And so closes another chapter in the book of Wojcik. Yesterday I bid farewell to Tochigi, a place I have called home for the past year. I’ve had a lot of great memories made, and met plenty of great people, much of it due to me being in Tochigi. I could go on describing how this departure makes me feel, but I think it’s not necessary to elaborate, at least not here. I’ll leave it at this: I’m leaving now, but I have many reasons to come back one day.

However, I’m not quite out of Japan yet. I intend to spend the next few days in Tokyo, and it should be a great time! Though I was excited to be back in Tokyo, the journey to get there did have it’s share of problems (Let’s just say either I should pack lighter, or every station in Japan needs escalators or an elevator). Getting my luggage to my hotel may have been a chore, but I was relieved when I finally got there. My hotel of choice this time is 1 Night 1980 Hostel, which I highly recommend to those traveling alone in Tokyo and want to save money (though it is a capsule hotel, if that bothers you).

After getting settled in, I met some friends for dinner at TGI Friday’s in Ueno. It’s always nice to keep in touch with people you meet, that way you can always meet again and catch up on what’s been going on in each other’s lives. Though dinner was nice, I thought for sure I would simply go back to my hotel and sleep after it was over. I was still pretty tired from traveling from Tochigi, and carrying my luggage had my muscles feeling quite sore. Walking down the streets towards Ueno Station, I heard the sound of music being sung by sidewalk musicians, each singing something different. I enjoyed the sound, and though I couldn’t understand all of the words (many were singing in Japanese), the music felt very moving, and I decided to stay and listen for a while.

The music must have energized me, because now I felt I wasn’t ready to return to my hotel just yet. I wanted to explore for a bit first. Remembering a suggestion my friend gave me during dinner, I decided to walk through Ueno Park. Though I have been here once before, it was now Spring, so I had a chance to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom!

It was dark, but I was still able to appreciate the beautiful scenery all around. There were even people participating in Hanami 花見 (cherry blossom viewing which usually involves drinking alcohol as well), all of them seeming to have a great time. During my walk, a bright light caught my attention, and I decided to head in the direction of the source. I saw a stairway leading down to two rows of food stands, which lead towards a temple.

Walking through the food stands, I could smell all different types of food (mostly fried). Had I not already eaten, I may have tried something. At last I made it to the temple, and despite the bustling crowd behind me, It was a wonderful sight, especially with the lit lanterns creating a serene atmosphere.

Once again, I thought I would go back to my hotel and rest after this. Once again, something caught my attention. This time it was a small Korean café.

I was tired, but I decided to have one drink, and then call it a night. The inside of the café had a very cozy atmosphere. It’s a bit rustic, but also has a sort of ‘cute’ charm to it akin to Ghibli films.

The staff was very nice, and they offer an English menu for those who don’t read Japanese. They do serve food, though much of it seems to be soup/ramen type items (honestly I didn’t look through the food menu much, as I wasn’t hungry at the time). For drinks, they have coffee and tea, as well as alcoholic drinks. I decided to opt for a whiskey on the rocks, and took my time sipping it while I watched the people pass by outside and admired the cozy interior. When I had my fill, I payed the bill and at last, headed back to my hotel.

It was a full day for me: leaving my life in Tochigi, catching up with good friends, and of course exploring new places. I look forward to continuing to explore during my last few days here in Tokyo!