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矢印をかく方へ

私の話を聞いてもらいたいのです。

日本語で伝えるのがとても難しいので英語で失礼します。

(英語が読めない場合ぜひオンライン辞書使って読んでください)

The following are series of events that led me to write this story.

27 December 2021.

I’m on the train, coming back from a dinner, headed home, I get off at 田端駅.

Getting out of the 改札 I’m going directly on the right side, inside of the building, because I wanted to go to 成城石井. It was a cold day so wanted to buy some Madeleines and have a tea once home.

I bought Madeleines, get out 成城石井 and started walking on the 田端ふれあい橋.

About half way through it I noticed an arrow (矢印) written with some chalks on the ground.

it's 19:21.

I look in the direction where it's pointing and notice there was another one.

And I pull out my phone and started taking a video. Let me explain.

As you may have figured out, I'm not from Japan. And sometimes I send short videos my friends back in my country, to share with them my experiences in Japan. I don't have any social media, and sending short random videos it's what we do to keep in touch.

So I pull out my phone and started recording a video by saying “I just notice there are some arrows on the ground…I’m going to follow them and see where they lead me to”

And without knowing it, that was for me the beginning of a series of adventures.

I follow the arrows downstairs while keep talking and recording, and I was wondering what they were, and who made them…

My first thought was that it was some sort of advertisement, like someone wrote them to indicate that his 居酒屋 it's downstairs…or something like that.

But once I got downstairs next to the 交番 I noticed that one of the arrows was drawn differently from the previous ones. It had two lines crossing it.

By this time, I was already really invested and I was really curious about what those arrows were and who made them. So I kept following them.

I made it to the park. Still while recording, talking, and holding madeleines with the other hand.

While talking (recording it for my friends) I made many theories of what the arrows could have been for…and I also try to make the video more entertaining by telling jokes and complaining about the fact that I was very invested in it, but also I wanted to go home and have tea and madeleines because it was vey cold outside.

Once at the park I found something written in front of the other entrance that said “ON IN”.

And at that point I started to believe that there was some sort of event going on, and the arrows were only there to lead the people who took part to the event until the park.

I thought that was it. End of the adventure. And I had many questions about it, but I was also glad I had that tiny adventure.

But that was just the beginning.

I proceeded to go home and across the train trucks near the park, where I notice another arrow “here we go” I thought, “the adventure keeps going”.

I follow the arrows for a while, going throughout small streets of a residential area, all while still recording the video.

I thought it maybe was some sort of hiking event around the city, that was my first theory, because I was keep thinking that the arrows started from the station and maybe the park was a gathering point for the people to then go hiking…but why was a gathering point necessary? And why the arrows? If it was a hiking event people will just use their phones to look for the way, why follow a specific trail?

I had so many questions and I was very curious about the whole thing…but also, I was freezing.

I kept following the arrows until the crossing between 明治通り and the Nippori Toneri ライナー…where I lost them. I couldn't find any more arrows and I started wondering if I misunderstood the whole thing and I was actually following some arrows made to mark some working road sites. I thought I mistakenly interpreted the arrows and maybe they were just pointing at a pole or a fence near by, but I stupidly thought they were actually pointing in a specific direction.

I had this doubt in my mind because I couldn't find them anymore, but I also kept telling myself “no no no, there has to be a meaning. They started at the station, and I’ve never seen them in all these years, this has to be something like an event or something”.

Also, the shape of the arrows was very particular, and they were different from those written by people who work on the road or in construction.

But I still had a little bit of doubt on the back of my head.

After a while I was able to find the arrows again and I was able to keep going my adventure.

I was talking, recording the video for my friends, and I remember mentioning that this adventure reminded me of a video I once saw on YouTube, where a guy found some clues in his town and started to follow some sort of treasure hunt game. And that's exactly how it felt for me, if felt like I accidentally came across a treasure hunt game.

I remember joking and saying that the video I was taking would make it to an interesting video series show, and I remember telling my friends (as a joke) that I’ll try to sell the video to Netflix once I’m done, and they'll hopefully make a Netflix series out of it. And call it “Madeleine”.

I kept going for a little bit, but my hands were freezing cause I didn't have gloves on and I couldn't keep them in my pocket since I was holding the phone with one hand to be able to record, and I was holding the package of Madeleines with the other hand.

I was also hungry and tired, and I was wondering how long will it take to follow all the arrows and see where they were leading to… I notice the battery of my phone was about to die, and by chance I was not so far from where I live, so I decided I should stop the video and go home. So I could eat something, charge my phone, wear proper warm clothes and gloves, and also get my bike, and then go back from where I left, take another video and keep going with the adventure.

So I “tell” my friends that, and say that Madeleine season 1 ends there. And stopped recording.

The video was exactly 25 minutes.

When I stopped recording and I was about to go home, a friend of mine who lives in Japan texted me (I'm going to call her “Sさん” for convenience) and I just reply to Sさん by saying “I'm having the strangest experience ever…l’ll text you later”

I went home, eat something quickly, charged my phone, wore a lot of worm clothes, and then I went back with my bike to the place where I stopped recording.

While I was eating I kept trying to figure out what this whole thing was. I notice there were three types of arrows, the normal ones, the ones with two line written across them, and those written only with one stroke. And I kept thinking of the meaning of them. While going back to the spot to start the second recording I changed my theory a little bit, and I was now thinking that it's a cycling event.

People gathered at the park, prepare their bikes, and then started following the arrows…but that theory didn't make much sense either, because there's no reason to complicate things by drawing arrows, and also, some of the streets were the arrows were drawn were very narrow and very inconvenient for riding a bike. Not a good theory.

But not understanding clearly what it was made it mysterious and more interesting.

I went back to the spot, it's 20:18.

I started recording a video by saying this joke “This is Madeleine season 2…I'm wearing gloves, warm gear, and I have a bike…the budget for this season it's higher, which means Netflix bought the show”. And I jumped on my bike and started following arrows again.

I noticed a few interesting things this time…

One of the arrows was crossed by another line of chalk of a different color and it had a question mark written next to it. This made me understand that first there's a person (or a group of people) that go around the city writing the arrows, and then theres another group of people that follow them later…and both of them don't know where the course it's going. I mean, I had a strong feeling that the course and the arrow placement it's decided on the spot, and maybe the person that writes them have a general idea of where he's going but don't actually know those streets.

Another interesting thing was that at some point the arrows went through a very small space between a handrail and came out from a parking lot. That made understand for sure that it's not a cycling event, but the people that follow the arrows actually walk the course.

This time I notice that many of the arrows were written next to poles, and made me question multiple times “are the arrows actually pointing at the poles? Am I stupid and I'm following a fake trail to nowhere?” But I knew that having doubts was just part of the fun.

I enjoyed some of the places where the arrow brought me to, some small streets, and through a parking lot, over the train trucks of the 東電荒川線, then they were leading towards 尾久の原公園, and two of the arrows I found there, were in such a precise location that I had no more doubts that this was a course and it was leading me somewhere. And I was happy and excited.

After 尾久の原公園 I got lost a little, and then found the arrows again going trough a small factory area.

27 minutes had past, so I decided to stop the second video there to don't make it too long.

20:45

I quickly started recording again, season 3. Keep following the arrows. And keep wondering where they're gonna bring me.

After a while I found one that has been erased and rewritten pointing in a different direction. I went to look what there was on the direction of the arrow that was erased and the road had a dead end. That was the proof that my theory was correct, the person who writes the arrows decides where to go on the spot. I know it's such an irrelevant detail, but finding out small things like that give me more excitement and satisfaction throughout my little adventure.

At some point I saw an arrow close to a bus stop where something funny happened to me in the past. So I decided to tell that story to my friends. And so I dedicated some minutes to my “Story time”.

I kept following the trail and I found some arrows pretty close to my house, and I wondered at what hour were they drawn…but I realized that since I didn't see them on the pavement of 田端駅station when I went to 新宿 earlier that day, but I only noticed them when I came back, they must have been drawn between 5pm to 7pm.

The arrows are leading me back towards 明治通り, and only in that moment I realized: “No way!! It’s a loop!!! It’s gonna bring me back to the park!!

That's why there was that “ON IN” written on the ground.

At that moment I was 100% sure that it was leading me back to the park of the beginning, so I just started to ride my bike in the direction of the park, and yes, one after an other all the arrows were on the way there.

A few meters before the park I saw an arrow with written “Beer Near” next to it.

And that made me think that is probably not a hiking event either (or a running event etc.) because if they're giving beer once you complete the loop I’I'm pretty sure it's not a health related event. It must be something else.

