Fujisan and Tokyo 4-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

First trip of 2016! ?

For our four day, three night trip we used a combination of the Seishun 18 kippu (??18???), bus and a flight. The Seishun 18 kippu is sold during the three holiday periods of the year and costs 11,850 yen for five full days of unlimited rides on JR local and rapid service trains.

Our first day was by far the most tedious in terms of commuting and it is not suitable for everyone but you are able to save money. Most importantly, I think you should travel only with a backpack (no rolling suitcases) if you choose this route.

I used HyperDia (http://www.hyperdia.com/en/) to plan our journey ahead of time. This is necessary because our shortest connection was only 4 minutes so we barely had time to read the signs and figure out which train to board. You can select for the results to only show the trains eligible for Seishun 18 kippu.

We departed from Himeji Station (??) at 8:55am. Two transfers and about 3.5 hours later we arrived in Nagoya (???) at 12:43pm. Fortunately we were able to get a seat on the full trains. Our first destination of the day was the Expo 2005 site in Aichi (? ?) so we boarded another train. There is a more direct way to the site but on this particular day we used the following route. We took the JR train from Nagoya to Kozoji (???) for 29 minutes, then the Aichi Loop Line from Kozoji to Yakusa (??) for 17 minutes. The latter was not JR so it cost 390 yen. Lastly we took the Linimo (???), an urban maglev train, for two stops to Aichikyuhaku kinen koen (?�???????Expo Memorial Park) for 170 yen.

Expo 2005 park in Aichi

We finally arrived at the Expo site at about 2:15pm and rushed to Satsuki and Mei�s house (????????) for our 2:30pm tour. There is a free shuttle bus on site but it is infrequent so despite being quite far from the Linimo station, it was faster for us to walk. I bought the tickets on the Lawson Loppi Machine (Lawson is a chain of convenience stores) beforehand and they were 510 yen each.

Satsuki and Mei's house

Satsuki and Mei's house

I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the house which is an exact replica of the one in My Neighbour Totoro. Water came out from the pump and each item in the house looked like it was from the era the movie was set. I especially liked how they set up the dad�s study room.

Peek into dad's study

The tour ended after 3pm and we went to the observatory deck to see the house from there. Then we walked to the shuttle bus station and took it to Koen-nishi station (???) of the Linimo. There was a lot of open space and many kids were playing jumping rope and walking on stilts. I�m not sure if these were provided by a facility in the park or if they brought their own.

We took the Linimo to Fujigaoka station (???) then switched to the local subway to Osu Kannon station (????). Unfortunately our ICOCA cards didn�t work here. There were many people lining up to go into the temple since it was the New Year�s holiday and many more in the adjacent shopping arcade.

By the time I was finished shopping it was dinner time so we went to the famous Misokatsu Yabaton for food. We went to the Honten location and there was about a 15-20 minute wait but it was worth it. It tastes sweet and savoury and the sauce goes great with rice.

After dinner we walked around the Don Quijote in Sakae which was impressively big and opened 24 hours. We were taking an overnight bus in the evening so we went to an onsen to bathe. We went to Tenpu no Yu (????????) which was a bit pricier than other onsens I have been to but was also one of the best. It costs 770 yen and another 100 yen for the shoe locker. The outdoor onsen area was the best part complete with a TV to watch local programming, individual bowls and an area with many rubber ducks if you go with kids.

We took the subway back to Nagoya Station and found the Meitetsu Bus Centre about 10 minutes before our bus for Fujisan departed at 11:10pm. We booked the ticket online and seating is assigned. The ticket cost 4110 yen per person and we arrived at about 7:15am. There were stops to extend the journey so that we arrive at a reasonable time in the morning. The bus did not have a USB outlet like other Japanese highway buses to charge your phone and it was a regular tour bus so the seats could be a bit cramped for sleeping long periods. However it did save us travel time in the day and a night of accommodation.

I was able to rest reasonably in the seats but it depends on your luck because we were accompanied by a group of chatty teenagers and very unhappy toddler who screamed starting at 2am. I was glad I brought earplugs with me to dampen some of the noise.

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

Nagoya and Kyoto: 4-Day Itinerary

Since moving to Japan, I have been looking forward to seeing more of the country. For the first weekend getaway, I chose to visit Nagoya and Kyoto. I took a Friday and Monday off work but this itinerary is possible in two days if you don't opt for the slow train.

I traveled with the Seishun 18 pass (??18???) by JR which allows unlimited rides on local and rapid JR trains for 5 days for 11,850 yen. It is only offered during specific times of the year. I wasn't eligible for the tourist JR pass so I tried this one instead. I used HyperDia to search for the train times and it was immensely helpful because it is in English and tells you which track the train departs from.

When using the Seishun 18 pass, walk to the gate attendant and show him or her your ticket. If it is your first time using it that day, he or she will put a date stamp. Every time afterward, just show the attendant the date and he or she will wave you to pass.

Day 1 - Kyoto (??) and Nagoya (???)

