While the trees shrouded us in comforting shadows, we could never forget the city looming around us. The skyscrapers' immense height made for an omnipresent juxtaposition. Trees and city architecture were commingled into a biomechanical landscape. It was just as I'd remembered from my year in Japan, surreal now as then.
Our plan for the day was to visit Tsukiji for fresh seaside sushi. In 2009-2010, I had been there with my family to watch the world-famous Tsukiji fish market in action. I felt excited to share the spectacle with Sarah before finding a sushi shop where we could eat lunch. However, we had some trouble upon disembarking at the train station. Sarah's phone was directing us away from the harbor, which is where I remembered the fish market being. We obliged the gadget and wandered into the city, thinking we'd be able to loop around by following a nearby river.
But the river only led us back the way we came, and to go any farther right would lead into a park that was closed for the day. Frustrated, Sarah and I checked her map to find where the sushi shops were located. This proved to be a more accessible destination, and as we wove our way through the city, we became more confident in our intuitions. It was neither the first nor last time that we had to take navigation into our own hands. Striking out against the GPS' wishes was a frequent experience during our stay in Japan. In doing so, we gained a certain independence that we hope to use in other trips soon to come. If even Japan's copious English-language signs couldn't direct us properly, how could we expect to be led along frictionlessly in other countries? Our departure from planned routes in Japan helped us learn how to navigate by our own initiative.
Our plan for the day was to visit Tsukiji for fresh seaside sushi. In 2009-2010, I had been there with my family to watch the world-famous Tsukiji fish market in action. I felt excited to share the spectacle with Sarah before finding a sushi shop where we could eat lunch. However, we had some trouble upon disembarking at the train station. Sarah's phone was directing us away from the harbor, which is where I remembered the fish market being. We obliged the gadget and wandered into the city, thinking we'd be able to loop around by following a nearby river.
But the river only led us back the way we came, and to go any farther right would lead into a park that was closed for the day. Frustrated, Sarah and I checked her map to find where the sushi shops were located. This proved to be a more accessible destination, and as we wove our way through the city, we became more confident in our intuitions. It was neither the first nor last time that we had to take navigation into our own hands. Striking out against the GPS' wishes was a frequent experience during our stay in Japan. In doing so, we gained a certain independence that we hope to use in other trips soon to come. If even Japan's copious English-language signs couldn't direct us properly, how could we expect to be led along frictionlessly in other countries? Our departure from planned routes in Japan helped us learn how to navigate by our own initiative.
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