Back in Japan!

My last trip before leaving Korea took me back to neighboring Japan. Since I had already fallen in love with the country during my first visit with Philipp, I wanted to explore the capital city of Tokyo with a few friends.

Our trip began on November 16, when Alexander, a good friend from Korea, and I explored the nearby area, including the luxury district of Ginza, after our late arrival at the hostel. Of course, we also went straight to a ramen restaurant to enjoy my new favorite food.

Since some of my best friends were only arriving late on the 17th, Alex and I ventured out on our own the next day. Our first stop was a government building in Shinjuku, where we had an amazing view of the entire city from the observation deck. From there, we headed a bit further south to the famous intersection of Shibuya and then to the beautiful Meiji Shrine in the city center. This was followed by one of my favorite parts of Tokyo, the hip Harajuku, where we strolled through the streets and I was able to bid on some of Philipp's Christmas presents. We ended our day at a sky bar on a high-rise building, where we had a great view of the incredible expanse of the city.

Although my friends arrived the next day, they wanted to revisit the sights I had already seen. So, on that morning, I went to one of the Japanese gardens. I had already fallen in love with them during my trip with Philipp to Kyoto, so I really enjoyed my little walk. After a short hike to the Tsukiji Fish Market, I met up with the others for a round of sushi at one of the top restaurants that offered cheaper lunch menus.

On my next and unfortunately, last day in Tokyo, I wanted to visit the more traditional side of the city. So, after a hearty breakfast in another one of my favorite neighborhoods, Roppongi, I headed to Asakusa. This district is home to the Senso-ji Temple, among other things. After a short hike through various parts of the city, since everything was unfortunately closed on this Monday, I visited the Emperor's Palace before my departure, which was also very impressive from the outside.

And so, this trip was unfortunately already over, and I had to prepare not only for my exams in the coming weeks, but also for my departure from Seoul.

Next stop: China!