Exploring Shinjuku and Tokyo Metropolitan: day 4

I started my day off by visiting some shrines nearby. I visited two shrines: Yushima Tejin Shrine and Urayasu Inari Shrine. They are near the hostel so it wasn't a long walk but it was a very cool experience. The Yushima Tejin Shrine is a place for the god of literature. Reading the history of this shrine and visiting the garden along with it was peaceful. It is surrounded by plum trees and has vending machines with hot coffee!

After having toast and coffee at Zehn Coffee with two of my roommates, our group went on an excursion to the Tokyo Metropolitan. Like the sky tree, you can see much of Tokyo and the outline of Fuji mountain. 

After this, Robert Ladd was recruited as a tour guide. He took us further into Shinjuku and showed us a standing sushi bar. This was a really cool experience. I have never heard of a standing sushi bar and it had the best sushi ever! Ladd showed us a historic part of Shinjuku after eating. We saw how Tokyo once looked especially the "bad" part of town. 

After this experience, me and my roommates visited a bakery and the Shinjuku National Garden. This garden was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was peaceful, other than being able to hear the city/plane noises. There was a tea garden, a green house, and a beautiful rose garden where all the roses were in full bloom. Many people were on dates or walking their children or having picnics. It was a huge garden and very beautiful. It made me miss the woods back home and the ease of visiting places in the wilderness.