Day 4 Line up:
- Imperial Palace Gardens
- Shibuya: Crossing the street and visiting Hachiko
- Shinjuku: shops and buildings
- Yotsuya: St. Ignatius Chapel
- Ginza: More shops and Ramen
Breakfast 7:55 am
Fresh new day, greeted by the buttery aroma of fresh bread 🥐🥖. Glad that the hotel has a bread buffet for breakfast. You can choose from croissants, savory, or sweet items. To reheat, simply pop it into the oven toaster for a minute. Partner it with the variety of tea and coffee (available 24hrs) or fresh orange juice (available during breakfast only). The juice really tasted “natural”. Or at least it didn’t taste like synthetic orange flavoring and ascorbic acid.
Imperial Palace Gardens
Our day started a bit slow and left the hotel relatively later today. I guess we’re starting to get tired already.
Going to a garden is one of the things I’d like to do if there’s time. It was not spring, and it was too early for autumn, and I didn’t have any specific garden in mind since the view will most likely be full of just greens. Finally I chose a garden with a castle – Imperial Palace garden. Before you all react, I didn’t know that the castle itself isn’t there anymore! I didn’t do my research properly for this portion. After all I planned this last full day with a few specific must-go places (Hachiko and Shibuya crossing).
Castle remains 
Within the garden complex 
Sunlight 
The mini waterfall
Until the day before this, I kept changing up the itinerary for Day 4 since this is the last full day, in case there were some activities we’d like to repeat or places to go to again.
How to get there:
E-Hotel Ginza to Imperial Palace
- Toei Oedo Line: Tsukijishijo (E18) to Monzen-Nakacho (E15) *covered by subway pass
- Tokyo Metro Tozai Line: Monzen-Nakacho (T12) to Otemachi (T09) *covered by subway pass
Yesterday’s rainy weather was replaced by the bright hot sunlight. I should’ve worn the extra leggings yesterday, not today 😦 . It only made my day hotter.
The gardens were generally green, because well, there was no special season at our time of visit. You can still appreciate the beautiful landscaping though.
There were nice shady areas to rest if the sun got too hot. Water fountains to refill your tumbler or water bottles can be found around the place.
At some points, you can photograph the trees with a backdrop of buildings. It’s just one pedestrian crossing away from tall office/commercial buildings.
Shibuya
How to get there:
Imperial Palace to Shibuya
- Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line: Otemachi (Z08) to Shibuya (Z01) *covered by subway pass
Looking forward to this stop because of Hachiko and Shibuya crossing – a first time tourist’s must go to! We spent quite some time walking around before we settled down.
Paw print stickers on the floor help point to the Hachiko exit but since we were hungry, we asked the information desk – “nearest place to eat”. She pointed us to the nearby exit which lead to a mall that turned out to be a bit high end. After walking to the food floors and we didn’t find anything that seemed ok for the price, we decided to walk around more which brought us to the next mall.
Walking a bit again, we saw a place that seemed like a mini grocery shop – Precce Deli Market (imagine Rustans Marketplace vibe in PH) but with a build your own bento box section. You get to choose a main dish, 2 sides, and one carb (rice or pasta) for 600 Yen. It was a good enough deal and hungry as we were, this was the place for us. Around 40 minutes were spent searching around, then about an hour and a half rest and eat time. **Full post here**
Hachiko!
It is really just a statue but the history is photo worthy! To be honest I haven’t seen any version of the movie yet ‘coz I am definitely gonna get emotional and I need to prepare myself for the tears. Everyone was respectfully taking turns and didn’t hang around too long even if there was no official line for those who want a hachiko photo.
Shibuya Crossing
Who would have ever thought that crossing the street would be this much fun. I mean, it’s just crossing the street…with other people taking videos, photos, asking others to take photos of them.. meanwhile, most of my photos were blurry coz I crossed so fast and didn’t stop for a photo (didn’t want to block anyone 😦 ) I was smiling all the time.
Initial plan was to hang out at Starbucks Tsutaya overlooking the intersection, but as expected, the bar table beside the window with a perfect view of the intersection was already full, as seen down from the pedestrian.
The only things that I should do that day were 1) Hachiko picture 2) Shibuya crossing 3) Kitkat shopping. Already did the first 2 and kitkat shopping can be done even at the airport, when all else fails.
