9-Day Family Trip to Japan

Nine days and eight nights self-guided tour in Japan

July 19, 2019: Today we got up at 4 a.m., drove at 4:30 to Pudong to Houyijun parking lot, took a shuttle bus to Pudong Airport Terminal 2. The flight was CA921, an Airbus 330 large aircraft, taking off at 9:10 a.m. The airport started issuing boarding passes and checking luggage at 6:30, then we had to go through customs and security. There were tons of people. By the time we reached the duty-free shops, it was almost 7:45 a.m. Then it was all about shopping. Now at the airport, many things can't be stored; you have to take them with you. Anything without outer packaging must be taken, discounted items must be taken, La Mer must be taken. After shopping, we waited 10 minutes and lined up to board the plane. It took off on time. It was our first time flying Air China, and it felt okay. On the plane, the flight attendants handed out immigration cards and customs declaration forms. The card had Chinese, very simple, no need for a guide, took a little time to fill out. The flight arrived in Osaka in two hours, local time 12:00. Japan time is one hour ahead of Beijing time. I had a data plan on my mobile. My default telecom provider in Japan was SoftBank, very fast internet, similar to 4G in China. Afa's phone defaulted to Docomo, very slow internet. After arriving at Osaka Airport, we needed to leave fingerprints of both index fingers. Japan's efficiency was very high; we cleared customs quickly. After leaving the airport, we bought JR tickets to Kyoto. Adults were 1600 yen (no reserved seats; reserved seats were more expensive). In Osaka, we used ICOCA Suica card, which is widely used. It can be used on subway, buses, and vending machines. With a Suica card, buying JR tickets gives a 50% discount, i.e., 1600 yen; without Suica, adults pay 3200 yen. Children over six need tickets. There is Chinese service at the ticket counter.) We took about an hour on JR, then transferred to the subway, and arrived at Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo. We booked a room with three beds, 1200 per day, no breakfast. Japan is a place where land is precious, so hotel rooms are generally small. We rested a bit, then went out for a walk and found a meat restaurant for dinner. We were very hungry and wanted meat. Japanese dining prices are similar to Hong Kong. Our trip happened to coincide with the annual Gion Matsuri in Kyoto, which was very lively.

July 20, 2019. Because we woke up early and traveled yesterday, we went to bed around 8 p.m. last night and slept until just after 8 a.m. this morning. Since the hotel didn't include breakfast, we bought the legendary rice balls at 7-Eleven. There were all kinds of rice balls; we took one of each and tasted them. They were quite delicious; having the convenience store staff heat them made them even better. Today's itinerary was a day trip to Arashiyama. We first took the subway, then transferred to JR to Arashiyama, bought tickets for the Arashiyama Scenic Railway into the mountains. We bought round-trip tickets. On the way there, we took the scenic train the whole way. On the way back, we got off at the second-to-last stop and slowly walked back to Arashiyama Station, passing attractions like Kinryuji Temple. Arashiyama is a scenic spot beautiful all year round: pink cherry blossoms in spring, lush green forests in summer, golden maple leaves in autumn, and white snow in winter. Along the way, Xinlan bought a Daruma bamboo dragonfly; the craftsmanship was meticulous, and the price was high. We had lunch at the market near Arashiyama Station, a small restaurant with a very Japanese flavor, serving a tofu feast. Every restaurant in Japan is small, extremely clean, and you have to take off your shoes at the entrance. After lunch, we fed pigeons in the station square, bought Hello Kitty stamps, and took JR and subway back to the hotel. In the evening, we went to Daimaru Department Store to shop. You can get tax refunds with your passport when you buy things. Then we found a Tengu Japanese restaurant for dinner. The food was exquisite, portions small, prices on the high side, but the taste was good.

July 21, 2019. Today our itinerary was Kiyomizudera and Kinkakuji. We slept in and then took a taxi to Kiyomizudera because the subway would require transfers and a 1.8 km walk. Taking a taxi in Japan is a thrill; a 4 km ride cost 1500 yen. The taxi drivers were all in their 70s or 80s, neatly dressed, clean cars, very polite, but the fares were terrifyingly expensive. We walked while shopping and actually ran into acquaintances on the road. We chatted in our local dialect; the world is really small. After arriving at Kiyomizudera, we took a quick tour and left. The streets were full of people wearing kimonos, but few were Japanese. Then we walked from Kiyomizudera to Hanamikoji Street. On the way, we saw a crab restaurant and went in for a meal and a rest. We strolled through Hanamikoji (the location for filming Memoirs of a Geisha) and took bus No. 12 to Kinkakuji. Kinkakuji requires a ticket, 400 yen for adults. Kinkakuji is the place where the shogun stayed in the anime Ikkyu-san we watched as children. It is covered in 24k gold, you can only look, not touch. We took bus No. 12 to the stop nearest our hotel. In the evening, we went to the Yoshinoya next to Daimaru for dinner, curious if it tasted the same as in China. It turned out the taste was identical, no difference, even the miso soup tasted the same.

