Torches in Tokyo

There is nowhere lonelier than a city of 40 million people.

Peter Kirk was born on the day the 1964 Tokyo Olympics opened, and for as long as he could remember, he felt an unshakable pull to the Japanese capital. Yet, it wasn’t until he turned sixty that he finally set foot on its streets. On his first morning in Tokyo, over breakfast at his hotel, he meets Yasuko Ikenushi, a woman whose life is forever intertwined with the 1964 Games. Her father represented Japan in the 1500 metres, and Yasuko, as a child, dreamed of following in his footsteps.

As Peter immerses himself in the vibrant, bustling city, he also uncovers the rich tapestry of Yasuko’s life, including the successes and failures of her athletics career. Two kindred spirits-each bound by history, by loneliness, and by the shared weight of time-become guides to one another. In their encounter, they navigate both Tokyo and the labyrinth of their own souls, finding connection in unexpected places.
Sometimes, the darkness feels so familiar that we forget how much light a torch can bring into our lives.