8-Day In-Depth Tour of Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto in March 2024
1. Origin: Flights between China and Japan have finally returned to normal, and prices have dropped significantly. How could we not arrange a trip to Japan? At the end of February, I checked the airfare, and in March, Spring Airlines one-way tickets were all 500-1000 yuan, considering this includes over 400 yuan in taxes. So I immediately made arrangements. The travelers were me and my wife, plus my wife's best friend. She had always wanted to visit Japan and was ready to go whenever we called. She is fluent in Japanese, while our Japanese skills are limited to very basic communication. This time, we planned to visit Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto.
2. Preparation:
(1) Visa: We applied for it on Taobao in the second half of last year. Since we have Shanghai residency, getting a visa for Japan is quite easy, and the price is cheap. We got a multiple-entry visa valid for three years. This type of visa is easy to obtain and convenient to use. We can go to Japan anytime in the future, as long as airfare is low and we have free time. We can also decide the length of stay freely. (2) Internet: For internet access in Japan, portable Wi-Fi is outdated—it's heavy, needs charging, and must be returned. Using a SIM card on our phones is much more convenient. They're easy to find on Taobao, and the cost is about 10 yuan per day. However, Japan still uses 4G networks, so the speed cannot compare with China's 5G. Large videos are not feasible, but everyday applications like WeChat video calls work fine. Japan uses 2-pin 110V electricity. It's best to bring a travel adapter. Most hotels also have adapters to lend, but in limited quantities, and sometimes they run out. Common electronic devices like phones, tablets, and laptops now support 100V-230V wide voltage and are globally compatible. Just check your plug. (3) Airfare: Spring Airlines is definitely the cheapest and offers flights to many destinations in Japan. You need to order through the Spring Airlines app. The only issue is that there is no free baggage allowance; you need to purchase it according to your needs. Buying at the airport costs twice as much. (4) Accommodation: Book in advance from China. It's cheaper in the low season and more expensive in the high season. However, hotel rooms in Japan are generally very small. Keep this in mind. If you mind the size, try to find larger rooms or consider a minshuku (private lodging). I have stayed in both. The tourism industry in Japan is highly developed and mature, with all kinds of accommodations available. Book according to your preference. This time, I booked hotels on Ctrip, costing about 400 yuan per night. Currently, when staying at a hotel, the Japanese government charges a tax of 100 yen per person per day. (5) Language: It's best to know some Japanese. If not, you can use various translation apps for voice or image translation. In large Japanese cities, people from all over the world live, so English and sometimes Chinese can also be used. (6) Navigation: Google Maps works abroad, Baidu Maps is also okay. In Japan, Yahoo Maps is also an option. (7) Japanese Yen: Exchange some in advance in China because some shops only accept cash. The yen is depreciating sharply right now, and many currencies are depreciating, but the yen has depreciated more against the yuan than other currencies. If you run out, you can exchange money in Japan, but the exchange rate will be higher. (8) Transportation: Japan's subways and trains are well-developed; it's best to use them for getting around. Occasionally, you can take buses. Taxis are about five times more expensive than in China. Subways in Japan are operated by private companies, and transferring between different lines can be a bit troublesome. Sometimes you need to exit the station and re-enter. When buying tickets, look at the map overhead; you can usually transfer within the station if the routes are shown. If you make a mistake, there are fare adjustment machines at every exit. You can use them to calculate the difference and get a refund or pay extra. Although there are IC cards and day passes, the same issue applies: they may not be interchangeable between different subway companies. Buses have the same problem. You still need to have cash ready. In terms of convenience, it's not comparable to China.