I got back to the park, and and realize that when I first follow the arrows from the station into the park, there was a bunch of backpacks and a couple of people there. But I didn't pay attention to them because I was looking for arrows and shooting the video. But now that I was back at the park and nobody was there I'm wondering if they were the people who made the arrows or took part in the event…(I later check the first video I took, but you can't really see who was there).

So I'm there, standing in the park, still recording, thinking of the adventure I just had, that felt like an unexpected treasure hunt.

I'm “talking” while recording and I'm saying that that was the end, and I will now go home and have tea with madeleines while thinking at the experience I just had.

And as the last thing, I’m telling my friends that I don't want to know what the event was actually about. I don't want to know anything about it. I could easily search on the internet for the date and some keywords and find out what it was about. But I think that not knowing what it is it's what makes it interesting for me as experience. The idea of “there are some arrows, let's follow them” and then try to figure out what it is, and not knowing what it is, it's better than knowing the truth.

it's like watching someone doing a magic trick, it's only interesting if you don’t know how he did it.

And I want to keep the mystery.

I'm thinking of a way to end the video and then I just said “it was nice to have this unexpected experience….and that was Madeleine….soon on Netflix…..roll the credits”

I went home. Texted Sさん “I had a surreal adventure”. And finally had tea and madeleines.

The day after I went back to 田端駅, because I actually wanted to know where the first arrow started, and if I missed something.

And just in front of the 改札 I found a sign written on the ground that said “TH3” with an arrow next to it, the first arrow. I took a short video of it to show that to my friends as well. Then I went on wit my day.

And later that evening I came back to the station again and notice that on 田端ふれあい橋 there was something else written on the ground that I didn't noticed earlier that day, there was an arrow with next to it written “300 m Walk”.

I took a short video of that too.

But at the end I didn't send the videos to my friends back in my country. I don't know why. I guess I thought they wouldn't enjoyed as much as I did… I felt like they would just find it boring.

I don't know, maybe one day I will show the videos to them.

The following days the arrows were still there on the floor, and I could see them every time I went from home to the station and vice versa. They were like a reminder of how cool of an experience it has been.

3 January 2022

Seven days has passed since the night I followed the arrows. It hasn't rained, so they still visible on the floor.

That day I met up with Sさん, and I told her everything about the adventure I had a week earlier.

I show her the three videos, translating for her what I was saying in the videos in my native tongue (since the videos were originally meant for some friends of mine back in my country, and they don't speak english) translating all the jokes and all the theories I came up with while followings the arrows.

She loved the story and she was very invested. And she also agreed that looking online for what kind of event it was will only ruin the mystery of the experience.

And so we spent hours that day analyzing all the clues we had from the videos, trying to understand kind of event it was and coming up with new theories.

It was fun.

I came back to 田端 that night, it's 22:56 and I'm walking past the arrows on the way home as usual. And close to the park I notice that one of the arrows has been modified and now it's pointing in the opposite direction and there's a strange “P” written next to it…

I wasn't sure if it was something someone wrote because they saw the arrows there for several days and they just wanted to “play along”, or if it actually was part of the original event…like it's an event that takes more than one day.

But also, I wasn't 100% sure that was a new symbol either, maybe it's always been there and I just didn't notice.

I texted Sさん, and told her about the new symbol I found…but I was very tired and it was late. If it was a new course it would have took me hours to complete…so I just told her that I’ll go check it out the day after and take a video of it….I took a picture of it, just in case, and then I went home.

I thought was an incredible coincidence that I met her that day and told her about my experience, and now on my way home I found something new. I thought she might think that I was lying, and think I faked the whole thing and it was me who made the arrows all along.

But the coincidences that happened in this story are amazing, and this is all true.

4 January 2022

18:49

I purposely waited for the night to fall. Im there with my phone and I start recording.

it's Madeleine season 4.

I record from the new “P” symbol I found, and I’m still talking to my friends back in my country, thinking that one day I’ll maybe send the videos to them eventually.

I start following the arrows and the new “P” symbols, and the more I follow them the more I'm sure that they weren't there before, and they were new.

And I was very exited because I didn't think there will be a new adventure coming, I thought Madeleine was a one time adventure.

I started follow them by walk to make the experience longer, but they didn't go that far, and they seem to stop in front of a chinese restaurant pointing at it.

For a while I thought I lost them and couldn't find the next one, so I started look around in nearby streets. But no, it really seemed like the end of the trail was that chinese restaurant.

At that point I thought at my first theory when I first saw the arrows. I thought someone was trying to “advertise” their 居酒屋…And now I’m thinking that this is what happened with this “P” symbol.

Someone saw the arrows these days and thought “Hey, let's draw our own arrow that point at our restaurant so curious people will come there”.

I was disappointed…because I was really hoping it to be a new original Madeleine adventure.

But it was not. Was something that someone else made only for advertisement.

I said all this thoughts to my friend while recording and then I went back to the park and found an arrow pointing in the same the direction with written “Food”.

Yep, it wasn't a “real Madeleine” adventure, it was just somebody advertising their restaurant.

So I went back to the last arrow in front of the restaurant and contemplate if I should go in asking about the arrows or not…I decided not to. Once again, I didn't want to know.

So I ended up the video by saying that I didn't know if that was part of a real Madeleine adventure or not, but it was nice to have a little extra thrill some days later…..”credits”.

I stopped recording and that was the end of the Madeleine adventure.

Some time later I met Sさん again and showed her that last video. She agree, It was not a new adventure, but it was nice anyway.

Months went by, I got a new job that allow me to work form home. Which it's nice.

I have an hour brake where I can prepare my food and take it easy.

That day I decided to use my lunch break to ride my bike and go see the cherry blossoms in 谷中 cemetery.

it's 28 March 2022.

I went to see cherry blossom there during my lunch break for the past few days. The 25th, 26th…but not the 27th.

I usually park my bike in the parking lot next to Seven Eleven, coming from 谷中銀座. Then I walk upstairs, enter in the cemetery, and started wondering around until I reach the main road that go across the cemetery where all the sakura trees are.

There was not many people there, and I could enjoy the cherry blossom while slowly up and down the main road.

Then I went home and kept working till the evening.

Once I finished working I was lazy and tired but I really wanted to go see cherry blossoms at night too, so for the second time that day I got my bike and went to 谷中 again.

I park my bike again at the same spot, and I was about to climb the stairs as usual but I stopped. I stood there for about three seconds, and then I decided to walk until the South exit of 日暮里駅and go up the slope there to enter the cemetery from there. I just felt it.

So I bring my bike with me till the south exit and up the slope, and when I got there at the top of the slope I saw it right in front of me.

There was an arrow written on the ground. One of those written with one stroke. In a split second I knew it was made by the same person that made those in 田端 three months before. I was speechless. I look quickly ahead of me to see if there was another one written on the floor. And sure it was there, a classic madeleine arrow.

“NO WAY!! NO WAY!! It's happening again!!”.

it's 20:47

I parked my bike right there, pulled out my phone and started to record a video, this time for Sさん. In the video I told her, “I came to see sakura at night and I just found a Madeleine arrow! it's happening again! I will go home and prepare for this new adventure first (eating, charging phone etc.) don’t know if I have to start from here because I found the first arrow here, or just follow the arrows backwards till the real start at exit of the station…” while saying that I follow some of the arrows backward to the south exit of 日暮里駅, while filming them to show that they were indeed the same arrows of the adventure in 田端. But they didn't start from the south exit, and I saw that they were going down a big set of stairs in the direction of the main entrance of 日暮里駅. So I assumed they started from there. I kept saying “I can't believe it! I can’t believe it! So I told Sさん that by the time she saw this short video, I’ll be lost somewhere following arrows. I stopped recording, set the video to Sさん and rushed home.

The whole way home I was super excited and I just kept yelling “it's happening!! I cant believe it!! It's happening again!!”

Got home, got ready got back to 日暮里.

This time I didn't go back to 谷中 but I went directly to the main exit of 日暮里駅, because I thought the trail started from there, just like it did in 田端. But I was wrong.

So I went to check that big set of stairs close to the south exit to see where the arrows were going, and I found one in a corner next to 日暮里駅. It was a classic Madeleine arrow with the two lines crossing it. So I decided to start from there and follow the arrows backward until I find the beginning of the trail. So I started recording season 5.

it's 22:00.

I started by explaining why I’m not where I found the first arrow, close to the cemetery, and also explaining that I’I'm going to follow the arrows backwards, till the start of the trail, and then come back to this point and follow the rest in regular order.

So I hop on my bike and began the adventure.

I couldn't believe this happened randomly twice… and I was extremely happy and excited.

I quickly realized that following arrows backwards is not as easy as following them regularly, especially if they just crossed a street, cause I have to go check all possible directions.

But that made it more exciting.

