Nightmare on Shinsaibashi Street
Photo by Alex Rainer on Unsplash I emerge from the underground only to be thrust into a rapid current of swarming people. Immediately, I am swept away by the crowd along a kaleidoscopic street filled with colors and bright lights. Like sirens calling out to sailors at sea, salespeople cry out for my attention, waving signs in big red letters – “50% OFF!!” “BUY 3, GET 1 FREE!!”. They warn me that time is running out. They promise me that I will find everything I need and want inside their shops. Resistance is futile. All around me, people drop out of the group and wander off into the shops with a glazed look in their eyes, seduced by the sirens’ promises. I keep my eyes fixed on the person ahead of me and try not to listen to the sweet voices that beckon me into their stores. I need to stay alert. Even the most seasoned sailors can get lost in these treacherous waters. Occasionally, the downstream people stray from their tracks, colliding with the upstream people, whic