Somewhere in Japan

Deliberate Experience in the City

A creative investigation into Tokyo's hidden nature

Long exposure showing blurred people crossing the street in Kabukicho, in front of the Donki

What If You Could Transform Your Relationship With the City?

This 3-hour workshop introduces you to concepts and practices that enhance how you understand and experience urban environments.

Through guided exercises and experiments grounded in psychogeography, mindfulness, and field ethnography, you’ll discover new ways of seeing, sensing, and moving through Tokyo, and learn how to better read the urban landscape—how architecture, design, and atmosphere shape your thoughts, mood, and movement.

Who Is This For?

  • Visitors to Tokyo: Experience a new place through fresh conceptual frameworks while learning techniques you can take anywhere.
  • Tokyo Residents: Rediscover familiar neighborhoods and break free from autopilot routines with tools for seeing your city anew.
  • Curious Minds: Anyone interested in urban exploration, creativity, mindfulness, or simply experiencing the city more deeply.

What Will We Do?

Over the course of our 3-hour session, we will engage in a series of activities and experiments. No two workshops will be the same, owing to differences in location, participants, and what activities fit the moment best. 

Example activities include:

  • Experimental navigational techniques (using a drift deck, stochastic algorithms, etc)
  • Mindfulness practices to become more aware of what our senses can tell us about our environment and its effect on us
  • Written observational practices like thick description
  • Observational scavenger hunts
  • Using technology to record elements of the city to revisit later for even deeper understanding

Event Details

Duration and Format: 3-hour interactive workshop combining theory, guided exercises, and hands-on urban exploration.

Pricing: ¥2,500 per person (includes workshop materials). Children under 10 attend free.

Location: Events rotate across a range of  Tokyo neighborhoods. Each location offers unique discoveries, please see event details for specifics.

Group Size: Limited to 12 participants initially to ensure quality experience and individual attention.

Rain or Shine: Events happen regardless of weather. Come prepared for the elements—they’re part of the experience.

Flexible Booking: Can’t make your event? Switch to another date or receive a partial refund.

My first visit to Japan was a homestay program that was organized by my high school. After a long hiatus, I’ve been visiting Japan regularly and with increasing frequency over the last decade.

Japan is one of the easiest places to guide yourself, but tours are sometimes a good way to discover the unexpected. After trying several “professional” tour companies I can recommend David’s walking tours without reservation. He is an excellent guide who not only knows Tokyo, but knows cities in general and how to get to know them. I enjoyed the local lore he shared, and also enjoyed the times when we both quietly walked and enjoyed the moment. David showed me a side of Tokyo that I had only occasionally seen in passing, and he offered new ways to think about experiencing cities.

James

Chicago

Ready To See Tokyo Differently?

Join the next workshop and discover tools for a deeper urban experience

Led by David R Munson

David R Munson is a photographer, writer, and educator based in the Tokyo area. He has spent more than a decade exploring the city through the lenses of psychogeography, mindful walking, and creative noticing. His workshops blend artistic awareness with reflective exploration, guiding participants toward a richer, more connected experience of urban life.

If the embedded calendar of events doesn’t load, please view the calendar of events at https://luma.com/exploretokyo

For detailed descriptions of meeting places, please see the tour locations page

Comments? Questions? Requests? Please get in contact via the contact page, or just email me directly at david@somewherein.jp

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