Tokyo is a city that holds a special place in the world’s imagination. It’s a source of fascination for all. Strikingly modern, practically futuristic. Designed according to rules so foreign to the rest of the world, and yet so influential. Just the right amount of weird to draw people in. And an unapologetic attitude towards cultivating such culture that seems at the same time so freeing, and yet so arresting. 

For a place of constant movement, constant bustle, the image we hold onto of Tokyo is remarkably static. Perhaps it’s the tendency for Japanese culture to stay stubbornly loyal to its traditions. Or maybe it’s because in the case of Western imagination (ahem, Hollywood), Tokyo has always been a place that exists in the future. Whereas the rest of Japan seems to be stuck in a time of samurais and ninjas, Tokyo is on its own plane of reality. 

Tokyo is a multifaceted city. And a huge metropolis at that. There are moments of serene Shinto tranquility just minutes away from crowded city streets decisively designed to overwhelm all senses simultaneously. It caters to and accommodates anything and everything you’re looking for, whether you’re a resident or a visitor. Everything you can possibly need is within a few minutes walk, and yet the city sprawls with endless pockets of discovery. 

But between remnants of a tumultuous past and glimpses of a glistening future, there is the Tokyo of today. One that is full of life. One that lets you live whatever life you want to live. One that will always be more than you can take in. It’s easy to see why Tokyo has been a muse for artists around the world. It’s a place worth visiting and revisiting again and again, because this is the kind of city where even everyday routine seems exciting.