I Survived One More Night

Last night, I actually got my best sleep here yet! When I checked in, I was so tired that I passed out right away and slept through most of the noise pollution. Most of the salarymen had gone home, so it was a lot quieter on my floor. I even overslept a bit, since I didn’t want to set an alarm and risk waking anyone up. Still, even after that extra rest, I was feeling a little groggy. I wake up during the night because I had to take a pee, and I almost forgot to take my floor key with me, so I could get back to my bed.

I didn’t check out yet because I didn’t want to drag my bag around all day, and the place I was visiting wasn’t too far away. So I headed out with just my fanny pack, grabbed some breakfast from a subway kiosk, and started my day.

Milling Around in Roppongi Hills

I planned to spend the day in Roppongi — an upscale area full of luxury shops and a few museums I really wanted to visit.

My first stop was a bookstore I’d read about online. Supposedly, they sold CDs, but I couldn’t find any. Still, I enjoyed browsing through the aisles and flipping through the magazines.

Next up was the Mori Art Museum. It took me a while to find the entrance — it’s tucked inside a huge mall — but when I finally reached the ticket counter, the earliest available slot was at 16:00. Hard pass.

I wandered through the mall a bit longer but quickly realized this place wasn’t for me: too many stores with fake European names, too many employees for too few clothes, and worst of all — a luxury convenience store. That was my cue to leave.

Nezu Museum

The Nezu Museum wasn’t too far, so I walked there. The building itself was stunning — a blend of sleek modern architecture surrounded by lush traditional Japanese gardens. Inside, there was an exhibition on The Tales of Ise, a classical poem that was all the rage in Edo-period Japan. The museum paired excerpts from the story with paintings, scrolls, fans, scrolls with paintings of fans, shells, cardgames, lacquer boxes, and more. It was beautifully curated — though no photos allowed.

My ticket also included access to the garden, which was just as impressive. I wandered through winding paths past small tea houses, some of which were actually in use by very well-dressed guests having a tea ceremony. It was like stepping into a scene from another century.

When lunchtime rolled around, I hit a snag. Everything nearby was either overpriced or had a massive line. I’m willing to do one of those things — pay too much or wait too long — but not both. So I grabbed a simple meal from a convenience store and carried on.

I also took a long detour to a souvenir shop my dad had recommended, but it seemed to have been renovated (and downsized) since his visit — barely anything left.

The National Art Center – NITTEN

My final stop in Roppongi was the National Art Center. The building alone is a work of art, with its sweeping glass facade and flowing interior spaces. The museum doesn’t have a permanent collection — instead, it hosts rotating exhibitions. Luckily, I walked in on a fantastic one.

The exhibition was called NITTEN (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) — an annual open-call show where artists from across Japan submit their work. There are five categories:

Japanese-style paintings
Western-style paintings
Sculptures
Craft as art
Calligraphy

The best submissions are displayed, and there were over 3,000 pieces in total! The quality was outstanding.

I had no idea what I was walking into — I just picked what looked most popular — but I was blown away. I started off carefully examining every painting, but after a while, I realized the galleries just kept going… and going… and going. Still, the variety and quality kept me hooked.

Big paintings, small paintings, sculptures, pottery, calligraphy — the sheer range was incredible.

I was pretty tired from the previous nights and a clumsy start to the day, so I eventually sped up and skipped most of the calligraphy section. Still, I could have spent days here. Definitely the best value-for-money museum ticket I’ve ever bought — about ¼ of a euro cent per artwork (and that’s not even counting the free admission to the building).

Early Checkout

By late afternoon, I could finally check in to my new hotel. On the way back to the capsule, I grabbed some more sushi — but it didn’t live up to last night’s. I hate that I can taste the difference now… I clearly peaked too early. I’ll have to go back to Shibuya.

At checkout, the staff seemed confused. It was well past 12:00, and when I explained I was leaving two nights early, the guy looked genuinely sad — probably expecting a bad review. But honestly, the capsule hotel is great for what it is — a place for drunk salarymen to crash for a night — just not ideal for tourists trying to save a bit of money. So, it’s not you, capsule hotel. It’s me.

Catching the bus to my new place turned into a small adventure: I saw my bus pull away just as I arrived. I sprinted after it, weaving through tourists with suitcases, locals on their phones, and elderly people with zero spatial awareness. I finally caught up, and the driver kindly waited for me to hop on.

When I entered my new hotel room, I immediately felt calm wash over me.

I took a shower — in my own bathroom.
Unpacked — outside of a locker.
Watched YouTube — without headphones.
Got into bed — wearing my own pajamas.
And then… took a nap.

After my nap, I went out for dinner. The new area is a bit more formal, so food options were fewer. My old hotel had a row of izakayas right outside, so this was a downgrade in that sense. Still, I found a great little yakisoba spot nearby. When I paid, the total was 2,222 yen, which made both me and the cashier way too happy.

Back at the hotel, I relaxed, watched the League of Legends Worlds Finals, and went to bed early.

Today was a bit clumsy — a few things didn’t go as planned, and when I finally did something great, I was too tired to fully enjoy it. But I’m just happy I’ve found a quiet place to rest, reset, and catch up on sleep.