poplitea: surgery (Default)

 This morning we checked out from the ryokan, but left our luggage, and then split up for the morning. I took the bus over to Asakusa, and prowled the small shopping streets around Sensoji temple. Then we met up at 13:00 by the Hozomon gate, bought lunch together from the various food vendors around before taking the subway to Harajuku together just to have those crepes one last time (they really were delicious <3) before splitting again. I went on a mad spree to buy some last omiyage to bring back to the family. Hubby hadn’t thought to buy any so far, at all, so now, on the second to last day he started panicking over it, while I’d been buying small things here and there for the entire trip. So I said I’ll handle it, since I actually find it enjoyable to shop for things, unlike him.

By 18:00 we met up by the ryokan again to pick up our luggage and then on to Ikebukuro to meet our friends one last time in Japan. We had dinner at some place trying to emulate a 1920’s yakuza atmosphere, which would have been impossible for just us as tourist to stumble upon, and our friends had to do all of the ordering since there weren’t an English menu. And it was all very tasty :3 And they even brought a late surprise birthday cake for hubby, so we got to sing him (to the glad bemusement of all the Japanese patrons) “happy birthday”.

Finally, we took a train from Nippori out towards Narita airport, and we arrived at our last hotel for the trip around midnight (yet again. Midnight is apparently our perfect check-in time, no matter how little I enjoy finding my way through dark, unknown streets, dead tired and with heavy luggage).

poplitea: surgery (Default)
 Going every which where... We got started early and took the Yamanote line to Ôtsuka where i wanted to go to Asahi kyugu (I used to shoot regularly, but not so much anymore, but I wanted to take the chance for some new supplies in any case). That visit was extremely stressing... When we entered the shop was empty but an elderly lady popped forth as soon as our feet crossed the threshold. And they want to be so polite and proper and take care of their honoured customers and help with every single little thing, and I just... Does not deal well with that. I want to be left alone and browse at my leisure and then bring whatever I want to buy to the register. But no that didn't work. We got to sit down at a table and someone else brought us a water and a snack and the elderly lady brought samples of whatever I wanted to look at to the table. And I sweated like a pig and mumbled in butchered japanese and chose the first best thing of whatever I needed. It was horrible D:

After that we took Yamanote line again to Shinjuku and went to Isetan Depato (where we bought to most enormous grapes I have ever laid eyes upon in my entire life), and then to Harajuku station and off into Yoyogi koen. It was amazing in there, so beautiful and restful <3 and we continued on to Meiji-jingu, and it feels so spectacular to walk among these old buildings, you feel so close to the past, it's amazing~

After Yoyogi we went back to Harajuku and to Takeshita dori. Of course. I would feel like I was letting down my teenaged self if we didn't XD problem was, by then we were so hungry we were kind just keeping our eyes open for a good restaurant but there was only pasta places, and sure... I like pasta, but that is not what I wanna eat while in Japan for the first time in my life! We ended up in some kind of food court, which sold mostly sweets (everyone seem to live off sugar over there) but also kara-age curry. The stall looked a bit doubtful but it was delicious. And for afters we bought confectionery crepes, (mine was matcha-flavoured ofc) and they were amazing <3

After that, Yamanote line again, on to Shibuya, hubby insisted on showing me the infamous street crossing, and we spent some time up in Starbucks (without buying anything, the line was too long, oops?) observing everyone scurrying on like little ants :D we went a little further in from the crossing and I found a Muji depato!!! It was perfect~ I love Muji <3

Later on we went back to Akihabara, it felt like we missed something last time, and it went a little better now, we found an interesting pair of depato, Radio keikan and Gamers. Hubby managed to find a Zelda figurine and I finally found some naruto merch, but very little and rather overpriced, so I only bought a key-ring. And then hubby didn't have any patience left for any more stores so he went back to the hotel and I kept on browsing, and found re-cast FairyLand pukipuki... That was... I don't now, I wasn't really expecting to find such blatantly illegal and poor quality (they really were horrible) goods in a well cared for and well visited department store :/


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Poplitea

May 2016

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