Travel Blog April 2024: Japan Kansai & Kanto Regions
Japan Kansai & Kanto Regions
Note:
The views in this blog is purely the impression and views of the author, Wan Ying. Others views may varies.
No part of the write-ups from this site can be reused in any way without written permission from the blog writer.
The first trip to be documented for this travelblog series is for Japan! This is the itinerary. 15 days total. We did more R&R at the start due to some last min planning challenges. This typically will be after all the heavy lifting. Conclusion, we still prefer R&R at the end. Next round, we will stick to that.
These are the areas we visited this round. We landed in Tokyo Narita airport. Visited Chiba prefecture for the eco run & cultural exchange ( part 1). Next, travel by bullet train to Osaka. Be a tourist at Osaka and kobe (Part 2) went on to trek in Nara prefecture (Part 3). Finished off our tour in Kyoto then back home through Narita airport.
Our original plan is to visit the Tohuku region ( yellow on picture above), after the eco run in Chiba. However bad weather caused the treks to be closed due to heavy snowfall. Hence the last minute decision to visit the warmer and more touristy kansai region.
If we are to plan this from the start, a better flow will be to fly into Narita airport. After the eco run, travel to kyoto as our fisrt stop. Kyoto offers a great overview into the history and cultural of Japan.
Move on to Nara for the trek. Nara is an ancient city (Capital of Japan before Kyoto) with very rich history. Knowing the history of Japan will make the trek even more meaningful.
End our trip in Osaka/Kobe before heading home from Osaka airport.
#PasmoPassport #SuciaCard
To start off the trip, if you are going by public transport in Japan, it is extremely useful to have either the sucia card or pasmo passport. You can use them on most trains (except shinkansen bullet train), buses as well as purchase yummy food at convenient stores & super markets.
They are like EZlink card ( for the Singaporean) and more. You can charge the card ( add value) at most checkout counters of most big stores too. Just ask. Japanese are very polite and nice people.
Sucia being more popular than pasmo passport. At time of writing, regular sucia card is valid for 10 years but needs a deposit of 500 yen. Welcome sucia card is for tourists, no deposit is needed and is valid for 28 days only. Pasmo passport is also for tourists. No deposit needed and valid for 28 days too.
However, at our time of travel, welcome sucia card is only available at Haneda Airport but not at Narita airport. Hence, we go for the pasmo passport. Easily bought at this counter located at narita airport. It is located very near to the train gate towards Tokyo/chiba. You will not miss it.
The cute pasmo passport during this period is a very pretty souvenir to own too. Love my hello kitty.
#EcoRun #GarbageCollection #CulturalExchange #FarmHouses
Part 1: Eco Run (Very slow 20Km run/walk, cut off time is 6 hrs). More for cultural exchange as well as go green on garbages collection along the run. It is a fun run organised by the K5 runners group in collaboration with their Japanese counter part. These are their facebook links.
K5 FB:
https://www.facebook.com/kikikukiki.runners/
INBA Eco Run 2024: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1158446305395783
Day 1: fly into Tokyo Narita airport. Travel by Keisei Narita Skyaccess to Chiba.
Narita terminal 2 to Chiba New Town Chuo is 3 stops from start to end. You can check the train schedule using google map. The timing is very accurate, you will not go wrong with that.
Our accommodation is Mark-1 CNT. Conveniently located about 5-7 mins walk from the train station.
Goggle location as follows:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AVmse1E14nzEKeQCA
The hotel is nice and clean with onsen/spa facility onsite. The staffs service is very good despite not able to speak english very well, they really try their very best to communicate and assist when we need help. We communicated using google translate to overcome the language barrier. Works like a charm.
Day 2: Visited Tokyo Disney Sea. Different type of experience vs the classic Disney land.
Probably not for one who love only thrilling adventure rides. But we enjoy the cruises and the atmosphere of this park.
The food stuffs ( biscuits, rice crackers, tea etc) at the gift shops surprisingly are rather affordable. The apparents, stuff toys and stationaries however tend to be on the pricer side.
Day 3: Explore The town and participant in the activities arranged by the eco run organiser. Most flew in on day 2. We however would like to have more time to explore the town hence arrive a day earlier.
