“When I first arrived in Tokyo in April 1976, the plan was to spend a few days and then continue to Southeast Asia. I decided to leave my luggage at the airport that first night so I could walk around. I had no idea where I would stay. I took the monorail from Haneda Airport into the city, then rode the Yamanote Line around Tokyo. When I reached Shinjuku, I got off. It seemed the brightest, loudest and busiest part of the city. I spent the night wandering through Shinjuku and nearby neighbourhoods, and by morning I knew I wanted to stay. In 1976, nothing could prepare a first-time visitor for Tokyo. ‘Blade Runner-esque’ had not yet entered the language. The idea that the future had arrived and was alive and well in an Asian city was simply unfamiliar. Encountering it was thrilling and revelatory.”
 
Greg Girard, from the Q&A with Brad Feuerhelm included in the book.