The conference is over, and while my jetlag isn't quite 100% cured, it's close enough that I didn't have to take a nap today (which is probably unfortunate, since I'm going home in two days and will have to start the recovery process all over again). Today was lovely, though; I got up and did a bit of work at the conference hotel before enjoying one last buffet breakfast overlooking Tokyo Bay. I grabbed a taxi to our Tokyo office, which is conveniently located in the same tower as the hotel I'm staying in, and I was able to check into my (gorgeous) new room before going into the office.
I wasn't remarkably productive at work, although I did complete the tasks that were absolutely crucial, so I have no regrets. I took a break in the afternoon to go to a stationery store and grab coffee with Taylor, a woman visiting Tokyo from the San Francisco office; I don't know her that well, but it was good to hang out with a friendly face, and going to a stationery store was one of the must-dos on my list for Tokyo anyway. The store was super cute, and I could have spent a lot more time (and money) there than I did, but I held back. Then, we went to the Starbucks overlooking Shibuya Crossing. It's reputed to be the busiest Starbucks in the world; I don't know whether that's true or not, but it was certainly crowded, and the view over Shibuya was incredible for people-watching. I will post pics someday, but suffice it to say that I could have stayed there people-watching for hours.
When I got back to the office, it was time to pack up (after ruining Shawn's productivity by introducing her to PeopleofWalmart.com). I came back to the hotel, read the highlights of my guidebook, and decided to be a complete dork and go to the seven-story flagship version of the stationery store in Ginza. Shawn and I are supoosed to go Sunday, but I didn't want to risk missing it. As it turns out, when the store is that large, it's easy to get overwhelmed, and they're also stocking to a more business crowd, which means fewer super-cute accessories and much more plain, useful stuff. It was still great to see, though. I also stopped at a department store, which was fun -- it's always cool to see the types of things that are on sale in different countries, and I was drooling over their bedroom slippers and their tea sets. Luckily, the desire to stick with carry-on luggage only is helping to rein me in -- it's hard to fit a whole tea set into a roll-aboard without ditching clothes, and I like all the clothes that I brought with me. So, we're at an impasse.
After shopping, I grabbed dinner at an all-you-can-eat sushi place. In the States, an all-you-can-eat sushi place can sometimes be dangerous, but this place was totally fantastic. It was nearly all nigiri, with a few hand rolls thrown in, and you could order as much as you wanted (up to 20 pieces at a time). I contented myself with less than 20, but more than 10, with the consequence that I'm completely stuffed. It was good to have some real sushi in Tokyo, though; perhaps tomorrow I'll try to find some tempura to round out my experience.
I made it back to the hotel from Ginza with no problems. Now, I really must go to bed; I want to see some shrines tomorrow, and I also intend to go to Harajuku to see the Meiji Shrine + a lot of ridiculous costumes. That's a lot of walking, so conserving my strength now is key -- goodnight!
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