A Ten-Day Tour of Six Japanese Cities
I hadn't originally planned to go to Japan, but due to limited time, Japan was the easiest to arrange, so I searched online for inspiration and settled on this trip: June 12 in Hakone, June 13/14 in Kyoto, June 15 in Nara and Wakayama, June 16/17 in Osaka, June 18 in Kobe, and June 19/20/21 in Tokyo. I'd like to thank all the contributors on Ctrip.
Getting a visa through Ctrip was relatively cheap (409 yuan), but they required booking flights and hotels through Ctrip. After checking, the prices on Ctrip were about the same as other websites, so it wasn't a big loss. Before the trip, I rented a mobile WiFi from Ctrip for 11 days at 146 yuan. It was convenient for several phones to connect simultaneously, but you couldn't stray too far apart; beyond a few meters, there was no signal. We bought a 7-day Japan Rail Pass for two people for 2830 yuan (with a small discount). This was something I struggled with—I wasn't sure if the pass was worth it because our itinerary was relaxed, we weren't traveling every day, and we only stayed in central Japan. As it turned out, the pass didn't offer much benefit (the actual ticket cost was 1600 per person). The Shinkansen stations are often not near other train company stations, so for shorter distances, it was more convenient to take other trains and transfer. Moreover, the pass couldn't be used for city transportation. To be safe, I searched on Google for each leg's route, printed out more than ten pages along with hotel addresses and attractions to visit—those pages were extremely helpful when asking for directions.
Comparing the places we visited, Hakone (Odakyu) had the most natural scenery. Hakone is not far southwest of Tokyo and is a famous hot spring resort and health retreat in Japan. Going to Japan without soaking in hot springs felt like a missed opportunity—even in summer. The ride up the mountain on the cog railway offered beautiful scenery, with the train zigzagging back and forth, the front and rear cars switching directions several times, and sharp turns that gave a sense of twists and turns. It was drizzling in the mountains, misty, and through the rain-soaked flowers and leaves, we could see layers of faint mountain shadows in the distance. The last section was a cable car, which looked like a tram but ran on a steep slope—I estimated it to be about 30 degrees. Strangely, the cable car only went up, not down; we had to walk down the mountain. Lake Ashi is a landmark of Hakone. According to descriptions, it covers an area of 7 square kilometers, with a maximum depth of 45 meters. The lake water is clear and blue. On a clear day, boating on the lake, you can see the snow-capped Mount Fuji, and the reflection of Mount Fuji in the pale blue lake is called "White Fan Upside Down in the Eastern Sea Sky" because Mount Fuji resembles an upside-down white fan. But today was cloudy; we couldn't even see the mountains right in front, let alone distant Mount Fuji. The lake water was gray. There were various small boats for tourists to rent, seemingly privately operated, with prices ranging from 2,000 to 8,000 yen depending on the type and duration. We took a large public boat for 1,000 yen per person one way, which took about 20 minutes, and then took a bus back to Gora Station. There were not only tourist buses and long-distance buses but also a sightseeing cable car, but due to frequent volcanic activity recently, the cable car was suspended, and Owakudani was also closed.
To soak in hot springs, we made a detour to Wakayama—one of Japan's three major hot spring areas—but we didn't find this small city particularly attractive. Maybe we didn't choose a good hotel; it didn't feel like a hot spring resort. Similarly, Kobe had little to offer—a port city, clean and quiet, and that's about it.
Kyoto naturally best embodies Japan's cultural spirit. Kinkaku-ji, Nijo Castle, and Kiyomizu-dera are collectively known as the three major attractions of Kyoto. I liked Nijo Castle the most, built in 1603. It was the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, surrounded by two moats, and very impressive. The Ninomaru Palace, a national treasure, featured the most luxurious decoration of the Edo period, and the "nightingale floors" in the corridor were an alarm system set by the lord. Many tourists walking on them indeed made a chirping sound. The garden design was Chinese-style, reminiscent of Jiangnan gardens.
Kinkaku-ji could only be viewed from the outside, and we finished touring it in less than half an hour.
The pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera had some character, but otherwise, it was similar to typical Japanese temples. I didn't go inside; instead, the path leading to the temple was very lively, with shops selling food and souvenirs lining both sides for hundreds of meters.
Gion's Hanamikoji Street is famous. The street still retains its original buildings and atmosphere, but I felt it was full of bars and restaurants aimed at tourists, not very authentic.
