9-Day Family Trip to Japan

Nine-day eight-night self-guided tour to Japan

July 19, 2019: Today we got up at 4 a.m., drove at 4:30 to Pudong to Houyijun parking lot, took a bus to Pudong Airport Terminal 2. The flight was CA921, an Airbus 330 large aircraft, departing at 9:10. 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. Then it was buy, buy, buy. Many items at the airport can't be stored for pickup; they must be taken with you. Anything without outer packaging must be taken, discounted items too, La Mer too. After buying, we waited 10 minutes and then lined up to board. The plane 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 forms and customs declaration forms. The cards had Chinese, so it was simple, no need for research, we filled them out in a little time. The flight took two hours to reach Osaka, arriving at local time 12:00. Japan time is one hour ahead of Beijing time. I had a data plan on China Mobile, and my default Japanese carrier was SoftBank; the internet speed was very fast, similar to domestic 4G. Afa's phone defaulted to Docomo, and the speed was very slow. After arriving at Osaka Airport, we needed to leave fingerprints of both index fingers. Japan's efficiency was very high; we cleared customs immediately. After leaving the airport, we bought JR tickets to Kyoto. Adults were 1600 yen (no reserved seat; reserved seats cost more). In Osaka, ICOCA (Suica card) is widely used for subways, buses, and vending machines. With Suica, buying JR tickets gives a 50% discount, i.e., 1600 yen; without Suica, adults pay 3200 yen. Children over 6 need a ticket. Ticket purchases have Chinese service.) We took about an hour on JR, then transferred to subway, and arrived at Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo. We booked a room with three beds, 1200 yen per day, no breakfast. Japan is a place where land is precious; hotel rooms are generally small. We rested a bit, then went out for a walk and found a meat restaurant for dinner. We were too hungry and wanted meat. Dining prices in Japan are similar to Hong Kong. During our visit, we happened to encounter the annual Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, which was very lively.

July 20, 2019: Because of yesterday's early wake-up and travel, we went to bed around 8 p.m. and slept until about 8 a.m. The hotel had no breakfast, so we bought the legendary rice balls at 7-Eleven. Various kinds, we took one of each and tasted them; they were really good. Having the convenience store staff heat them up made them even better. Today's itinerary was a day trip to Arashiyama. First, we took the subway, then transferred to JR to Arashiyama, then bought tickets for the Arashiyama Scenic Railway into the mountains. We bought round-trip tickets. On the way there, we rode the train the whole way; on the way back, we got off at the second-to-last stop and walked slowly back to Arashiyama Station, passing by temples like Kinryuji. Arashiyama is a beautiful place all year round: pink cherry blossoms in spring, lush green forests in summer, golden maple leaves in autumn, and snowy white scenery in winter. Along the way, Xinlan bought a Daruma bamboo dragonfly; the craftsmanship was exquisite, and the price was high. We had lunch at a market near Arashiyama Station, a small restaurant with a very Japanese flavor, and had a tofu feast. Every Japanese restaurant is small, super clean, and you take off your shoes when entering. After lunch, we fed pigeons in the station square, bought Hello Kitty stamps, then took JR and subway back to the hotel. In the evening, we went to Daimaru Department Store for a bit of shopping. With a passport, you can get a tax refund on purchases. Then we found a Japanese restaurant called Tengu and had Japanese cuisine. The food was exquisite, small portions, on the expensive side, but tasty.

July 21, 2019: Today our itinerary was Kiyomizu-dera and Kinkaku-ji. We slept in and then took a taxi to Kiyomizu-dera because the subway would require transfers and a 1.8 km walk. Taking a taxi in Japan is a thrill: 4 km cost 1500 yen. Taxi drivers are mostly elderly, neatly dressed, clean cars, very polite, but the fare is terrifyingly expensive. We shopped and walked along the way, and even ran into acquaintances on the street, chatting in dialect for a while. It's a small world. At Kiyomizu-dera, we walked around and came out. The streets were full of people in kimonos, but few were Japanese. Then we walked from Kiyomizu-dera to Hanami-koji. On the way, we saw a crab restaurant, went in for a meal and a rest. We strolled through Hanami-koji (the place where Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed) and took Bus No. 12 to Kinkaku-ji. Kinkaku-ji requires a ticket: 400 yen for adults. Kinkaku-ji is the place where the shogun stayed, as we saw in the anime Ikkyu-san. It's covered in 24k gold; you can only look, not touch. We took Bus No. 12 and got off at the stop nearest our hotel. In the evening, we went to Yoshinoya next to Daimaru Department Store for dinner, to see if the taste was the same as in China. It turned out exactly the same, no difference, even the miso soup tasted the same.

