tokyo metlocker plus

You probably already know about this, but I recently learned about these lockers that will send your luggage to your hotel

The lockers are located in several metro stations around Tokyo.

Apparently if you put your luggage in these lockers by 14:00, they will be delivered to your hotel by about 19:00 the same day

I think this would be good to use if you land in Tokyo too early for check-in and don't want to lug your bags around

For more info, please check out their site

tokyo people

Blurry Tokyo People: cleaning the grates above the walkway of the train station

these little ones were waiting for...

The Setagaya line's manekineko tram
 

They've started the construction next door.

Tokyo People: amazon delivery dude

Furry Tokyo People

Have a safe weekend!

kunitachi

Thursday, I went to Kunitachi.

It's an 8 minute walk from the JR Yaho station.

Daigakudori (University Avenue) is lined with many cherry trees as well as benches and other flowers.

The benches have heartfelt messages attached to them from their donors

After a night of rain though...there was a lot of petals on the ground

The rotary in front of the JR Kunitachi station has many cherry trees too.

The sun came out once in awhile

It doesn’t look like a lot of people were around but there were lots of people out enjoying the flowers

Hitotsubashi University is on both sides of Daigakudori

There are also art pieces from their 2015 Biennale here and there.

This one was called "elephant" on Sakuradori (Cherry Blossom Avenue)

Sakuradori also had many cherry trees lining the street

As I was walking back to the JR Yaho station, I noticed a line and bought some items from Pain de Campagne.

Since no one was in the Yaho South Exit Park, I sat on a bench and had this bacon cream cheese sandwich...258 yen + tax

It said bacon but was more like thinly sliced ham

A slight breeze would bring petals fluttering

And had this sakura beurre (butter) when I got home...250 yen + tax

This was so ono! a little sweet from the sakura bean paste and salty from the butter.

This area was nice to explore, I'll be back.

Pain de Campagne

2-2-23 Fujimidai

Kunitachi, Tokyo

Phone: 042.577.0565

Closed Mondays

Hours: 11:00-19:00

ps If you would like to see a few more photos/videos, please look here.

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WARNING: my photos uploaded wonky again, so this post will be all over the place...

Got to check out a coffee shop that is often used in commercials and J-drama...Roman.

Well, when I finally found it…ha!

I walked in one direction, then walked back, then crossed the street...

Was flip flopping between a parfait or hotcakes and in the end ordered their hotcakes with an iced coffee...880 yen (tax included)

The hotcakes weren't anything special, but I liked the vibe of this place. 

My only peeve is that they allow smoking.

When I do go back, I hope they let me sit by the door like they did on this visit.

Green Road is a 21 kilometer (13 mile) walking path that I saw part of near the Seibu Hana Koganei station on my way to Koganei Park

They have so many flowers.

And benches to sit on along the route...nice!

Interior of Roman

Since I am not too familiar with manga nor anime I didn't know the location of the “Astro Boy” takes place in Takadanobaba.

For that reason there are several large murals near the JR Takadanobaba station and the “music” you hear before the train leaves the station is the theme song of the “Astro Boy” anime.

Tokyo people: the guy that changes the ads in the train...wonder if you have to be really tall to be hired for this job...

Koganei Park, if you remember we visited the Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum, which is on the grounds of this park.

So many camellia trees...pretty!

There was also an area with azaleas but that wasn’t in bloom yet

Many people hanami-ing (flower viewing)

The cherry trees are huge!

my lunch was a fan tuan from Tokyo Doujiang Seikatsu...love this!

Green Road...the sakura just started blooming but there was just enough to still be pretty and it’s nice to be outside.

Roman (2/2026 out of business)

2-18-11 Takadanobaba, Toumon Building 2F

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Phone: 03.3209.5230

Open daily 11:30-19:00

*cash only

p.s. if you're interested, more photos here

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Sunday the weather was beautiful, and since most of the coming week will either be cloudy or rainy, we made sure to get out and about.

Saturday night, I saw Togoji featured during the weather report, so we and everyone else visited on Sunday.

