I slept quite early yesterday so I woke up around 8:30 am. After washing my face and dressing up, I met two other travelers Alan and Dean who were also living in the hostel. Both of them were recent graduates from the Boston area and they were currently traveling around Asia before they start work. They told me they walked around and went to the Meiji Shrine yesterday; they planned on visiting the Imperial Palace today. My plans for today: Imperial Palace and then Meiji Shrine.

First stop: East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

​After the brief conversation, I headed towards the Tsukiji subway station. Arriving at my stop, I was confused about where the entrance to the Imperial Palace was. Instead I ended up at the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, which had free admissions. The atmosphere is very different from the gardens I have visited in Suzhou --- it was not crowded at all that I had my own personal space when I can actually breathe in a dose of fresh air. The gardens were vibrant and beautiful. I found my way up an observatory, which surprisingly no one was there. At the observatory, I can see the skyline of a row of simple-looking Tokyo buildings, which was different than the skyline of Shanghai and New York City.

Second stop: Meiji Shrine

I wished I didn’t leave the East Gardens but there were still plenty of things I wanted to do in Tokyo. Next stop: Meiji Shrine.

There were more people at this location but not as much compared to the crowd I’ve seen at the Forbidden Palace in Beijing. I walked around the main area of the shrine and was lucky to witness a Japanese-style wedding ceremony.

After looking at the stands for a bit, I made my way out and surprisingly I saw my Chinese teacher and her son. I didn’t recognized her at first since she was wearing glasses but I turned back just to make sure whether it was her or not. And it was her! Tokyo is not small but for us to walk right pass each other --- that was fate. Her son called me 阿姨 and I laughed because he was too adorable. I met her husband and we all talked for a bit about our itinerary. I told her about the wedding I saw so they continued their way to the shrine as I walked the opposite direction. Biggest regret: Not taking a photo with her and her family to document this epic encounter.

I entered a scenic area where I had to pay 500 yen (~$5USD). In here, I saw more variety of flowers; the colors made me felt alive. There was also a well that people lined up to see, which was very interesting. After I left the area, I ordered a dish of curry tonkatsu at a restaurant and then shop for more souvenirs before making my way to Harajuku.

Third stop: Harajuku

Harajuku reminded me a little of Times Square but Tokyo-style. I did more shopping here before I headed back to the hostel. I wanted to visit this art museum in Harajuku but it closed by the time I decided to make my way there.

Last stop: Dinner at Sushizanmai

​After I got back to the hostel, the two guys that I talked with earlier also returned. They told me they are staying in for the night since they will be waking up at 2 am to line up for the tuna auction. I initially didn’t plan on going but since they are going and we live only 2 minutes away, it would be a loss if I didn’t. So I walked around the area and ate at Sushizanmai, which was a well-known sushi chain in Japan. I was relieved that the chef speaks English. I ordered a deluxe tuna set, which was delicious though I couldn’t finish the whole plate. The chef asked me where I am from and if I were here alone which I answered yes and another chef said “sugoi” meaning wow!

I got back around 9:30pm and took a quick shower before I jumped into bed to take a 4-hour “nap”.