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They say that as a traveller you are defined by “your time before Tokyo” and “everything after Tokyo”. It was early December 2015 when after 28 hours of continuous travelling, I arrived in what I would later call the best city on the planet. It was nearly 10 pm by the time I boarded the monorail from Haneda towards the Tokyo Station. Once I entered the train, I could have sworn that in reality, I passed the gates through another dimension. This was no ordinary ride, I told myself, as if I somehow entered Murakami’s 1Q84. Through the veil of tiredness, I was partaking in one of the most vivid, lucid dreams I’ve ever experienced. The speedy train took me above and beyond several multilayered roads and expressways. The carriage was almost entirely empty, except a couple of Japanese people, dressed in suits, marvelling at their phones. Salarymen going home from a long day at the office, I thought to myself. I looked through the window, just to see a sea of skyscrapers, multicoloured streets and establishments. I was part of the city, I could see my future unfolding right in front of my eyes, as Tokyo seemed the perfect metaphor for a great sci-fi movie. My journey continued out of the subway and through the Tokyo station, a multistory shopping mall which also served the purpose of a train station. The bright lights, sexy adverts and sheer amount of eateries dotted all throughout this impressive building gave me the reassurance I needed, that I was not dreaming, but experiencing the most phenomenal journey of my life. It was close to 11 pm by the time I managed to find my exit out of the Tokyo Station. It was cold and dark, yet I’ve never my life felt more serene about a new cityscape. I was now standing in front of those gigantic skyscrapers I was eagerly admiring earlier from the moving monorail. I looked up and marvelled at these buildings, the perfect futuristic architecture which made me feel small, made me feel human. What struck me most about Tokyo, was this perfect silence all around me, despite my central location. It wasn’t the eerie type of quiet, as there were cars and people on the streets, but I was surrounded by a deep silence. And so, I quietly began my walk towards my hotel. This was no dream, I was not a lost character in one of Murakami’s books. This was the beginning of my most memorable adventure in the greatest city on Earth. This was my journey of self-discovery, through which I became the traveller defined by “everything after Tokyo”.