Shinjuku
How to get there:
Shibuya to Shinjuku
- JR Yamanote Line: Shibuya (JY20) to Shinjuku (JY20)
One of the usual tourist destinations in Tokyo known for shopping, Shinjuku, was our next stop.
Walking by various buildings and shops, we chanced upon a closed Robot Restaurant, a popular destination for bright night life in Shinjuku.
Since we had nothing planned to do at the moment, I decided to buy the special ramen at a 7 11 we passed by.
Not all branches sell the special ramen. Out of all the convenience stores we went to, this was the one selling the most variety of the special ramen. So for the rest of the day, I was carrying a plastic bag of 4 big instant ramen bowls. Not very fit for #ootd. But at least I have my ramen with me already. The only label I recognized was the instant version of Ippudo.
Across the street was a Uniqlo store with several floors! Brushed past the displays. Prices of the items were quite close to what it was back home. Some were even cheaper. Then we went to GU, also a clothing store similar to Uniqlo but a bit more affordable. I took a quick look at the boots but it wouldn’t fit in my carry-on baggage anymore (didn’t want to check in any baggage #trustIssues haha). Also checked out some jackets for future travels. In the end, I bought nothing. Haha. So proud of myself for avoiding impulse buying urges.
Another thing planned for today is hearing a Catholic Mass. The church we went to was in Yotsuya.
Yotsuya
How to get there:
Shinjuku to St. Ignatius Chapel, Yotsuya
- JR Chuo Line: Shinjuku (JC05) to Yotsuya (JC04)
Heard mass at St.Ignatius Chapel located inside Sophia University, near Yotsuya Station – which turned out to be featured in the Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name) movie! I didn’t really plan anything related to real life locations featured in anime or animated movies, but it was nice coincidence to at least get to this station.
St. Ignatius Chapel 
Sophia University
Then I heard that Shinjuku Gyoen was the setting for the movie Garden of Words. Perhaps we should’ve gone there instead of Imperial Palace, or instead of walking around shinjuku shopping area (not much of a travel shopper). If only I had known earlier.
Anticipated mass was scheduled at 6pm. I misread the schedule posted outside and I thought it was 5:30 so I waited for 30 minutes seated inside. I wonder what was scheduled at 5:30, it definitely was written there… The mass began at 6pm. More accurately, I attended mass but I barely understood anything since it was in Japanese (missed the English mass). There was a booklet though. The sequence of the mass was the same as back home.
Final district for tonight, Ginza.
Ginza
How to get there:
Yotsuya to Ginza
- Tokyo Metro Marunochi Line: Yotsuya (M12) to Ginza (M16) *covered by the subway pass
Passing through high end shops made me feel that this is really the Ginza shopping district. Our hotel’s address was at Ginza but not this kind of Ginza.
Just a Versace Boutique 
Hermes across the street
Kazami Fail Moment
Dinner time was another ramen hunting event. That night’s target was Kazami. We walked back and forth a few times following Google maps and missing some turns (would Waze have worked?). It was in an alley, literally, a back alley (but clean). We were kinda confused since it was supposed to be in that area according to Google maps. From the opposite side of the alley, a Japanese girl looking at her phone was walking towards us. So I asked her if she knew where Kazami Ramen was.
A bit surprised, she showed us her phone. Apparently she was also looking for the ramen shop. But both to our disappointment, it was closed only for that day.
We thanked her an then we went ahead and to another ramen shop in the area, Mugi to Olive, which sells clam broth ramen.
Mugi to Olive
Lined up for clam broth ramen. Very thirsty from all the walking today, I went to the konbini beside the ramen shop and bought apple juice. Sipped it all away even before I got back to the line. **Food review here!!**
Lining up 
Ramen bowl! 
Runny egg! 
Store front
The last ramen of the trip – just realized that after I ate.
Don Quixote
One more place to go for today – souvenir shopping at Don Quixote. A bit cramped but sold a variety of items like chocolate and other snacks. I found my Kitkat fix here. There was a second floor were they sold more non food items. I got a few sanrio towels, and lots of kit kat.
Don Quixote 
Kitkats!
Many Chinese tourists were shopping here and some store attendants speak Chinese.
To get a rebate for your purchase (for the tax free promotion), you have to reach 5000 yen total spend so I bought another pack of chocolate for paslubong (souvenir) for my officemates. We had to line up again though.
Past 10pm already late but according to google maps, it was just walking distance to the hotel. And it was.
Packed up for departure tomorrow and called it a day.
The Gastronomer's Diary 