Warsaw and Tokyo

Warsaw and Tokyo

My first visit to Warsaw was June in 2014

And from the very beginning, my

impression about this city hasn't changed at all

"Warsaw and Tokyo are very similar"

Few years later, I started to live in this city and afterward wrote a book, and during the writing, I was thinking about these similarities of 2 cities

Firstly, both cities weren't originally the capital

Tokyo became a capital in the late 19th century

Before, Kyoto was the Japanese capital

Warsaw became a capital in the late 16th century and the previous Polish capital was Kraków

And till this date, both Kyoto and Kraków are seen as a cultural/historical/traditional centre of the country, while Tokyo and Warsaw are considered as a centre of economy & business

Secondly, Warsaw & Tokyo were both severely ruined during the WW2

It means most of buildings there have only 77 years history at the maximum

Due to this lack of history and cultural restraints, both cities always scrap old things easily and build new ones quickly without any hesitations

Always brand-new dazzling glittering skyscrapers are being built here and there in the city

Every time I go back to Tokyo from abroad, I'm always astonished by how ugly and disorganised Tokyo's landscape is

At the same time I have to admit this complete disorder and confusion, in other words, this "chaos" is the biggest charm and irresistible attractions of Tokyo

Warsaw seems heading to the same direction

Due to cutting out of history and traditions, both cities contain a strong sense of shallowness, superficiality, faceless anonymity, and anxiety that comes from no accumulation of the history

City that is purely made out of convenience for modern people

Unnecessaries, blank spaces, and beauty were completely eradicated on the surface of the city

This, of course, can apply to those living in both cities

People who think about only efficiency and one's own benefits

I'm from Tokyo. I'm certainly inevitably one of them