On the morning subway commute, a seat is a happy thing. And then you get sleepy. I did it. When I woke, Otemachi, where I should have changed, had passed, and the announcement was for Nijubashi. I hesitated a moment about going back, then got off and decided on a morning walk to the Palaceside Building.
It was a warm morning. Central Tokyo had already topped 15°C by 8:00 a.m.—Indian summer weather. I walked slowly, enjoying the city turning color, starting with the ginkgo rows in front of the Imperial Palace.
The spot-billed ducks on Ote-bori looked comfortable too, pecking grass on the water and now and then dipping with a splash.
It may have been a blessed stretch of time I could taste only because I work at the Palaceside Building. Now and then, why not stroll to work from a station around Takebashi? Of course, take care not to be late.