Day 11 - ByeBye Tokyo, it was nice being with you

So the time has come – we say goodbye to Tokyo! And hopefully: see you soon. The time here has flown by, and yes, we are indeed a bit sad to have to say goodbye again. Even though the next adventure is already waiting – tomorrow we head to Korea! Today we got up early, just after seven, with a clear plan: pack our bags, take one last view from the observation deck in the Metropolitan Government Building of Tokyo, and then visit the Hie Shrine. The suitcase was quickly packed (we are, after all, experienced), and the visit to Hie Shrine was a nice, quiet conclusion. Only the observation deck threw a wrench in our plans – it’s closed on Saturdays. And because I didn’t keep track of what day it was, I mistakenly planned that. Surprisingly, Ramona was only a little upset – probably because she was still groggy from waking up early. I guess that’s called a lucky misfortune! 😄

Our Shinkansen to Osaka was scheduled for 2:07 PM – so actually enough time for a leisurely goodbye to Tokyo. And how do we best do that? Of course, with one last good meal. So after checking out, we went straight to Tokyo Station, the main train station. So far, so good. Upon arrival, there was a surprise: our Shinkansen tickets didn’t actually depart from there, but from Shinagawa – another station about 20 to 30 minutes away. My mistake. Once again. So if you ever take the Shinkansen from Tokyo: pay close attention to which station is on your ticket. 'Tokyo' doesn’t always mean 'Tokyo.' Ramona remained relatively relaxed, no complaints! Lucky misfortune II - I think we should wake up earlier more often. So we went directly to Shinagawa. And lo and behold: Even there, one can easily find good food. I believe it’s an unwritten law in Tokyo: no matter where you are, good food is never far away. P.S.: the Shinkansen was on time this time - to the second!

Hardly had we arrived in Osaka, we treated ourselves one last time to the legendary Nikuman (Pork Buns) from 551 Horai – an absolute must! We will really miss them. And no, I am not getting paid to say this – they are just that good. Upon arriving at the hotel, there were no unpleasant surprises due to my sometimes shaky planning. On the contrary: We ended up in a really great hotel right at the airport – a relaxing conclusion to our Japan adventure.

What I didn’t mention in yesterday’s blog, I will now catch up on: We visited the famous Hachikō statue in Tokyo. Ramona – a confessed animal lover – was eager to go there. I must admit, I was unfamiliar with both Hachikō and the film with Richard Gere (yes, shame on me). For anyone as clueless as I was: Hachikō was a Japanese Akita dog who became world-famous for his incredible loyalty. He would accompany his owner, Professor Ueno, to the Shibuya station every morning – and he waited there every evening patiently for his return. In May 1925, the professor suddenly passed away during a lecture, but Hachikō continued to come to the station at the usual time every day for almost ten years – until his own death. In 1934, a bronze statue was erected in his honor right in front of the Shibuya station – and that’s the one we visited (of course not without taking a few obligatory photos).