes. the owner doesn't speak much english but his chicken skewers sing opera. then there's the coffee snob circle that swears by a tiny shop in koenji where they roast beans on a vintage german machine. i read a local blog that called it "the best pour-over you'll ever have, period." i tried it, and my tongue did a happy dance. Tokyo Cheapo's guide to specialty coffee has the address and hours, plus a warning that it's closed on mondays. i'm writing this from a capsule hotel that costs 3000 yen a night; my back is killing me but the wifi is fast. i just got my film developed from the first day-apparently i overexposed an entire roll because i set the ISO wrong. the lab gave me a disc of digital scans; they're abstract, all white haze. i guess that's my art project for this trip. anyway, here's a snapshot of where i've been hanging out. take a look at the map:

i'll drop a few images here, straight from my camera roll (well, not literally, but unsplash's interpretation of tokyo):

i love how the city changes at night; those neon signs are like fireflies trapped in glass. this next shot is from akihabara, where the electric town glows with the promise of gadgets and nostalgia.

and finally, a quiet moment at the corner of an alley in shimokitazawa, where a cat was sleeping on a stack of vinyl records. it's the contrast that gets me.

if you ever find yourself in tokyo with a camera and a weird number in your pocket, just follow it. you might end up with a story worth telling, or at least a blurry photo that makes people go "huh?". PS: i heard that the izakaya gets a special live music night on fridays. go if you can. also, the tonkatsu place? skip the lunch rush; you'll wait two hours otherwise. that's it for now. i'm off to develop another roll, maybe one that actually has the right exposure. catch you on the flip side.