Heading Home: Daikanyama + Shibuya

July 11, 2016

I can't believe I'm finally down to our last few hours in Japan (not my final blog post though, I will have just one more for summary + personal budget). The rush isn't because I have a deadline, I just want to lay everything down before I go on and move on with my life (haha!).

The Japan hangover is real! My friends and I catch ourselves still dining in Japanese restaurants here in Manila, and wear high socks like most of the teens in Harajuku. :p

But on our last day, we were already exhausted. I haven't had any long sleep, and had developed blisters from all the walks (that's why I wore slippers nalang in Yokohama, hahaha).

Spotted several Japanese sleeping in trains, dead tired from work.

But of course, we also caught each other catching some zzzs during our long train rides:

Pax is notorious in taking naps, hahaha! This one is inside a grocery's waiting lounge:

But walang tatalo dito! Parang naka posing lang, but he is either drunk from last night, or just showing us how it's done in Japan, haha! Ang pinaka gusto ko is dinadaan-daanan lang sya, walang pakialamanan!

But even though physically and mentally I am as tired na as Kuya above, I still woke up early to take advantage of our itinerary-less last few hours in Japan. I've find myself doing this during my past travels, sagarin na before heading home. So I set my alarm at around 6am. Sarah joined me as we dragged our calloused feet out of our Airbnb.

Huling pagpupugay kay Hachi! Hehe, realized that I still had no photos with Hachiko for this trip, and asked Sarah if we can pass by for final snaps.

Picturean na in all angles! Hahaha adik.

Sarah and I also looked for the airport transportation my Ate recommended so we don't have to take the train again with our heavy maletas: The Limousine Bus.

I remembered taking this shuttle last year, but we bought our tickets from a hotel in a different district. I asked Ate about this hotel, but she told me that the bus also goes to Shibuya through Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu - conveniently just behind Hachiko!

Sarah and I just walked and asked around till we saw the hotel with their ticket booth at the lobby area. Here are the schedules for the airport limousine. We gave our flight details so they can help us with the best time slot to take.

Bus is at 3100 Yen (Php 1,395), no baggage allowance, and direct ride to the airport:

I was looking through the places we skipped in my Tokyo itinerary, and decided to check out Daikanyama. It's just a station away from Shibuya, so Sarah and I thought it's the perfect place to explore and have breakfast without going too far.

Daikanyama is a quiet counterpart to Shibuya's all-day frenzy. Kiko said it is like "Beverly Hills", hehe. I can also compare it to Seoul's Gangnam where you can find the hippest hangouts, art spaces, cafes, and high-priced boutiques. They are mostly local brands.

When we got there, most of these shops are still sadly closed except this Mermaid Cafe:

The rest, still asleep till 10 to 11am. Even the streets are quiet at 9 in the morning:

Loveless:

A compound with artsy restaurants and shops:

Window displays and store fronts on-point:

A lone chic Japanese woman + Sarah:

It's in the details:

Thank you Sarah for joining me in making the most out of this trip! When I asked her, "Nasayang ba ang gising natin?" pertaining to the mostly closed establishments, Sarah said that everything's worth seeing. "At least may idea ka na diba, tapos balik nalang next time."

We can't decide on where to dine in the few operating cafes in Daikanyama, so we decided to just head back to Shibuya. We've used up our Tokyo Metro 3-day pass till the end, so it was time to just waste our few hours in our neighborhood. I miss this crossing!

We entered a random mall, where we saw Hachiko stuffed toys and photos everywhere.

Sarah brought up a place where she wanted to have our brunch: And it has these familiar vendo machines in front....

And these individual cubicles:

And order forms:

Guys, we have come full circle! Haha! From having our first meal in Japan when we accidentally encountered Dotonbori's Ichiran, we decided to not leave Tokyo without having another bowl of my favorite ramen:

Added all the extra toppings:

And this time, I am satisfied to finally have it in Ichiran's trademark solo cubicles!

Just have to take a photo of their restroom, haha! Ichiran's artsy toilet paper wall:

Final shopping in the area! Walked inside several stores, including this thrift shop near our Airbnb. This was where I was able to buy my Vintage Celine sling bag. After the purchase, handa na talaga ako umuwi, hehe!

An odd looking French themed coffee place just across our street, but didn't bother to try the past days. Sarah and I decided to stay here while waiting for Pax.