This time I won't describe all the small details of the experience like I did for the one in 田端, but instead I’m just going to describe my favorite moments and the things that got my attention the most.

Briefly after starting to follow the arrows backwards I realized that those arrows that have two lines crossing them indicate that I have to across the street. I don't know why I didn't figure out this back in 田端.

And so now I understand that the normal arrows means “follow” and the arrows with the two lines means “across the street”…but I still don't understand the arrows written in one stroke.

My theories are:

1- the “one stroke arrow” it's made by the people who follow the regular arrows. This theory comes from the fact that the first “one stroke arrow” I’ve noticed was the one with the question mark in “season 2”…that made me think “why a question mark if you're the one writing it?”

So I figured it might have been written by those who follow the original arrows.

2- there are two people who write the arrows at the same time, hence the different styles. (but why the question mark then?)

Another thing I noticed, also during the experience in 田端, is that sometimes the arrows have different colors. During this adventure I tried to understand if the different colors have different meanings, but I concluded that all the colors mean the same thing. You probably just run out of chalks.

I follow back the arrows till a park close to 日暮里駅, where I thought “oh yeah, right, they gather all in a park before starting the event, just like they did in 田端” and there, I took my time to see some sakura and playing un a slide before I kept following the arrows…

One thing I notice was that at the entrance of the park there was an arrow with three lines crossing it. That was unique, and the only one I saw like that in my madeleine adventures.

I decided to call the adventure in 田端 “Winter edition” (season 1 to 4), and this new adventure the “Spring edition”.

Yeah I know, I should've called the seasons “episodes”. And the editions “seasons”. That would have made more sense. But when I started name it like that I wouldn't imagine that there will be more than two. And I definitely had no idea that these whole series of events would unfold.

The whole time I had this question in mind, “Did they write all the arrows today's afternoon? Because I went to 谷中 at lunch time and I didn't notice. Or do they actually did the event yesterday (the 27th, the day I didn't go to 谷中) and today the arrows were there the whole time and I just didn't see them…..?

I started to suspect the arrows were there the 27th. In that case I don't think it was a coincidence that it happened exactly three months later the same day.

I think it was planned.

After a while following the arrows backwards I found a drawing of some sort of graph, a circle divided in quarters with a number in it.

I was very excited to know that there was new elements in this adventure compared with the “winter edition” in 田端.

And I imagined it was something that indicate something like “you're 3/4 of the way”.

But I didn't exclude it might mean something different.

I decided to call it “the pizza graph”.

Some of the graphs had an arrow next to it, but the arrow was always a “one stroke arrow” and written with a different color…I thought again that those arrows were not written by the person.

Unlike the Time in 田端, this time the trail bring me to places I’ve never been, and every time I thought I figured out where I was going it kept bring me to new unexplored places.

At some point I was next to an old museum that looked very cool, I passed in front of many hidden temples, many parks and I really enjoyed the locations a lot.

And every 25 minutes or so I stopped recording, and started a new video…calling it a “new season”.

I got pretty far from 日暮里駅, and I kept thinking “damn, I’m pretty far, and once I find the beginning of the trail I have to go back all the way to 谷中 where I found the first arrow and keep following the trail from there”.

At one point I found an arrow that pointed at a parking lot, with written “THRU”. And it really got me wondering why all the “signs” (or “instructions”) are written in english…? I started to believe that person writing them might have been a foreigner. I remember thinking the same thing when in 田端 I found the “Beer Near” sign.

That was interesting.

While riding the bike, for the whole time I hat stuck in my head the intro song from the TV show “Disenchantment”. Every time I didn't speak during the recording, that song was playing in my head. I told it many times to Sさん while recording. And now I associate that music with this adventure.

Not far from that parking lot I found something else that I thought was interesting.

There was a blue arrow (normal one, drawn whit the usual stile) pointing in one direction, crossed as if it was erased, and on top of it another arrow was drawn (white one, different style) pointing in the opposite direction. (again, made me think the arrows are drawn by different people…maybe) and on top ow the delete arrow there was written “C B” and an X (cross) underneath.

I wondered what C B could stand for.

I try to follow the trail in direction of the deleted arrow, and it went around the corner through the “garden” of a house, and there was a tiny narrow slope that led to a parking area. But the parking area was closed by a small gate, and at the start of the tiny slope there was “C B” written on the ground. So I went back to the crossed arrow.

That was extremely interesting. Does it mean the person doesn't know where the trail is going before writing the arrows? (just like I assumed in the “winter edition” when I found that arrow that was erased because it lead on a dead end). Why not actually erasing the wrong arrow then?

Or does it mean he went to check the trail during the day and the small gate was open, and now it was closed so he had to improvise another way?

And another important thing…I thought what “C B” can stand for…I imagined it might be something along the lines of “Course Blocked” or “Change Birection”…anyway, whatever that acronym stands for, it has to be intuitive for the people that follow the trail of arrows when they get to that point…with brings me back to my previous point…is it made by a foreigner? Because I can't imagine an acronym like that to be intuitive for a japanese person. Or maybe it's a famous acronym and I just don't know it.

Anyway, I found it very “non japanese”.

I also liked the area because it was sketchy and it went through someones property. (that's also very “non japanese”.

At one point I got lost. I couldn't find any more arrows. mostly due to the fact that I was following them backwards.

I wonder around the area where I saw the last arrow for a while, while talking and recording, without finding any clues. Then I saw an extremely narrow gap between two building and I said “No way, is he making me go though this?…If I was the person who draw the arrows I will make them go through it because I think it's cool….okay let's check it out”.

So I tried to go through the buildings but my bike did fit. I went through it by lifting the bike and squeezing through, and once on the other side the next arrow was there waiting for me.

I loved it.

I found other two “pizza graphs”. With different numbers written on them. Yeah, I'm pretty sure they indicate the distance covered.

Was getting late.

I eventually got to a familiar street and realized I was close to 鶯谷駅. Kept following the arrows backwards and getting closer and closer to 鶯谷. I thought that maybe the trail started from there and not from 日暮里.

I went through the love hotel area, was interesting. And I like that the trail split into two ways and one avoided the love hotel area. And then I saw an arrow going out that small park just next to 鶯谷駅 and I figured that was the park where they gather before the event, not the one I saw close to 日暮里. Of course not, because I was following the arrows backwards and that wouldn't make any sense.

I went inside the small park looking for other clues but I only found a yellow arrow pointing out of the park. I guess that was the start. No “ON IN” sign this time.

I went out of the park and the arrows were coming from 鶯谷駅. I was just about to climb the stairs to across the bridge over the train trucks to get to the entrance of the station. The trail split into two and both were going over the bridge but on different sides. I wanted to make sure both trails were going to reconnect so I went under the bridge to climb the stairs on the other side.

But just right there, under the bridge I saw an arrow with that “P” written over it.

This was kind of a shock, because it meant that in 田端, those “P arrows” that appeared seven days later were also part of the original event. And they were made by the same people.

In other words “season 4” was a legit Madeleine season.

So I started to immediately follow the “P” marks and they led me to a 居酒屋/restaurant near by. There was no doubt about it. The “P” mark brings people to eat.

This made me think that maybe there are different groups of people following the arrow trail, some of them finish earlier then other, and they go to eat first by following the “P” mark.

“What does “P” stand for? (Pood?)” I can’t figure out what it stands for….(Price…?!)

But also, this made me wonder if that time in 田端 people actually gathered back there seven days later.

(I later check the videos I took three months earlier. The writing “Food” at the park was there since season 1, but not the P marks. They really appeared seven days later…..and this confuses me).

Went all the way to the the station, and saw other “P” marks, they started from one side of the station. I thought was strange that they didn't start from the park where they gather. I was expecting it to be like in 田端.

And only in that moment I realized “Ooooh, I'm stupid!… It's a loop! Of course the trail it's a loop! If you follow it the correct way it brings you all the way to 日暮里 and you come back from 谷中 cemetery until here in front of 鶯谷駅”.

Just like the 田端 one was a loop.

I don't know how I could forget about that.

The video I was recording reached the 25 minute so I decided to go in front of the 改札 and end the video there.

I started a new video, Season 8, and I notice on the floor in front the 改札 the first arrow (a yellow one) and right next to it another white arrow, that was obviously added later, pointing in another direction. Maybe a P mark arrow but without the mark? But why from the station?

This time there was no “TH3” written right out of the station. Or maybe I just didn't see it.

I was about to go back to the park by walking on the other side of the bridge just to make sure I didn't miss anything. But few steps away of the 改札 just before the bridge there were some instructions written on the pavement. An arrow pointing right (towards the station) saying “START”. And on its left, another arrow pointing left (towards the gathering park) saying “TRAIL”.

