TOKYO, May 22 — Want to visit Japan but don’t know where to start planning? Well, you are in luck because this guide is on Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
Having been to Japan four times, including a month-long home stay programme during the winter of 2001, it’s safe to say that I know the place pretty well.
The first thing you should decide is where you want to go and also which season you would like to visit. The best season, in my opinion, is spring because of the lovely cherry blossoms. Also, you can shop for spring clothes that suit our weather better.
As you will be extensively using public transport, it’s important to get the best discounts. For foreigners entering Japan, you are allowed to buy the Japan Railway (JR) Pass at a discounted rate.
The pass allows you unlimited travel between cities, using any of the JR lines as well as the ferry. It’s good if you’re travelling inter-city, from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto.
The JR Pass can only be bought outside of Japan. In Malaysia, you can buy it from the Japan Travel Bureau or any travel agency. Some agencies do levy a surcharge. If you prefer, you can also buy it online at https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/ and it can be sent via courier to you.
I bought a 7-day pass for RM1,100. Usually, a train ticket from Tokyo to Osaka costs about RM500 so if you use the JR Pass frequently, it is truly worth buying.
You can activate your pass and also reserve your train seats at any JR train station in Japan. If you are just going to be in Tokyo, purchase the Suica or Passmo card using the machines at the train station.
You can select English as the preferred language and put in how much you want, just like our Touch N’ Go card. The cheapest way to get from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station is the Narita Access bus which costs only 1,000 yen (RM37) one way. If you activated your JR Pass, you can use the Narita Express train that also goes to Tokyo station.
As I wanted to experience living in a Japanese home, I booked AirBnB which was not only affordable but a good way to make new friends.
Whenever I wanted tips that only locals knew, I would ask my AirBnB host. When selecting an AirBnB host, it is important to read the reviews left by previous guests or look for those with a lot of verifications. Alternatively choose those who are Super Hosts. Don’t select a new listing unless you are willing to take the risk.
I budgeted about RM3,000 for 10 days. On average, a meal can cost from RM30 to RM100. If you want a budget meal, pick up onigiri at the convenience store for less than RM10 for two pieces.
Other affordable meals include the beef bowls from Japanese fast food chain Yoshinoya and Sukiya. I spent about RM200 a day on meals and transportation. A mid-range priced meal would cost about 700 yen (RM26) to 1600 yen (RM59) and this is usually ramen or donburi (rice bowls).
If you are there in spring, you must see the cherry blossoms that start around end of March to early April. In Tokyo, there are a few parks like Ueno Park or Shinjuku Koen that have really beautiful trees but they are usually crowded with many locals and tourists.
I visited Ueno Park which is near the otaku district, Akihabara, and it was really crowded in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the cherry blossoms in various shades of white, pale pink and fuchsia are really beautiful. At Shinjuku Koen, there are more varieties of flowers compared to Ueno. If you want to avoid bumping shoulders with tourists, go to a residential neighbourhood where there are residential parks with cherry blossom trees. These parks are usually open 24 hours so you can see the flowers lit up at night too for a different experience.
If you are a fan of cronuts, there is a branch of the famous NY Dominique Ansel bakery in Omotesando. I arrived there at night so the cronuts were sold out but the Frozen S’more was really out of this world. The staff would take it out of the fridge and use a torch burner to brown the white marshmallow to a lovely caramel colour. I also ordered the hot chocolate with the flower marshmallow that blooms from a bud when it’s placed in the drink. Dominique Ansel in Tokyo isn’t cheap and it costs as much as a bowl of ramen for some of their desserts but it is worth trying.
One place I wanted to visit when I was in Shibuya was the Miffy pop-up at Parco. Although the queue was dizzyingly long, about close to a three-hour wait during lunch time I actually went there and enjoyed the adorable Dutch cartoon character of a bunny. If you pay extra, you can also buy the mug and utensils that they serve your food with. It was my second day in Japan and I wanted to save money for shopping later so I just decided to go for the Miffy shaped rice dish accompanied by a Miffy design latte. Was it worth the wait? Definitely, if you are a fan of all things kawaii.
