One of the unexpected highlights of my recent trip to Japan wasn't a client meeting, a workshop, or even one of my usual Tokyo walks.
It was staying with a friend in Etchujima.
I spend enough nights in hotels during business travel to appreciate how different it feels to stay with someone you know. My recent visit was packed with workshops, client meetings, and presentations. Having the chance to catch up over breakfast or chat at the end of the day made the trip feel a little less like business travel and a little more like coming back to Tokyo.
Etchujima sits close to Monzen-Nakacho, one of the areas that still feels very much like Tokyo's shitamachi. Literally "lower town," shitamachi traditionally referred to the merchant and craftsman districts of old Edo. Today, the word evokes neighbourhoods that still feel local and connected to their community, even as the city around them continues to change.
What struck me most was the view from my friend's apartment. Looking east, the Tokyo Skytree rises above the skyline and seems to anchor the entire landscape. One of my favourite parts of each day was the walk to Tsukishima Station, crossing the bridge with the river below and the city gradually coming to life around me.
The apartment also provided an unexpected evening bonus.
One evening, fireworks appeared in the distance.
"Disney," my friend said casually.
Apparently, on clear nights, you can see the Tokyo Disney fireworks from the balcony. As introductions to a neighbourhood go, that's not a bad one.
A short walk away is another landmark that caught my attention: the Meiji Maru, a beautifully preserved nineteenth-century ship on the grounds of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. Built in Scotland in 1874, the ship played an important role during Japan's early modernization before later becoming part of the country's maritime education tradition.
That contrast felt very Tokyo.
From one viewpoint you can see the Skytree, Japan's tallest structure. A few minutes later you're standing beside a ship launched during the Meiji era. Somehow neither feels out of place.
Perhaps that's what I enjoyed most about staying in Etchujima. It sits comfortably between old Tokyo and new Tokyo, between shitamachi traditions and a constantly evolving skyline. You can admire the Skytree, walk past a historic ship, catch a glimpse of Disney fireworks, and still feel like you're simply experiencing everyday life.
And especially after a busy ten days, sharing that experience with a friend made it even better. Sometimes the best part of a trip isn't a landmark at all. It's seeing a familiar city through someone else's window.
