Kimi Ryokan, day 11 - 13
Day 11
We left Yamagishi in the morning and set off on the train back into Tokyo. Our next stay was at Kimi Ryokan, which was sort of like a hostel, located over in Ikebukuro (that’s where Durarara!! is set!).
Inside it was really comfortable, and much like Yamagishi, it had the traditional tatami mat style rooms.
A place over down the road had these super creepy gachapon toys outside…
… yes that is a person being flattened by a cup.
Nakano Broadway
I’d heard this place was a little like Akihabara, so we headed over to see for ourselves. It was laid out like a traditional Tokyo shopping mall.
We found loads of weird stuff inside, on the top floor there was a retro arcade.
There was also a shop selling original frames from the Dragon Ball Z anime.
Japanese Rocky poster 🥊🥊
After Nakano, we hunted down a small Irish bar over in Ueno that my uncle used to work at. After searching all over we finally found it!
The couple that own the bar were really nice, we chatted about our trip and spent a all night getting drinks. They remembered my uncle too and told us all about their own life in Tokyo.
They had a live act on inside who sang Crazy Train in a Japanese accent, which was fun!
If you’re ever in Tokyo be sure to find them! The Warrior Celt let them know I said Hi!
Day 12
Though a little hung over from our previous night, we were determined to to make the most of our last full day in Japan. Day 12 was another long day!
Tokyo Tower
Last but not least, we visited the famous Tokyo Tower. Although it’s nowhere near as tall as the new Skytree, it’s still one of the most iconic landmarks of Tokyo.
We were lucky enough to see the “Koinobori” (koi fish banners and decorations) on display outside the tower. There was 333 fish set out as a tribute to the tower which stands at 333m tall.
Ueno Park
We hopped back on the subway over to Ueno Park where we got lunch. The whole the place was absolutely amazing, all around we found ancient shrines hidden amongst the falling sakura blossom.
Ueno Toshogu Shrine, a beautiful gold covered building, built in 1616.
Taxis in Tokyo are bright orange, so you can’t miss ‘em!
Inevetably, since it was our last full day…
Shall we go to back Akihabara again?
Kanda Myojin Shrine
Tucked away from the busy Akiba main street we found the Kanda Myojin Shrine, the official shrine in Electric Town.
In the “Electric Town” shrine, you could even buy circuit board souvenirs.
The Ema plaques in Kanda Myojin were a little different, these had anime characters drawn on them!
Oh we also saw a Shiba Inu!
After that we headed back over to the main street for some food.
We got crapes from “Crazy Crepes” 😂
Some of the shops in Akihabara are quite proud of offering tax free goods 😂
I’m also pretty sure thats Mio from Nichijou freaking out in the top right picture…
To finish off our long last day, we went to the Gundam Cafe. The interior, food and even the bathroom were Gundam themed. If you ever go, be sure to press the big blue button in the toilet.
Day 13
We got up really early and checked out of Kimi Ryokan at 6:00am to set off for airport. Using our NEX ticket, we travelled back to Narita Intl, our flight departed at 11:40am.
The last photo in Japan, I can’t help but feel a bit sad seeing this sign.. 😭😭😭
After a -9hr time difference we arrived back in the UK at around 6:40pm, time for some more jet lag!
Here’s some of the loot after I emptied my bags!
The trip was absolutely unbelievable, it was literally a dream come true for me.
Thanks for reading my about our trip, if you are interested, I also did a diary of our trip around Europe, otherwise arigatou! 🇯🇵