July 22, 2019. Today we rented a car, a 10-seater, 300 km, 10 hours, 3150 yuan. It picked us up at the hotel at 9 a.m. We had to check out before 9 a.m. First, we went to Nara. The highway speed limit in Japan is 70 km/h, only two lanes, one each way. After about an hour's drive, we arrived at Nara Park. There were many sika deer. We fed them with food. They were not shy at all; if you hold food, they will actively chase you. At 10:45 we got back in the car to Kobe. Yesterday we reserved a restaurant; you must reserve to get good Kobe beef. We arrived at the restaurant around 1:30 p.m., ordered, and the chef processed the beef on the spot. We ordered medium rare. It was really tender, melting in the mouth. The price was also beautiful, about 1000 per person. After lunch, we drove to Osaka and checked into the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel. The lobby is on the 19th floor. After checking in, the hotel upgraded us for free. Our room was on the 53rd floor, very spacious. The bathroom and toilet were separate. 2000 yuan per night, including breakfast. Children over 8 had to pay extra for breakfast. Under the hotel is Kintetsu Department Store. But Japanese department stores are strange; they close at 8:30 p.m.

July 23, 2019. Today we had breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast was exquisite, but there wasn't much to eat. After breakfast, my friend and I went to the mall across the street. Ultraman and monsters were about one-third cheaper than in China. At 11 a.m., we set off for the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Aquariums are the same worldwide. The kids were excited, the adults were just accompanying. The aquarium was crowded with poor air quality. Xinlan said she felt uncomfortable after a while and wanted to leave. We went out and took the subway directly to Shinsaibashi. We had lunch in Shinsaibashi, walked around, bought some drugstore cosmetics, and bought items friends had requested. We chose stores that offered tax-free directly. Purchases over 5000 yen can be directly tax-refunded; otherwise, you have to do it at the airport. Drugstores all have Chinese service. You just tell them what you want, and they can quickly help you find it. We took the subway back to Marriott, put away our things, then went to the shops on the hotel's first floor. Items bought can be tax-refunded on the 3.5th floor. If you have a platinum credit card, you can apply for a card that gives a 9.3% discount on many items. Tax refund is 8%, and you can also apply through Ctrip for an additional 4% refund. Luxury brands have Chinese-speaking sales. You can show them pictures of the bags you want to buy. Many bags with good value are not displayed on the counters, but if you show them pictures, they will take them out from cabinets or recommend similar styles. Kintetsu Department Store tax refund closes at 8:30 p.m. Items bought that day must be tax-refunded the same day. After tax refund, you cannot exchange or return items at the counter. If you buy things late, the counter will call the tax refund office to ask them to stay a bit longer. We shopped from 5:30 p.m. until 8:10 p.m. to finish tax refund, so every step took a lot of time. We went to the hotel's 16th floor to exchange for observation deck tickets on the 60th floor. We went to the 60th floor to see the Osaka night view. Actually, we lived on the 53rd floor, and the view was similar. We experienced the feeling of weightlessness and overweight when the elevator went from 16 to 60 and from 59 to 16.

