Japan Day 6: The Local Side of Tokyo

Today, since it was my day off, I spent the whole day outside! I met up with a friend, who is living in Tokyo, and we went to Chano-ma for lunch (a place with a great view and casual atmosphere), which is near the Meguro River (a popular spot for viewing sakura, though they are not in season currently). 

After lunch, we explored Todoroki Valley, a park in the city. It was a really drastic difference from the urban life of Tokyo. The nature there was very scenic, and we also visited a shine in the park. I got my fortune told, and it was lucky! It said that I will "find a secret in my drawers."

We left the park for Jiyugaoka, a local shopping district of Tokyo. There were so many interesting and cute things in the shops that I wanted to buy! I also had matcha bubble tea (first time having boba in Japan) from a crepe truck. 

On our way to dinner, we passed by Shibuya's Hachiko (a famous dog statue). The statue was much smaller than I expected, and the subway station was super crowded. I think I will be back tomorrow to explore Shibuya.

For dinner, two of Showa's students brought us to eat okonomiyaki and monja near Tabata Station. It was a very quaint, residential part of Tokyo (no skyscrapers or chain shops), and we also visited a 100 yen shop (like a dollar store in the U.S.) It was my first time trying okonomiyaki and monja (which is DIY style with the grill in front of you), and it was delicious (probably my best meal yet in Japan!) Thanks so much to everyone who took their time to show us around!