From where we live it is about an hour and a half by train.

We rarely ride the Keio trains, so we had a hard time figuring out where to catch our transfer inside the Keio Chofu station, otherwise I'm sure we would've arrived earlier...

From the Keio Tamareien station, it is about 5 minutes walking.

Togoji has 5 or 6 weeping cherry trees...so HUGE and so beautiful.

The temple sits on the land of Admiral Togo’s villa. 

And the gate was a model for Akira Kurosawa’s ”Rashomon”

From Togoji, we went to Shukugawara, to check out the Nikaryo Waterway, a tiny river-like waterway that is lined with cherry trees and many bridges.

I saw this area on a J-drama and marked it to check out.

I had also totally forgotten that we had been to this area when we visited Myorakuji.

I think the walk along the waterway was about 1 kilometer (.62 miles) long.

So cute these two picnic-ing.

My favorite shot of the day was the moss on this bridge

The sakura is just starting to bloom, but it was still pretty to see.

If you'd like to see a few more photos, please look here.

Togoji

3-40-10 Shimizugaoka

Fuchu, Tokyo

Phone: 042.361.2663

Nikaryo Waterway

near the JR Shukugawara station

fuchu city local forest museum

On the way back from Yaho, I noticed another ume festival sign from the train...

when I looked online, I found out that Fuchu City Local Forest Museum, which is labeled as an arboretum on Google maps, has a baien (plum garden) and they were having an ume festival.

So, I went to check it out...

From the JR Fuchuhonmachi station....walk past Suntory Brewery

And the Daitokyo Sogo wholesale market...

wouldn’t mind coming back to check out this market

There was a tiny park with many cherry trees.

And then you need to buy an admission ticket...300 yen 

If I'm not mistaken, they only take cash.

There is also a planetarium, on the grounds, but the admission is separate and costs 600 yen.

There are some restored buildings on the property.

One was being used as a cafe.

60 plum varieties and 1000 plum trees...wow!

The plum blossom season was nearing the end, glad I was able to experience this.

Brought a musubi to tide me over...there were benches all over the place...to sit, to chat, to just hang out.

They have a little area with robai (waxy apricot) also called wintersweet/Japanese allspice.

Since it was March, I thought I missed this but there were still some flowers on the trees.

There is also an area for hydrangea though not as extensive as the plum...we might be back.

Lots of people out and about.

They also have ume trees lit up at night, which must be beautiful to see.

To get back home, I walked to the JR Bubaigawara station, because I've been curious of this statue, that you can see from the train...Samurai Yoshisada Nitta.

Sweets from Aokiya, which has been in business since 1893.

We tried these manju and mochi...delicious.

Another area of Tokyo explored.

The days are getting longer and warmer, I think some areas are May or June temps!

Fuchu city local forest museum

6-35 Koremasa

Fuchu City, Tokyo

Closed Mondays

Hours: 9:00-17:00

Aokiya

3-22-26 Katamachi

Bubaigawara Minano 1F

Fuchu City, Tokyo

Open daily 9:30-19:00

p.s. if you are interested in seeing more photos/videos, look here

yabo tenmangu

Dunno what I was looking at, but I read something about Yabo Tenmangu's plum garden and the author was saying it being as pretty as Ikegami plum garden

So, I had the crazy notion to go check it out after lunch on Tuesday.

The funny thing is that this shrine is called Yabo, but the station you need to get off at is Yaho...

It is about an hour train ride from where we live and only a couple of minutes from the JR Yaho station.

Bummer that these were past their peak, the petals were fluttering to the ground whenever the wind blew.

Apparently there are 350 trees, Ikegami plum garden has 370 trees.

Will check this out again next year, hopefully I'll be able to catch them in full bloom...

It was interesting to check out this part of Tokyo.

I also got my hands on a taiyaki filled with sakura a from Naruto Taiyaki Honpo.

The weather is definitely warming up...have a safe weekend.

Yabo Tenmangu

5209 Yaho

Kunitachi, Tokyo

Phone: 042.576.5123

Open 24 hours