I think the craziest thing I did was to stay up the whole night to catch the world famous tuna auction at Tsukiji market. As the trains usually stop operating by midnight, I took the last train to Tsukiji. I spent my time waiting at a manga cafe that offered things like soft drinks, access to Internet, books, magazines and comics as well as a reclining leather seat if you prefer to sleep for a fee.
At 2.30am, I walked over to Tsukiji market to queue for the auction (admission is free) that starts at 5.25AM; only 120 people are allowed into the auction on a daily basis. For three hours, I sat on the floor feeling rather bored. Finally, it was time for us to go into the market and it was a short half an hour before we were escorted out. We were allowed to take photos of the auction but no flash photography is permitted. I felt that it was not worth the time I waited but at least that is something to tick off the bucket list!
By the time I came out of the auction it was about 6am and most of the sushi and sashimi shops were opening but the good stores had long queues. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was to sleep. However, I needed to eat something so I got myself a meguro uni don (tuna and sea urchin rice bowl). It was expensive and not as good as expected.
Later I visited Café de l’Ambre in Ginza run by centenarian but unfortunately it was his off-day. I ordered a drip coffee from the barista that was really good but a bit pricey. They also roast their own beans so I got a 100 grams pack of Ethiopian single-origin beans to experiment with back home.
Osaka is about three to four hours from Tokyo by the JR bullet train. I visited the PomPomPurin Cafe (no queue at all) and had a nice pudding. PomPomPurin is a Sanrio character from the same family as Hello Kitty. The next day, I headed to Osaka Castle which was surrounded with cherry blossom trees. Inside the castle, there’s a museum that tells the history of the city.
I bought cherry blossom flavoured ice cream outside of the castle and it was an interesting flavour. After sightseeing, it was time to dine at the famous and super crowded Okonomiyaki Mizuno in Dotonbori, which is also home to the famous Glico running man. For dinner, I had the famous Ichiran ramen which originates from the South.
My next stop was Kyoto, which is a mere half an hour train ride away. It’s a comfortable ride on the bullet train which has clean lavatories as well as an attendant who comes around selling snacks and drinks. In Kyoto, you will see many women dressed up in kimonos. However, it does not mean they’re geishas, as they are quite hard to spot unless you visit the Gion district.
I also dropped by the famous Fushimi Inari shrine with its stunning vermillion coloured torii gates that go up the hill. As it was raining and incredibly crowded, I didn’t dare climb the hill but managed to only snap pictures. After that it was Nijo Castle which was surrounded by cherry blossom parks. Inside the castle are decorated walls filled with historical paintings that I felt were more interesting than Osaka Castle.
The Golden Pavilion or Kinkakuji is a famous temple in Kyoto. I bought many omamori (lucky charms) for myself and my loved ones. In Japan, omamori are amulets that promise good luck, health, success, love, safety among other things. Each omamori has its own function and you are not supposed to open it! It is said that one cannot have too many omamori as they will not work! Two is the maximum one is encouraged to have but having one is the best.
Arashiyama is famous for its bamboo grove which looks like a movie set. I can imagine many pre-wedding photo shoots here! The next destination was the shrine Yasui Konpiragu that is well known for a rock that is covered with paper slips of wishes by people who are in a relationship. To break a relationship, one has to go through the rock via a hole and stick the wish on the rock. To repair the relationship, you have to return to the front via the hole. The hole was very narrow so I wondered if bigger sized people could go through.
Next it was Kiyomizudera on top of a slope. Along the way, you can buy traditional souvenirs, snacks, drinks and all sorts of things including sakura petals that are used to make sakura tea. About a stone’s throw away was Maruyama Park which is peppered with plenty of food stalls underneath the endless view of cherry blossom trees. My last stop was Shijo shopping street where I bought dango, a Japanese sweet that has the consistency of a mochi. My final day in Japan was spent visiting Asakusa temple in Tokyo. Here the omamori was a lot more pricey than the ones in Kyoto. Since omamori are only found in Japan, it doesn’t matter if you can only get the ones in Tokyo. There is always another trip!
