A Letter from Japan: Summer Beneath Tokyo Skies

Dear Friend,

Whenever something is weighing on my heart, booking a ticket to Japan somehow brings at least sixty percent of my happiness back.

I already love watching fireworks. Add a reunion with my sister and one of my closest friends, and the worries fall all the way down to zero while the happiness scale rises back to full again. :)

But I should warn you: Tokyo in summer is very, very, very hot—especially during a heatwave.

Carrying a fan is no longer optional; it is a survival strategy. On this trip, I noticed that almost everyone had a tiny portable electric fan. If you ever decide to test yourself against a Japanese summer, this is the one piece of survival equipment I truly recommend. It may actually save your life—or at least your mood.

A traditional paper fan is lovely too, of course. It may not be quite as powerful, but it has much more charm.

I probably don’t need to introduce Japan’s famous attractions, especially those in Tokyo. Millions of people visit every year, and if each traveller posts only one photograph, that is already millions of Tokyo pictures floating around on social media.

So instead, let’s talk about the little things that stayed with me.

Here is a secret spot—but I’m only telling you because we’re friends.

You can enjoy a beautiful view of Tokyo Skytree at sunset without buying an observation-deck ticket. Go to the 30th floor of Tokyo Solamachi. The view is lovely; it is usually peaceful, and you can sit there quietly for as long as you like.

Another place that completely changed my idea of a museum was the Art Aquarium Museum in Ginza.

Instead of displaying ancient objects from a distant past, it presents living sculptures—beautiful goldfish moving through carefully designed spaces of light, colour and water. In Japan, goldfish are associated with summer, good fortune and prosperity. The varieties are chosen for their graceful forms and movements, and the displays change with the seasons.

It is surprisingly beautiful and very easy to lose track of time there.

If you have visited, which seasonal exhibition did you see? I would love to know.

Then there is Tsukiji Fish Market.

Please wear loose clothing when you go, because your waistline may expand before you leave. Everything seems to be delicious. Don’t look only at the large or famous shops, either. Wander into the smaller lanes, and you may discover a tiny hidden place of your own.

That is how I found a little matcha shop serving green tea in a beautiful green bamboo cup. It looked so simple and sophisticated that I still remember it clearly.

Please don’t ask me exactly where it was. I walked around in circles and found it entirely by accident.

But perhaps that is part of the charm of travelling: sometimes the places we remember most are the ones we never planned to find.

Tokyo Tower has a different kind of magic at night. I think it is even more charming after dark than it is during the day—but you should go and investigate this for yourself.

And, of course, a trip to Japan never feels quite complete without seeing Uncle Fuji.

On my first day at Lake Yamanaka, he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was his day off, and he had decided not to come to work.

But the following morning, there he was.

Uncle Fuji had returned to work!

I was so happy.

Hello again, Uncle Fuji. It is very nice to see you.

Lake Yamanaka is also home to several swans. Some are gentle and well-mannered. Others are a little impatient—especially when snacks are involved. One may suddenly snatch food straight from your hand, so please be careful if you meet them.

There is another free viewpoint I would like to share with you.

Across from Sensō-ji Temple is the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. You can go inside for information and take the lift to the eighth floor, where you will find an elevated view of the temple and Tokyo Skytree.

There is no admission fee. You can simply enjoy the view or buy a coffee and sit handsomely in the cool air-conditioning for a while. There is even free drinking water downstairs—which feels especially precious during a Tokyo summer.

I didn’t expect to find many extravagant flowers in the heat. I assumed most of the hydrangeas would already have disappeared for the season.

Then, during an early-morning walk beside Lake Yamanaka, I found a magnificent cluster of hydrangeas growing quietly by the roadside.

I wasn’t looking for them. I wasn’t expecting them.

And perhaps that was why finding them felt so special.

They reminded me that unexpectedly beautiful things are often waiting in very ordinary places.

I hope you find something unexpectedly beautiful too—wherever your journey takes you.

Until we meet again next month.

Love,

Martin