Was a bit confusing, and I was thinking “why should it say “START” and pointing at the station…people that join the even just came out of the station, they know…”

So I didn't really understand. Perhaps the gathering point was just right in front of the station? Or perhaps people joining the event not only come there by train?

I dont know.

But again, I had the feeling that the word “START” is universally known. The word “TRAIL”, not so much. So I was thinking again “Is it a foreigner doing this?”.

Kept following the Arrows backwards getting closer to the 谷中 area. I found myself in front of a very cool open graveyard, with a lot of small statues and christmas lights, and in the middle of it there was a stunningly beautiful sakura tree in full bloom.

I went to explore the graveyard, kept it quiet during the recording, it was beautiful. And the whole experience was amazing.

Got out the graveyard and notice that another 25 minutes had past. Told Sさん and ended the video there.

Before starting the next video I went back to the graveyard real quick and took some pictures.

Then went back to the entrance, and started recording again.

it's season 9.

The rest of the trail was heading pretty much where I imagined…

I was keep saying to Sさん what an incredible coincidence it was to have randomly found the arrows again after exactly three months.

And while telling that I was contemplating some other theories…. What if the time in 田端 was not the first time this event happened? What if they do it every month around Tokyo and it just randomly happened that I came across two of them, and now I think that there's one event after three months, but in reality there are many more….?

Throughout this whole new adventure I kept asking Sさん rhetorically these type of questions.

But for some reason I already know all the answers.

There was something subconscious about the whole thing. Something that it's hard to explain…just a strong feeling…

It was like I understood the way of thinking of the people who made it and I knew what was going to happened.

I told Sさん my theory. I said to her “I believe the one in 田端, the 27 December, was first one ever. I believe they decided to have one event every three months. This one it's 日暮里 and 鶯谷, two stations away from 田端 on the 山手線 towards Ueno. And it was exact three months later, 27 March. And the next one it's going to be in 巣鴨. Two stations away from 田端 on the 山手線 towards Ikebukuro. it's going to be the 27 June.”

I just knew it.

I reached 谷中 cemetery, found the last pizza graph. And slowly riding my bike under the sakura trees in bloom. It was so peaceful. As I was going towards the end of that adventure.

I got back to the first arrow I saw, the one that started this adventure. I still couldn't believe that this happened.

The first time that happened was an unexpected adventure, but this time was un unbelievable experience.

I really really enjoyed the places the trail of arrows led me to this time. I really love all the little streets, the sketchy places, going next to an old cool museum, I thought the love hotel area was also interesting, that amazing amazing graveyard with the statues and the christmas lights….I really loved this Spring edition of Madeleine.

And so I thought the best way to end it was to go back to the center of 谷中 cemetery underneath all the sakura in bloom and give my final thoughts about this incredible experience that just happened again to me.

So I went back, filmed the petals falling from the sky as I was going through the sakura in bloom…and said “this was Madeleine season 9…the Finale….and who knows, maybe one day there's going to be a season 10…..

…credits.

On the way home I still have that music playing in my head.

Skip forward a couple of months. I my life went on normally, the remote job I’ve got it's no longer remote.

I met Sさん a few times since then, we spent several hours talking about this new Madeleine experience, and I show her three of the new videos (Only three because we didn't have time, I will show her the rest when we'll have time).

But as the days went by we used to mention to each other every once in a while “hey, next month it's going to be Madeline Day again…” “Hey, in a few weeks it's the 27th…”.

And more than living another “follow the trail of arrows” experience, I was really curios if my prediction was right and it was going to be in 巣鴨.

I went to 駒込駅 by bike on the 25th, look around to see if there were any arrows (I thought it might happened earlier cause will be more convenient to do on the weekend, so I went to check just in case) Then I went until 巣鴨駅, look around, checked everywhere. No arrows.

The following day I did the same, and as I was going to 巣鴨 I started to tell myself “Come on, what are the chances that this happens a third time…? and even if do happen a third time, what are the chances of me guessing the exact date and exact location only by having looked at some arrows drawn on the pavement?”

27 June 2022.

I get off work earlier than usual, got to 田端 and rushed home. Had dinner while charging my phone. I couldn't stop thinking that it was Madeleine day.

Waited for the sun to set a little bit. Because a real Madeleine adventure has to be at night…

And it was time to go.

I did the same routine I did for the previous two days, first went to 駒込, checked every corner there, and there was nothing. Then I move on to 巣鴨.

I arrived close to the station and saw from far away what it seem to be an arrow. Got closer and kinda panic.

I started jumping and yelling on the street “OM MY GOD!!! I WAS RIGHT!!! I WAS RIGHT!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!”

There was a white arrow right there in front of the toilet. I didn't need to see another one, I knew it was Madeleine.

“my mind was blown away”

I was euphoric. I got my phone and directly called Sさん “I was right!!! I was right!!! I'm in 巣鴨駅!! look!! LOOK!!” And I show her the arrow, and then run to the next arrow (a classic madeleine arrow with two lines that indicates to cross the street).

The reaction on her face was priceless.

“Oh my god it's them! it's them!”

Then I briefly told her I was ready for my long anticipated adventure, she wished me good luck, and I hanged up the call.

I stood still looking at the arrow for a little, trying to process the whole thing…and then I was ready for my new adventure.

Took out my phone and started recording.

it's 21:28.

Season 10. Summer edition.

I started by saying that “I can't believe my guess was right” ant that's a sentence I will repeat a hundred times during this edition.

I’s kind of strange because I wasn't planning to show the videos to anyone other than Sさん, but this time I talked the whole time like I was talking to a general audience. Instead of a specific person. I don't know why.

I wanted to follow the trail of arrows in the correct order this time, not backwards like I did in the last edition.

So I walked to the entrance of station and just a few arrows later I found the beginning. It was just like the 田端 one. An arrow with written “TLH3”.

At the time I didn't remember that the 田端 one said “TH3”, I thought they were both the same.

(I have no explanation of what it means but I assume it's a code for the name of the event)

So I started to follow the arrows, across the street and keep saying “I can't believe it! It's happening a third time! And I guessed the location right!!”

I saw immediately the “P” mark, the style was the same as the one in 田端. I decided to ignore it and do it last, after completing the loop. As I understood it is in the real event.

(this time I could clearly see that the P marks were added to already existing arrows)

On the way to the gathering park, I notice already on the other side of the street the “Beer Near” sign written on the road. It was nostalgic.

I went inside the gathering park and then around it to find the rest of the trail. And I couldn't find any arrows for a while. I immediately noticed that in this edition the arrows were fewer compared to the previous editions. Fewer and kinda harder to follow. And this sort of supported my theory that 田端 was the first one. Because I notice an evolution in the second edition in 鶯谷/日暮里, and this time “evolved” even more. This trail with fewer and harder to find arrows, felt like it was something that only someone who's familiar with the previous two events will be able to complete.

Let's put it this way: I wouldn't be able to complete the loop of this path if I had followed the arrows backwards this time.

This time I didn't enjoy the beginning of the trail, mostly because my expectations were too high, the arrows were fewer (that made it feel like rushed) and I found the residential area in the beginning kinda boring.

But then it got more and more interesting and I especially enjoy the area around 大塚 later on the trail.

I found the first pizza graphs, and noticed the design were slightly different this time. This time they were flower graphs.

I really took it slow this time, I really wanted to enjoy the experience. I took breaks between videos (series) had ice cream at combini etc.

I will not describe step by step this edition, mostly because there's nothing new that I discover during the trail. All the signs and their meaning were already familiar to me.

So I’ll just tell what I believe to be the highlights.

The baker.

While recording, I was referring multiple times to the person who draws the firs arrows of the trail as “the beaker” (because you make Madeleines).

I forgot to mention that during the previous two editions of Madeleine, while recording and talking to my friends, I use to play a game every time I walk next to a temple. I’ll film the temple and judge its features, and at the end I’ll say if it the temple it's approved or not. I use to call this game “temple review” in the previous editions.

And I was happy that I had many chances to play this game this time too.

Following the trail I walked by and old church, I thought the architecture was interesting and it reminded me that old museum I walked by in the previous edition.

Following the trails I notice a pattern of places.

The trail always went through:

park with a slide
a parking lot from a small entrance
a cemetery
over some train trucks
some super narrow paths
in front of a love hotel
something that starts a “Story time”
A 商店街
something else I’I'm forgetting

And those places became classic Madeleine moments for me.

I found the other graphs that indicate how far you've made it through the trail. the ones with the new design. And I especially liked the one in the 大塚 area at one of the stops on the 東電荒川線 line.

Because I completely missed it, but then I immediately felt that I should check the area more carefully and I found it.

It was like a price for “taking the experience seriously”.

I follow the trails onto a set of concrete stairs that led to a residential area, it was very dark. And just on top of the stairs I found a huge Frog.

