Research in Tokyo part 5:
While Japan nurses his wounds after the heavy earthquake (6.8 Richter scale) of yesterday, I go on with my search. Tokyo has hardly any old buildings (not only because of the quakes). Also the normal turnover of houses is very high. My old neighbourhood isn’t far from the one I’m living in now, and my fear came true.
The old wooden station has changed into a huge concrete building. Luckily I have a very good sense of direction and although it is all changed the street-plan is still the same. When I found my former house… it was gone. I suppose they didn’t destroy it long ago because right now it’s an open piece of building land. It is exciting to feel what happens inside you when you have to dig in your brain files. Hundreds of untouched memories arouse, and this is exactly what I wanted to experience.
Not far from my old house was a hideous white love hotel, build as a fantasy castle. That time it was a clear landmark, rising out above all the buildings in the surroundings, but now it is a small dirty building, fit for the scrap heap.