First Steps Into Tokyo’s Heat

Our flight via London to Tokyo Haneda was surprisingly smooth and didn't even feel that long. Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the actual journey. But nothing quite prepares you for that first step off the plane into Tokyo’s embrace. The hot, humid air hit us like a warm blanket – and considering we’d just left the Netherlands during its own extreme heatwave, that’s saying something! The humidity here is on another level entirely.

Navigating Tokyo’s metro system during morning rush hour, with oversized suitcases and backpacks was our first real cultural check-in. We sort of forgot that Japanese commuters aren't particularly fond of large luggage during rush hour! Thankfully, we’d already sent one suitcase filled with work tools via Takubin to Studio Kura in Itoshima, where it will be patiently waiting for our August 1st arrival.

Our temporary Tokyo home sits nestled in a residential neighborhood of low-rise houses with tiny gardens, narrow streets, and cute little patios. Google Maps remains our lifeline – Tokyo’s maze-like streets still challenge our sense of direction. I had to learn the hard way to never venture out without my phone after a near-miss adventure to the Konbini at 6 o’clock on our first jet-lagged morning!

Observations Through Ocean Eyes

Two days in, and we're riding the waves of adjustment. As our art project focuses on ocean health and climate, returning to Japan with this specific lens brings familiar sights into sharper focus. We’ve navigated Tokyo’s heat before, but viewing it through our project reveals things we hadn't fully appreciated yet. Tokyo apparently skipped most of its usual rainy season this year, jumping straight into scorching summer heat a few weeks early.

We noticed colorful flags hanging from bamboo plants at temples and in gardens – part of the Tanabata (star) festival where people write wishes on banners (Tanzaku) for luck. We couldn't resist adding our own wish on a hot pink banner: きれいな海 (“Clean Oceans”) and hung it among the others. Hopefully it will come true! But it will require more than hoping our wishes will reach the stars.

Hanging our banner in Tonogayato garden in Kokubunji

The city's response is something we’ve witnessed before but now see with new eyes. Everywhere, people clutch plastic battery-operated fans while scrolling phones. Air conditioning units hum constantly, even in open-air train stations. The cooling is necessary, but the resulting energy consumption is bound to be staggering.

The plastic situation has new urgency through our ocean project lens. Every supermarket meal comes meticulously wrapped in layers of plastic film, accompanied by individually wrapped items. We brought reusable water bottles, but finding refill stations remains challenging in Japan's single-use container infrastructure.

Yet there’s that surprising paradox: the streets are remarkably clean, practically litter-free. The waste is managed with impressive efficiency, but it has to go somewhere. Even advanced recycling systems can’t process everything back into useful materials.

Forwarding one of our suitcases, and first steps in Tokyo

Even jet-lagged and still adjusting, we’re incredibly happy to be back to this mesmerizing place. This is just the beginning of our three-month journey. In these first days, we’re taking time to reconnect with dear friends. Yesterday we met up with Sonoko, who has been living and working in Tokyo for several years now. She took us to an amazing little restaurant with only 10 barstools where we sampled delicious food and different kinds of shochu (thank you Sonoko ♥).

The coming weeks, we’ll explore more of Tokyo and Japan before heading to our artist residency. There’s so much to discover and so many connections between tides, both literal and metaphorical, to explore.

🌊 The adventure has officially begun!