Another place I liked was Ginkaku-ji. Its garden design was thoughtful, with a view at every step, pleasing to the eye.
Arashiyama is a great place for viewing autumn leaves, but it wasn't the season. There were many rickshaws, which looked light and beautiful.
Walking in the mountains offered good air and scenery. Up the mountain, there was Okochi Sanso, a villa worth visiting, built by a film star from the 1950s and 60s. The garden was built following the mountain's contours, making it a great retreat.
Nara is very old. Its eastern part is mostly occupied by Nara Park, which is beautiful all year round and home to hundreds of wild sika deer. Along the roadside, there were sellers of deer crackers. The deer chased people for food, eating and defecating at the same time, creating a smelly mess, but someone was constantly cleaning up. In other places in Japan, we didn't see any street cleaners; this was the only place. Todai-ji was founded by Emperor Shomu, a devout Buddhist, in 728. It is the head temple of the Kegon sect of Japanese Buddhism. The Great Buddha Hall is the largest wooden ancient building in the world, housing a 16-meter-tall statue of Vairocana Buddha, the largest bronze Buddha statue in the world. The current Great Buddha Hall was built in 1709, grand and magnificent, worth a visit. Inside the hall, a pillar at the bottom had a small hole hollowed out; the pillar was about a meter in diameter. An elderly Japanese man was instructing several foreign tourists on how to crawl through the hole: first, you need to be thin, and second, you need some technique. I wonder how it feels to get stuck in the middle. Kasuga Taisha was built in 710, over a thousand years ago, but there wasn't much interesting inside; it was just well-preserved. Both sites are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Osaka and Tokyo are more similar, with more skyscrapers, convenient living and working, and developed transportation, but Osaka feels more down-to-earth and is known as Japan's kitchen. Osaka Castle was built during the Sengoku period, serving as a military fortress and watchtower. There is an observation platform offering a panoramic view of Osaka. Inside, there were many short films telling historical stories, all in Japanese, which we couldn't understand. There was a sightseeing boat in Osaka, with a dock next to the castle. A combo ticket for the boat and castle cost 1,200 yen, cheaper than buying separately. The boat made a loop along the river, stopping at two or three places. The boat was simple, with glass on the top and sides, and passengers sat in fixed chairs. Surprisingly, when the boat passed under a suspension bridge, the roof lowered, possibly for better viewing of the bridge.
In Tokyo, we went to Senso-ji. Both sides of the road leading to the temple were packed with food stalls, making it hard to move. It was also difficult to take a photo with the Kaminarimon gate. The temple seemed very popular.
According to guides, part of the Imperial Palace is open to the public. After much effort to get there, we only saw the Nijubashi Bridge and nothing else. I'm not sure if I misunderstood or if we were misled. Our hotel was next to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which has a free observation hall on the 45th floor, saving us the cost of going to Tokyo Tower. The building also had a very professional tourist information center with multilingual services and various brochures available for the taking.
Speaking of food, Japanese cuisine is quite refined. Common dishes like donburi, noodle soup, and sushi tasted good. My husband especially loved tempura.
Our first proper meal in Japan was at a sushi restaurant run by an elderly couple in Hakone. The door was very small; taller people had to duck to enter. Inside, it was also small, with two tables on tatami. One table was occupied by two German girls, the other by a young Malaysian couple. The three of us sat at the counter. Later, a French couple came in, filling the small room. The Malaysian guy was very sociable and chatted with all the guests. After he left, the room became quiet. The old man was busy cooking behind the counter, while the old lady took orders and payments. The menu was simple, with a few set meals. We ordered two sets, including a bowl of seafood donburi and various sushi. The fish and shrimp weren't very fresh, but overall it was okay. The bill came to 5,600 yen.
A conveyor belt sushi restaurant near Shinjuku Station in Tokyo was very cheap—240 yen per plate. The rice balls were small but topped with a large slice of fish, which was quite a bargain. We ate there twice. Another advantage of this place was that the cashier was a Chinese woman. When we first arrived in Tokyo, it was raining and very cold, so we had dinner at the hotel—pizza and pasta, which were expensive and not good, with poor service. We had planned to go to Tsukiji Market in Tokyo for seafood, but it was closed on Sunday, and it was only open from 4:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. anyway; by afternoon, it was empty. We bought a box of fresh fish roe for 900 yen at a small shop opposite the market as compensation. Kyoto Station has a "Ramen Koji" area, designed like traditional townhouses, gathering famous ramen shops from seven places including Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Kyoto, and Hakata. It was very crowded, so we chose a shop with no line, but we didn't find it particularly delicious. Okonomiyaki was flavorful, but too salty and sweet, not very healthy. We had it once near Dotonbori in Osaka.
