As I stared out the window of my small community gym earlier, I was struck with a strange sensation of things not quite being as they should. At 5pm, it was already dark, just as it should be in mid-November. But the crickets were chirping, people were walking about in shorts, and the temperature was still above 20 degrees. A fleeting moment – but I guess one that could be interpreted as a metaphor for 2020 in general; a year that’s been hallmarked by strangeness on many levels.
In many respects, my life in Tokyo has been pretty much unaffected by the pandemic. Travel and social activity hasn’t been restricted here. We can eat out, visit museums and go on domestic trips as normal. But it’s as if we are living inside a snow globe, encased in a bubble while we watch the world outside slowly unravelling. It’s a bit of a weird feeling, for sure.
My life is quiet, but it is full. October saw many nice meals, lots of wandering around little neighbourhoods, and sporadic trips out to Kanagawa to enjoy shinrin-yoku – or forest bathing – the art of simply being out in nature, and connecting with it. It was a month I will remember for its quiet simplicity.
Life in the suburbs. Blue skies, and empty streets ahead. 
In the quiet temple grounds, one wise old man looks up to another… 
While in Shin-Maruko, others gaze up at giants ⛩️ ❤️ 
This particular shrine near Shin-Maruko station had around 100 foxes ⛩️ 🦊 
Our plants basking in the golden autumnal sun 🍃 
A night out in Shinjuku. Sushi sitting daintily beside a nabe hot pot – both didn’t last long. 
Korean BBQ in Shin Okubo with some friends. We worked our way through this pork… 
With lots of sides. 
Vietnamese bun thit nuong in Kamata. It was nice to eat decent Vietnamese in Tokyo, but it still doesn’t compare to the real thing. This will be the first time in eight years that I haven’t travelled to SE Asia. 
Kamata. The raindrops begin to fall, but I want to keep walking, lost in the city ☂️ 💜 
In Tokyo, every shopfront has a different story to tell… 
Quaint scenes on every corner 
6am Rainbow! 🌈 What a beautiful start to the day 💜 💙 
Walking through the backstreets, I loved how small and compact this restaurant was. 
The golden glow of storefronts, inviting you in. 
Piercing blue skies over Kamakura. We go there a lot – enjoying the sea during the summer, and the forests during the autumn. 
Let’s go for a hike! 
Autumn leaves crawling over this house… 
And green leaves over this temple
A hike on Halloween… 
BOO! 👻
A little pixie lost in the forest 😊 
Deep within one of Kamakura’s many hiking trails 
A deserted bamboo forest, all to ourselves. 
We spotted Mount Fuji in the distance! 
Walking through the ravine and building up an appetite… 
We were rewarded with lunch at Ginza Kagari – famous for its Tori Paitan Soba, an artful bowl of super-rich chicken-based shio ramen topped with seasonal veggies. 
Mrs IKIMASHO chose one infused with green tea! I had never seen that before. 
I hope you are all safe and well.
Justin / IKIMASHO
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Beautifully curated thoughts and images as per custom. There’s such an opportunity for full but quietly wonderful life there – the jump cuts you can do between bustling urban and sprawling forest. So good to be alive to that.
As I look across from my own ever calming snow globe I’m hoping the pandemic blizzard dissipates there as quickly as it arrived. Wishing you all a safe drift into winter.
Beautifully curated thoughts and images as per custom. There’s such an opportunity for full but quietly wonderful life there – the jump cuts you can do between bustling urban and sprawling forest. So good to be alive to that.
As I look across from my own ever calming snow globe I’m hoping the pandemic blizzard dissipates there as quickly as it arrived. Wishing you all a safe drift into winter.
Thank you for conveying a sense of Tokyo’s Street scene and the contrasting quiet beauty of her forests.