City Tales

3,758 words by 14 writers in New York, Tokyo & elsewhere

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City Tales, poetry

Nowadays, everyone is looking down, checking out their iPhones. I guess they don't want to miss anything.

by Shu Kuge

Tokyo — Actually, they miss everything. The other day, I realized on the Sobu Line that the clouds were beautiful. But I was the only one who was looking up. Baudelaire, a French poet of “flaneur,” writes about “The Stranger” who hates everything but clouds “up there…up there (la-bas… la-bas),” the ultimate form of freedom. As a flaneur, it is said that Baudelaire walked around the city all day and a...

City Tales, film

We were paying homage to Chris Marker (1921-2012), a reclusive filmmaker, in Shinjuku Golden Gai.

by Shu Kuge

新宿区 — Christophe, my friend from Paris, was in the city. After dinner, we visited “Shinjuku Golden Gai” to find a bar where Chris Marker used to hang out. Years ago, Christophe and I became friends through ...

City Tales

I had to clear the balcony garden this afternoon. It is rather depressing to see it deserted.

by Shu Kuge

Tokyo — The building manager will start repairing and repainting the external wall this coming Tuesday. The work will last until the mid December. I had no choice but transferred all the plants to my parents’...

City Tales

I love motels. Any kinds. Motels provide shelters for those who want to hide, hide from family and friends.

by Shu Kuge

San francisco — Every motel room looks identical because it is disconnected from time, history. By staying at motel, you can suspend your obligation. You can even buy some time. You can disguise your identity, be ano...

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