Shimokitazawa

I visited Japan for a few months, around 8 or 9 years ago. I really like the neighbourhood Shimokitazawa, although I felt a little self conscious about it because it seemed to have the reputation for being a neighbourhood for people slightly younger than I was, though I didn't feel old there ever. A few times I went for free dinner at the Hare Krishna temple that was there, or am I confusing neighborhoods?

I would tend to hang out in Shimokitazawa till quite late in a little bar that was primarily dedicated to playing Velvet Underground records. Then I would walk home, navigating by looking out for the tall buildings of Shinjuku in the distance. From Shinjuku I knew the way home on foot by heart. The walk home would take three hours I think, but maybe that was partially due to taking an indirect and inefficient route.

Harbourfront

It was in harbourfront when I was really young. A park where kids were left (or mildly supervised) to build their own structures, with tools provided. Kind of like making treehouses straight off of the ground. I don't remember participating myself though apparently I did for a few afternoons.

My memory principally consists of looking at these odd fort structures, with the nails not fully driven in, and maybe wanting to go into one. Maybe I did.

Nowadays that memory seems to come to me often, but who knows why. It was a place I just tag 'beyond the fence'.