All I Want is Tokyo
Back in Tokyo, we checked into our hotel at the end of Ginza from before and popped straight to the Chaya Cafe on the ground floor for a solid lunch and a takeaway of their signature latte. This seemed quite complicated as I watched two people carefully prepare it, then I stepped out into the street to enjoy it.
The first stop on the itinerary was to take a subway train to Nozy Coffee in Shibuya. This is the only time I recall feeling crushed on public transport in Japan. And quite odd, it’s January and Tokyo is rare in that the population is decreasing. That doesn’t stop the tourists from flooding in, though.
Nozy Coffee is still in the same place as before, although it’s busier. Last time, I sat on a stool and watched the beloved chat with the staff as they prepared his coffee. This time, we could only find seats outside. It’s January, but Tokyo is mild, as it has been throughout our trip. That memory of the first visit is intact, especially as I stood looking at the spot I occupied a few years back for a good ten minutes or so while I waited in line for the one loo.
I recall there was a Happy Socks shop in the neighbourhood, which sold all sorts of other branded items like umbrellas and underwear. That shop was no longer here, but there was a Converse store that sold limited editions. Sadly, I couldn't persuade my beloved to purchase a unique pair. This is the penultimate day of the trip, and we have done a lot of shopping; some essentials from the Muji list, and other special finds like the Tokyo skirt (so many women wear beautiful, long, slimline skirts here that this is what I have named them). Then there was the HARIO haul and my beloved’s travel tradition: t-shirts from Uniqlo, often ones that can only be bought locally. Next time, we will go to the Converse store first—if it’s still there.
The afternoon was mainly for checking off our shopping lists—we’d saved this for the last day to avoid carting everything to Kyoto and back again. Then, we had the best meal of the trip at the Thai restaurant, Chompoo, followed by a fun look around the Nintendo/Pokémon shops.
For breakfast on the last day, the popular consensus was to go back to Bills. Traditionally, we tend to revisit the best places on our last day. Then, we took a good look around the nearby Mitsukoshi department store, which I learned by then also owns the Isetan stores we see in other parts of Asia. We enjoyed a quick brown sugar latte, which was pretty bland, but I appreciated the sit-down at Roar, especially since a little Samurai (model) was watching over us. We never did get to the Samurai museum, so that is also for next time.
It took until the very last day to see a full-on ‘proper’ Muji when we caught the bus out to Muji at Ariake. This Muji has everything from a vast display of furniture to a bakery and everything in between. The only thing they didn’t have was the smallest Muji luggage case in either a bright color like we saw in Singapore or white. So that remains on the shopping list.
After lunch in the food court at the nearby Ariake Gardens, we took the fun monorail back to the city to pack, but first, we enjoyed a calming tea ceremony courtesy of our wonderful hotel. For dinner on our last night, we opted for Shake Shack.
Overall, this return to Tokyo was a beautiful mix of familiar spots and discoveries, filled with amazing food, stunning sights, and the unmistakable energy of this incredible city. I miss it so much.
January 2025
