The very title of this new collection by Gorazd Vilhar and Charlotte Anderson suggests multiple Tokyos. It posits a city so multifaceted that only various versions of it can suggest the complexity of the metropolis itself.
There have been a number of such paradigms. Among the first was the construction of a childlike people who did things backwards. Mark Twain said that "they begin dinner with tea and confections and close with the heavy work."
After that, dualistic anomalies were sought for and found. Sir Rutherford Alcock opined that "Japan is essentially a country of paradoxes . . . things are curiously reversed." Primitive though such paradigms were, they served their purpose. If we view others as upside down then, perforce, we see ourselves as right side up.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.