My goal for this trip was really to explore places in Tokyo that I’ve never been to before. Shibuya, I have visited the most in Tokyo, but I wanted to hangout here for today for some window-shopping and Pokemon Go!

Hachiko Square

Shibuya is equivalent to Hachiko and the crazy scramble crossing. I’ve posted about this many times, but since today is a different day, here are photos of Hachiko and the scramble from this morning!

Just some trivia that I learned from our tourguide the other day (and no, I have not seen a single Hachiko movie because it’s sad) – Hachiko was actually alive and present when they unveiled this statue of him. He passed away one year later and was buried next to his master (the Toudai Professor).

Neko Shrine

So – after arriving at Shinjuku Station, checking in on Hachiko and the scramble crossing, off I went to my first Legendary Raid of the day. I walked quite a distance somewhere in East Shibuya and ended up at this shrine (which was the Gym).

Another story from the same tour guide, he said that when that other world took Buddha from us, Jizo were sent down as an exchange to help us human beings. These Jizo are said to be very friendly and love to eat, which is why Japanese people usually leave food near their statues.

Also, the difference between Temple and Shrine is that Temple is for Buddhism while Shrine is for Shintoism. While Japanese people are not specifically religious, they have a strong belief in god(s). Most of them practice both Shintoism and Buddhism. They usually go to shrines to pray for things in the physical world, and to temples to pray for things/intentions for the other world (more spiritual).

Back to Shibuya

The next raid brought me back to central Shibuya. While waiting for the raid to start, I wanted to hangout at a coffee shop that is within the range of the gym. However, it was full! So, I bought cold coffee from a nearby Pokemon vending machine and drank it on one of the benches. I spent only 150 JPY vs. 300-500 JPY in a coffee shop!

Tower Records

After finishinga all of the nearby raids, I visited Tower Records because I have never been there and I wanted to check out the latest songs in Japan! The Shibuya Branch had 7 floors of music, a cafe and a (small) bookstore! I like how you can actually listen to the songs to help you decide which CDs to buy. Music stores in the Philippines don’t have this!

I already took photos of the albums I want to listen to when I get home. I hope they’re available on Spotify! If not, let’s see where I’ll find them! 🙂

There’s also a small bookstore and cafe on the 2nd floor. Right now, the cafe has a Bungo Stray Dogs Dead Apple collab – so the menu and decorations are inspired by the anime movie! There are some Bungo Stray Dogs items for sale, too – but I didn’t get any of them!

Ichiryu Ramen

For dinner, I couldn’t decide what to get right away. I knew I wanted to eat fried chicken – and KFC was the only one I could think of. At the same time, I wanted to eat something I can only eat here – so after going around for 30 minutes, I saw a ramen place that offered a fried chicken set! I settled for this and did not regret it!

On my way to the station, I saw a photoshoot and snapped a photo, like everyone else. I guess this is not an uncommon sight in one of Tokyo’s fashion center – Shibuya!

This day may seem short with such short post, but it was quite tiring! I still managed 16,000+ steps from walking all over the place due to Pokemon Go! I know I wouldn’t be able to play as much when I get home!

Tomorrow is check-out day. I’m not yet sure how to spend the rest of the day before I head to the airport in the afternoon. My flight is at 8.25 PM so I still have a full day left to explore. I might just take it easy this time! Time to sleep so that I can check out on time! Good night!