Beating heart of the city
My itinerary was somewhat loose, as I only had a few specific sights I wanted to hit. A quick spot of yogurt for breakfast and I was off. The Oak Hotel is conveniently located just half a block from a subway stop. I negotiated the ticket dispensing system, deciding on a not-so-cheap day pass for ¥1000, before hopping on the Ginza line bound for Shibuya. The quiet humming through the crisp white-tiled stations was a welcome change from the grungier, rickety El in Chicago.
Winging my way to Tokyo
It was with a mixture of excitement and sadness that I headed off to O’Hare airport. While I was eager for a chance to visit Japan again, it would also mark the beginning of a six-week separation from my husband. D was kind enough to go with me 3 stops over to catch the Pace bus that goes all the way to the airport. While it is possible to take the El all the way, it would have required going south all the way downtown, changing lines and then going back northwest to the airport.