One Week. An Important post.

A fairly significant point was reached today; it’s one week from today that I will be meeting my younger brother in the heart of Tokyo to start a two-week trip that will cover Kyoto, Osaka, Shikaoi and Sapporo. I will spare the readers any sappy details I have about finally being able to wrap my arms around a family member after such a long period and instead focus on the amazing and special meeting we have planned.

In Tokyo there is a very famous meeting point outside Shibuya Station at the statue of loyal dog Hachiko and this is where we plan to meet. A spot where famous actresses date major league baseball players, news reports broadcast from, rock music videos are shot at, politicians campaign from and charities fight over. Despite this however, Shibuya barely raises its collective head and keeps bustling along like a bloody force of nature. This is rooted in the square’s surroundings. Tip you head up for a change and giant towers covered with neon signs obscure the sky. People coming. People going. Frantic people. Foreign people. Everywhere everything moving. It’s is own type of drug in a dream-like scene of modern Japan. It’s bound to spark thoughts such as, “So this is where everyone is.” Certainly not for the faint of heart. Take for instance “Shibuya Scramble” adjacent to the square. Here, every three minutes like clock work—or like a tide—thousands at a time cross the street. Taking it over for a moment and then retreating. After exploring Shibuya, going home to places like Calgary and Edmonton seem rural and pedestrian. Supposed international cities like New York and London look like Amish colonies. And remember to add a dash of outlandish Japanese behaviour. One doesn’t quite know what to expect. Shibuya is probably not a place I would like to live, but it sure is fun to visit.

I am honestly worried that my brother’s head is going to explode when he arrives. Seeing it on Google maps is not the same as standing there. Locating someone in the square is also probably easier said than done as well. I think this is going to be one of the most memorable meetings we could ever imagine.