The start of my 8th day in Tokyo was a bit different from the rest, because for that day, I was actually going to meet up and socialize with other people.😁 Some Redditors, who were traveling to Tokyo during the same dates, decided to meet up and hang out. A handful of us decided to visit this exhibit called teamLab Borderless. Even before my flight to Tokyo, I was already chatting with those folks over at Reddit. It coincided that I had a "free day" during the trip to accommodate meeting up with some of them. When the dates were set, I booked my tickets online before flying out. Honestly, I would never think of visiting this exhibition on my own, so I was glad that I found a group that I could go along with.

I was excited to hop onto the train because I was exploring yet again another new area of Tokyo -- Odaiba. It's one of the more modern areas in Tokyo, and it was evident just with the views I saw on the train when approaching the man-made island location.

It was a nice sunny day, the perfect weather for some sightseeing! I then hopped off the train to meet my fellow Redditors. It turned out four of us pushed through with the teamLab plans for this day. After some awkward introductions, we were on our way inside the teamLab exhibition.

In the first few minutes of interaction, I knew we were very different types of people. The mix of people was really interesting. I struggled as I tried to make a connection. Our convos flowed around travel, our experiences in Tokyo so far, and other related cultural stuff. All of these happened three years ago, and unfortunately, I couldn't really recall their names and faces. All I could remember was that two of them knew each other while the other one was a solo traveler as well.

By just seeing the entrance of the exhibit, I felt like this would be an adventure! And indeed it was. Upon entering the first "room", it felt like I entered a dreamlike trance and my eyes were feasted with these psychedelic displays.

These photos don't give much justice on how amazing the exhibit was. Well you can just google and see other people's photos of teamLab to maybe better appreciate what I'm describing to you. 😅 This is still one of my tiny regrets during this trip -- I don't have a decent camera with me that can capture great images in low light settings, so I only was able to capture mediocre shots inside the exhibit.

Each room had an insightful explanation on what the concept was and what inspired those colors and patterns. Some were even interactive, instructing you to download an app on your phone to "control" the effects inside the room.

There was also a part of the exhibit wherein you could sit down and have some tea. I cannot remember which tea I had (😢) but I remember that interactive animation wherein whenever we place our cups on the table, a circle of light would spotlight our teacups. Then pink petal flowers would land at the center and would continue to blossom from the center of our cups. We tested this one actually. We landed our cups on different parts of the table, and the circle of light never failed to appear. By the way, the petals only appeared on hot teas. I asked how this could have been done to the Redditors and they geekily (🤓) said that this could be possible by using temperature sensors.

I think it took us more or less an hour to go around the exhibit. I'm so relieved I went with a group in this exhibit because here's a word of caution: it's possible to be lost forever inside the rooms. Just kidding! It can be a little challenging to navigate around the exhibit without a sharp spatial memory. We experienced going around and realizing we went back to a room we've been previously, and had to ask the staff (yes they're there inside!) which was the right way to reach the other rooms.

It was a very interesting experience honestly. I loved everything about the exhibit, except the fact that there were so many people around. 😓I would have felt more immersed with the dreamlike rooms and effects if there were less people chattering (although the dreamy background music helps to drown them) and more space to freely roam around to take an artsy selfie. 😆 

Really, I think that's the beauty of not having a set itinerary during a trip. During this meditative walk, I was able to deeply observe my environment and absorb everything through my senses. And of course, I took photos, too!

One of the things that I really loved about Tokyo is their wide parks. Along the way, I did some sightseeing. I even got to stroll along that dog park that I always see in the Eatyourkimchi videos.

I also got to watch some elderlies play tennis in one area. I took a break from walking and just sat on a bench facing the tennis field (I didn't take photos out of respect). I was amazed how physically fit they were. I think they were around the same age as my parents. I suddenly felt that longing feeling to also have the same life as them -- in this kind of environment: nice park with nature all around, full of stamina as I play tennis with my friends. I told myself if ever I reach that age, I want to still be able to play physical sports like them! 👵👴🎾💗

I did a lot of mindful walking throughout this trip, and that includes this day. It's already past lunch time (around 2PM) and it was a gloomy day. I was mostly alone walking along this road, but I didn't mind. This was just one of the magic of this trip. I felt like I was in a safe place. 

