Bursting with frantic energy, tradition and sakura blossoms, springtime in Japan’s capital offers visitors a surreal and magical time.
Standing on a curb on an overcast day in Tokyo, I was surprised at how excited I was while waiting for the lights to change at the (in)famous Shibuya scramble crossing. I was here to immerse myself in the city’s staccato-like pace, and there was no better representation of a classic Tokyo experience than to cross this huge interchange of people, cars, buses and trains so often seen in movies. I was reminded of a quote by Julian Worrall, a Tokyo-based professor of architecture, who calls the Shibuya crossing “a great example of what Tokyo does best when it’s not trying.”
