The Dark Side of Japan | 日本の暗黒面

I relish Asakusa, visit a penis shrine in Kawasaki, and cry at the dark secrets of Japan.

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It is legitimate and necessary to wonder whether life has a meaning; therefore it is legitimate to meet the problem of suicide face to face. The answer, underlying and appearing through the paradoxes which cover it, is this: even if one does not believe in God, suicide is not legitimate.

Albert Camus, “The Myth of Sisyphus”

2-6 May 2023

Things I haven’t documented yet include:

  • My day alone in Asakusa, instantly one of the highlights of this trip
  • An old capsule hotel, and an English lad with unexpected words of wisdom
  • Growing weary of traveling
  • My day in Kawasaki and Meguro, and a haunting encounter that pushed me deeper into Japan’s dark side
  • Returning to my host to participate in his bible class

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