For my last day in Japan, I was going to take it super easy. I finished packing and my suitcase was already at the brim, so I definitely had no more space to buy anything else. I had breakfast, checked out, then left my bags at the front and was off to Shibuya. 

I didn’t have definite plans that morning, but seeing as I hadn’t been to Shibuya at all on this trip, I thought it’d be fitting to go there on my last morning. I made a spur of the moment decision to see if I could buy tickets to get into the Shibuya Sky at Shibuya Scramble Square. I literally get to the 14F entrance gate a few minutes after opening at 10am, only to be greeted by a sign saying that admissions were fully sold out for the day. (T__T)

I know it was a Sunday morning and that it’s a popular attraction, but it was very disappointing that they didn’t have tickets allocated to people who wanted to walk up and purchase. I guess you can’t do anything on a whim anymore, so that’s something to keep in mind for future trips. It wasn’t all in vain, as there was a free exhibit on that floor and I managed to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji in the distance.

After I left I walked outside of Shibuya Station and spotted a huge line of people waiting to take photos with Hachiko, then did some loops around the neighbourhood. For my last official meal, I waited around 30 minutes to eat at Ichiran and got my fill of ramen.

Overall it was a pretty chill morning. The Yamanote line was undergoing some repair work that weekend and I was worried it might impact my travel, but overall it was smooth. I headed back to Oimachi to collect my luggage, then took the bus straight to Haneda Airport. I had lots of time to buy all my duty free purchases before finally hopping on the plane back home.

Thoughts on Japan for this trip – I love Japan. It will always be like a second home to me. However next time I go I definitely want to forgo all the touristy things. The amount of tourists I encountered, the lineups and crowds – I think I’m past it now. With the exception of going to places where I expect a lineup, I don’t want to contribute to the overconcentration of tourists in Japan. I just want to go, stay low-key and leisurely enjoy my time there. Until next time!