Kamakura

The train pulls into Kamakura station with a soft squeak. As you step off, the air feels different: cleaner, with a distinct scent of sea salt. The city unfolds before you, much lower and quieter than larger urban centers. In the distance, you can hear the steady sound of the waves. Your apartment is about a fifteen-minute walk away. The path winds through narrow streets lined with old houses, small temples, and local shops just beginning to light up. The sun is already low, bathing everything in an orange hue. You arrive at the building where your new home is located. It's a modest complex with only a few floors. You climb the stairs with your suitcase, open the apartment door… and for the first time, you are alone in your new life in Kamakura. From the window, you can see a patch of sky, and if you lean out, you can glimpse the sea between the rooftops.