Toji Temple

It happened to be the 21st of the month and the Toji Temple area (??) in Kyoto had its monthly outdoor market. We stopped in Kyoto on our way to Nagoya. The Special Rapid Train from Kobe - Sannomiya Station (??) to Kyoto Station took about an hour. From Kyoto Station, it was a short bus ride and walk to Toji Temple. A single bus ride is 230 yen for adults and an all day bus pass costs 500 yen.

Toji Temple Market

Japanese food handmade craft

The market was crowded with locals and tourists. An assortment of foods, crafts, clothing and more were sold there. It's worth going if you happen to be in town on the 21st but I don't think it is a must-see like some articles claim.

After our brief stop at Toji Temple, we took the train again to Nagoya which required a transfer in Maibara (??) and took two hours. The ride was long and luckily we got seats but the Seishun 18 pass only allowed non-reserved seat trains so you may have to stand for a long time to reach your destination.

When we finally arrived in Nagoya, we headed straight for our accommodation which was Kyoya Ryokan. If you're looking for a budget option, I highly recommend this place! For the price it was clean, hospitable and comfortable. Nagoya Castle and Nagoya Station were both about 15 minutes walk away.

Miso katsu

It was already evening when we arrived at Kyoya and the castle was closed for the day so we set out to find the famous miso katsu for dinner. We ended up eating at Yabaton (????) at the Nagoya Lucent Tower. I'm not sure if this is the most famous place for miso katsu but they had an English menu and the food tasted good.

Day 2 - Nagoya

Check-out time at Kyoya was 9:30am and we left the place a little before then. We went to  Nagoya Station to lock our baggage in the coin lockers then went to the city bus area. A day pass for the bus costs 500 yen and for the bus and subway costs 600 yen. From Tuesday to Sunday, there is a sightseeing bus (included in day pass fee) that loops around all the tourist spots of Nagoya including Nagoya Castle and the Toyota Museum. There was even a tour guide on board explaining each sightseeing spot in Japanese.

Nagoya Castle

We went to Nagoya Castle first. The area surrounding the castle is pretty large. Inside the main building, there were six floors of exhibitions showing the history and origins of the castle.

Model of castle and surroundings

Hommaru Palace

After the castle, we took the subway to Osu Kannon Temple (????). I believe that dancing occurs here during Obon festivities. Next to the temple is the Osu Shopping Street which housed many food stalls, restaurants, clothing stores, and more. One could easily spend hours here.

Osu Kannon Temple

Osu Shopping Street

We ate a late lunch in the area and went back to Nagoya Station to get to Kyoto. Apparently Nagoya Station is the largest train terminal building in the Guinness World Records. The ride took two hours.

Yasaka-jinja Shrine looking out to glittering traffic of Gion

In Kyoto, we took a bus to Gion Q-beh Ryokan. It was a clean place in a good location. It was a few minutes walk from Yasaka Shrine (????), 10 minutes walk from the Geisha district and 15 minutes walk from Kiyomizudera Temple (???).

We dropped off our things and went to explore the charming streets of Gion (??). We were fortunate enough to see a maiko walking past quickly in the Geisha district. 

Day 3 - Kyoto

We had a very packed day trying to visit as many sightseeing spots as we could. We made a loop around the city starting with Arashiyama (??). We took a bus there which took about an hour from Gion. A bus day pass costs 500 yen and are sold on the bus. The area was crowded with tourists (running theme of this day) and omiyage stores.

Tenryu-ji Temple

Bamboo Forest

We walked past Tenryu-ji Temple (???) which is a World Heritage site but we did not go in. Despite the crowds, the Bamboo Forest was able to give a calming feel when you look up and watch it sway in the wind. No wonder this was a popular spot. Finding a bus to Kinkakuji (???) proved frustrating because the bus stop signs were all in Japanese and there was minimal useful English to be found.

Since it was a weekend, buses did not stop at certain stops and we could not read the signs that instructed where they would stop. It was especially irritating in the hot 30C sun. Finally, we asked a shopkeeper and she directed us in the right direction. In fact, she even had a drawn out map so tourists probably ask her a lot.

Kinkakuji - The Golden Pavilion 

Crowds at Kinkakuji

The bus to Kinkakuji was about another 45 minutes. This was the most crowded of all the places we went to but probably also the most famous. It cost 400 yen to enter. There is a path around and away from the Golden Pavilion, so your photo opportunity is at the beginning.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Passing through the torii gates up the mountain

Next we took a bus and subway to Fushimi Inari Taisha (??????). The subway cost 210 yen one way. You can also take a JR train to get there. We spent about 40 minutes walking up the path under the torii gates and reached less than half way. Though if you have the time, I would recommend walking up higher to avoid the crowds that cluster at the bottom. It was a pleasant walk because it was shaded by the trees. 

Day 4 - Kyoto

For the last day, I only had time to visit Kiyomizudera and Nishiki Market (???) because of the long train ride back to my town. Since the ryokan was so close to Kiyomizudera, I was able to go quite early just as the first tour bus rolled up. This temple offered a view of the city because it is situated higher up.

Kiyomizudera

Kiyomizudera

I was there before 10am and many of the stores at Nishiki Market were not open yet though I can imagine it'd be hustling and bustling when it is fully open. There were many food stores and would probably be a good place to buy souvenirs.

Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market

I look forward to visiting Kyoto again in another season and to eat more matcha things!