July 24, 2019. Today our two friend families were going back, and we also had to change hotels. We changed to a hotel called Swissôtel Nankai Osaka, 1600 yuan per night, no breakfast. Check-in was at 3 p.m. We took the subway from Marriott to Namba Station, then arrived at the hotel. The lobby was on the 6th floor. But we searched for a long time to find the hotel lobby. Even though we were on the 6th floor, we couldn't find the lobby. After asking twice, we finally found it. This hotel has a pool, but only three lanes, need to reserve when crowded. We stored our luggage at the hotel. The location of this hotel was even more convenient than the previous one. Below is Takashimaya, and below Takashimaya is the subway and JR lines. There is a direct train to Kansai Airport. Next to the hotel is LOFT. LOFT floors 1-3 are Muji and the 4th floor sells stationery. Tax refund on the 3rd floor. From the hotel you can walk to Shinsaibashi. We first went to Shinsaibashi. The shopping arcade seemed endless. We walked all the way through, all drugstores. If you have time and energy to buy cosmetics, you can browse each store and compare prices. Different stores have different promotions; items on promotion are much cheaper. We reached the end of Shinsaibashi and couldn't walk anymore, so we found a subway entrance and took the subway back. We found a Japanese sushi restaurant called Daishokudo under the hotel and had lunch. This restaurant is highly recommended; the food was fresh and tasty. We ate there three days in a row. After getting the hotel key card, Xinlan and her father went swimming. I went downstairs to browse. There was a large food shop under the hotel selling cakes, fruits, sushi, etc. I bought two apples because they were the cheapest: one 299 yen, one 399 yen. After buying apples, Xinlan's father called, saying they had returned to the room. I said I would come up immediately, but oh my, I got lost and couldn't find the hotel lobby. I wandered around for a long time before finding it. In the evening we went out for dinner. Xinlan said she was too tired to go and asked us to bring something back. We gave her a phone and told her to call if anything. My husband and I went to explore the area around the hotel. The street opposite the hotel was full of restaurants and game arcades, very lively. Later we bought McDonald's for Xinlan. In Japan, we couldn't find a comprehensive supermarket like RT-Mart or Walmart in China, but there are small convenience stores like 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson everywhere.

July 25, 2019: This morning we had Japanese instant noodles, which weren't as good as Thai ones, so I discarded the extra two packets and didn't bring them home. After breakfast, we went to Osaka Castle Tenjinshuku. We transferred subway at Shinsaibashi, rode a few stops, and exited to see the castle tower. But it was a long walk to the castle. Because of the heat, it felt even farther. We took photos there, Xinlan bought souvenirs, then we took a shuttle to the subway station. We went to an outlet mall, which was at the last subway stop, feeling quite remote. The outlet had many brands: Coach, MK, Nike, etc. We walked around, bought a bag, then took the subway back. We got off at Shinsaibashi and made a reservation at Kani Doraku in Dotonbori. Kani Doraku only accepts same-day reservations. Back at the hotel, Xinlan went swimming again. After swimming, we rested and then went to dinner. Kani Doraku is a place to eat king crab. They have evening set menus and lunch set menus, with the changeover at 16:00. We ordered two sets and several separate crab legs. Xinlan loved it. Finally, we had matcha ice cream. The matcha was freshly ground and a bit bitter. Xinlan said it was too bitter, but I thought it was quite tasty, with a unique bitter flavor. The three of us ate 19,800 yen.

July 26, 2019: Today we slept in, a day purely for shopping. Xinlan said yesterday's Kani Doraku was so delicious she wanted to go again, so we went for lunch. We bought more cosmetics in Shinsaibashi, bought pencils, erasers, etc. at LOFT. At 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson, we bought Meiji chocolate and biscuits. At Takashimaya, we bought a backpack for Xinlan's dad. Back at the hotel, Xinlan continued swimming. In the evening, we had dinner at Daishokudo again. After dinner, Xinlan stayed at the hotel to rest, while my husband and I went out shopping. Back at the hotel, we packed our suitcases, threw away whatever could be thrown, and packed the rest.

July 26, 2019: Today we returned to China. We took flight CA923, departing at 13:30. At 9 a.m., we checked out and took a train from the hotel's third floor to Kansai Airport. First, I returned the Suica card, which incurred a 90 yen fee. It was raining heavily in Osaka, and also raining in Shanghai. As a result, the flight was delayed. We couldn't check luggage until 11 a.m. At check-in, we were told that because of the delay, we couldn't go through immigration. At first, we didn't understand. Later, when we tried to enter immigration, they stopped us, saying the plane that would take us hadn't taken off yet, so we couldn't enter. We had to wait until the plane took off before entering immigration. If by chance the plane didn't come, we would have to come back out and re-enter. The plane finally took off at 12:00, and then we went through security and immigration. After passing immigration, we spent our remaining yen. At the airport, I bought Shiroi Koibito and raw chocolate. Because of the heat, the raw chocolate melts. For 100 yen, they pack an ice pack. Strangely, you can't find raw chocolate or Shiroi Koibito anywhere in the Kansai region except at the airport, at reasonable prices. We also bought perfume for Xinlan's dad, had lunch, and waited for our plane. At 2:30 p.m., we finally boarded. Two hours later, we arrived at Shanghai Pudong. As usual, we collected duty-free items, waited for luggage, and then waited for the car to take us to our own car's parking spot, then home.