Sitting up against a tree in Shinjuku Gyoen, looking out at the vibrant red and yellow hues of the autumn trees – I can’t help but reflect on the big life change I’ve been coasting through for the last 3 months.

As someone who’s spent nearly all of my life living in the UK, I wanted to capture some of these thoughts before they dilute in my memory, from the perspective of fresh eyes. Japan is so different to what I know, below is what has stricken me the most.

• Once you’ve escaped the typical hotspots where tourists congregate, I notice an overwhelming sense of calm and quietness amongst the people in the metropolis of Tokyo neighbourhoods and side streets. There can be so many people in the street, but everyone seems contentedly calm in their own lives without any commotion or general loudness, which is something I really enjoy.
• The style and aesthetics here have been mesmerising, they are filled with so many contradictions. It is minimalist but bold, traditional yet new and modern, and polished yet raw and edgy. And I think this is a testament to the people’s strong sense of their own Japanese culture, but willingness to innovate and experiment within the realm of style. I find this quite hard to explain, but I will give interior design as an example. I have noticed the traditional clean Japanese architectural style is widespread, but I see a myriad of other aesthetics mixed in with this, such as bold graphic prints and furniture, and hipster loft vibes (think lots of plants and wood) especially within the coffee shop scene. Overall everything is so beautiful and well-designed which makes creative inspiration an everyday occurrence.
• Lastly, and maybe a not so wholly positive observation – I notice how different I am to everyone else. Coming from such a rich blend of people and cultures in London, it has been quite a shock to always be one of the only (if not only) foreigner in a lot of situations. I will save the details of what these experiences are like for another post, but I find it’s not particularly negative or positive, just the fact that it’s so obvious to me and probably everyone else.

تأملات من موسمي الأول في طوكيو

كبت جالست مستندا إلى شجرة في حديقة شينجوكو، و نظرت إلى المشهد الأحمر و الأصفر لما فكرت عن التغيير كبير في حياتي من آخر ثلاثة اشهر.

عيشت في برطاني لكامل حياتي لذلك أريد ان أتذكر افكاري الأول من حياتي جديدة في يابان . يابان هو مختلف جدا ، ادناه هو ما لاحظته اكثر:

لما تخرج من المكان مع سياح كثير، الشوارع جانبية و الاحياء هادئة – ألاحظ شعورا بالهدوء. احيانا، حتى هناك كثير من الناس كل واحد في عالمه الخاص، و هذا شيء استمتع كثير.

احب الأسلوب و الجماليات في طوكيو لأن هناك التناقضات كثير. الجماليات هي بسيط لكنه جريء و تقليدي لكنه حديث. أعتقد أن هذا بسبب الثقافة قوية من الناس اليابانية، بالإضافة إلى انفتاحهم على الابتكار. بشكل عام الجماليات جميلة جداً.

اخيراً، ألاحظ ان أنا مختلفة كثير من الآخرين. جيت من المدينة لندن لما هناك ثقافات و الأشخاص مختلفة. أنا الجنابي الوحدة في المواقف كثير و هذا واضح لي و الجميع.