8 Days in Japan - Day 8 in Tokyo

Day 8 in Tokyo

Key Highlights

- Check into Emblem Hostel Nishiarai
- Eat Ramen at Ichiran Shibuya
- Shopping at Don Quijote
- Eat Delicious Yakitori in Shibuya
- Flight back to the States

We checked out of our hostel in Osaka at around 6:00 AM to get to the Osaka train station. We headed back to Tokyo for our last night. Originally, the hotel that we booked was in Narita, but we realized that our flight was out of Haneda. At the last minute, we ended up booking a cheap hostel at Emblem Hostel Nishiarai. When you first enter in, there is old carpet and old rusty lockers to your right. There was a stench about the place, but it wasn't dirty just worn. I knew immediately that it was a smoking hostel, which made it a huge turn-off for me.

Ramen at Ichiran Shibuya

First order of business was to grab food at a nearby 7-11, which we immediately regretted because there were better options for pastry and coffee. In any event, we then went to find the individual ramen stalls at Ichiran Shibuya. This was one of those quick order places where you would use a machine to pick your ramen and toppings. Then find an open booth and then hand the ticket you got from the machine to the person behind the booth. You don't ever see their face, but in a matter of minutes they push through a bowl of delicious ramen and your side orders. The broth was super flavorful and the extra meat and egg were incredibly delicious. On the way out of the restaurant, they sold boxes of their broth flavoring and ramen. But we figured it wouldn't taste as good when we got it, so we passed.

Our next order of business was to go shopping for souvenirs and things to bring back to the States. My friend who lived in Japan for two years recommended that we shop at Don Quijote, which is a huge Walmart like store. We saw a boat load of different snacks, yakitori sets, and even furniture. We ended up buying over $100 USD worth of snacks. We had just finished all of our shopping when it was time to meet up with my travel partner's friends.

At the train stations, they have lockers that you can rent. The lockers' pricing is based on how much space you need. The larger the locker, the more it costs. I believe the rentals are for the day. In any event, we locked our stuff in a locker which cost 400 Yen, but it was okay. We ended up eating at a delicious yakitori place where the food was exceptional. Unfortunately, I didn't have any cash on hand, so it was embarrassing to have my travel buddy's friends prepay for us. But luckily enough, there was a 7-11 ATM where I stopped by and withdrew money to repay our friend.

Last Sushi Meal in Japan

We said our goodbyes and took our souvenirs out of the locker. Then we headed back to the hostel where I would attempt to convert my sleeping pattern to Pacific Standard Time. I definitely could not sleep at all due to the smoke filled pods. Yuck!

Our flight back to the States had a layover in Shanghai, but this time there wasn't enough time to explore. By the time we woke up and go to the airport, it was around 8:00 AM, so you can imagine how early we woke up. We stopped by a Uniqlo shop within the airport where I bought a couple T-shirts. Then I went to the shops to pick up a couple more Japanese Kit-Kats. What is incredible about the Haneda airport is that they have all the good typical Japanese food including but not limited to ramen and sushi. We got both to share, which was reasonably priced.

The flight back was long and slept through most of it. The highlight was the eel fish meal. We had a layover in Shanghai and had to get our luggage checked again.

After like 15 hours we made it back to the states where my brother picked me up.

8 Days in Japan - Day 1 in Tokyo
8 Days in Japan - Day 2 in Tokyo
8 Days in Japan - Day 3 in Tokyo
8 Days in Japan - Day 4 in Hakone
8 Days in Japan - Day 5 in Kyoto
8 Days in Japan - Day 6 in Kyoto/Nara
8 Days in Japan - Day 7 in Yamazaki/Osaka