Wanderlust in Japan

Cheska
Jul 23, 2016
8 min read

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Hello!!!!

Japan was indeed AMAZING, and yes it is definitely a MUST GO for you travel junkies out there. I can be a bit bias just because it is really one of my dream destinations, mainly because once upon a time I was kinda an Anime fan but hey its never too late to reminisce our childhood. To add up to that it is also my very first time traveling with my friends, and it was an unexpected one.

I went on this trip alone, kind of, because my friends were there for an exchange programme and I joined them after. We toured Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto & Nara for 9 days, it was exhausting but definitely a worthwhile journey. I will talk about the overall experience and will try to share some travel tips!

Tokyo - Shibuya

For the first few days of our trip we stayed in Shibuya mainly due to the accessibility to SHOPPING & FOOD, and behold the famous Shibuya Crossing + Hachiko ... Since day 1 we have been crossing the ever famous Shibuya crossing and each time we try to get a good photo but its really challenging but amazing at the same time. Tourists will flock at the street sides and wait for the green man to light up, we have seen crazy group photos but overall entertaining (TIP: Prepare your DSLR or Action camera, I realised its more handy especially for night photography & Shibuya is way better at night time with all the lights).

As for Hachiko, well this monument is easy to spot right outside the Shibuya station but be prepared to inhale some cigarette smoke coz it is a smoking area. Just like any tourist spots you will have to wait for a good photograph, with all the people crowding around but both times that we went it was not that crowded (TIP: Taking photo in the morning is way better because of the natural lighting and lesser people, but EARLY morning).

There is so much to talk about when it comes to both Shopping & Food when you are at Shibuya. This place is comparable to Mongkok (Hong Kong) minus the SASA but replaced by numerous drugstores, which are by the way the cheapest that I have seen (comparable to Osaka). It is a good place to shop for both mid-range branded goods such as Adidas, Nike, H&M and other random stuff such as Make-Up and foods (TIP: Most of the malls close at 9pm, so be early). As for the food, the highlight will be the ICHIRAN Ramen (I will post another blog focusing on foods), I love Ramen and this shop pretty much ruined other ramens for me and I guess this is the best by far, a definite must try! It was also an interesting dining experience.

Tokyo - Disney Sea, Tokyo Tower & Odaiba

We spent a whole day in Disney Sea & it was indeed a tough decision on which park do we go to as they also have Disneyland. Taking into account that Disney Sea is unique and the only one in Asia we decided to go there. And man, I love it when it is off-peak plus the cold weather. The longest queue that we went for was to take photo with Mickey Mouse for about 40 mins. but the rest of the rides we had fast pass, which is different from Disneyland HK in a good way though. Make sure to watch the shows & parades, because honestly those are the must-see more than the rides. The fireworks at night is the highlight.

Tokyo tower is must-see sight when you are in Japan and I kinda got this idea from the Japanese dramas that I watched before. It is like the Eiffel tower of Asia (for me) (TIP: You can view the Tokyo Tower from the viewing deck above the subway station & best viewed at night).

Odaiba is a man-made island where you can find the Rainbow bridge & Gundam. I did mentioned that I was once addicted to anime and I pretty much adored Gundam Seed, thus the interest to go here. Even though you are not a fan, it is a good place to go to. In fact there are a lot of places that you can visit at Odaiba but we managed our time and went for those that interests us. The Rainbow bridge is better viewed at night due to the lighting.

Tokyo - Yokohama

This is the furthest place that we went to in this leg of the trip at Tokyo, but its worth the journey. The view was amazing & Nissin Cup noodles museum was interesting, plus we got to make our own cup noodles! (TIP: You can walk to the museum from the subway station & its worth the walk due to the nice scenery).

Osaka - Namba District & Osaka Castle

On our first & second night at Osaka we went to Namba district, because one night is never enough for both exploring and shopping, not to forget the immense variety of street foods. This is also where you can find the "Glico Man" (TIP: Go during the night & wait for the Glico Man to light up) & the famous street foods such as Takoyaki. A good place to shop as well, comparable to Shibuya and not to forget the crazy-cheap H&M stuff (Yes, its cheaper than Singapore). You can also find the famous PABLO Cheesecake here, which was awesome but I still prefer the Rikuro Cheesecake (TIP: You can find both cheesecakes at Osaka Station and the queue is shorter).

Osaka Castle is another interesting place to go to, but be prepared to walk as it is a bit far from the station. We went there on our last day at Osaka and we were lucky to have witness an on-going music festival, there were a lot of street performers around and they were kind of good.

