A brisker pace kept me narrowly on time today. There was much to take in and record along the way—from Kichijōji in Musashino City, just beyond the metropolitan boundary, to the shadowed core of Shinjuku’s Kabukichō. Whatever time I gained was quickly undone by the sheer density.

Reaching Kabukichō was an experience unto itself. I’m seldom drawn to this part of town. Its murky ecosystems, shaped by economic disparity and low-grade tourism, do not temp frequent visits. Still, I knew that placing it on the route as a checkpoint would lend the walk a certain charge. If Tokyo forms a gradient, this is its point of highest saturation.

It is past midnight, and I am due to head back out soon to capture the area’s action. So, without further preamble, on with today’s three reflections.