So the way took us to legendary Shinsekai, which oddly I only realized once we had left the area. Shinsekai (新世界?, lit. “New World” in English) is an old neighbourhood that was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half.
At this location, a Luna Park amusement park operated from 1912 until it closed in 1923. Nowadays it is supposedly a comparatively “dodgy” area (by Japanese standards) but you have to look twice to see traces of what might appear dodgy. In general despite the rain, despite the not exactly glossy atmosphere, somehow it appeared as if may be here you could indeed hear the echoes of a magical shopping arcade that connects to other worlds, other times and other dreams, and then there was a strange sense of potential that might rise from simply being alive.
More info on Shinsekai can be found here:
Strolling around the Shinsekai Area
Meeting Couples, Friends and Food Enthusiasts ... and Billiken
