Sunday morning brunches will definitely taste better with this view.

Written in (great) retrospect.

The sixth of September, 2018. 

An ordinary day, to say the least. The neighbourhood was quiet except for twelve bustling few who were busy loading luggages and food coolers into a white twelve-seater mini-coach. They didn't think the day would turn out to be ordinary and neither did I-- it was my birthday, after all, and all twelve of us were going to a secluded refurbished barn in the countryside for some rest and relaxation.

The tulip garden at the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens in Tokyo, Japan.

Most people think of Tokyo as a densely-populated, high-intensity city. It's easy to imagine hundreds upon thousands of Japanese rushing up and down the streets in every hour of the day, busy queuing outside restaurants and stores, or briskly walking or urgently running to catch their train or bus. But let me tell you this: there are places found in the gigantic, bustling metropolis where there are little to no people and visitors looking for retreat can enjoy the temporary delusion of being far away from the city while physically still being smack-dab in the middle of it.