This edition of Field Notes arrives from the ambient hum of a coin laundromat, where my lightly packed bundle of clothes turns slowly in a sudsy churn. 

Today's route from Ryōgoku to Nishi-Funabashi marked the longest walk so far. No sooner had I stepped into Tokyo Metropolis than I found myself leaving it. This leg carried me from the city's eastern flank into Chiba Prefecture, passing through Sumida-ku, Kōtō, and Edogawa before moving once more beyond the edge of the special wards into more regional terrain.

It’s been a slow march beneath the hottest sun yet, through a patchwork of ku and machi, each with its own disposition. There’s just enough time to gather a few thoughts from the day before the laundry comes to a stop.