The day after the fireworks was the second to last day in Japan for everyone, and the last day would be mostly consumed by packing, travelling, and hanging out at the airport. So, we all kind of split up to do stuff we were individually interested in. I returned to Meiji-Jingu because I had forgotten to bring my stamp book the first time. I got a couple good pictures, but I'll just post the one for now:
Looks like there's something particularly special about that particular tiny bamboo gate. From there, I decided to check out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It's not as tall or grandiose as the Skytree, but it's free and is located in a completely different part of the city. It's got two towers, and I believe you can check out the view from either one. I tried to be there around sunset, but clouds moved in and ruined that idea.
From the street.
A small portion of the view, you can get about 270 degrees from either tower.
It quickly started getting dark from there. Next, I planned to check out Harajuku. It's the fashion hub of Tokyo and is known for all kinds of bizarre and interesting trends, as well as a variety of street performers. Because of the tangled mess that is the Tokyo subway system, it was about as fast to walk so I opted to save a couple dollars. On the way over I stumbled upon some of the only homeless people I saw in Japan, except for the guy who went into the konbini near my dorm to read the newspaper every morning. There were more than a few too. Several blocks of sidewalks were lined with little makeshift shanties.
You can't see any great detail, but the sidewalks under this bridge were lined on both sides with little shanties made of plastic and cardboard.
Yodobashi Camera! My favorite retail chain in Japan. I think I talked about this place in a Kyoto post a long while back.
This was just an interesting building. Shockingly, there was a Minnetonka Moccasin store in it! There were also shops throughout Harajuku representing every top of the line designer you can think of.
The train back to the hotel.
This is the final picture I took as I exited the Tokyo subway tunnel up to the hotel room for the last time. I hope you enjoyed this blog! If you liked the photos, I may start up another blog soon dedicated to photography and maybe some other art stuff. If I do I'll put a short informational post on here with a link.
You've made me want to go to Japan, something I'd never considered before. It looks so peaceful and truly beautiful. It would be interesting to talk to the homeless people and find out why they've chosen this lifestyle and why the authorities allow them to exist.considering they don't even allow garbage to exist on their streets.I have loved following your journey, thank you!
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