Lonely Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the most populated places on earth, so how could I get so many empty shots on this trip? Each of Tokyo’s districts has a presence and character all its own. These personalities are so definite that you feel it before you step off the train.

Chuo City, the district where we stayed, felt a little lonely. I don’t mean socially lonely though – I mean lonely in space. Many people lived and worked in the city around us but often it felt nearly empty. It may be because the streets are so big and people are considerate not to crowd one another – but I think it’s really just Chuo’s personality.

There’s a strange and spooky corner of the internet dedicated to vacant spaces – endlessly connecting and re-forming. Often, there’s a horrible beast lurking. But never quite in view.

I don’t think there are real-life monsters in Japan but there are many in-between spaces that seemed to serve no purpose. Getting groceries in Chuo, nighttime strolls, and even just looking down from our hotel window felt compellingly liminal and these activities held the same sense of dark-romantic mystery as liminal images on the internet.

It wasn’t just Chuo either. There were plenty of quiet places to pause and be alone wherever we went. Even Ginza with its world-famous shopping and Odaiba with its beautiful view of Tokyo Bay offered spaces for us to step away from the crowd and be by ourselves – perplexingly deserted in a city full of people. The beautiful and haunting city of Tokyo and its liminal spaces are at once inviting and gently macabre. Maybe someday, I’ll go back and just spend some warm moments alone in a city full of people.