July 22, 2019: Today we rented a car, a 10-seater, for 300 km, 10 hours, costing 3150 yuan. They picked us up at 9 a.m. from the hotel. We had to check out by 9. First, we went to Nara. Japan's highways have a speed limit of 70 km/h and only two lanes, one each direction. After a little over an hour, we arrived at Nara Park. There were really many sika deer. We fed them with food, and they were not shy at all. If you hold food, they will actively chase you for it. At 10:45, we got back in the car and headed to Kobe. Yesterday we had reserved a restaurant; you need a reservation to get good Kobe wagyu. We arrived at the restaurant around 1:30 p.m., ordered food, 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 Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel. The lobby is on the 19th floor. After check-in, the hotel gave us a free upgrade. Our room was on the 53rd floor, very spacious, with bathroom and toilet in separate areas. It cost 2000 yuan per day, including breakfast. Children over 8 need to pay extra for breakfast. The hotel is above 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. It was exquisite, but there didn't seem much to eat. After breakfast, my friend and I went to the shopping mall across the street. Ultraman and monsters were about one-third cheaper than in China. By 11 a.m., we set off for Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Aquariums are the same all over the world; kids get excited, adults just accompany. The aquarium was crowded with poor air quality. Xinlan said she wanted to leave after a while, feeling unwell. After going out, we took the subway directly to Shinsaibashi, had lunch there, strolled around, bought some drugstore cosmetics, and picked up items our friends had requested. We chose stores that offer direct tax exemption; purchases over 5000 yen are directly tax-free, no need to refund at the airport. Drugstores have Chinese service; just tell them what you want, and they can quickly find it. We took the subway back to Marriott, dropped off our things, then went shopping on the first floor of the hotel. Items bought there can get a tax refund on the 3.5th floor. With a Platinum credit card, you can apply for a card that gives 9.3% discount on many items. Tax refund is 8%; if you apply through Ctrip, you can get another 4% back. Luxury brands have Chinese-speaking sales assistants. You can show them pictures of the bags you want; many cost-effective bags are not displayed on the counter, but they will take them out from cabinets or recommend similar ones. The tax refund counter at Kintetsu Department Store closes at 8:30 p.m. Items bought that day must be refunded the same day. After refund, you can't exchange or return at the counter. If you buy late, the counter will call the tax refund office to ask them to work a little overtime. We shopped from 5:30 p.m. until 8:10 p.m. just to finish the tax refund, so every step is time-consuming. We went to the 16th floor of the hotel to exchange for observation deck tickets for the 60th floor. We went up to see Osaka's night view, but since we were staying on the 53rd floor, the view was similar. We experienced the elevator from 16F to 60F and from 59F to 16F, feeling the overload and weightlessness.

July 24, 2019: Today our two friends' families were going back, and we also needed to change hotels. We switched to a hotel called Swissotel Nankai Osaka, costing 1600 yuan per day, breakfast not included. Check-in was only at 3 p.m. We took the subway from below Marriott to Namba Station and got off; the hotel was right there. The lobby was on the 6th floor. However, we searched for a long time to find the lobby. Even though we were on the 6th floor, we couldn't find it. After asking twice, we finally found it. This hotel has a swimming pool, but only three lanes, and reservations are needed when crowded. We left our luggage at the hotel. This hotel's location is even more convenient than the previous one. Below is Takashimaya Department Store, under which are subway and JR lines, and there is a direct line to Kansai Airport. Next to the hotel is LOFT, where floors 1-3 are Muji, and the 4th floor sells stationery. Tax refund is on the 3rd floor. Walking from the hotel, you reach Shinsaibashi. We went to Shinsaibashi first. That shopping arcade is endless; we walked all the way, passing drugstore after drugstore. If you have time and energy to buy drugstore cosmetics, you can visit each store and compare prices; different stores have different promotions, and items on promotion are much cheaper. We walked to the end of Shinsaibashi and couldn't walk anymore, so we found a subway station and took the subway back. We found a Japanese sushi restaurant in the hotel's basement that looked like a large cafeteria. This restaurant is highly recommended; the food was fresh and delicious. We ate there three meals in a row. After returning to the hotel and getting our room key, Xinlan and her dad went swimming. I went downstairs to browse. The hotel basement also had a large food store selling cakes, fruit, sushi, and more. I bought two apples because they were the cheapest: one 299 yen, one 399 yen. After buying apples, Xinlan's dad called me, saying they were back in the room. I said I'd come right up. But then, oh my, I got lost. I couldn't find the hotel lobby at all. 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 pack something for her. We gave her a phone with Xinlan's dad and told her to call if anything came up. We went to explore the area around the hotel. Across the street was another street full of restaurants and arcades, very lively. Later, we brought back McDonald's for Xinlan. In Japan, we didn't find a large comprehensive supermarket like Carrefour or Walmart in China, but there are convenience stores everywhere: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, etc.

