"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware" - Martin Buber

For me, Japan is a land of secrets. Tiny bars hidden down lantern-lit alleys. A Michelin star ramen shop in a seemingly abandoned shopping mall. Ancient temples sandwiched between towering modern buildings… No matter how many times I visit this beautiful and fascinating country, I’ll never be able to explore all that Japan has to offer.

Japan was the first country I ever visited where English wasn't the native language. I practiced with Japanese CDs for a couple of months before my trip. I was nowhere near fluent (I'm still not). But I vividly recall my first conversation with a local in Tokyo. My first words in Japanese were "Toire wa dokodesu ka?"

Or, in English, "Where is the toilet?"

I remember the wide-eyed look on the shopkeeper's face. He was surprised I could speak any Japanese at all. And I was equally surprised that I had managed to be understood. I was hooked... Communicating with someone in a new language was an experience I never had before.

Later, near the end of my trip, I found myself wandering the streets of Tokyo at night with no destination in mind. I walked down a cobblestone alley, past a row of tiny shops. It was raining, and the wet streets reflected the neon lights above. Droplets of water pelted my transparent umbrella. Looking through a half-open garage door, I spotted an elderly man wearing a windbreaker and a blue hat. He meandered across a concrete floor, walking past plastic kiddie pools filled with bubbling water.

Fascinated, I moved closer. I colorful koi fish, swimming in the pools. Then I heard music—a sing-song chant in Japanese accompanying the staccato beat of raindrops. The old man was singing to the fish!

To me, this felt like a secret place. A sight revealed only to me.

That image, along with countless others, burned itself into my mind. Many years later, when I sat down to write "Tokyo Black," I knew I had to put that scene in the book. All those memories bubbled back to the surface. Writing this book was like returning to a special place in my heart—a place filled enough secrets to spend a lifetime exploring.

I hope you enjoy visiting Japan through my eyes in "Tokyo Black." And if you happen to visit yourself, I hope you'll share some of the secrets you find with me as well.

Pick up your copy of Tokyo Black here: https://mybook.to/tokyoblack