As the neon lights illuminated the streets of Shinjuku, I was overwhelmed by the numerous "bizarre initiations" that Japan was putting on me.
The journey began at Gotokuji Temple , enveloped in silence . The moment I stepped onto the temple grounds, thousands of white beckoning cats stared at me all at once. Their right paws were raised simultaneously, and it felt less like a welcome and more like some kind of strange ritual. Leaving the temple, I stumbled upon a vending machine in a back alley and put some coins into it. I pressed the button, and with a clunk, a steaming hot can of corn chowder came out . Surprised by this unprecedented experience of getting soup from a vending machine, I tasted it and found it incredibly delicious.
That night, I headed to a local hot spring to soothe my travel fatigue. The moment I casually stepped into a bath labeled " Electric Bath ," a low-voltage current ran through my body, and my muscles became stiff . While I was being electrocuted, the local old men were soaking in the bath as if nothing had happened.
The ultimate highlight was the Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku. The deafening roar of Japanese drums, the flying lasers, and the chaotic battle between giant robots and neon-clad dancers—witnessing that scene, I was convinced. Japan is not just a tourist destination. It is a place that relentlessly drags us into a magnificent, feverish dream that shakes all our senses.
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