Day 4: Actual run. Seen lots of farm houses and edibles. Will have a separate writeup on that. Celebration dinner with sake and great food in the evening. The sake is good.
#R&R #Osaka #Kobe
Part 2: R&R Osaka & Kobe
Day 5: travel from Chiba to Osaka. Total Journey takes about 4hrs. We chose to stay at daikokucho station in Osaka instead of the more popular Namba station as the hotel at namba station are fully booked during this sakura session.
It turns out to be a blessing in disguise. We love the hotel, the peacefulness of this area yet easy access to attractions. Namba station is just one train stop ( 2 mins) away. Most importantly, we don't have to worry about getting lost in the more busy station. Anyone who have been to major train stations in Japan will understand what I mean. We explore Dotonbori area on foot in the evening.
Day 6: Explore Osaka. We love the Namba Yasaka Shrine.
We went in the morning when it was less crowded and the weather was cool. Love the tranquility of the place.
Kuromom Ichiba Market however is a bit too commercialised for us. Good to just take a look as a tourist. The price is rather steep.
Most of the food tastes kind of salty to us though. But it could be just us.
Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street to us is rather average, just another shopping street. Tsutenkaku tower view is rather average too.
Day 7: explore Kobe. Train ride to Sannomiya Station in kobe is about an hour. Love the kobe Nunobiki Herb garden which is walking distance from the station with clear signages.
We ride the rope ride to the peak and walk down. You need about 2 hrs for this place just exploring and walking around. Took lots of photos on their edibles garden. We will have a detailed writeup on this under Seeing edibles in Japan later.
We love the dinning experience at Veranda. The beef sandwich as well as the pastries tasted really good. The view and ambience are fantastic. Do give it a try.
For dinner, we head off for the renowned Kobe beef. Found a restaurant that has very good review on trip advisor and decided to give it a try. Meriken Hatoba @ Chuo Ward
Google location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SbFwNSFXrZNED8i26
We ordered ribeye, another mixed cut steak as well as beef sashimi. The ribeye is really good. Kobe beef is expensive even in Kobe. Meal for 2 paxs cost easily USD $200 even for small eaters ( samples eating). But it is the experience that is priceless. Cannot really describe it, do at least try once when in Kobe. Totally worth it!
Go for a proper restaurant, not road side stall though. It is going to cost even at market kiosk. So may as well go for the proper one for the experience.
Too busy eating. Before we know it, the food was gone. Only managed to capture one on the beef served. We shall leave the rest to your imagination.
Day 8: Be a real tourist today. Visited Osaka castle and Hankyu Umeda station area. Both these two areas are packed with tourists. Not really my cup of tea but I chanced on a really nice pancake place, A Happy Pancake. The pancakes are made on the spot. Real fluffy and light. Taste really good.
But be prepared to wait a while. We had the pancakes for late lunch ( about 2.30pm), so it was pretty fast actually. We waited for about 20 mins after ordering which is pretty short.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aYFuYNjgjt1KGeb78
We are sashimi lovers. Had a really enjoyable sashimi dinner at this place, Ganko Hankyu-higashidori. Love it. Not much information online and in fact a bit hard to find the name. We just happened to walk passed and decided to try our luck. It is good. Love the experience.
Google location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/h5HhhK5zSNxTshM87
In fact we read the reviews after. Frankly the reviews online are not fantastic. But if you read closer, those reviews for the last 4 years ( after 2020) are really good. Those low stars reviews are way before, like 7 years ago.
It is quite packed even on a mid week and they all seem like regulars. Hence, maybe the business owner doesn't even bother about the online reviews at all.
The menu varies from season to season. We were there during spring.
It is a very welcoming experience. They may not be able to speak english well but they can certainly present english manual on ipad. Most importantly willingness to explain by gesture, google translate, pictures etc. Good food and great dinning ambient.
#Asuka #Nara #trek
Part 3: 5 Days 4 Nights Trek
Day 9 to Day 12: Start of our 5 days 4 nights Trek in Nara region. We left for Asuka early in the morning, the start of our trek. To travel light. We sent our big luggage to the next hotel in Nara using yamato luggage travel the night before. This itself is an experience that deserve one full article on it. They are so so impressive!
