After drinking a bottle of Sake of considerable size while observing a photography book by Daido Moriyama, I decided to stumble upon the streets of Tokyo with my camera, and attempt to capture the hidden essence of the urban dream that this city brings to life on every corner, every shade of light, every square centimeter of pavement, and every hidden elevator on the least suspected building. A lifetime would not be enought to completely map the complex array of flavours that this magnificent city has to offer.
But one has to try...
A game to play while in Tokyo
Wait until 6:37pm, leave your little business hotel and down you go to the left (always to the left) and straight for two blocks, then left, then straight for three..., until you find the first metro station. Board a green train, count exactly 847 seconds, and exit at the first chance. Go outside. Left. Walk until you pass a woman selling fruit.
If you did everything right, there will be a ramen shop in the opposite corner (if not, go back to the train and count another 847 seconds, then repeat) Go inside, buy a ticket for spicy miso, put it in your left pocket and exit.
Go back to the train station, buy a ticket, put it on your right pocket.
Go back to the train station, buy a ticket, put it on your right pocket.
Use the miso ticket in the second gate from left to right. If you have followed my instructions carefully, everything will make sense now and the first wonder of the story will manifest itself.
After everything that will undoubtedly transpire, exit the station through the south gate. Walk normally, but don't pass up anybody wearing a hat. If people look at you inquiringly, touch your head as if you were wearing another hat of exactly the same make. Take a right. You'll have survived the first part of the game and find yourself at the second part, which is the most difficult one.
Take a right into the small alley. Walk for eleven seconds. Stop. Turn right: There will be a small door. Open it and discover a bar for five people. Sit down and order sake. Wait. When the sake arrives, show the owner of the bar your train ticket and, before he can stop you, dip it in the sake.
The second wonder of the story will come to happen. After this, people will know about you and hiding will be impossible. Trust nobody. Finish your sake as soon as humanly possible and throw yourself to the street. There is no use on taking the metro, none of the stations are real now.
After everything that will undoubtedly transpire, exit the station through the south gate. Walk normally, but don't pass up anybody wearing a hat. If people look at you inquiringly, touch your head as if you were wearing another hat of exactly the same make. Take a right. You'll have survived the first part of the game and find yourself at the second part, which is the most difficult one.
Take a right into the small alley. Walk for eleven seconds. Stop. Turn right: There will be a small door. Open it and discover a bar for five people. Sit down and order sake. Wait. When the sake arrives, show the owner of the bar your train ticket and, before he can stop you, dip it in the sake.
The second wonder of the story will come to happen. After this, people will know about you and hiding will be impossible. Trust nobody. Finish your sake as soon as humanly possible and throw yourself to the street. There is no use on taking the metro, none of the stations are real now.
The third part of the game is written on the back of the paper that the Izakaya's owner handed you on the way out.
Good luck.
Bonus points if you know our guest appearance in this picture
