When I was a kid and played Pokémon Blue, I didn’t understand why vending machines and underground paths seemed to be disproportionately highlighted in a video game like that. But once I moved to Japan, those things became suddenly clear.
There are lots of underground paths in Japan, around train stations. Most of them are bright and sparse. But I’ve never seen one as dark and old as this, under Asakusa. It was magical.
