The time had finally arrived. After many adventures in Japan over the course of five weeks, it was now time to hop on a plane and wing my way back over the Pacific Ocean and back to the United States. To say my feelings were bittersweet as I packed up my bag for one last adventure would be an understatement. My plane didn’t leave until fairly late in the evening so I decided to have one last solo adventure around Tokyo.
My luggage packed, I soon found myself heading to another local train station. This isn’t the one I had been to before but it was also nearby. By now, I felt fairly competent at getting around by train. Thankfully, this instinct proved to be true throughout the course of my day. Soon, I found myself aboard a train making my way up through Yokohama and into Tokyo proper.
My first destination was Shibuya Crossing. I had really wanted to check out the Starbucks that overlooks the crossing but it was closed when I was visiting. That was ok though! I soon was off the train and pulling my suitcase through what felt almost more like a mall than a train station. Soon, I was outside near Shibuya Crossing. There was a lot of construction happening but it didn’t take me long to figure out where I was going.
Shibuya Crossing was a very intriguing thing to me. It is definitely a tourist hot spot that has Tokyo residents and workers sprinkled in. It is very amusing to watch the cars go back and forth and then the lights change and see the people flood into the street to cross in multiple directions. I did make the crossing a couple of times as that seemed only appropriate. I was more amused just watching all the different people and nationalities that made the trek to see this iconic location.
While I was enjoying the area, I noticed how the buildings with their massive LED screens reminded me a bit of New York’s Times Square. I also saw the Mario Kart cars tour through the intersection as well. They swarmed through the intersection and the drivers waved at tourists who waved back. My first thought was how unsafe they looked with how low they were to the ground.
After enjoying the area for a bit, I decided to make a return to the Starbucks Roastery Reserve Tokyo. While I was there the day before, I wanted more time to enjoy the store and explore some more. The walk was about a mile. While the day wasn’t super warm, pulling the suitcase and carrying my backpack definitely made it feel a bit warmer. It was amazing to me how empty many of the streets were as I made the trek. I made my way through the city and got a feel for what it must be like to live there. I was also amazed at how things changed so quickly. At Shibuya Crossing, everything was really busy and borderline loud. Within a few minutes of leaving that area, things were very peaceful and quiet.
After a while, I found myself once again at Starbucks Roastery Reserve Tokyo. It was as beautiful as I remembered it. It was also nice to just see it and not be in a rush. I explored all the floors and just enjoyed being in the location and watching them roast the coffee. It was also significantly busier on this day than it had been before. Realizing I should start making the trek back to the train and airport, I opted to not get a drink.
After one last look around, I started to walk through Tokyo and back to Shibuya Crossing. I walked a different way this time just to get more of a feel for the city. This turned out to be a fun idea as I definitely did get to see a different part of Tokyo.
As I got closer to my destination, I noticed that there were a lot of restaurants and shops that were clearly aimed at tourists. This street definitely reminded me of Hollywood a little bit. It was just a lot cleaner. As I wandered down the street, I was passed again by the Mario Karts.
Finally, I made it back to Shibuya Crossing and I quickly made my way to the train station to head to Haneda Airport. I had planned on a fairly big buffer of time for making it to the airport with plenty of time to check in, eat dinner, and make sure I didn’t have any surprises. Getting on the train turned out to be very simple thanks to the very clear signage in Japan. The train ride to the airport was fairly quick.
Soon, I was back at the airport where my Japanese adventure had begun over a month before. While it had been a bustling airport when I landed the month before, on this evening it was rather quiet. Check-in and security was a very easy and quick progress. Next, I checked where my plane would be departing from. I could see the skyline of Tokyo from this area and I enjoyed watching the sunset over Tokyo. I thought about how this was also the sunset of my trip as well.
After darkness fell on the airport, I went off to find some food. As it turned out, I really wasn’t inspired by many of the offerings. I finally decided on having my last meal in Japan be from 7-11. It had become one of my favorite places to eat quickly throughout the trip. I grabbed a couple of sandwiches, chicken, and a drink and soon found myself sitting next to a window watching planes land and take off as I thought about the trip.
Finally, as I began to grow tired, it was time to board my flight back to the United States. This flight was still quite long but I was so exhausted I slept more than on the flight to Japan. As the plane winged its way west, I didn’t just have a bag full of luggage, gifts, and souvenirs. I had a heart and mind full of happy memories from the adventures I had while in Japan.
The trip to Japan was one of my favorites that I have been on through my years as a world traveler. I always considered Europe my favorite place to visit. This trip made me second-guess this opinion. Japan is a beautiful country with incredible people. I look forward to going back someday, hopefully, sooner rather than later!
What do you think of my last adventure in Japan? What did you think of my entire trip to Japan? Were there any favorite things that jumped out at you from this trip? Have you been there before? What did you like the best? Share your thoughts and opinions with me in the comments below! Happy traveling!
Leave a Reply