That was my “Story time”.

So I told “the audience” a story about a frog.

I loved wondering around the cemetery.

When I the trail led me to the 染井 cemetery I found it like a “call back” to the trail in 谷中. A classic Madeleine moment.

I started follow the arrows and exploring it and I suddenly remembered that I’ve already been there, years ago with a friend, during our summer explorations. It was cool to suddenly remember that place.

I spent a lot of time wondering around 染井 cemetery because I couldn't find any more arrows.

I saw and talked with some cats, and at some point a feather of a raven fall from the sky right into the basket of my bike. That was very odd. I kept it.

After being lost for a while I decided to check all the streets inside the cemetery till I’ll find something. At some point I realized that the arrows inside the cemetery were all erased. I eventually found a trail of chalk dust that was barely visible at night…I follow it until a small door, and right on the other side of that door (outside the cemetery) there was an arrow leading me to the rest of the trail.

This not only was a super cool experience, but it also made me think that the trail might have been erased by someone that works at the cemetery. Which means that maybe the event doesn't take place in the evening, but maybe earlier in the afternoon.

Acquiring new theories was exciting.

I follow the arrows back to the direction of the gathering park. I knew that my adventure was about to end. I enjoyed that was very long, and had a lot of classic Madeleine moments.

But in my head I kept comparing it with the previous time in 鶯谷 (my favorite one) and I kept wondering if my comparison was due to the fact that for how unbelievable it was, this time I was actually expecting this to happen…while last time it just come out of nowhere. I don't know.

I eventually get to the arrow with the “Beer Near” sign. And then got back to the gathering park.

I completed the loop.

I make some observations about the whole experience. And I still couldn't believe I guessed it right and it really happened on that date in 巣鴨 (at the time of this writing I still cannot believe it).

I had 2% battery left on my phone, so I'm telling “the audience” that I’ll stop the video, and in the next video, as last thing, I’ll follow the P marks. So I stopped recording.

It's 00:39.

I started recording the last video.

It's “season 16”.

I tell myself that if the battery of my phone would have died. I will stop following the arrows, go home to charge my phone, and that come back once again until 巣鴨 to finish recording and to complete the experience 100%.

I didn't want to rush, and didn't need to. I found all the arrows with the “P” mark that led me to an 居酒屋/restaurant on the basement of a building close to the Station.

Remember how in the previous adventure I was wondering if the person who wrote the signs was a foreigner? (because they were written in english). Well, every time I saw where the P marks were leading I thought “I was wrong, he's Japanese”.

The adventure was completed.

I found the arrows, complete the loop, and followed the P marks.

The battery was about to die and I decided to walk back to where I saw the first arrow.

Once I got there I just kept saying how unbelievable the whole thing was. The whole experience. From 田端, to 鶯谷/日暮里 3 months later, to 巣鴨 6 months later.

I still couldn't believe I predicted the right date and place.

I'm at the station. Already closed at this point. And I'm filming the start of the trail, the “TLH3” sign. I decided to end the video and I'm saying to the audience, “this was Madeleine ,season 16, the finale of the summer edition…Okay Madle..” Battery dies.

It was very late and I since I completed the whole adventure there was no point of going all the way back home to charge the phone, and come back to 巣鴨 only to complete the sentence I was saying.

So that was the end of that adventure.

This time, riding my bike on the way home, the music "Madame Lulu" was playing in my head.

The following day I changed my mind and actually went back to 巣鴨 during the day only to record the last sentence.

“all I wanted to say was: This was Madeleine ,season 16, the finale of the summer edition…

Okay Madeline, see you in three months…

….credits”.

I contacted Sさん the following days and told her that I loved the new Madeleine adventure I had.

We met again during the next few months, but I didn't want to talk much about Madeleine because she still have some follow up to do.

She only watched half of the previous edition.

I told her only one thing about the adventure in 巣鴨….unlike the previous adventure, this time I have no idea where the next one it's going to be.

At the end of the adventure in 鶯谷/日暮里 I had no doubt the next one was going to be in 巣鴨. I just felt it.

Like I understood the way of thinking of “the baker” and just predicted it.

But this time in 巣鴨, I didn't feel anything. I have no clue where the next one it's going to be.

And so, the months went by and instead of a waiting game till the next madeleine, I was playing a guessing game.

The 3 months after the 鶯谷 experience were waiting months for me, because I knew where the next one was going to be.

But this past 3 months have been guessing months…

I also had 3 dreams about Madeleine in these past months.

I dreamt I was walking towards Machiya following the 東電荒川線 and I accidentally found a trail of arrows and wanted to take a video for Sさん before it rained.
In another dream I joined a local event in my area and notice that one of the organizers had the same handwriting as the Baker
And two weeks again I dreamt I accidentally met and recognized the people who joined the TLH3 event and I wanted to ask her where the next one it's going to be.

Okay, now you're probably thinking I'm crazy. Or delusional and obsessed with something that only make sense in my head.

But I would try to justifying myself if possible.

The way I experience this trails in my own way it's like an accidental gift for me.

I'm aware it's something that other people made to do their own event, but for me it's my own private moment. My private treasure hunt.

You have unconsciously created a magical moment for me.

When I'm out following those arrows while recording for my friends I'm happy, and all the small problems in my life don't matter. It’s like a nice break from the real world.

Something that it's made just for me.

And I want to thank you for that.

I thought of waiting for the 27 September and going around each station on the 山手線 looking for arrows. That was my original plan.

But then I thought that's not the way I want to experience this. Dragging the way this experience accidentally find me will ruin the magic of it.

Remember my “magic trick” analogy.

At this point even if I don't know how the magic trick is done, I witnessed it too many time to be able to enjoy it like I did the first time.

So to be able to conclude this saga, and enjoy it again one last time, the logical thing to do would be for me to try to perform that magic trick.

So I've decided that I will make the next Madeleine.

I will try to predict where the next one it's going to be and do it myself. For you.

The 27 September 2022 I’ll make the whole trail for you to experience… And hopefully the surprise of it will make you experience the same feeling of mystery and adventure that I felt during my 3 adventures.

Hopefully I won't ruin your event and you will be able to use the trail I did for your event.

(If I understood correctly how it works)

I wont draw the trail with the P that leads to the 居酒屋.

Only the original trail.

And if I ruined your event, I’I'm terribly sorry. My most sincere apologies. That was not my intention.

But hopefully I’m right. And even if I’m wrong I hope you find this experience quite amusing.

When I came up with the idea of making the trail myself, my brain immediately went “It's 王子!”

I don't feel it 100% like I did with 巣鴨. Maybe my brain it's telling me it's 王子 only because I subconsciously think that 王子 would be a perfect location for a Madeleine adventure…i don't know.

I hope I’m right.

But i’ll go anyway around stations on the 山手線 looking for arrows that night. And if I find them in some other place I’ll try to communicate to you guys about 王子. Maybe leaving a message on the pavement or something.

If you read this message and you are not "the baker" I hope you enjoyed this story about a weird person doing something weird.

But if you’re reading this and you are the person who made those event I have two request for you:

1 - please don't tell me anything about the actual event. I don’t want to know what it is, I don't want to know what the marks and symbols mean. I want to keep it a mystery.

2 - I want to know if you found this message.

So if you're reading this, please send me a message. Even just a word. Something about the trails or the event that I didn't mentioned but you know because you're the one that made it. Something that can only be understood by someone who followed the previous trails. So I'll be sure it's you.

(もちろん日本語で大丈夫です)

Thank you.

Again, I hope I didn’t ruin your event.

And I hope you enjoy my trail and this experience.

UPDATE

Today is 27 December 2022. It’s Madeleine Day.

The one year anniversary from when I found the first arrow and everything started unfolding.

After I made the trail in Ouji a series of interesting events happened about Madeleine... So I decided to write an update today.

It’s been one year from when I found the first arrow.

And it’s been three months from when I made the trail in Ouji.

Let’s go back to that moment...

I made this web page, wrote the QR message, and I was ready to go to Oji the night of September 27th and started making my trail around the city.

I wasn’t sure how much chalk I needed, so I bought 6 boxes. 144 in total.

And I wasn’t sure how long it will take me to make, since it took me about 4 hours to follow the trail I found in Sugamo.

I already had in my head an idea of where the trail will go, and a couple of days prior I went to Oji and try to follow my itinerary to see if it was possible to make a trail that followed that path.

And as I was imagining, Ouji was the perfect place for a Madeleine adventure.

So my plan was to go to Ouji the night of the 26th around 23:45, wait for midnight (so it will be the 27th) and start drawing the arrows...So by the morning after they'll be ready to be discovered by "The Baker" (the creator of the original arrows). Because if you remember, I was trying to predict the location of the next Madeleine and make my trail as a gift, and as a way to finish my Madeleine saga.

