Silhouettes were passing each other in a long underground passage in Shinjuku

Silhouettes walking through an underpass — People walking through the underground passageway in Shinjuku

When you get off the subway at Shinjuku Sanchome Station, you can reach Isetan, which is almost directly above the station, as well as Shinjuku Takashimaya, which is a little farther away, without going up to the ground. Since there is no need to wait for traffic lights, there are many people walking around even when it is not raining.

The underpasses in Shinjuku are complicated. While it is almost impossible to get lost when walking on the streets above ground in Shinjuku, it is hard to understand the whole picture of the underground passages no matter how old you are. When you finally get to the surface, you often find yourself in a different place than you expected. I've convinced myself that it's no wonder I get lost, since the underground passages all look alike and there are no buildings to mark them.

Then, what about the many other people walking through the underground passage? I don't see many people showing any signs of being lost. They walk around as if it is obvious that everyone knows what they are doing. But in fact, I suspect that a large percentage of people are walking around lost, but hiding their agitation. People in the city are good at keeping a poker face.

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