by Lakshmi Kalarikkal
The city of Tokyo is structured like a poem, soaring mountains flow into deep valleys, while babbling streams undercut the sounds of trains. A unique beat hums across the metropolis. This rhythm has made the Tokyo in poetry truly lyrical. Some of the poetry that brings me home is transcribed below.
- Tokyo by Ceyhun Mahi
“All places of Tokyo change at night,
Streets are flowing rivers of gleamy light,
Lit-neon signs glowing at every sight,
Under the glamorous buildings up high,
Who are standing under the blue night sky.”
Mahi’s poetry is a beautiful account of what Tokyo, specifically the Shibuya ward, is like illuminated only by the shine of the moon. The Hachiko dog, who has been memorialized as a statue and in movies, stands as a faithful guard to this region’s many enterprises that stay open late into the night. There is plenty to do, whether you desire a quick drink, a fierce game or a soulful night of karaoke. Shibuya, at night, is particularly beautiful and worth visiting, when its giant advertisement boards shine the brightest, when its streets are filled with people, and the music is loudest.
- Blossoms by Dennel Kessler
“Forty-eight floors up, a God’s-eye view
a man practices tai-chi on a tired patch of grass
he is measured, beautiful
families rest under new-green trees
in Yoyogi Park this early spring Sunday
Mt. Fuji rises like a myth, fading
to illusion in the gathering smog.”
Kessler captures classic elements of Tokyo, tai chi combined with the serenity of the Yoyogi park, which is the largest park in Tokyo. Unlike most parks in Japan, the cherry blossoms in Yoyogi are sparse, the park is known for its gingko tree forest which turns a burnished gold in autumn. Its location next to the Meiji shrine and a five-minute walk from the Harajuku station makes it an extremely convenient place to visit and provides it with an air of serenity that is unmatched while the slumbering giant that is Mt. Fuji stands guard in the distance, watching over the city in its entirety.
- Slouching Toward The Monsoon by Rob Urban
“Lost in the dim
streets of the
Marunouchi district
I describe
this wounded city in an
unending internal
monologue as I follow
the signs to Tokyo Station and
descend into the
underground passages
of the metro,
seeking life and anything bright
in this half-lit, humid midnight.”
~Rob Urban
One of Tokyo’s busiest commercial districts, perhaps Urban describes Marunouchi as wounded, perhaps due to the constant flow of crowd in its streets, like a freely bleeding wound. Once home to Japan’s most powerful feudal lords, Marunouchi was located on the outer moats of the Edo castle which is where it gets its name which literally translates to ‘within the circle.’
- Untitled by Kobayashi Issa
“bickering in the long night
in a nook
of Sumida River”
~ Kobayashi Issa
We simply can’t close out a discussion on Japan’s poetry without including a haiku, which is Japan’s best known poetic movement. This particular haiku describes a lighthearted argument on the Sumida river which cuts right through North Tokyo and then turns Eastward. The river takes you on a ride to all of Tokyo’s best locations, from the Tokyo Tower’s awe-inspiring views to the Ryogoku district, the heart of sumo wrestling in Japan. A thousand cherry blossom trees on both banks make this river one of the prime locations from March to May. A river right out of folklore, this place is a must-visit spot.
Mizu City 