In Tokyo, the lights can be intimidating especially at night. At 8 PM, the Ginza crossing is flooded with cars. Then suddenly it all stops. Traffic lights go red ; all vehicle flow into the intersection is stopped. The remaining cars clear out and for a brief time the intersection is again flooded, this time with pedestrians in every direction. Neon lights are flashing, changing, blinding. Few signs display roman letters.

All I wanted to do was cross the street, but as a stranger in Japan, this was a time of “peak” disorientation.