At Daimaru department store in Osaka, there was a shop specializing in unagi rice bowls, with different grades. The high-end one cost over 4,000 yen per serving, and the eel was indeed thicker and more tender than usual.
The famous Kani Doraku opened at 2:00 p.m. daily, and you had to take a number and wait in line for an hour to eat, so we gave up. In Kyoto, we had a kaiseki meal, which was a relatively formal "big dinner." Dishes were served one by one, each only a small bite. We ordered the mid-range option, about 4,800 yen, but my husband and son found it unsatisfying—they weren't full. Also, spending an hour and a half on a meal was not something we tourists could afford. So we didn't try any more formal Japanese dinners.
We had some snacks and desserts, buying matcha ice cream several times from street vendors. Prices varied by location; the cheapest was 300 yen in Kyoto. The taste was similar, and I quite liked it. We had takoyaki in Kyoto and Osaka. The one by the Dotonbori river in Osaka seemed famous, with a long line, but for me, it tasted the same as the one in Kyoto.
Yatsuhashi is a genuine Kyoto specialty; I tried it but didn't like it. Some other pastries were extremely sweet, so much so that even I, a sweets lover, found them hard to tolerate. Ningyo-yaki was just bought for fun; it tasted a lot like the little cakes we have on the streets in China.
I read about PABLO cheesecake and bought one since the shop was just tens of meters from our accommodation in Osaka. It was indeed very tasty. The wheel cakes in Kobe were pretty good, a little over 100 yen for a small piece. Desserts in restaurants were pricier but more refined.
Regarding transportation, Kyoto mainly relied on ground buses. The buses were very user-friendly; when stopping, they lowered the side to make boarding and alighting easier. A one-day bus pass cost 500 yen, and it was worth it if you rode three times. You could buy a ticket or show the pass when getting off. Osaka and Tokyo had well-developed rail transit, but you needed to buy tickets before entering the station. Buying tickets was a major challenge throughout the trip. The ticket vending machines offered only a few price options, but you didn't know the fare for your destination. The fare chart was only in Japanese, which we couldn't read. So every time we had to find a staff member or passenger to help us buy tickets. From this, buying a one-day pass, multi-day pass, or PASMO card was much more convenient. However, a one-day pass usually cost around 1,000 yen, while a single ride cost about 200 yen, so if you didn't ride much, it wasn't economical. On our second day in Tokyo, we bought a Toei one-day pass for 700 yen to visit several places, but it could only be used on their subway and buses. Between cities, there were many types of trains; JR was one of them. We had a 7-day JR Pass, so we naturally tried to use JR as much as possible, but some small stations didn't have JR and required transfers. Japan's train system is truly complex. At one platform, there were trains heading to different destinations. Sometimes, even for the same destination, there were express and local trains with different fares. Once you bought a ticket, you could only board that specific train, and you couldn't even board the wrong carriage because some trains had front carriages going to one place and rear carriages to another. I really admired their scheduling. A tip was to watch the time—the departure and arrival times were very punctual. If you boarded and alighted according to the schedule, you wouldn't make mistakes. Fortunately, place names mostly used Chinese characters, so with guessing and frequent asking, we never boarded the wrong train. Asking for directions was also a challenge; both Chinese and English were not very effective. Japanese people's English pronunciation was strange, and with my level of English, I sometimes couldn't tell if they were speaking English or Japanese. The best approach was to show them the written text. As long as the person wasn't farsighted, it usually worked. Paper maps and Google Maps on our phones were also very helpful. In Japan, areas near train stations were generally the busiest parts of cities, with department stores, supermarkets, restaurant streets, and electronics malls all connected to the station. Multiple companies' vehicles from various destinations converged there, plus city subways, making it difficult to find "your" platform. There were also many choices for rides; slow trains were cheap, express trains were expensive, and JR was probably the most expensive. In practice, the trains we took sometimes differed from the routes we had looked up.
