Week 8

This first week in Tokyo has been jam-packed, and has included a whirlwind of information about a city that I had read and seen so much about. What I discovered in my very first day was how incorrect my preconceptions were about the city, specifically with regards to its atmosphere and aura. For one, I thought that the city was a kind-of megacity, a massive conglomerate of urbanity that had the feel of “one” city—a bit like Manhattan. In reality, Tokyo is full of vastly different neighborhoods, each with unique character and opportunities. We had an orientation of our “studio” space, a coworking space near Shibuya crossing. I had imagined Shibuya as a “Times Square of the future",” and maybe even bigger—the reality that I have experienced, though, is that even Shibuya has an intimate essence that I have noticed throughout the city. Besides school and office visits, we spent time experiencing some of the first-week opportunities that the city has to offer: TeamLab Planet, the Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower, food, drinks, and nightclubs, to name a few.