Pssssst.

<looks around>

I have a secret: my office now contains a tiny alley.

And not just a tiny alley - a tiny Japanese alley. With tiny lights. And tiny plants. And tiny doors and windows.

It sits on my desk within arm’s reach, and when I need a little mental distraction, I turn on its lights.

As far as I can tell, it’s not haunted (but it might be - who knows when some yokai will decide it’s a lovely home?). I don’t hear the plucked notes of a samisen or a biwa floating out of it (yet). I haven’t seen any tiny people making their way through the narrow opening, bustling home from the office or a restaurant or a karaoke bar (though maybe they only do so when I’m not here).

But I am one hundred percent certain it’s a portal inviting me to another world (and if you look closely, you’ll get a hint about the kind of book I’m writing now)…