On this trip, we stayed in six cities. The first two were minshuku, and the latter were star-rated hotels. Comparatively, minshuku were more intimate, while hotels were more standardized. Our first stop was at Gora Chaya, which was more like a minshuku than a hotel. There were few rooms, it was very quiet, and the environment was beautiful. The room was quite large. One advantage of Japanese-style rooms was no furniture; just a low table and four legless chairs, which could be moved aside to lay out three futons however we wanted. The owner was very nice, busy with everything alone—I only saw an assistant once. Everything was kept clean. Breakfast was exquisite: each person got grilled fish, grilled sausage, tofu pudding, and a few small side dishes. Rice, drinks, tea, and coffee were self-serve. This was the only accommodation on our trip that included breakfast. We skipped breakfast at other places because adding it was too expensive, so I can't compare.
The hot spring on the first floor was clean and comfortable, with a full range of toiletries. You wrote your name in the corresponding time slot on the reservation sheet, and that hour was exclusively yours. The hot spring was separated by gender. Entering, there was a changing room with a shelf for clothes on one side, a vanity on the other, and a crib. Beyond a glass door was the bathing area. The pool occupied one corner, covering about half the space. The remaining L-shaped area had three shower heads, and a faucet to adjust the pool's water temperature and volume. The pool was about 2 meters square. Beyond another glass door was a courtyard; opening the door let in fresh air, closing it kept warmth. Both wet and dry areas were about 7-8 square meters, quite "luxurious" for one person. Since the hotel had few guests, enjoying the private hot spring was easy. The hotel was located on a mountain, somewhat remote; you had to go downhill to find shops and restaurants. The next day, we wanted to go to Lake Ashi, and the owner offered to drive us to the bus stop.
The owner of Kabuki Ann in Kyoto was even more warm and lovely. He provided various snacks, fruits, and instant noodles in the room and gave each of us a one-day bus pass every day. We stayed two nights, so he should have given us two days' passes, but when he found out we were going out that evening, he chased us to the bus stop and gave each of us another one. Before we left, he also gave us small gifts like folding fans and wallets, which was very heartwarming. His apartment was large; the living room was at least 20-30 square meters, and the two bedrooms inside were each over 10 square meters. The decoration was very distinctive, and there was a gas stove and microwave for heating water and warming food. The downside was that the bathroom was small, showering was inconvenient, and the facilities were a bit old. The owner didn't provide breakfast, but he partnered with a nearby Western-style diner where, with his note, we could have a free breakfast. Although the location was a bit off, transportation was convenient: the 100 bus went directly to Kyoto Station, and we could reach many attractions without transfers. There was also a direct bus to Arashiyama.
We went to Wakayama specifically for hot springs but were disappointed. Maybe we chose a bad hotel. The best thing about Hotel Dormy Inn Wakayama was its location—within a 10-minute walk from the train station. The hotel had a hot spring. On the women's side, there were two hot pools, one cold pool, and a sauna. But because there were many people, it felt crowded. Bathing and soaking in front of strangers was a bit awkward. The room was small, and the bed wasn't comfortable. Hotel Vista Grande Osaka was right next to Dotonbori, very convenient for eating and shopping. The room was also decent, a standard star-rated hotel, with free tea and coffee bags. There was a 7-Eleven just downstairs without going outside, but it was a bit far from the subway station, making it tiring to get there with luggage.
Hotel Okura Kobe is a well-known chain hotel in Japan, claiming to be five-star. The lobby was grand, but the room felt a bit old. However, it was spacious and bright, with a view of the port. The hotel location was inconvenient, but luckily they had a free shuttle bus running every 20 minutes to and from the train station.
Similarly, Hyatt Regency Tokyo Hotel had a beautiful lobby and a free shuttle bus. The hotel was a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. Usually, we walked, but took the shuttle when carrying lots of things. The room was over 20 square meters, which is rare in Japan, so the three of us squeezed into one room. Like Hotel Okura, Hyatt did not offer free coffee, and their toiletries were the worst of the trip. I had to use my own shower gel and shampoo. I noticed that the higher-end the hotel, the fewer freebies they provided—probably to make guests spend more money!
When I mentioned going to Japan, a friend's eyes lit up and said, "Buy lots of stuff!" Everyone seems to see Japan as a shopping paradise. The news that Chinese tourists bought out Japanese toilet seats during the Spring Festival was widely reported, and I was also eager and prepared. But when I got to Japan, I found the things to buy were quite limited—maybe my purchasing power was the issue. Japanese shopping venues can be divided into several types. Shopping streets mainly sold small items, low-end clothing and shoes, drugstores, and food stalls. In Kyoto's Nishiki Market, I saw a shop selling nothing but needles, thread, buttons, and other sewing supplies.
