Quiet day 17.

After yesterday I need a tiny break from loads of walking and crowds. Just a minute to reset everything.

We start the day at Kaikado Café – one of the most beautiful cafés I’ve visited. It’s simple and understated – very Japanese in its aesthetic.

Even the bag baskets (I suggest “bagsket” ?) are attractive.

I want to share with you an experience we had yesterday evening.

We decide to take the train that passes through the Momiji Tunnel which is a tunnel of maple trees.

In autumn, the maples are lit up and the train cuts its lights so travellers can see the trees’ bright fall foliage illuminated.

We arrive at the station well before dark and wait in line. The line gets longer and longer. I’m surprised because I didn’t think that anyone would know about this. But social media is an amazing and far reaching powerhouse.

We get on the train and manage to grab a window. Okay – so we have to stand the whole way there but it’ll be worth it, I think.

The train is crowded.

Soon after we set off, many people on the train start recording the entire journey. Cameras are held aloft for what seems like forever.

Finally, the lights are cut. People exclaim!

The trees – gold and red against a black backdrop slide past. I try to take a photo but it’s blurry and unrecognizable.
I try again. Same thing.
I try making a video. Same thing.
Time-lapse. No difference.
Before I could get to the slow-mo setting on my phone, it’s over.

The overhead lights come back on and disappointment crashes over me.

I’d missed the whole thing. I can’t help but think about the deeper meaning and lesson in all this.

We get off at the last stop and join the line for the return journey.
A train official holds up a helpful sign telling people where they have to join the queue. 🙂

On the return journey, I don’t make the same mistake again. My camera is in my jacket pocket. And I witness the whole one-minute show.

(Maybe it’s less than a minute) We’d changed trains twice, waited for thirty minutes and rode the train for thirty minutes – for a show that was about a minute.

Would I do it again? No – probably not.
The return journey was tough – everyone smashed together trying hard to make the best of it.

It’s what I call The Emperor’s New Clothes Phenomenon.

An experience, event, person or thing has enormous hype built up around it and when you experience it, you have to wonder whether your expectations are too high because invariably you’re left a little disappointed.

Here are two photos I salvaged.

Good night…

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