Slow drizzle of rain
the streets saturated
Meiji era ending
the new emperor ascending.
Porcelain waiting under
paper umbrellas, rustling.
Tokyo midway from medieval
flashfire wooden, newborn modern.
Encapsulated, brick and tile
with angles borrowed from here
not imprisoned palaces
brought by Europeans to
mar the landscape.
Here Ōya stones become glyphs,
this seasoned lava used to boost
immunity to earthquake
and conflagration.
Wright-san respects the culture
guides the builders
the hotel is a butterfly
the hotel is sanctuary
the hotel is testament.