Leaving Ikebukuro

Goodbye, Ikebukuro.

In a few days I will be moving away from the only area in Tokyo — hell, make that Japan — that I’ve lived in for my entire stay in this country (close to 15 years).

Ikebukuro.

We first moved here because it was the area where my wife’s university at the time was located. We’ve stayed in Ikebukuro all this time because we found it convenient to be there. Sure, it’s not a popular spot for people to go to (at least for those living in Tokyo), but with one of the biggest stations in the city, lots of shopping options, and relatively decent rental prices compared to other parts of the city, it made sense to stay.

But the urge to go somewhere else has been there for a while.

The latest place we’ve been living in — for the past four years — is an old house, and at the end of December we found out that our contract, which expires in June, would not be renewed.

OK, where to next?

For privacy concerns, I’d rather not say much about where we are moving, but I can tell you that we are incredibly excited, and it’s going to mean a very different lifestyle — for the better.

On Monday, April 1, is PauseTalk Vol. 69, and it will mark my last night in Ikebukuro as a resident.