Osaka - Universal Studious Japan

THIS IS A MUST GO TO PLACE FOR POTTERHEADS (like me), the Harry Potter World was really the reason why I wanted to go Osaka (and even Japan, like 50% of the reason LOL). The place is really great, with their depiction of Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley & Hogwarts Castle (TIP: They limit the people who enter especially on peak period so you can either come early and get the Time-Entrace Ticket for free or buy the Express passes). I can pretty much write s blog about this alone, but then again it will spoil the experience for those who are planning to go. But the main tips are:

1. Prepare to queue for the rides - we queued for 2 hours (not that boring because I was excited for an hour then we entered the castle... so yeah LOL)

2. BUY BUTTERBEER - it is pricey but worth the try ($6)

3. PREPARE YOUR MONEY - the souvenirs are not cheap at all, but heck, for fans like me... JUST BUY (I got a wand, and you can use it to perform magic around the park so worth it).

4. Take as much photos and videos - just because you are a Potterhead.

Overall, USJ is big (bigger than USS) but if you want to be smart with enjoying the rides go for the top rated ones & for us it was mostly those adrenaline rush kind of rides (TIP: If the queue is long for rollercoasters option for Single rider & it will save you a lot of time).

Kyoto - Arashimaya Bamboo forest, Golden Pavilion, Fushimi Inari Shrine & Nishiki Market

Arashimaya Bamboo forest is located at Saga, and this place alone has a lot of shrines (TIP: Kyoto is all about shrines) but this is also a good place to visit during the Cherry Blossoms period. Since it is a forest, prepare your insecticides but the whole stretch of Bamboo is amazing and cooling.

Golden Pavilion is not nearby the subway station, hence you will have to take a bus (TIP: Do not take cabs if you can avoid it as they are really expensive). In addition to that there is an entrance fee of $6-$7, but its worth it for the sight and all (TIP: This place closes at 1630, so plan your time wisely).

Fushimi Inari Shrine is my personal favourite just because it resembles the scenes in the animes that I have watched and its history (TIP: Closes at 1830). I guess the best time to visit this place is early afternoon or in the morning due to the lighting, if you intend to take photographs. There is no entrance fee and it is right in front of the subway station.

Nishiki Market is the downtown market that we went to for lunch. Our lunch food was basically those that they were selling (street food style), and this was the first time that I have tried Salmon Sashimi in a skewer (TIP: You can walk and eat along this place, and they give free taste as well, including Sake). The variety of Japanese foods was interesting, and the experience was also interesting.

Nara - Nara Deer Park

Nara is an hour away from Osaka by Express Train (Kyoto was only 15 mins by Shinkansen). Honestly, we only went there to feed the deers, which was an interesting plan (and scary for me). These deers were literally roaming around the place, and you can even have photos with them for free (TIP: they sell wafer for the deer at 150 yen per bundle, which is enough). At first I was really scared (FYI I am scared of all types of animals), but then again some are pretty tame so after a few attempts I managed to get a good photograph with the deer (LOL).

Tokyo - Skytree Tower & Tsukiji Fish Market

For the last leg of the trip we went back to Tokyo but this time we stayed nearer to Narita Airport and around the area of the Skytree Tower. The tower was walking distance from our accommodation, and its worth the visit because there was also a nearby mall for our last minute shopping but of course the lighted Skytree Tower at night is a good sight (TIP: This place is better visited at night & the mall close pretty late).

I really did not know what to expect from the Tsukiji Fish Market but a lot of our friends who visited Japan suggested this place. It may sound crazy but we woke up at 3am in the morning to go to the place to watch the Tuna auction but we did not manage to get in the queue as they only allow 120 visitors, and it is a popular attraction for tourists (TIP: You can go as early as 1 am to queue, it is crazy but if you are into it, its worth the wait, taking cab is inevitable & we paid $40 from our accommodation to the market). We ended up queuing for this Michelin Star Sushi Place called "Sushi Dai", it was about 2-3 hours waiting time but WORTH IT. I had the best sushi in my life by far and despite the fact that I cannot consume so much I still forced myself (LOL) (TIP: It was around $50++ for a 12 course sushi, its expensive but I guess if it was in Singapore this quality food will be more pricey). The whole dining experience was good, and I will post a separate blog about the sushi place.

And this concludes my Japan-Saga (for now), but overall the country was amazing and a must go-to place. Japanese people are known for their good culture & ethics, and it is really true. Despite the language barrier all the Japanese people that we asked for directions helped and guided us (TIP: Don't forget to say "Excuse Me = SUMIMASEN" before you ask something). If you ask me if I'll visit Japan again.... OF COURSE!