July 25, 2019: This morning we ate Japanese instant noodles. They didn't taste as good as Thai ones, so I abandoned the extra two packs and didn't bring them home. After breakfast, we went to Osaka Castle (Tenshukaku). We transferred at Shinsaibashi subway station and rode a few stops. When we got out, we could see the castle, but walking there was a long way. Because of the hot weather, it felt even farther. We took photos at the castle, Xinlan bought souvenirs, then we took a trolley to the subway station and went to an outlet mall. The outlet was at the last subway stop, feeling remote. There were quite a few brands: Coach, MK, Nike, etc. We shopped around, bought a bag, then returned by subway. We got off at Shinsaibashi and reserved a seat at Kani Douraku in Dotonbori. Kani Douraku only takes reservations for the same day. Back at the hotel, Xinlan and her dad went swimming again. After swimming, we rested and then went to dinner. Kani Douraku is a place for king crab. They have evening sets and lunch sets, with a cutoff at 4 p.m. We ordered two sets and several individual crab legs. Xinlan absolutely loved it. At the end, there was matcha ice cream; the matcha was freshly ground, a bit bitter. Xinlan said it was too bitter, but I thought it was quite good, with a bitter taste that was unique. The three of us spent 19800 yen.

July 26, 2019: Today we slept in, a pure shopping day. Xinlan said yesterday's Kani Douraku was so delicious that she wanted to go again, so we went for lunch. We replenished drugstore cosmetics in Shinsaibashi, bought pencils and erasers at LOFT, bought Meiji chocolate and biscuits at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson, and bought a backpack for Xinlan's dad at Takashimaya. Back at the hotel, Xinlan went swimming again. In the evening, we still ate at that large cafeteria. After dinner, Xinlan stayed in the hotel to rest, while Xinlan's dad and I continued to go out shopping and buying. Back at the hotel, we packed our suitcases, threw away everything we could, and packed the rest.

July 27, 2019: Today we were going back to China. We took flight CA923 departing at 13:30. We checked out at 9 a.m. and took a train from the third floor of the hotel to Kansai Airport. First, I returned the Suica card, which charges a 90 yen fee. Today it was raining heavily in Osaka and also in Shanghai, causing flight delays. We could only check luggage at 11 a.m. At check-in, we were told that due to the delay, we couldn't enter customs. We didn't understand at first, but later when we tried to enter customs, they stopped us, saying the incoming flight hadn't departed yet, so we couldn't go in. We had to wait until the flight departed before entering customs; otherwise, if that flight didn't come, we would have to come out and re-enter. The plane finally took off at 12:00, and then we passed security and customs. After clearing customs, we spent the remaining yen. I bought Shiroi Koibito and Nama Chocolate at the airport. Because of the heat, the Nama Chocolate melts; for 100 yen, they pack an ice pack. It's strange: you can't buy Nama Chocolate or Shiroi Koibito anywhere in the Kansai region, only at the airport, and the prices are reasonable. We also bought perfume for Xinlan's dad and had lunch, then waited for our plane. At 2:30 p.m., we finally boarded. The flight took two hours to reach Shanghai Pudong. As usual, we picked up duty-free items, waited for luggage, waited for the bus to take us to our car's parking spot, and went home.