So I texted S さん something stupid like "I'have an appointment with destiny" (she knew I was going to make my trail that day) and I left the house riding my bike in excitement.

I got to Ouji and quickly started to make my trail as planned, and also recording the process as usual. This time I decided to talk directly to S さん in my recording, like I did the time in Nippori/Uguisudani, because it felt the most natural, compared with speaking to a general audience like i did for the Sugamo one.

I was very excited when I draw my first arrow. I didn’t practice but I study the style of the original Madeleine so I could make it similar to the original, and to my surprise it was really similar.

I started the trail from Ouji station (*more on this later) wrote "TLH3" in a very visible spot hoping to get the attention of the original Madeleine makers, then I moved to the Ouji park, that was going to be the "gathering park", and started the loop from there.

For conveniency I previously place my bike on the other side of the park (I didn’t want to bring the bike up the stairs) so I could start drawing the trail and then keep writing it while riding the bike...otherwise it will take me forever to make the whole trail if I did go by walk.

Well, turns out riding a bike while filming and stopping every few meters to draw an arrow with a chalk that keeps breaking it’s a real pain in the ass.

I quickly realize I couldn’t do it.

It was taking me longer then If I just did it by walk, but doing it by walk wouldn’t work either because the recording will be super shaky, and the pace of the video too slow.

I was committed to it and I was going to make it no matter what.

So I held on and kept drawing arrows, but it was a real struggle. With the rush of writing fast chalk kept breaking and my fingers kept scratching the pavement, I quickly broke my nails and my bike fell on me a few times, and it was very hard to try to be entertaining while filming in that situation.

I wasn’t enjoying it as i thought I would. Which was a shame because the atmosphere of those places at night was really cool.

At some point I passed a small park and I notice the clock. It was 02:45 in the morning, and I didn’t even get to 1/4 of the trail.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that I had to work the day after....and I don’t even live in Ouji. But luckily I was working remote that day in the morning.

I kept going till 1/4 of the path, where i draw the first pizza graph. Remember? :)

At that point I knew I was not going to make it in time, and i was also struggling with the recording because I tried to talk to my friend and be entertaining but in reality I was just me complaining the whole time.

But I suddenly had an idea that will make the whole thing work.

I will stop recording the video when it hit the 25 minutes mark. As I did for the previous videos.

I'll go home and sleep a few hours. Wake up super early in the morning and make the trail before going to work, without recording it, just riding the bike and draw the arrows. So the trail will be ready for the Madeleine people (In case I was right and Ouji was the next location of their event). Then after work I'll go home, get my bike and go to check a few stations on the Yamanote where I suspect there might be the new Madeleine (Just in case I was wrong about Ouji). Then, I'll go back to Ouji and keep filming from where I left, the first pizza graph (1/4 mark) so I don’t have the hassle to draw the arrows anymore and when I'll show the videos to S さん it will keep going from where I left and it will also look like the other editions of Madeleine, Just me by bike following the arrows.

Perfect.

And that’s what I did.

The morning after I went back to Ouji and draw the whole trail. A classic Madeleine trail. With a couple of twists I’m very proud of (*More on this later).

I placed the QR message to this webpage on the announcements cabinet close to the Ouji park as I planned the day before.

While drawing the arrows I came across two people that were following them, first a guy, and for a moment I thought it was The Baker, but it wasn’t him...and then a girl who was very interested and thought it was cool and wanted to follow the arrows too... it made me think that even if nobody was going to follow my trail it was worth making it anyway.

Then I went home and work till 18:00.

After work, before going back to Ouji and keep filming the adventure for S さん, was time to go check a few stations where I suspected they could have made a Madeleine event.

I wanted to check Machiya station, because I had a dream about finding the arrows there (yeah yeah I’m crazy I know).

Then I wanted to check Okachimachi Station. I don’t think it’s a good candidate for a Madeleine adventure, but one of my theories was: "what if it’s Tabata, then two stations after (Nippori/Uguisudani), then two stations before (Sugamo/Otsuka)....and then it’s two stations after again? (Okachimachi/Akihabara).

So I rode my bike to Machiya and check every exit on the station...but found nothing. And I did the same for every station on my way to Ocachimachi. Which means i check all the exits of ShinMikawashima, NishiNippori, Nippori, Uguisudani, Ueno (took forever), and when I got to Okachimachi I found no arrows.

I want to remind you that I’m by bike, and I’m going further and further away from Ouji, where I have to go back to complete the recording.

Once in Okachimachi I thought I could check if there are arrows in Akihabara, and once in Akihabara I thought I could check Kanda...and so on till Tokyo station.

Then from Tokyo station I across the center of the city till Mejiro, checked Mejiro, Ikebukuro, Otsuka, Sugamo, Komagome and then decided to go back to Ouji from there.

By the time I went back to Ouji I was exhausted.

But I only had to film and follow the trail that i made. This time I really enjoy it, I was more relaxed and I was able to show the places and also explain how I did them.

I went through all the places like a tour guide, showing the special arrows, the pizza graphs, showing where I placed the paper with the QR message etc.

And once I went back to the beginning of the loop in Ouji park I really felt completed. I thought it was cool that I did it. Even if the night before I was struggling and complaining, and even if my legs were in pain due to all the pedaling around the city, I was glad I did it. And I was happy it was over.

For the record...I ended up using only one box of chalk. I still have all the others...and I’m looking at them right now lol

As I mentioned in this message, I didn’t write the arrows with the "P" symbols that leads to an Izakaya/Restaurant. That was eventually for the Madeleine people to do, if they would have found my trail....or at least that was the original plan.

So in the last moments of the recording I say to S さん that Madeleine was an incredible adventure for me and even if I was wrong about the next Madeleine location and I couldn’t find other trails that day, I was happy that at least one Madeleine trail existed. I thought was the perfect way to end my Madeleine journey.

I’m standing over the last arrow that says MADELEINES, I say "credits", and I stop recording.

This time Madeleine felt different, not because I made it, but because there was something missing...like it was not meant to be.

During the Nippori/Uguisudani adventure I just felt there was going to be another one, that’s why I could predict the Sugamo one. I just knew it.

But this time I didn’t feel that way.

And almost right away when I stopped recording it occurred to me... "Shit...The name of the original event is THL3.... 3!!"

I don’t know what that acronym means, and I don’t want to know. I want it to remain a mystery. But I started to believe that 3 means that from the beginning it was planned to happen only three times. Only three adventures.

And so I was kind of sad that I didn’t realized Madeleine was over three months prior. That the Sugamo one was the last one.

Still, I was still happy that I made my own trail and that Madeleine existed one more time.

I went home a bit melancholic.

This time the song that was playing in my head was...."Trough the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce.... .....for some reason.

That was the end of Madeleine.

Weeks went by,

S さん got a new job. Her working place is very close to mine.

I work in Ichigaya. Her new company is in Yotsuya.

I found out there’s a tiny park exactly half way from our companies. So I went to check it out, and the next day we arrange to take lunch breaks at the same time so we can meet at the park and eat bento together.

It’s 9 November 2022.

We met at the park, had lunch there, talked about different tings...

It’s time to go back to our offices.

We stand up and started walking to get out of the park. After a few steps we both notice an arrow drawn on the ground. S さん says "Hey look, just like Madeleine", and I say "Yeah it looks like".

I didn’t tell S さん about the meaning of the 3 in TLH3 (that only 3 Madeleine adventures were planned, and the Sugamo one was the last one).

And so when we saw that arrow at the park I knew was not Madeleine.

After a few steps there was another arrow, and then another one.

They were drawn with a different style, definitely not made by the same person who draw the original Madeleine arrows.

Then, a few steps ahead there was an arrow pointing on the left, but the arrow was crossed as if it was erased, and on top of it there was another arrow pointing in the opposite direction....

....and there was written “C B”.

I had goosebumps.

"No...it can’t be...it can’t be..."

S さん asked me "what? what it can’t be? Is it Madeleine?"

I’m trying to think rationally.

What I’m thinking is: "These arrows weren’t here yesterday when I came to check out the park... So they mast have been made today".

And then I thought: "This is a prank. S さん made it to prank me. Because she’s the only person that knows about my Madeleine adventures....but wait a minute...I didn’t show her the Spring Edition (Nippori/Uguisudani) yet, so she cannot know about the arrow with written "C B"......Oh my god this might be a real Madeleine trail!"

So I’m telling her "I believe this is Madeleine....but I’m not 100% sure (I actually was sure, but I just couldn’t believe it, and I wanted to be 1000% sure) ...let’s follow the arrows until a crossing road, and if the arrow before crossing the road has two lines crossing it I will cry".