(1) March 9: Shanghai to Osaka. Arrived at Kansai Airport Terminal 2 in the afternoon. First, took a shuttle bus to Terminal 1, then took the Nankai Line subway, then transferred to another subway line, heading to the Shinsaibashi hotel. After checking in, we found a yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant nearby for dinner. During dinner, we noticed an AEON supermarket next door. After eating, we went there to buy food. We hadn't booked breakfast at the hotel because breakfast in Japanese hotels is too simple—bread, coffee, milk, and salad are the standard, with few other options. Food supermarkets are much better. Convenience stores are also an option, but a bit more expensive. If staying in an apartment, you can heat food yourself, which is more convenient. But we have our own methods; we could also heat food easily in the hotel. There are many large Japanese supermarket chains, and we visited several. They usually start discounting after 7 PM. If you're buying for the next morning's breakfast, this is a good time to shop, though some items might sell out. Recommended items include baked sweet potatoes, onigiri (rice balls), sushi, milk, juice, potato chips, small cakes, and ice cream—choose according to personal taste. As for various fish, they are commonly eaten in Japan. In the evening near Shinsaibashi, we saw the Glico Running Man and experienced the bustling vitality. Osaka has become a city for people from all over the world, full of energy again, with its unique charm. We need to step up! During the pandemic, we were stagnant for a few years.
(2) March 10: Sightseeing in Osaka. At noon, we went to Kuromon Market. It's a distinctive seafood market and a must-visit spot, selling various fresh seafood, fruits, and snacks. If you want cooked food, they can prepare it on the spot. We grilled a king crab leg; it was very fresh and delicious. We also bought some other snacks, which served as our lunch. In the afternoon, we went shopping, strolling all the way to the large shopping malls near Shinsaibashi. We saw many flagship stores of big brands. We shopped at Uniqlo—prices are cheaper than in China. We also bought several pairs of sneakers. Finally, we went to the New Balance flagship store and bought a high-end model of sneakers I wanted. After dinner, we went to Don Quijote (驚安の殿堂). The one in Shinsaibashi was too crowded at night, so I don't recommend shopping there. Overall, Don Quijote's price advantage has diminished, but it still has a wide variety of products and various discount coupons.
(3) March 11: First, we went to a soccer equipment store near Umeda and bought a pair of short-stud soccer shoes for our child. Both the shoes and jerseys were much cheaper than in China. Then we went to a bookstore to buy a few Japanese medical books. After that, we took a train to Kobe to visit a hot spring. When we arrived, we found that the entire town was dedicated to hot springs, with each inn offering onsen. We chose the most popular one, Kin no Yu (Gold Bath). The pool was small, in Japanese style: you soak naked, and you must wash yourself thoroughly before entering the pool. There are many hot springs in Japan, and I've been to several. The Japanese style is the same: you wash first, then enter the pool. The water is of various types, mostly natural hot springs. Soaking in hot springs is something people all over the world enjoy. The only mistake this time was that it was too far—a round trip took five hours. By the time we finished soaking, it was dark, and we returned to the hotel very late.
(4) March 12: It rained today. We were going to Kyoto. Before leaving, I went to a badminton specialty store in Namba and bought a few badminton rackets. The selection of models was limited. Larger shoe sizes were not available. Still, prices were about 20% cheaper than in China. Regarding how much cheaper shopping is in Japan, let me explain: the main reasons are the depreciation of the yen and tax-free shopping for tourists. Many items are about 20% cheaper. What items can be tax-free? Anything you can bring back to your home country qualifies, but you need to spend at least 5500 yen per purchase. Additionally, some luxury items are discounted by more than 20%, about 30-40%. So if you need to buy luxury goods, it's the best deal; the savings could cover the airfare and hotel costs. On the return flight, half of the women were carrying LV bags—brand new, with the distinctive LV logo, obviously bought in Japan. The more you buy, the more you save.
(5) March 13: In Kyoto, we stayed at a hotel near Kyoto Station. There was a large shopping mall nearby with a big AEON supermarket. We continued buying breakfast there. For lunch and dinner, we tried different foods each day. We prefer beef; Japanese beef is truly delicious. Since it was drizzly, we visited indoor venues: the Kyoto National Museum and Sanjusangen-do. Kyoto has many temples and exhibition halls, large and small, each with its own character. These two are large and adjacent, worth visiting. I really like Kyoto because it retains many Tang Dynasty-style buildings, temples, cultural artifacts, characters, and customs. Kyoto is very popular with people worldwide; many tourists come here, and prices are about 10% higher than in Osaka. In the evening, we went to Daikoku Drug to buy medicine and cosmetics.