I told you, there were no people in the zoo. 😅

One of their attractions here is this Squirrel Trail. The squirrels were kept in an enclosed area and visitors are the ones who will enter that area to take a closer look at them.

I spent the rest of my time just strolling more around the area. And then I finally checked the time and realized I really need to get going if I wanted to visit that Totoro Cream Puff store, and hop the train and go back to my hotel before sundown. My zoo ticket still included a pass to another part of the Inokashira Zoo that featured water animals, but sadly I didn't have the time anymore to also visit that. And so this was how I ended my visit to this zoo!

And so I proceeded with walking to my next destination: to the Totoro Cream Puff store! 

And so here I was, on the seventh day of my trip! Fresh from the concert of the previous night, I had to wake up extra early because I was going somewhere a bit far from my usual escapades - to the location of the very famous Studio Ghibli Museum! The museum was one of my must-go-to place for this trip. I am a huge Ghibli fan, so it was really a no-brainer for me to include this in my itinerary.

Getting hold of tickets for the museum is a bit tricky and needs some extra planning. You see, A LOT of tourists visit the museum, and the tickets cannot be purchased at the museum itself. All tickets are available for advanced reservations only. Here are the things that you need to take note of if you want to visit the museum:

🎫 Identify your target visit dates. Once you identify your itinerary dates, check on the Ghibli website when the tickets for that dates go on sale. Since I am outside Japan, I went for the Sales online by LAWSON TICKET option. Take note of this instruction on the website: 

🎫 Take note of your reservation code. You will need that to print your reservation details with the barcode, which is required upon museum entry. I can't emphasize this one enough. After successfully reserving and paying for the ticket, the Ghibli website will send you a confirmation email. Included there is a link that will redirect you to a page on their site wherein you can print out your reservation information with a barcode. You would also be asked for the code that you provided during the reservation process. 

A little anecdote on this ~ since my trip was still around a month or so when I purchased my Ghibli tickets, I just pushed aside my plans for that day and proceeded with the other stuff that I needed for the trip. A few days before the trip, I was on the stage of printing out all the stuff that I needed... and guess what, I forgot what my reservation code was for my Ghibli ticket! 😭 Just imagine the stress that I felt when I realized this mistake. Upon this realization, I spent the next 24 hours fretting about it. I knew my code was 4 digits, and I tried every possible combination of my usual passcodes, but still I failed. I tried to contact the Ghibli museum support and also searched for forums for people with the same situation as I was. I ended up with the plan of still showing up at the museum on my date and just explain my situation with the staff (I have the printout of the confirmation email + my passport anyway).

The next day, I tried again and typed the 4-digits for the reservation code that initially popped in my mind. And guess what - I GOT IN. I think I spent the next several minutes open-mouth gaping at my computer screen absorbing what just happened. I proceeded to printing the page, still awestruck with the luck that I had that day. The Universe just made me realize how I really wanted to go to the museum, and this experience just made me treasure this trip even more. 

🎫 Print out your reservation details with the barcode. Again, you will need this upon museum entry. The staff will scan the barcode and this will serve as your ticket pass.

You can ride the subway and go down at Mitaka station. Then there is a vending machine outside with round-trip bus tickets to the museum. Very convenient, right? 😀

My subway rides in the past days were uneventful, but well not for today. For the first time, I got lost and rode the wrong train.😅 In one stop, I stayed inside the train, not knowing that I was apparently in the last station. Just imagine my surprise when the train moved again, but this time to the opposite direction! 😂 I panicked for a bit, but then I refocused my attention into revising the route on my subway app so I could align my new route again to the correct stations to get off. Good thing I still had ample time to spare before my time of entry to the museum. 😁

I finally arrived! It was early morning, but there were already a lot of people in line outside the museum. We were the first batch tickets (10:00AM) and the museum is just about to open.