We follow a few more arrows till a traffic light, and right there, covered by some leaves there sure was an arrow with two line crossing it.

It was Madeleine.

We both started yelling "OH MY GOD!! HO MY GOD!!"

And I was Shocked... I couldn’t believe it.

I told S さん, "Madeleine it’s Happening tonight!"....Then she had to go back to her office. And I had to go back to my office too... but before I went back I recorded with my phone a little trailer for the new Madeleine adventure I was going to have that night.

On the way back to the office I kept thinking "I can’t believe this is happening!!! I can’t believe it!! I can’t believe that I decide to meet with the only person that knows about my Madeleine adventures in a park for the first time, and a new Madeleine it’s happening exactly that day right there".

But at the same time I had so many questions..."But today it’s not the 27th and it’s not 3 months apart from another Madeleine.....it’s the 9 of November...was I wrong about the 3 months gap?? No I wasn’t...because I predicted the Madeleine in Sugamo....So Why today? And why here??? Why in Ichigaya/Yotsuya? Is the original Madeleine an event way more popular than I thought and it’s made in all areas of Tokyo? Maybe the Tabata one was not the first one...But this one has a different style, it’s not made by the same person who made the original Madeleine....".

I had so, so many questions.

The whole day at work I couldn’t think of anything else and I kept smiling the whole time.

"I can't believe this is happening....and the coincidence of finding the arrows with S さん at the park it’s just mind-blowing"

I can’t believe I will have another Madeleine adventure.

The plan was:

I'll finish work, go to eat something while waiting for S さん to finish work, rent bikes, and start the adventure together.

I actually struggled a lot about this, because for me the format of Madeleine only works if I’m alone, that’s what it is for me, me, by myself, following arrows at night in the city.

But at the same time I felt it was such an incredible coincidence that we found the trail of arrows together that I should make S さん part of this adventure.

After a long consultation we decided that I will do it alone. So the plan changed. I went home, got ready and rode my bike back to that park in Ichigaya/Yotsuya, by the time I got there was almost 23:00.

I wasn’t as excited as the previous editions because I didn’t know what to expect this time.

But once I started filming I was immersed again in those adventures, and if felt extremely nostalgic.

I won’t describe the whole course because this update it’s already way too long, but instead I’ll just list the highlights and some of the thoughts I had during this unexpected adventure.

The first thought I had was that it was made by someone else. Not by the original Baker. The style of the arrows was different, the frequency and size too, they were very big compare with those of the original Madeleine.

The arrows that signal to across the street were drawn in a slightly different way, like if the main stroke of the arrow went underneath the two lines that crossed it (it’s kinda complicated to explain, so, instead of this ----|-|---> were like this ----| |---> ) that made me think that the person who made it kind of "followed some instructions" on how the arrows should be drawn. Was the original Madeleine a bigger event that I imagined?

When I found the first pizza graph I was very excited, it was a normal pizza graph from the Nippori edition, like those i draw in Ouji, not a flower graph like the ones from Sugamo.

But it didn’t have any numbers on it...I thought was strange because without numbers you wouldn’t know at what point of the trail you are. And I started to wonder if I was wrong all along about the meaning of the pizza graph too.

Except going through a graveyard, most of the elements of Madeleine were there, and at one point the trail passed in front of a super cool temple and right in front of it there was written SHRINE on the pavement, with an arrow pointing at it.

This trail was very well done and went through many different cool areas, I lost the arrows a few times because there were some road works and they removed parts of the pavements, so I wondered around for a bit, but at the end I was able to find more arrows and go back on the trail.

I’m not very familiar with the areas of the center of Tokyo, so the whole time I really had no idea where I was, but that made it mysterious and interesting. And a few times I found myself looking around and recognizing places from years before..."Oh my god I’m here! I remember I had a date in this place like 5 years ago!" and it brought back memories that were lost.

I really liked that.

Remember when I said that the Sugamo trail was hard to follow and therefore i thought was made for people who experienced the previous two Madeleine adventures....well, this new trail was very easy to follow and had a lot of detail and instructions...there were a lot of arrows with written ON2, arrows with written UP when you had to go up some stairs etc.

*more about the ON2 later.

Some of the places were scary and uncomfortable to pass through at night (but I enjoyed that too), some other places were quiet and with a beautiful architecture, and some places really surprised me...especially when at some point I went out a little street onto a main road, and for a few seconds I stared at the entrance of a building thinking "hmmm...that place look familiar... Oh shit! That’s my company! That’s where I work!!"

And I was very excited by thinking that, that day, while I was there working, somebody was drawing arrows in front of the building and I could have seen him from the window...

Wow...Madeleine spread until the center of Tokyo...Amazing.

When the Sugamo Madeleine happened, the following days I went to work keep thinking of how cool that adventure was, and every time I got off work and walked to the station I kept looking at the ground thinking how cool it would be if one day I'm walking out of the office and I find some arrows right there...

Till this day, I still can’t believe that it really happened.

When I got in front of my office I knew that the adventure was about to end, because the park where I started from was near....I found the last pizza graph. This time there was an arrow near it with written "3"....and then kind of erased..? But no numbers on the pizza graph again.

While I’m filming the pizza graph my phone stopped recording because it run out of storage. And incidentally the street lamp I was standing under turned off too at the same time...that was strange.

I kinda panic because I was so close to complete the loop of the trail, and so I started to delete apps from my phone and old pictures. I managed to regain enough storage to be able to film one last short video.

I start recording and I started running towards the park while explaining what happened....I was running and giving my last thoughts about the whole experience and how unbelievable it was that it happened again so randomly right there.

I’m getting inside the park, still running, I decided to have a slide on the small slide of the park (mandatory Madeleine experience), keep running towards the starting arrow...I was rushing because I was afraid my phone will run out of storage and stop recording again, but at the same time it was really cool to complete the adventure by running. It made those last moment of the adventure adrenalinic and very exciting.

It was like the big "crescendo" before the end in an orchestra.

I get to the last/first arrow. I completed the loop. I know I don’t have much time left. I’m filming the arrow. I say the last words before stop recording.

"I genuinely cannot believe this happened again. It was amazing.... Last time, when I just finished my Madeleine adventure I thought I'll never randomly find an arrow on the street ever again. But this time I knew one day it will happen again when I least expect it, so I will always keep an eye on the ground.

......credits".

Before going home that night I went real quick to check if the arrows started from the station, and if there was written HTL3 anywhere...but I couldn’t find anything.

A couple of things were odd in this edition of Madeleine. The trail didn’t start form any station, and there was no gathering point. Was just a loop. And there was no "P" symbol that lead to an Izakaya either...and to me that definitely means this Madeleine was not made by the original Baker, but by someone else.

That night on my way home while riding, the song that was playing in my head was "Stickerbush Symphony" by David Wise, from Donkey Kong Country 2.

1 December 2022

I decided it’s time to save all the videos I made About Madeleine into my computer and share them with S さん, so she can watch them at her own pace.

And I suddenly remember about the Chat Mail system I set up for this page...

"OH... MY... GOD!"

"There’s a lot of messages...what’s going on?"

I immediately notice that all the messages start from the 21st of October. Which is strange, because it’s almost one month after I made the trail in Ouji (27 September). The chalk of the trail couldn’t have lasted that long, and has been raining multiple times, so something else might have happened...

Maybe the paper with the QR code was found by somebody else?

I start to open the mails and read the messages.

I can’t describe how excited I was. I never had this type of interaction before.

Most of them were saying things like "It was interesting" or "I enjoyed it" etc. That made me happy.

Others where asking "What is the meaning of the arrows" or "Who do you think drew the original arrows?" etc. To which I don’t want to respond because the beauty of Madeleine is its mysterious nature.

Some others just stopped by to say "hello" :)

But still, I couldn’t figured out why everyone just started messaging from the 21st of October.

Then I opened an e-mail and there was just a link....

It’s not safe to open links from senders you don’t know (never do that) but I was extremely curious about what it could’ve been.

My first theory was that someone was sending me a video to show me they also found some other arrows or something...

So I check the link source and it seemed to be a video from Youtube, but to be safe I open it in an old phone connected to a safe network.

And what I saw blew my mind.

I’m sure that if you’re reading this most likely that’s how you discovered this page.

But here’s what happened.

A girl in Ouji found some of the arrows I made for the Madeleine adventure, and started following them till the paper with the QR code. She thought was odd and she contacted a well known horror and mystery channel/online platform who took interest in those mysterious arrows and made a whole video about their experience following the arrows and the message I made.

The name of their channel is ゾゾゾ, and I guess that’s why most of you are here.

Watching their video about Madeleine was an emotional rollercoaster. I couldn’t believe it.