(6) March 14: The weather was great today, so we planned to visit outdoor attractions and a Tang Dynasty-style commercial street. We went to Kiyomizu-dera and the surrounding streets. The weather was beautiful, and we strolled slowly, enjoying Kyoto's unique streets. In the afternoon, we got tired and found a hot spring called "Ume Yu" to soak in. It was actually a public bathhouse, but very distinctive, with a sauna, carbonated pool, and an electric shock pool. Getting shocked in the electric pool was quite invigorating. In the evening, we returned to the supermarket to buy food and had a shabu-shabu hotpot in our hotel room, enjoying unlimited wagyu beef.
(7) March 15: Kyoto to Osaka. Using Baidu Maps, we thought we needed to go from Kyoto Station to Umeda, then transfer twice to reach Rinku Town Station. However, thanks to our friend who is fluent in Japanese, we found a direct train from Umeda to Rinku Town. It was really confusing: the front part of this train goes directly to Kansai Airport, while the rear part does not. Rinku Town is one stop before the airport. We came here for the outlet mall. In previous trips, we always came here right before departure and had to rush. This time, we deliberately set aside enough time. We visited about half of the outlet mall and bought some clothes. I like sportswear brands like Arrows and Screws. Columbia was also very cheap, and I found discounted items that were probably more than 50% cheaper than in China. Then we went to a large sports goods specialty store next door. To my delight, I found badminton shoes! The store had many discounted items from various sports brands. If you find something you like, it can be even cheaper than the outlet mall. My wife also ordered a pair of glasses—they were very cheap, probably made from Chinese materials. I wanted to get her a nicer pair, but they didn't have any; however, she was quite satisfied. When we returned, it was very late and we hadn't had dinner. We noticed two large signs in the area that looked like supermarkets. The signs seemed familiar, so we went over and found they were indeed supermarkets. One of them was a 24-hour mega supermarket. We basically bought dinner and the next day's breakfast there.
(8) March 16: Osaka to Shanghai. Our flight was at 5 PM, so during the day we continued shopping in Rinku Town. We split up with our friend: she went to the outlet mall to buy clothes and baby items, while we went to the supermarket and drugstore to restock. The matcha chocolate here was cheaper than in the city center. After restocking at the supermarket and drugstore, we went to an electronics store and bought a shaver, earphones, and a few small appliances. Then we went to the Nike store at the outlet mall to buy two pairs of Jordan shoes for our child. It was already afternoon by the time we finished. We met up with our friend for lunch, then returned to the hotel to pick up our luggage and head to the airport. Fortunately, it was only one stop away. We arrived at the airport counter almost at 4 PM. The three of us had over 80 kilograms of luggage in total. Luckily, on the return trip, I had purchased a 30 kg per person baggage allowance.
(9) Total Cost: Accommodation and airfare: 4000 yuan per person; meals and transportation: 2300 yuan per person. For 8 days, the average expense per person per day was 800 yuan. The items we brought back are not included, as personal differences are huge—especially whether you buy luxury goods or not makes a big difference. When traveling in China, the daily expense per person is between 500 and 1000 yuan. So, in reality, the cost of living in Japan is already similar to China. The only difference is that China still has some very cheap food and accommodation options that are not available in Japan.
(10) Summary: The last time I went abroad was to Osaka, just one week before the pandemic broke out. This trip stirred many emotions. Many people in China bear hatred or antipathy towards Japan, but it is still important to go and experience the country firsthand, especially by interacting with locals. After visiting Japan many times, every time I asked a local for help, I received a sincere and enthusiastic response. Asking Chinese people is similar to in China—some are warm, some are casual. Our high-speed rail, 5G, mobile payments, and online shopping are indeed far ahead worldwide. However, Osaka has developed very well in recent years, attracting people from all over the world to live and work here. Walking through the streets at night, you feel a vibrant energy that truly embodies the prosperity of an international metropolis. Shanghai has its own charm, but it still has a way to go before becoming an international metropolis. We must steadfastly continue on the path of opening up, without wavering or turning back.
