2015 Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka Nine-Day Trip
I just learned something today: travel journals written on Ctrip will only be visible to the author after five years, and others won't be able to see them. So I'm copying and reposting this travel journal.
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Every winter and summer vacation, I take my family on a trip to relax and reward my son for his academic performance. In the past, we only did domestic independent travel, including Hong Kong and Macau. Although I've been to the US once, it was with a tour group. I've never had a true overseas independent trip, so this time I decided to go to neighboring Japan. I did a lot of research online, booked flights and hotels, applied for a visa, looked up attraction introductions, and used Google Maps to check transportation routes (mobile WiFi and Google Maps are essential for independent travel). By the way, it's best to book flights and hotels two months in advance, otherwise prices go up and rooms sell out.
On the morning of August 7, we took Spring Airlines from Pudong T2 terminal. The round-trip tickets for three people cost about 5,000 yuan, with 15 kg of luggage per person. We almost exceeded the limit on the way back.
The trip went smoothly. After leaving the airport, I wanted to take the JR to the city but got confused. I didn't know which train or platform to take. Seeing everyone rushing onto one train, I just followed.
Later, after several rides, I figured out to first use Google Maps to determine the route, then find the correct platform at the station, check the train's final destination direction, and confirm the number of stops to be sure. Both subway and JR have automatic ticket machines, with a special button for two adults and one child (child half price). Buses are more expensive than subways and JR, starting at 230 yen. If you visit few attractions per day, I don't recommend buying a multi-day pass. The reserved Meishin Nagoya Station Hotel was right across from Nagoya Station, making travel, shopping, and dining very convenient.
As soon as we finished unpacking, my wife was eager to go to drugstores. The area near the hotel was full of such shops (not suitable for children).
The next morning, we went to Nagoya Castle. I couldn't figure out whether it was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu or Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and I couldn't read the Japanese descriptions. The Chinese introduction was brief, but we still spent the whole morning there. The castle was destroyed in World War II, and the main building was renovated a few years ago, with many auxiliary buildings still under repair.
Japan's cultural relic restoration techniques are superb. The craftsmen inherit their skills from ancestors, and the restoration projects are backed by large corporations, making them masterpieces.
Shanghai had just ended a heatwave, and we continued to face high temperatures in Japan. A simple bowl of noodles in the castle cost about 900 yen. After a quick meal, we left the main gate and took a tourist bus to the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. I learned from my research that Toyota started as a textile machinery company. The old factory in Nagoya was well preserved, with half being a textile museum and half an automobile museum. Almost all demonstration equipment in the museum was fully operational. For the first time, I understood how cotton becomes cloth step by step. Children could even sit in a Toyota AA model car. If you explore this museum thoroughly, a full day isn't enough.
There is also a dedicated automobile museum on the outskirts of Nagoya, which I'll have to visit next time. We returned to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and took the Shinkansen to Kyoto. The ticket cost over 6,000 yen per person for just over 30 minutes—truly expensive.
In Kyoto, we stayed at the Kyoto Tower Hotel Annex, also near the station. Our first meal was barbecue.
Across from the hotel was a supermarket. Let's see the price of Wagyu beef—really cheap.
The next morning, we found a random shop near the hotel for breakfast. Even ordering was self-service.
We set off for Kiyomizu-dera, built on a cliff with massive cypress wood. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site.
If you take the bus a lot in Kyoto, I recommend buying a one-day pass for 500 yen. After leaving Kiyomizu-dera, we went to the Kyoto National Museum. On the way, we found a place for lunch. We couldn't understand or read anything, but body language is universal.
The Kyoto National Museum has an old building and a new one. The old building was temporarily closed. Most exhibits were Buddhist scriptures, many of which, of course, were "taken" from China. Photography was not allowed inside.
Kyoto Tower at night.
We bought boxed lunch, sushi, and salad from the supermarket across the street for dinner. All that for only 2,000 yen.
The next day, we visited Kinkaku-ji and Nijo Castle, both World Heritage sites.
It was extremely hot in Japan those days. After the morning visits, we went back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and headed to Nara. The station had an Isetan department store. We saw Japanese elementary school backpacks, with the most expensive one costing nearly 100,000 yen, but they were handmade, highly functional, guaranteed for six years, and any issues could be repaired.
We originally wanted to stay near Nara Station, but we booked too late—all hotels were full. We had to book a Toyoko Inn near Shin-Omiya Station, and only single rooms were available. When we got there, we found the hotel was very nice, with new facilities. Although it was a single room, the bed was huge, and it cost only about 300 RMB per night. The ancient capital Nara was exquisite, with few pedestrians and a peaceful atmosphere. Whenever I go somewhere, I want to visit museums and local large supermarkets. We had dinner at the supermarket.
The kid is always forgetful—he left his new sun hat at a bus stop in Kyoto, didn't hold his camera properly, and when he did the "Onion Song" dance too energetically, he dropped the camera on the ground, breaking it. We bought a new sun hat.
We took the JR to Yakushi-ji and Toshodai-ji. We ended up in a women-only car and were politely asked to leave by the conductor.
Yakushi-ji was built by the emperor to pray for his sick mother's recovery. Toshodai-ji was built by the monk Jianzhen after he crossed to Japan. It houses Buddhist relics and a seated statue of Jianzhen.
Leaving Toshodai-ji, we took the JR again to Nara Park, where there were countless sika deer (very aggressive—they will bite if you don't feed them enough).
We wanted to go to Kasuga Taisha, but it was hot and the distance was far. When we reached the entrance, we saw it cost 500 yen for admission, so we turned back.
The Nara National Museum had the most expensive entrance fee of this Japan trip: 1,500 yen. It mainly displayed Buddhist sculptures, and photography was prohibited.
A month before the trip, I booked a Michelin three-star Kaiseki meal at Yamasaki in Nara on Taobao. The cheapest set menu, including tax, cost 9,000 yen, but it was also the cheapest three-star in Japan (Tokyo and Osaka start at 20,000 yen). Three-star is truly three-star, worth the price. The taste goes without saying, and even the menu was handwritten. Finally, the head chef signed it as a souvenir and personally saw us out.
After a hearty meal, we went to Osaka. In Osaka, we stayed at the Nest Hotel Shinsaibashi. Although it was near Shinsaibashi and the subway was downstairs, the hotel was terrible—old facilities, and the room smelled like grilled lamb. Three nights cost nearly 3,000 RMB, making it the worst value of the trip. Since we had been visiting temples and castles for days, the next day we decisively canceled our planned visit to Osaka Castle and went to the Osaka Science Museum instead. It was really great, showcasing the latest technology and teaching children to protect the environment and save energy. In the afternoon, we went to Hankyu Umeda Department Store to accompany my wife shopping.
On the last day, we went to Universal Studios Japan. Compared to Universal Studios Hollywood, except for the missing production studio, the rides were similar. I recommend grabbing reservation tickets for Jaws, Waterworld, and Harry Potter first, then go counterclockwise. Of course, if you're a big spender, you can buy express passes. The longest wait was for Spider-Man, nearly two hours, but it was worth it. The water splash event at 1 PM was also a highlight. It started with water guns and eventually turned into buckets. Everyone had a great time.
Early the next morning, we rushed to Kansai Airport. The 9 AM Spring Airlines flight took off on time and landed in Shanghai at 10:30 AM. Setting aside national sentiments, Japan is a nice country—disciplined and beautiful. Next time, I plan a trip to Tokyo. Stay tuned for the next travel journal.