You have to understand that I made that Madeleine adventure for myself and I was expecting nobody to take part of it...and now I’m watching a video about it that has been watched by almost 200,000 people.

That’s the craziest thing ever.

I will comment the video first.

I wasn’t aware if the existence of ゾゾゾ to be honest, and suddenly watching a professional video made about my Madeleine was surreal.

I didn’t know who those guys were or what their personality are like, but their tenacity on following the arrows and wanted to know more immediately resonated with me...

It was extremely interesting to see them going throughout the same thought process I had when I first discovered the arrows..."What does this mean?" or "Oh this arrow has a different color, is it on purpose or he run out of the previous color?" or when they discovered the pizza graph and they didn’t know what it meant etc.

It was extremely entertaining and extremely cool to see someone going through the same experiences I had with Madeleine.

And I have to say, I’m extremely impressed by the fact that they were able to complete the whole loop. Especially because by looking at their video, and by knowing where I draw the arrows, I could tell that they got lost at least twice and they didn’t find all the arrows, but somehow they managed to get back to the trail and complete the course anyway. Impressive.

I remember when I was under the bridge over the train trucks, and I thought it was cool to start drawing the arrows on the ceiling, and I thought to myself "This is so cool...but I know nobody is going to follow the arrows, so it’s pointless... I wish somebody could experience this"...and seeing those guys doing it gave me so much joy.

(*that’s what I was proud about)

Another of my favourite moments was the super narrow path in between two houses. When I draw the arrows there I was thinking "What am I doing? Nobody is going to go through this" and then again, they did it, and I was crazy happy about it.

I would have never imagine that somebody would actually follow and complete my trail while also filming the whole experience. That’s the closer someone can get to experience what I experience with the original Madeleines.

It exceeded all my expectations. And now more then ever I’m glad I made it.

I have to say one thing though.

(*as I mentioned before) The trail actually started from Ouji station. Went upstairs to the park, the gathering point, and then the loop started from the park. (*this is important for later)

The video itself was amazing. But the thing that excited me the most was reading the comments.

There are about 530 comments on that video, and I read every single one of them.

Usually the comment section on youtube videos it’s hell, people really give their worst. But on this one, every one was really nice and polite.

A lot of comments were from people complimenting the guys from ゾゾゾ (yeah, they did an amazing job) saying that this video was different from their usual videos, but they found it really entertaining.

Thank you to the people who commented to check out the QR code. Some people were moved from what I wrote in here. That makes me feel super grateful.

And a lot of other comments were about people telling their feelings and theories about Madeleine, the way they explained how it made them feel, and the personal experiences they described really touched me. Thank you for sharing those.

And a couple of people guessed exactly what Madeleine is for me....but I'm not going to tell you.

I also like all the strange theories and cheerful comments.

Many people wondered if by marking the trail on a map an image will appeared...I also thought that on my first adventure....I tracked every trail I found, but the courses are random and don’t produce any images.

But it was amazing to see that so many people had the same questions I had when experiencing Madeleine.

For me it was a gift to be able to read about your feelings and theories and questions. I would never have imagined that something like Madeleine could resonate with so many people.

But then I read one specific comment...

"I will make a Madeleine adventure too"

And in that Moment all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Everything made sense...and as usual, I couldn’t believe what just happened.

The Madeleine trail me and S さん found the 9th November in the park were we met in Ichigaya/Yotsuya, was made by a person who watch the Madelaine video on the ゾゾゾ channel and made his corse based on mine....and I accidentally found it and play it.

What are the chances of that happening? No seriously, how is this possible?

It’s like destiny.

I remember a recurrent joke that I kept saying to S さん while filming different Madeleine adventures: "What if the person who made the original Madeleine it’s me from the future? I time travel back to the past and made that special moment for me, a moment that I will enjoy so much that in the future I will go back in the past and made it for myself again...and so on and so on....and now I’m stuck in that time loop...and that loop is represented by the loop of the trail...and the arrows represent the passage of time.

It’s scary that by a series of random events something like that actually happened.

I found the original Madeleine ---||--> I decided to make one ---||--> Someone made it famous and someone else made a new Madeleine ---||--> I find the new Madeleine.

This is Unbelievable.

And remember all the (*) I wrote on this update, they all make sense now.

The style of the arrows was different from the original because the person who made it never experienced a Madeleine adventure himself, but only watch it through the ゾゾゾ video, so size and style of the arrows are difficult to emulate.

The people from ゾゾゾ didn’t know that the trail actually started from the station, they thought it was only a loop. That’s why the Ichigaya/Yotsuya trail it’s only a loop.

I didn’t make the "P" symbol arrows in Ouji, that’s why there were none in the new Madeleine, because the person who made that adventure didn’t know how the"P" symbols look like.

The ゾゾゾ people didn’t know for sure the meaning of the pizza graph, and they didn’t show the first one I made in their video. The person who watched the video didn’t know how to make them and that’s why there are no numbers inside the pizza graph in the last Madeleine adventure.

The sign "SHRINE" was exactly like my sign that said "MADELEINES", same color too.

Also the CB and crossed arrow, they were how I described them on this page, but they were quite different from the originals...because the person who wrote it never saw the original.

etc.

Now everything make sense. And it is amazing!!!

(the only thing I can’t explain is the ON2. I’ve never seen that before)

I know I wrote this many times already...but how incredible is it? I made one Madelaine adventure and told only S さん about it, I thought Madeleine was over, and a few months later somebody made a new Madeleine, and the it happen that me and S さん found it.

That’s crazy.

Did I created a cult? lol

On a serious note, I’m happy that it reached so many people, and that people are passionate about it at the point that they’re going outside drawing arrows and making new adventures.

And now that I know how annoying it is to walk around for hours drawing arrows every few steps, I have so much respect for the people who do it (and also for the original Baker).

The following day couldn’t stop thinking about that.

So I started wondering...What if that person made more than one Madeleine adventure? Or what if there are more than one person making Madeleine adventures and it’s spreading around Tokyo?

So I wanted to know if somebody was going to report any Madeleine founding on the ゾゾゾ social media...and exactly that day (coincidence again) the 2nd of December, on ゾゾゾ twitter, somebody posted a picture of a Madeleine adventure they found.

I made a twitter account only for contacting that person, and I ask where did he find that arrow...I wanted to go there that night and have another Madeleine adventure....but he never replied....luckily.....because I was making a big mistake....I was crossing the line, I wanted to know too much.

And then I did something stupid.

I clicked on the hashtag # of that tweet, and I shouldn’t have done it. I wanted to know if somebody else found any arrow, so maybe I could go to that place at night and have a new adventure.....the hashtag redirected me to a page with soooo so many pictures taken by people who found Madeleine arrows in so many different places! In a glimpse I could see arrows I've never encountered in my adventures, and new types of pizza graphs......and I quickly close twitter.

I felt bad. I really did.

I was overwhelmed with the amount of information I could deduce by those pictures I saw.

I didn’t like that feeling.

Remember my "magic trick" analogy? Instead of seating back and enjoy the mystery of the magic trick, I purposely tried to see if there was a string...

Knowing that so many Madeleine were made ruined my perception of the adventure. If everybody does the same magic trick, the trick loses its magic, even if you don’t know how the trick works. Because you’ve seen it so many times that it’s not intriguing anymore.

That is not the way I wanted to experience Madeleine.

I don’t want to know where the arrows are so I can go there and follow them. That’s not Madeleine.

I want to be surprised by it. I want to forget about it, and then one day accidentally see one of those arrows and know that that night I'll be immersed in an unexpected adventure...

Madeleine is not only about the mystery and the exploration. It’s a kind treat that comes to your routine and makes you live an unexpected Adventure.

And that’s the way I want to experience it.

I don’t want to know anything else about Madeleine.

I don’t want to know who made it or what is it and I don’t want to know where the trails are.

Madeleine will come to me.... like it did before. I’m sure of this.

I really want to thank all the people who wrote a message on this chat, without you I would have never been able to discover what happened, thank you very very much.

And also thank you to those who wrote a lot of kind messages on the ゾゾゾ video’s comment section, it really warmed my heart reading them. And of course thank you to ゾゾゾ (sorry for making you go to a government office).

While reading the comments of the ゾゾゾ video I found really interesting how so many people were interested in me, and were wondering what I'm doing and if I’m still drawing arrows. And I thought was cute that some of them called me Madeleine さん.

I don’t want to reveal my identity, I feel I already revealed too much about myself.

And I like the Idea of you thinking of me like a mystical creature that goes around the city at night drawing arrows....

So... sorry, but I’m keeping my identity a mystery.

And who knows, maybe one day you’ll see me at night following a trail of arrows...

See you next year on Madeleine Day for another update .