Why I stopped cycling in Kyoto | A lesson in Psychogeography

Описание: Recently, I’ve been spending a bit of time thinking about the map of Kyoto—I mean the one I’ve been piecing together in my head since arriving here.

I noticed I have these little "islands" I know well, like the supermarket, the post office, and a few favourite coffee shops. But the space in between those spots is a bit of a blur. I realised I’d spent a lot of time moving between them on my bike without ever really seeing how they connect.

This video is about an experiment to fix that.

I left the bike at home and walked a route I’d never taken. It’s a bit of an exercise in what Guy Debord called the dérive (or the "drift")—basically letting the city pull you along rather than Google Maps.

I also share some thoughts from my friend and frequent collaborator, Cody Ellingham. We’ve worked together on projects like Wander the Night, and he has a lovely way of describing how architecture reveals a "shadow self" when we slow down and begin to see what is right in front of us.

The footage in the video is a bit of a collage. Some of it is from that specific walk—including the tiny coffee shop where I had a chat with the master—and some of it is old clips that had been cluttering up my phone's storage for months.

I'm curious if you've noticed these gaps in your own city?

Links mentioned:
• Will Self: Psychogeography (Talks at Google)    • Psychogeography | Will Self | Talks at Google  
• Cody Ellingham’s Interview https://repsychl.co.uk/2021/04/13/art...

Join me in Kyoto:
If you're visiting and want to do a bit of "drifting" yourself, I lead small, intimate sound walks through the city's quieter corners. We go slow, and we certainly don't use bikes.

Book your sound walk: https://www.kyotoinsound.com/

Find more of my work:
Substack (Occasional letters, videos & music) https://ohayo.substack.com
Instagram   / simonjamesfrench  
Bandcamp https://sjfmusic.bandcamp.com/

#Kyoto #Psychogeography #SlowTravel #Japan #SoundWalk #Walking #Mindfulness #CodyEllingham