Department stores were like百货大楼 (department stores), selling higher-end goods. The first floor usually had big brands, upper floors sold clothing, the top floor had restaurants, and the basement sold food. Some department stores had a section for daily necessities, from tools and kitchenware to nail clippers and bicycles. Electronics stores had a much wider selection than Suning or Gome, including game software, office supplies, and even toiletries. My husband even bought a radio there. Camera shops were generally small but well-stocked, and cheaper than in China, often with Chinese-speaking staff. I didn't see any supermarkets like Walmart in Japan. Usually, we bought food in the basements of department stores or at convenience stores. I came with a shopping list, mainly from drugstores. There were many drugstores in Osaka, each occupied by Chinese tourists. Groups of Chinese tourists were taken to drugstores before their flights and left loaded with goods. Consequently, items often went out of stock. We couldn't find everything we wanted in one store, and since each purchase had to reach a certain amount to be tax-free, making up the numbers became an extra burden. Drugstores offered direct tax exemption, while department stores required paying tax first and then getting a refund, which meant an extra queue and a handling fee of nearly 2%, effectively reducing the tax refund to just over 6%. Department stores calculated refunds separately for clothing, general goods, and food. We didn't know this at first, so we didn't get refunds for the general goods and food we bought. Another time, we bought clothes at night and wanted to get the tax refund the next day along with other items, but it wasn't allowed. Most formal clothing in Japan was made of synthetic fibers; cotton and linen fabrics were mostly in Japanese-style loose and unflattering cuts, so I didn't find any clothes I liked. Some sportswear and casual wear were relatively cheap, and I got a few things. The largest item I bought was a pressure cooker, which was funny because it was a German brand—I bought it just because the price was good. Besides that, my son and I each got a pair of glasses. Although they were "Made in China," they were cheaper than in China; the two pairs together cost 19,000 yen.
What impressed me most in Japan was the quality of the people and the comfortable environment. The Japanese are known for their politeness, constantly bowing. Several times when we shopped until closing time, all the employees stood at their counters and bowed to every customer passing by, murmuring something, probably "Thank you for your patronage." It made us very uncomfortable, and we hurried to leave. People queued orderly for trains and shopping; no one cut in line. When shopping, the salesclerks were very attentive, continuously finding things for you. When trying on shoes, they would kneel and help you put them on, always smiling and speaking softly, especially women, who spoke with a high-pitched voice. The owners of the two minshuku we stayed at were so polite it felt awkward; they never straightened their backs when talking to us. In Kyoto, the owner knelt beside the sofa while giving us an introduction. Another aspect of their quality was seriousness in work: they wrapped purchases very carefully and led you to the checkout. They would heat up your bento box, pack it separately from other items, and include utensils. If you bought milk or chocolate that could melt, they would put in an ice pack.
But the downside was that it was slow. Sometimes we were in a hurry, or the wrapping was unnecessary, and we just threw it away back at the hotel. When a bus arrived, people got up unhurriedly, one by one taking out money and getting change, with no one urging or impatient. When asking for directions, if someone didn't know, we would ask someone else, but if they looked it up, it was hard to leave, which was frustrating. The cleanliness in Japan was reassuring: no trash on the streets, no odor in restrooms. However, what drove us crazy was the scarcity of trash cans. We had to hold onto our waste, sometimes carrying it all the way back to the hotel. While waiting for the elevator at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, someone dropped a tissue on the floor. The security guard, an elderly man, picked it up and put it in his pocket. Speaking of restrooms, I remember the toilet seats. Public restrooms were mostly equipped with heated, bidet toilet seats. With such publicity, how could we Chinese ignore them? Many public facilities were very user-friendly: the restroom walls had small baby chairs, and flushing didn't require pressing—some were automatic, and others only required your hand near a sensor. Trash cans also opened with a hand gesture.
During our trip, it rained almost every day. Sometimes we borrowed umbrellas from the hotel, but in big cities, we could often walk underground. Train stations had elevators, buses and subways had air conditioning, and hotel air conditioning was smart. Overall, we didn't face much inconvenience.
A few small observations: I had heard that people on Japanese subways and trains were quiet and reading books, but what I saw was that some people chatted loudly, though not many. Few were reading books; most were looking at their phones or tablets. Also, many middle school students had crooked teeth, which surprised me—I thought with their high living standards, they would pay more attention to dental care. Japanese people like to use umbrellas and wear hats. There were many shops selling these items, and they were quite expensive. Not many people wore sunglasses.
