7-Day Family Trip to Japan: Disney and Universal Studios
Just finished a 7-day group tour in Japan. Let me summarize: We visited both Tokyo Disneyland and Osaka Universal Studios, and the Mario area at Osaka Universal Studios is highly recommended! Traveling by bus, we also went to some quiet suburban areas, which were very different from the big cities. If it's just for living and retirement, those suburbs are more comfortable than Tokyo or Osaka.
Day 1: Flew from Beijing to Tokyo Narita Airport, then took a bus to stay near Haneda Airport. The facilities at Haneda Airport are very complete, with a 24-hour Lawson convenience store and many restaurants, including ramen, beef teppanyaki, etc. The current yen exchange rate is low, so a bowl of ramen costs about 50-60 RMB, a set meal of ramen plus beer and fried dumplings is 1900 yen, and the beer has a pure taste.
Day 2: Went to Tokyo Disneyland. Disney had the usual attractions, not too many people, usually short wait times. In the afternoon, we returned to the hotel near Haneda Airport.
Day 3: In the morning, took a bus to Senso-ji Temple, where there are many stalls selling souvenirs and snacks, some of which are made in China. Then went to the hot spring hotel in Kawaguchiko area. On the highway, we stopped at some service areas, which were very unique. Many service areas have food stalls with freshly made dishes, with tables and chairs, just like restaurants. This greatly facilitates long-distance drivers and travelers who need to eat. The goods sold at service areas are not uniform like in China; each service area has its own specialties or local products. In the evening, we arrived at the hot spring hotel in the Kawaguchiko area. The location was actually quite remote, a suburb of Tokyo, but completely different from Chinese suburbs—very clean, tidy houses, each family has a small detached house, usually with one or two cars, a smaller one and a larger one.
Day 4: Visited Mount Fuji and Oshino Hakkai. Mount Fuji is magnificent, with an elevation difference of over 3000 meters from the ground. Oshino Hakkai is a small scenic area with many local snacks. I ate a grilled rice ball with red bean paste filling inside, which was delicious. Then we took a bus to Hamamatsu in central Japan to stay at a hotel. The hotel was very tall, and we could see the night view of the entire city from the high floors.
Day 5: Took a bus to Nagoya, then stayed near Shinsaibashi in Osaka, which is the core area of Osaka. There is a saying: "Eat in Osaka." That day we had teppanyaki, including beef, squid, and scallops, costing about 200 RMB in total, which was acceptable. We ordered an extra serving of stir-fried noodles, which turned out to be very tasty. Overall, the price might be a bit high relatively.
Day 6: Osaka Universal Studios. Spent the whole day there. There were huge crowds. We entered around 9 AM and immediately booked Mario, getting a slot at around 6 PM. In the afternoon, we finally entered the Mario area and were very pleasantly surprised! It's like a physical world game. You can wear an NFC bracelet to scan and collect points at various spots. It's very suitable for families with kids. It is said that Mario only exists at Universal Studios in the US and Osaka. As the Japan trip nears its end, this was a very happy ending!
Day 7: Took a bus to Nagoya Airport, then flew back to Beijing!
