We’d left our plans for the last day flexible; with a 9pm flight, we had time for some last minute sightseeing, but what we did would depend on the weather.  Yesterday’s rain (the only wet day of the whole trip) cleared overnight and we woke to blue skies and fluffy white clouds.  We packed up, left our suitcases safely stored for later, and headed to the eastern side of Tokyo for the rest of the day.  We’d picked two of the most popular sights in Tokyo; the Senso-Ji Temple, and the Skytree; only a short walk apart, but a complete contrast between old and new. 

En route to Shinkuku Station, we stopped by a temple tucked up a small street just around the corner from our apartment.  From the street it looked small, but it was surprisingly large, and obviously new.  We saw people stopping by on their way to work, to say their morning prayers.

Senso-Ji Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, dating back to 645 AD; it was destroyed in the Tokyo air raids of WW2, and completely rebuilt.  According to Wikipedia, it’s the most widely visited religious site in the world; as we approached the grand first gate, we could believe it.   It was a Tuesday morning after a holiday weekend, and there were throngs of people, many dressed in kimonos and posing for photos.  We made our way up the ancient shopping street; small stalls to sell food and souvenirs to pilgrims is a long-held tradition.  Some of the souvenirs are more authentic than others. 

Putting aside the crowds and the selfies, we admired the buildings, particularly the 5-storey pagoda.  But my favourite part was the small contemplative garden, where a grey heron, oblivious to its audience, was busy fishing in the flowing stream.

From the temple complex, we had a clear view of one of Tokyo’s more recent additions to its skyline – the Skytree.  We didn’t need Google to head in the right direction, towards the river.  We stopped in a narrow park to have lunch.  Two things you see very little of in Tokyo – places to sit, and rubbish bins.  Parks look like nice green spaces on Google Maps, but they are usually fine gravel, or asphalt.  There isn’t much space for kids to play, and grass seems to be a prized commodity on which sitting is frowned upon.  We managed to find a bench in the shade, to eat the last of our food.

The Skytree, at 634 metres, is the tallest tower in the world.  It opened in 2012.  Observation decks are at 350m and 450m, 100m lower than the deck at the Burj Khalifa, and ranking 10^th in the world – but certainly the highest we’ve been anywhere, pipping Toronto’s CN Tower by just a few metres.  Another very crowded site, but with a timed entry system and the top quality queue management we’ve come to expect in Japan, it wasn’t too long a wait in the queue for the elevator.

At these heights, it’s hard to pick out specific landmarks, but you could certainly see the mind-blowing urban sprawl in all directions; and the ingloriously-nicknamed “Golden Poo” was in clear sight.  We also got a better idea of how Tokyo is shaped by the river.  We  needed to leave in time to pick up our stored luggage – and Captain Kumamon – so we didn’t have too long to linger, before another cross-town train trip.

Our final ride in Tokyo was on the monorail to the airport.  By now it was dark, giving us a nice view of the Tokyo lights in the harbour district.  We emerged into the departure area, packing away our Sugoca cards, and readying ourselves for the 10 hour overnight flight home.

What are the odds – on the cruise, we’d met Juho and Kaisa, a Finnish couple from near Helsinki, who we’d played trivia with one afternoon.  We’d bumped into them a couple of times around the ship, and on the last day, we’d spent a really fun afternoon playing a Mystery game (like an Escape Room challenge; in teams of 6 we had to complete a series of puzzles to earn clues, then solve the murder mystery, against a tight deadline).  We’d compared notes about our post-cruise itineraries, and we were doing similar things – Osaka and Kyoto, then a few days in Tokyo, and flying home after 10 days.  We never compared flight details though, so we were more than surprised to see Joho and Kaisa just ahead of us at the airport!  What’s more, despite heading to opposite sides of the globe, our departure lounges were adjacent.  We had a really nice time chatting about travelling and cruises, and before we knew it, our flight was boarding.  Guys, if you are reading this and you ever get to Australia, you’re welcome to come stay in Melbourne.

An on-time departure, smooth flight, and Pete’s much-appreciated taxi service home, and the trip was over.  Well apart from the unpacking, washing, food shopping, garden rescue, and email catchup.  Counting down to New Zealand in 2024, and yes, we’ll be orienteering!