Tokyo day 3: meetings, memories and conversations that open doors

Before I even finished my first coffee, day 3 had already lined up a full cast of people who make my Tokyo trips so meaningful. I had a high level morning meeting with my client in Otemachi, followed by a nostalgic walk through my old Ginza streets. Then came a reunion with a friend from my 1997 JET days, who whisked me straight into a Tea Ceremony class, which felt both familiar and very rusty after fifteen years away from it. After that, I caught up with David Price from Mindbridge, whose work around resilience in Japan is thoughtful and needed. We talked so much that I completely forgot to snap a picture. It was one of those days where every conversation felt like its own small anchor point.

Day 3 in Tokyo began, as so many good days here do, with a walk through Otemachi. The morning light, the steady flow of commuters, the quiet sense of purpose in the air, all of it sets the tone before I even enter the building. My client and I had a high level meeting, the kind that clarifies direction more than detail. These conversations always feel grounding. People align, priorities sharpen, and the next steps come into focus.

With a bit of time before my next appointment, I allowed myself a slow walk through the neighborhoods that once shaped my work life. From Otemachi into Ginza, I passed places I used to rush through, now letting myself take them in at an easier pace. Tokyo changes constantly, but it always holds onto its underlying rhythm. There is comfort in that.

The day then took a more personal turn. I met up with a friend from my JET 1997 days, someone who has been in my Japan story from the very beginning. She invited me to join a Tea Ceremony class she attends, and I could not resist. Stepping back onto tatami under those soft fluorescent lights triggered so many memories from the years when I studied Tea Ceremony. But it had been fifteen years, and the choreography had definitely left me. I remembered the feeling, the intention, the quiet, but not the sequence. Still, it was lovely. Tea Ceremony demands a pace that the rest of the world refuses to allow, and being in that space again reminded me why I loved it.

Later in the afternoon, I met with David Price from Mindbridge. We talked about the work he is doing around resilience in Japan and how individuals and teams can develop it in ways that fit Japanese cultural realities. These conversations are always energizing for me. They bring together psychology, culture, communication and practical support, and David approaches this mix with depth and respect. We had so much to talk about that I completely forgot to take a photo, which always feels like a sign of a really good conversation.

By the end of the day, Tokyo had once again done that thing it does best. It filled the hours with a mix of structure and serendipity. Meetings that mattered, memories that resurfaced, old friendships rekindled, and new ideas sparked. It was a Working Wednesday with the texture of a much bigger story.

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