There is something about the lights of Tokyo. Each district of the city has its own charm. The soft lighting of high fashion areas after closing time creates a secret stage for you to walk on. Temples illuminated by lights at night after visitors have departed provide a moment to reflect upon the history that Tokyo embraces. The view from a vantage point high above the city encompasses Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower and many other urban structures by Tokyo Bay, bringing home the size of the city. 

I’ve longed for the lights of Tokyo since I was young. Coming from the outer suburbs of Tokyo, I always cherished any chance to see these lights. Whenever I stayed at hotels in Tokyo, I gazed at the views from windows until my parents urged me to go to bed. I sometimes took a walk after cram school just to feel the Tokyo air in the evening. While studying at home for my university entrance exams, I often dreamed about taking a train to my favorite places to capture the lights of Tokyo.

If you were to ask me whether I like Tokyo, honestly my answer would not be a straight yes. I am often overwhelmed by the number of people and the amount of information. However, at night, when people and their activities are only visible under lights, my view becomes less complicated and I am free to let my mind explore in the way it wants to. I think about people working night shifts as truck drivers, lives on the 40th floor of a tall apartment building with big windows, and ambitions that people who built the city might have had. Then I find myself asking, “What if I worked as a truck driver? What if I bought a room with a nice view of Tokyo Tower? How would I have designed Tokyo?” Through contemplating each component of the city, I am reflecting on myself. What attracts me is not the appearance of the city, but the enormous possibilities that the city presents to me.

Among the numerous distinct areas in Tokyo, one of my favorites is Marunouchi. I love walking down its neatly designed streets at night, when the lights of modern buildings and street lamps illuminate your way. One day, I found myself strolling around the area after work. With the lights appearing brighter than usual against a clear dark sky and an early summer breeze, I decided to not go back home immediately. Surrounded by tall buildings, I was literally in the center of a district where every big company of the country places its headquarters in. It naturally made me ponder on days when I restlessly worked with some of such big names, which some people would eagerly aspire to. But in the lights of these buildings, I could not see a future. At that moment, all I wanted was to see a future I could not even imagine. 

There is something special about the lights of Tokyo. Sometimes, I feel I could spend a whole night mesmerized by them, dreaming about a vastness of possibilities. But, they cannot actually transport me to a new world. Maybe I need to find my own direction instead of getting lost in the possibilities around me.

*Written on June 18, 2024