Japan Day 5: Waseda

2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z

Today was a lonely day and I liked it that way. I took pictures at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, went camera shopping in Shinjuku, and took an emotional walk through my old university campus.

Pretty Pictures wow ~~

I woke up late, so it was already approaching golden hour on my way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Deck.

A street shot from a padestrian overpass The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building A glass handrail inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building reflecting a bright fascade from outside A green stoplight

I took the elevator up to the 45th floor, and the view was beautiful! When I lived here, I’d only been to this observation deck at night, so this was a new experience!

Selfie from the observation deck Skytree in the distance A beem of light cast across a building and the ground The street below Looking straight down at the building's plaza A building named The Knot The building right nextdoor

I’ve been experimenting a lot more with angled shots and I think I nailed it today!

Fujifilm X-T50 (Silver)

Shinjuku is known for it’s camera stores, so I thought it was the perfect place to find the camera I’ve been meaning to buy. I bought the Fujifilm X-T50 in Silver. It’s got a 40MB sensor and good film simulation, so it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. big W for valorant!!

Val in a mirror at BicCamera Map Camera on every floor A silver FujiFilm X-T50 on display

Waseda

I used to live close enough to Shinjuku to walk home, so I took the same path back to my old dorm through the park :)

The road shot from a bush Barely illuminated wooden stairs

Waseda Hoshien

I didn’t cry guys trust me, I was really normal about it.

The sign for Waseda Hoshien My old dorm building

I walked around the Waseda campus and only hopped one fence for a picture.

Val in front of a map of Waseda campus A liminal path lit green

There’s the police building I was held in for two hours. Long story ask me about it sometime.

A small police station on a stree corner

I got taiyaki from my favorite shop. Only 300 yen!

POV holding taiyaki in front of the store

I got this really pretty shot of some decoration in the subway on the way home.

A web of green tubes reflecting light from behind

Maybe it’s okay to be lonely

I was looking forward to a day like this because I wanted to see how it would make me feel. Being a social person has been a pretty recent development. Especially in the last year, it’s become almost a defining trait for me. But looking back, a lot of my relationships were formed to validate my pathetic insecure needy existence. Lil ol’ valorant gaming people pleased too close to the sun until everyone around her got hurt and she got hurt and she broke her heart and her heart got broken and she had a mental break on Pier 61 at 3am.

So maybe it’s okay to feel lonely. because it’s better than feeling all that. it just takes is a little self respect.