Slow Tokyo: Exurban Exploring

Slow Tokyo: Exurban Exploring takes you across the hills and valleys of western Tokyo, passing through historic mountains and backwater suburbs in pursuit of solitude, inner peace, and the perfect gable roof. Along the way, readers are encouraged to choose depth over the superficial and performative.

Once we start searching for Japan travel advice, our social feeds are flooded with tips and must-see lists, making it easy to hurry through a long-awaited journey propelled by a fear of missing out. Paradoxically, this leads us to forgo fully experiencing the present, slipping into templated itineraries that make the culture we longed to immerse ourselves in feel elusive. When we return home, the traveller's glow fades as we settle back into routine.

Equal parts reflection and guide, this novella-length travelogue focuses less on what to do in Japan and more on how to approach the journey. It explores why we chose to go there in the first place and how we can find longer-lasting fulfilment once the trip ends. As we traverse the exurban fringes of Tokyo, every detail takes on meaning—from the curve of a shrine's roof to the quiet hum of a vending machine. Through these small observations, the book weaves together the historical and the contemporary, the everyday and the spiritual, encouraging a more mindful approach to travel and daily life.

With over fifteen years of living, working, and travelling throughout Japan, AJ, the author of the Tokyothèque newsletter, offers an intimate understanding of the country. Motivated by a passion for uncovering artistry in the ordinary, he finds beauty and meaning in the simplest moments—whether in the graceful eaves of a traditional home or the steady chime of a railway crossing—devotedly decoding Japan’s landscapes.

Slow Tokyo is a meditation on the quiet wonders of Tokyo’s outskirts, exploring how we travel and how to live more fully in the present. Join AJ on a downtempo summer walk as he shares his approach to travelling in the country he loves, inspiring you to discover Japan in your own unique way.