The train journey took about 1 hr. Place our small luggage in the locker at the train station and started our trek. You will need coins for it. Most lockers only accept X numbers of 100 yen coins. Example, 500 yens will need 5 x 100 yens. 500 yens coin will not work. We kept many 500 yens coins thinking we can use them. Mistake.
But fret not, just use your 500 yens or notes to buy drinks from vending machines, usually nearby the lockers, you can then use the multiple 100 yen change for the locker.
We did a 4 days 5 nights multi days trek for this trip. In term of terrain and elevation, they are not difficult. However, we underestimated the stamina needed to enjoy multi days trek. On day 3 & 4, fatigue sets in. We could be better prepared.
We paid for the writeup for a self guided trek. It is charged by per pax although the same guide is used by all. Consider the hotel class and meals arranged, the price is rather steep. We thought we will need the extra help and ground support during the trek hence decided to pay the expert to do the job. But in reality, the only help we get is really just guide book and printouts. They are good though. We will probably do differently next round.
There will be a writeup on the various treks. Will share on what we like and what we do not like and what we probably can do better or be better prepared.
#Kyoto #GionCorner #ImperalPalace
Day 13: Explore Nara shopping district a little before leaving for kyoto. The default hotel check out time in Japan is usually 10am. and check in time is 3pm hence we decided to have brunch in Nara before heading towards Kyoto. The journey to Kyoto is about 46 mins.
Mostly locals and it is really an one of it's kind of experience. Simply love it. We are so glad we found this place. The breads are so so good.
Upon reaching Kyoto, explore Gion area. We took bus 206 from bus interchange at kyoto station and alight 9 stops later at Higashiyama Yasui stop. You need data plan and your google map to be able to navigate well.
Original intention is to watch the cultural show at Gion corner, however they are fully booked. We quickly book the show at 7pm the next day. Even then, we can only book the normal seat. Premium seats allow you to seat upfront and have a better experience. Do reserve early online if you intend to visit https://www.kyoto-gioncorner.com/global/en.html
Day 14: Imperial Palace & the garden. We reached at about 9.30am when the crowd is still little and is peaceful and quiet. We love this place. Though they are considerable amount of tourists towards noon, it is well managed.
I highly recommend this place to people who wants to know the history of Japan. I should have visited Kyoto first before Nara trek. Would have appreciate Nara as an ancient city much much better.
Decided to go on a food adventure to hunt for good soba after. I am glad we decide to do that. Found a really authentic soba place. Really one of it's kind of experience. Ogawa in Kita area. It is a very small place with only 10 seats. You have to queue outside the stall and wait for your turn.
Google location: https://www.byfood.com/restaurant/ogawa-1307
This is by far the best soba I have tasted till date. The hot soba drink served at the end of the meal really elevated the whole dinning experience. Simple food can be so so good if done right!
Words of cautious, the menu is hand written in Japanese. Owner speaks only Japanese too. We simply ordered by pointing to pictures at google reviews online. No clue what we were ordering actually. But turns out really good.
Day 15: Travel from Kyoto to Narita airport. Home sweet home. The train journey from Kyoto to Tokyo station is long. About 2hrs 12 mins. But we simply enjoy the ekiben experience on the train.
From tokyo station, walk toward the bus terminal. Take an airport transfer bus to Narita International Airport. You need to buy a ticket first. Then queue up for the bus. Tell the bus luggage handlers the terminal number and they will help to load your luggage onto the bus.
Take only your own seat. Do not put your stuff on the seat beside. The bus are typically all sold out. That space belongs to someone else. There are overhead space if you wish to place your small bag.
The check in process at Narita Airport takes time and is a bit of hassle. Do factor in more time for that.
Gone are the days when there will be humans to assist in the check in and handling of luggage tags. All are by machines now. It can be quite confusing especially when you are faced with machines and most instructions are in Japanese. Most standby staffs ( very limited) speak only Japanese too.
We encountered a male staff who is rather rude. A lady staff who simple shun away when she cannot understand us. Not a very pleasant way to end the trip but thank god we have lots of great encounters upfront hence is alright, all good.
If you have seniors or children in your group, do factor in more time. Eventually you will get there, just more time is needed.
This kind of ended our trip. Home sweet home with lots of snacks and gifts.
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