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2010, Tokyo

July 2010

Even now, I do not remember why I decided to visit Tokyo in July.

It was extremely hot. During the trip, I even heard the news that four people had died because of the heat. That alone says enough about how intense the weather was. Walking through the city under that summer heat was not easy.

Still, the trip was more comfortable than it could have been because I was with my friend, Seokju Han, who kindly became my travel guide. Thanks to him, I could move around the city without too much difficulty, even though the weather itself made the trip exhausting.

Tokyo felt strangely familiar to me. In many ways, it reminded me of Seoul. The size of the city, the crowds, the subway, the busy streets, and the rhythm of daily life all felt close to what I already knew. It was a foreign city, but not an entirely unfamiliar one.

Looking back, Tokyo was a hot and tiring trip, but also a comfortable one because of the friend who was there with me. Perhaps that contrast is what I remember most clearly.

Last updated: March 27, 2012