I popped by a conbini for breakfast and then went to the Starbucks by the station. It was time to try the infamous sakura frappuccino! I ate my breakfast there while sipping on the deliciousness. It was a mix of sakura and strawberry. SO yummy! I definitely want to try the hot version next. I dropped off my backpack at Ikebukuro after a little hunt for an open locker. Then I accidently put the wrong destination in google maps so I ended up taking a longer route to the park I wanted to go to. I realized this while on a train so I got off at Ginza station to correct my route. There were a lot of people, uniformed officials handing out maps, and police around. The station was another underground warren with like twenty different exits. I was a bit confused as to what was going on, but I emerged into a crowd watching the Tokyo Marathon. I didn’t realize where it was happening. I stopped by to watch a bit. Running always amazes me because I hate it so. All the roads were blocked off, no crossing allowed, but my transfer station was on the same side. Although transportation is good, I certainly racked up the bill traveling back and forth across Tokyo.

I finally made it to Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden. It was stunning. One of the best Japanese gardens I’ve visited. The landscaping was fantastic. Apparently it used to be an Imperial Garden. There was also a grove of plum trees that were in bloom. I believe a couple was getting wedding photos done there. I had a picnic lunch on a hill with a view of the Tokyo Tower. I had wanted to go to another garden nearby, but lingered too long here. I headed back to Ikebukuro to buy S something from the Pokemon store. Much less people today. I know Sunshine City so well now I easily stopped by Babies R Us to get a baby shower present for T this weekend. Afterward, I went to visit the biggest Animate in the world, 8 floors tall. It was rather disappointing though. Crazy crowded and didn’t carry anything really from things I like. Even my tastes are too rare in Japan, ha. It was cool to see the Stride themed food truck though. Already so popular even though it’s in the middle of airing.


I passed by some cosplayers in a park doing pretty pro looking photos. My first ones I’ve seen here. They were portraying characters from World Trigger. I wanted to go to the largest anime convention in the end of March, but I’ll have friends from Germany visiting instead. It would be nice to go to a con here at least once. After picking up my backpack, I grabbed some dinner/late lunch from a bakery and boarded my bus back to Tomioka.