Sanja Zubčić

What struck me was the contradiction between the serenity, beauty and harmony of the temples and nature on the one hand, and the cacophony of sounds, colours and millions of people in the city on the other. It is fascinating how such a populous city can function (without chaos and mayhem). However, it was horrible to see so many young women dressed as little girls, and generally that weird attitude toward sexuality that actually evokes paedophilia. Prostitution is legal, which is fine, except the sex workers dress like little girls. We were there over a weekend and saw very many completely drunk business people, judging by their suits. Our lushes back home are teetotallers by comparison. And many inebriated young people, especially girls. And sexualisation. And too much noise. As in some kind of manic synaesthesia. While in nature, on the other hand, peace and harmony. Also, what I found horrible were the rows of shops where I could not even begin to fathom what they were selling, or the rows of machines with little balls with a toy in them. And there were grown men there completely in their thrall. Such general infantilisation is probably a reaction to society's pressure to be perfect. To me, Tokyo is, in a word, a contradiction, and their way of life is actually a way of coping with their frustration caused by historically and traditionally very strict social norms.