Day 16: Tokyo back to Chicago
Sunday, December 7, 2025, was my 16th and final day in Japan. My flight home was scheduled to leave from Haneda Airport at 6:20pm.
I started the morning by reviewing some of my photos from Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden, two of my favorite gardens I visited in Tokyo. As I looked through them, I got nervous that some hadn’t turned out as well as I had hoped, and worried that I may have used the wrong camera settings for a few of them. Since I had plenty of time before my flight and no major plans for the day, other than getting to the airport, I decided to go back to both gardens for a quick second visit.
After checking out of Miyako City Tokyo Takanawa, I left my Osprey Fairview 40L backpack at the front desk so I could travel around the city with just my Peak Design sling.
Revisiting Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
I went to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden first, arriving around 9:00am, and spent about 30 minutes quickly retaking a few photos.
Revisiting Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden
From there, I headed to Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden. When I visited the park for the first time on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, I had arrived around 3:00pm. This time, I arrived around 10:00am. It was nice to see the garden in a softer morning light. I spent about an hour and a half there before taking the train back to my hotel to pick up my backpack and head to Haneda Airport.
Haneda Airport
I arrived at the airport around 1:00pm, about five hours before my flight, which was definitely earlier than necessary. But I had read that Haneda Airport was fun to wander around, and I figured getting there early would help ease my travel anxiety.
I’m glad I did, because there was actually quite a bit to see before going through security. In Terminal 3, Edo Koji is a fourth-floor shopping and dining area built to look like an old street from the Edo period, with traditional-style architecture, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Haneda also has observation decks where travelers can go outside and watch planes land and take off before heading through security. I made sure to visit both places before sitting down for one last meal. It made the airport feel like more than just a place to wait for a flight.
At Haneda Airport, many of the restaurants, themed food streets, and multi-option food courts are located before security, so I wanted to eat before going through. For one last meal in Japan, I stopped for sushi at one of the airport restaurants. I ordered Japanese snow queen crab, three types of seasonal omakase, and a beer. It ended up being a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours at the airport.
Before I left for my trip, I had been invited to a cookie exchange at a friend’s house on the day my flight was scheduled to land back in Chicago. My flight was scheduled to arrive around 3:00pm, giving me plenty of time to make it to the cookie exchange. I figured that seeing friends instead of heading straight home and possibly falling asleep might help with jet lag. So, after going through security for my 6:20pm flight, I stopped at duty-free to buy Shiroi Koibito, a popular Japanese omiyage cookie, to bring with me.
After buying the cookies, I headed to the Priority Pass Select lounge. I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which includes Priority Pass Select access. I was hoping to relax there for a while before boarding. When I arrived, there was a long line, but since I had gotten to the airport so early, I had plenty of time to wait in line and was still able to spend time at the lounge before boarding my flight.
Tokyo to Chicago
At 5:30pm, I boarded my flight back to Chicago.
Leaving Japan felt bittersweet. I was tired, my feet were sore, and I was ready to be home. But I also felt incredibly grateful for how much I had been able to see and experience over the past two weeks. From Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and back to Tokyo again, the trip had been everything I hoped it would be and more.
For me, it was the perfect first trip to Japan. I will definitely be back someday.
