Tokyo Day 3: Time to leave

There was a Starbucks next to the hotel so Em and I decided to eat breakfast there. It was before nine and no other restaurant or café was open yet but we were perfectly happy with Starbucks being our only choice. It was a spacious Starbucks and looked as though it could’ve been brand new. Hot coffee, a breakfast sandwich and a parfait hit the spot. We wrote a couple postcards, skimmed the paper and people-watched before we headed back up to our room. The closest Starbucks to Tonosho is in Narita, 55 minutes by train, and there are no coffee shops nearby, so it was a treat having morning coffee so readily available. 

Breakfast time at Starbucks.

Writing postcards for family and friends in the U.S.

Next we visited the gym and squeezed in a good workout before check-out time at noon. The view of Tokyo, the gym staff and the equipment was all excellent. Having a gym nearby is definitely something I miss. After we checked-out, we left our bags at the bell clerk and headed to Ueno Station. Destination: Hard Rock Café Tokyo Uyeno Eki. I tried the veggie burger and was surprised at how good it was. Emily ordered a salad—of course! There are seven Hard Rock Cafes in Japan. Three down, four to go! 

At Hard Rock Cafe Ueno, Madonna memorabilia on the wall behind me.

Posing with some Tokyo friends.

The area around Ueno Station is famous for cheap shopping so we walked around before we needed to head back to get our bags at the hotel. Tokyo is any shopper’s paradise. No matter what you’re looking for, want or need, Tokyo probably has it. However my build is bigger than most Japanese men, so it’s rare that I try on clothing that actually fits comfortably. For example, in one popular clothing store, which I think is like the equivalent of GAP, I tried on a large shirt and it fit me like a small. It’s enough to get my self-esteem down if I don’t remember that I’m not the same build as the average Japanese male! Also, for a big city, I was surprised at how clean Tokyo was in most places we visited. We took the train back instead of the bus, which actually took us more than twice as long. Even though we enjoyed our trip to Tokyo, it felt good to back in Tonosho. We’re beginning to feel at home in this small rural Japanese town.