The day of departure! The time went by far too quickly and I still couldn’t believe that it was now time to say bye bye Japan.
I had chosen a late flight (at 10:30 p.m.) so I still had a whole day in Tokyo. Theoretically, I could even have made an excursion to Kyoto to visit the Imperial Palace, but that was too much of a hassle. I had already packed my things, and after a quick breakfast and a warm farewell, I left the apartment on Kiyosubashi-dore for the last time.
Haneda and back
Amber had given me the tip to take a taxi to Asakusa Station and then have it drop me off directly at the station (and not at one of the subway stations) because there is an elevator there. The monorail from Ueno was almost impossible with the heavy and bulky luggage.
Unfortunately, construction work was going on in the station, so you couldn’t walk straight through. Since it’s not easy to change between the different lines (they are structurally separated), I trudged through the pouring rain for quite a while with two fully packed suitcases and a heavy backpack until I finally made it to the right entrance. Unfortunately, Google Maps wasn’t particularly helpful either.
In the end, I made it though. Unfortunately, the train was extremely full, so I had to stand for the entire 35 minutes. But at least I didn’t have to change trains. In Haneda, I checked in my luggage, locked my carry-on suitcase, and made my way back to Tokyo. First I wanted to go to the
Hokusai Museum Sumida
It was a good opportunity to get out of the crappy weather, and it was also extremely interesting. I knew practically nothing about the old Japanese woodblock art (Ukiyo-e) and knew very little about the artist as well. Of course, I was familiar with the Great Wave off Kanagawa…
The museum had a special exhibition about Kabuki actor portraits in connection with Katsushika Hokusai and his teachers and students and it was also a good way to understand Hokusai’s artistic development. I also learned a lot about theater life in Japan in the 18th and 19th centuries – that alone was already worth the moderate entrance fee.
The actual exhibition is divided into two parts: in addition to an interactive overview of Hokusai’s work, where I found the sketchbooks particularly fascinating, there is an introduction to the art of woodcuts. It also details the effect this very modern-looking art had on Europeans in the 19th century. Coming into contact with this foreign art for the first time, a real Japan mania developed, which also found expression in music and poetry.
Unfortunately, there are few of the great original works on display in the museum. To make up for that, the 36 Views of Mount Fuji, his famous series of landscape prints, was very well presented interactively. Visitors probably get much more out of it than just lingering in awe in front of the masterpieces. For me, the most interesting thing was the huge number of sketchbooks and textbooks. I stayed much longer than planned. So I decided to cut the rest of the program short and skip shopping.
(No) Cherry Blossom in Ueno and The Old Ginza
I had been looking forward to paying another visit to the cat cafe in Asakusa. However, it turned out to be closed on Tuesdays. So I decided to visit Yanaka Ginza instead, one of the old shopping districts in Tokyo. There were supposed to be lots of four-legged friends here, although I didn’t expect much in the rain. And that’s what happened. Still, it was an interesting little trip. Just a stone’s throw from Ueno, you’re suddenly in a small, suburban area (similar to Gōtoku-ji). Beautiful old shops, small bakeries, and restaurants – I was a bit sad that I hadn’t left any room for more souvenirs. Definitely worth a trip.
On the way there, I walked through Ueno Park once again. Everything was ready for Hanami – stands, tents, food. But the cherry blossoms were missing. It was freezing cold, raining heavily, and not a single blossom was to be seen. A few visitors wandered around and applauded the two musicians who were bravely trying to create a festive atmosphere. I bought a couple of panda nigiri and then made my way to the old Ginza.
Dinner and departure
Now it was time to slowly make my way to the airport – since I had already checked in, I could take it easy and decided to eat something different in Asakusa. I had already enjoyed the Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, and in Tokyo, they have something quite similar – the so-called Monjayaki. To be honest, I didn’t really get the difference between the Okonomiyaki and those – the dough is a little different, but the preparation is actually exactly the same.
Anyway, after about 20 minutes of waiting, I was finally allowed in at the Asakusa Monja FURIN and had a very tasty Monja with caviar and salmon. It was almost too much food, but hey, the journey would be very long.
Full of energy, I drove back out to Haneda. I still had plenty of time at the terminal, especially as the security check was very quick. In the duty-free shop, I bought a bottle of Shochū, which I slyly smuggled into my hand luggage, and then it was finally time to leave.
Bye Bye Japan
The flight was long (via the North Pole route!) but unspectacular. I landed in Munich at 6 a.m., then transferred to Stuttgart, this time with all my luggage. In Stuttgart, the usual drama with the airport bus and then the Ammertalbahn – I was literally stranded in the last few meters in front of the front door. But finally, I was back home. Exhausted, but happy.
The trip was absolutely 100% worth it! A fantastic experience, and I really hope that I can repeat it in the coming years 🙂