Canadian World Traveller Spring 2023 Issue

12
The Tokyo Beat Goes on…with vitality, energy, and taste!
Article and Photography by Steve Gillick
Visitors remove their shoes and socks
and roll their pants to their knees
before entering the 'Soft Black Hole'.
The room is dark, and the 'floor' is really a
deep, sinking, cushiony surface. Every step is
awkward as people attempt to maintain their
balance. But they end up tumbling sideways,
sinking up to their waist, trying to take giant
steps to find solid footing, and then fall onto
and into the soft, bean bag-like flooring. And
this is only the introduction to Tokyo's interactive
Teamlab Planets exhibit, where the theme
is "Immerse your Body, and with Others,
Become One with the World".
The sensory explosion continues to flow
through a series of artworks. The kaleidoscopic
'Water Area' features multi-coloured
Koi fish that seem to swim around visitors'
feet. The 'Infinite Crystal Universe' is a mesmerizing
maze of beads, lights, and mirrors.
The 'Falling Universe of Flowers' encourages
visitors to float with the flower images that
cascade down the walls. And 'Transforming
Space' features giant movable spheres that
turn different colours when touched.
However, Teamlab Planets is only one of
Tokyo's many innovative sensory-stimulating
activities. Japan was off-limits to visitors for
nearly three years due to the pandemic, but
the re-opening date of October 11, 2022,
was music to the ears of those who could
hardly wait to resume exploring the country,
specifically Tokyo. And know that Tokyo refers
to both the city and the Prefecture that extends
to Okutama, Tokyo's ‘nature getaway’, about
2 hours west of the city.
Okutama conjures up thoughts of nature,
wellness, and 'shinrinyoku', or 'forest bathing",
where people embrace the atmosphere of the
fresh air, peaceful ambiance, and the music
of the trees. And Okutama is the place to be
for those who enjoy a strenuous hike through
the mountains, a casual stroll to visit a shrine,
or a determined walk along a tree-lined path
to discover a hidden rock garden. In addition,
there are waterfalls, caves, lakes, suspension
bridges, vistas, and even troops of Japanese
Macaques.
Senzokuike Park is a little bit closer to the city
of Tokyo (about 40 minutes) and provides a
different experience for nature lovers seeking
bright colours and birdsong. Around the lake
and the nearby pond, there are colourful
Eurasian Kingfishers, Feral Rose-ringed
Parakeets, Long-tailed Tits, Black-faced
Buntings, Warbling White-eyes, and more.
Back in the city, a sense of nature and calm
can be found in many buildings designed by
the architect Kengo Kuma. In October 2021,
the Haruki Murakami Library opened on the
campus of Waseda University. Kuma designed
a soft wooden interior to encourage people to
sit on the main staircase to read and reflect.
And he created a wooden tunnel design on
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