7-Day Family Trip to Disney and Universal Studios in Japan
Just finished a 7-day group tour in Japan. Summary: We visited both Tokyo Disney and Osaka Universal Studios. I highly recommend the Mario area at Osaka Universal Studios! We also went to some quiet suburbs by bus, which have a completely different style from the big cities. If it's just for living and retirement, these suburbs are more comfortable than Tokyo and Osaka.
Day 1: Flew from Beijing to Tokyo Narita Airport, then took a bus to Haneda Airport for accommodation. The facilities at Haneda Airport are very complete. There is a 24-hour Lawson convenience store, and many restaurants offering ramen, beef teppanyaki, etc. The current yen exchange rate is low, so a bowl of ramen costs about 50 to 60 RMB. A set meal of ramen with beer and pan-fried dumplings is 1900 yen. The beer tastes very pure.
Day 2: Went to Tokyo Disney. It had the usual attractions. There weren't too many people, and wait times were generally short. After finishing in the afternoon, we returned to the hotel at Haneda Airport.
Day 3: In the morning, took a bus to Senso-ji Temple for sightseeing. There were many stalls selling small items and snacks, many of which were made in China. Then we went to the hot spring hotel at Jiawen Road. While on the expressway, the bus stopped at some service areas. The service areas were very unique, and many had food and drink for sale, which was freshly prepared on site with tables and chairs, just like a restaurant. This greatly facilitated dining for long-distance drivers and some tourists. The goods sold at the service areas were not as uniform as those in China; each service area had its own characteristics or local specialties. We arrived at the hot spring hotel at Jiawen Road in the evening. The location was actually quite remote, belonging to the suburbs of Tokyo, but completely different from suburbs in China. It was very clean, with neat houses. Each household had a small detached house, usually with 1 to 2 cars—a smaller one and a larger one.
Day 4: Visited Mount Fuji and went to 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 stalls selling local snacks. I ate a grilled small dumpling, which probably had red bean paste inside, and it was very delicious. Then we took a bus to Hamamatsu in the Chubu region to stay at a hotel. The hotel was very tall, and from the upper floors we could see the night view of the entire city.
Day 5: Took a bus to Nagoya, then stayed near Shinsaibashi in Osaka. This is the core area of Osaka. There is a saying: "Eating in Osaka." That day we went to eat teppanyaki, which included beef, squid, and shellfish. The cost was about 200 RMB, which was acceptable. We ordered an extra serving of yakisoba (fried noodles) and found it very tasty. All together, the price might have been a bit on the high side.
Day 6: Osaka Universal Studios. Spent the whole day there. There were huge crowds. We entered a little after 9 AM and immediately booked a slot for Mario. We got a reservation for around 6 PM. In the afternoon, we finally got into the Mario area. It was a pleasant surprise! It's like a physical world game where you can wear an NFC-enabled wristband and check in at various points to earn points. It's perfect for families with kids. It is said that Mario is only available at Universal Studios in the US and Osaka. As our Japan trip was nearing its end, it was a very happy ending!
Day 7: Took a bus to Nagoya Airport and flew back to Beijing!
