Adventurenet.net

Apologies, but I need to tell you some sad stories before we get to the happy bits. Today we will go gift shopping for family members and have a nice meal at the food court.

Wednesday April 22nd, 2026

Today we are visiting Shibuya, the home of Hachikō: The most loyal dog.

In case you’re not familiar with the story, I’ll share a summary. Hachikō was an Akita dog that became owned by a man named Ueno in the 1920s.

As an agricultural professor, Ueno would travel by train to and from work and Hachikō would arrive at the train station to wait for him every day until May 21, 1925 when Ueno died of an aneurism at his office.

Every day Hachikō would travel through any kind of weather to wait at the train station for Ueno to return until.

Hachikō was sometimes abused by strangers, attacked by other dogs, and he also became very sick with mange for a time, but he continued to return every day at the same time to wait for Ueno.

I did not visit the Hachikō statue during my visit because I did not want to cry in public.

Hachikō’s Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D

When our cat Eli died, we made it a point to let the other cats see his body so that they would know he had passed.

We didn’t want them to think he might be coming back, or worry that he might be lost somewhere.

If I have a dog at the time of my death, I hope that someone will let that dog see me and know of my passing.

But enough about death, the other thing that Shibuya is famous for is the giant crosswalk.

Just like at Times Square here in NYC, this place was loaded with tourists getting selfies and taking videos in the middle of the intersection.

If this sounds judgmental, it is.

But only a little.

Please do the things that make you happy.

Get selfies.

Make videos.

Please don’t treat the local people like props.

Please don’t get mad when folks trying to get to work won’t stop while you take a photo.

Your picture can wait a few seconds.

Rant over.

Here’s Shibuya crossing behind me (I did not take selfies while crossing).

Oh, there’s a Kinokuniya here.

I love that place.

I’m here before the stores have opened.

Before I go on a postcard buying spree, I’ll stop for a nice coffee.

And cheesecake.

And because I have Japanese postage, I’ll write a postcard as well.

Time to visit Loft.

Ohohoho!

This store is amazing!

This memo pad is far too expensive for me to buy, but check out how cool THIS is!

As you peel away paper, the pieces left behind build a small room.

Here’s their store if you want to see more of this: https://www.omoshiroi-onlinestore.com/en/omoshiroi_block

Also within this store in Tokyo, is a MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) section.

I’ve bought items from their store for my wife’s birthday.

A fantastic place for gift purchases.

Wow! Japan has a real sealing wax scene!

You can buy multiple colors to swirl together!

What a great idea.

I’ve never seen this before.

Loads of stamp shapes, too.

I created a gift basket of goods from here to send to my brother in Arkansas.

Also, I bought a ton of postcards.

Goodbye Loft, and thank you for all the gifts.

Now a quick visit to the park and I’ll organize these postcards.

I bought a postcard display book which will be great for holding postcards while traveling.

I’ve been using a postcard tin, but having pages to flip through to select a postcard…

This is the way.

With the postcards organized, it’s time for lunch.

Japanese restaurants are still intimidating to me, so I’m going to look for a food court.

Found one.

So did this pigeon.

Not pictured: Melon soda. My new favorite thing in Japan.

They have it for free refills on the fountain here.

A dangerous thing to install.

I’ll send another postcard while I’m sitting.

Here’s this advertising truck that’s been driving around and playing music.

It’s not too loud. It’s kind of cute. I feel like I’m supposed to hate it, but I don’t.

And now for a strawberry milk (ichigo miruku) postcard.

This store name made me smile. Bless.

And I found a nice coffee grinder that uses metal parts.

To heck with it.

I’m on vacation.

I get to impulse buy myself a coffee grinder.

Grumpily mumbled to myself: “I can buy a coffee grinder for myself while I’m on vacation.”

I also have a lot of pictures that I took so that I could have Google translate tell me what they said.

This is post office tissues.

They came with my purchase of stamps.

Also I bought this matching key ring set for my BFF Tony and I.

I kept the one on the right. It looks balder more like me.

And thanks to this coffee shop I have Loser stuck in my head.

And now maybe you do, too.

Here’s anime mousepad boobies.

And what I’m hoping are instructions on how to set a code for this luggage.

Okay, gift shopping haul.

Gifts for Lauri:

• Red passport holder featuring an anime character she enjoys
• Cat sticker
• Blue Crayon Shin Chan reusable bag
• Crayon Shin Chan playing cards
• DOG IN CAR

Sticker that I got for myself.

Imaginary Storefronts postcard book.

Gifts for my brother Shane:

• Top: Sealing wax melting pot and candles
• Left: Sealing wax beads
• Center: Sealing wax stamp
• Right: A spoon to hold the melting wax in, and to pour from

Also I bought this.

And this.

Jackie Paper had it right. (Is this reference too obscure?)

And here it is. The postcard holder now loaded with postcards and featuring my favorite postcard on the very front.

Some other postcards include this Moomin postcard.

Why did I take this picture?

I was probably trying to take this picture.

Here are the fancy stamp postcards.

And loads of stickers that I purchased.

Wolf butler stickers are amazing.

As are the old lady stickers.

This is the wallet that I bought at a thrift shop.

It holds the larger-than-American money in it perfectly.

Levi pin goes on the carying bag.

I’m afraid it is now bed time for me.

It has been a busy day of shopping.

See you tomorrow.

Good night.