“目は口ほどに物を言う”

“The eyes are sometimes a true index of the heart.” - Japanese proverb

There are trips that make us more social, more open, in the mood for wonders and in search of adventures. This is not such a story. 

I visited Japan for the first time in 2017 and decided to stay 2 weeks in Tokyo instead of doing the classical Japanese cities itinerary. Tokyo is one of the biggest megapolis’s in the world, so I was sure to find plenty of ways to experience its atmosphere on a deeper level. The otaku in me had dragged me to all the real-life cyberpunk places I’d seen in science fiction movies: the flashing lights in Akihabara and Kabukicho, the kitschy Robot Restaurant, secluded rooftops in Ginza. You get what I mean. For a person who has never seen such places, it’s quite a memorable sight. It’s travelling to the future without a time machine. Looking though a vibrant kaleidoscope into an alternate reality.

One of these nights in Tokyo, I entered inside a huge Yodobashi camera store. I lost track of how much time I spent there, but exiting I felt exhausted, drained and hungry. Somewhere outside the Yodobashi store, there was a small soba noodles bar. It wasn’t a glamorous place. As I entered, I felt peoples’ questionable looks. “What are you doing here, tourist?”, their eyes were saying. This bar was cheap because it was self-serviced. You had to order your food by machine. It was prepared by a machine too. And you had to finish it fast because there was little place to sit. All people in the bar wore white shirt and black trousers. 

That’s when it hit me: I had seen these faces before in animes. These are the faces drawn behind the main hero’s face. The crowds behind the interesting action. These are the worn out people in the metro. The faces so un-important, yet common, that a few strokes are enough to portray them. 

Japan has a huge problem with overwork and burn out. This subject is the elephant in the room. The hush hush topic you will be faced with uncomfortable smiles if you raise. Mental health is gradually becoming a more openly discussed issue. The change will come, hopefully, but at the moment it’s slow. 

In the meantime, there are millions silent pairs of eyes in the bars in Tokyo. You can see them in the night, if you look away from the bright neon lights. Who are these people? What is their story? Who takes care of them when they go home? Are they lonely? Are they happy?… Only Tokyo, the silent concrete neon giant, knows the true index of their hearts.

Pictures in this article were taken at the Robot Restaurant and at random rooftops in Ginza, in 2017.