My two daughters are staring, eyes wide open, bodies motionless and completely oblivious to me calling their names. The object of their fascination? A studio full of adults silently sketching in a still life art class — more precisely, the pencil outline of an apple coming to life, as drawn on an easel by a 30-something man.
It is the girls' first visit to Ray Art School, a hidden gem devoted to all things creative, discreetly located in the upper levels of an otherwise nondescript building on a busy Shibuya street.
A lift carries visitors to its serene white studios that span two floors and offer a peaceful respite from the chaos of Tokyo life with a host of classes, mainly for adults (from painting to pottery).