Busan, South Korea – 2023 – Day 81-83

05/05/23

Kyoto – Osaka, Japan – Seoul – Busan, South Korea

After 81 days together, Bev & Ro finally parted ways.

Bev & Eric went off to a samurai class in the morning. After that, they had an extra day where they were spending the night experiencing a traditional Ryokan north of Arashiyama before departing from Tokyo back home to Toronto.

What should’ve been a super chill morning was met with a cancelled flight on my end due to weather. Frantically trying to figure out options & trying to navigate airline websites with success eventually. Luckily Jeju Air did refund the one they cancelled so that was a plus as weather was the issue for the cancellation.

After confirming my new flight booking, I made my way to Kyoto station and rebooked my shinkansen ticket to Kansai airport for an earlier time. The station was jam packed with tourists. I think timing wise, we were only effected by “Golden Week” crowd surge by locals only one of the days but not a huge experience with just tourists during our time in Japan.

I grabbed my final ekiben for my last shinkansen ride to Kansai Airport (1.5hr) Sagagyu Yakiniku to Suteki Ju ¥1320.

My days journey should’ve been rather simple flying straight into Busan & hopping on one train to the hotel. Instead, I flew into Incheon Airport in Seoul (2hr10min) via Air Seoul. Then took the AREX to Seoul Station (1hr15min) ₩9500 (9.74CAD) to catch the KTX train (2F) to get to Busan station (2hr24min) $98.16CAD.

The KTX trains sell out quick so you should book in advanced or miss out on tickets which I ended up doing. I could’ve been on the 932PM train but because I was hoping to buy at the station & checked again, the next available train was for 1028PM. The perks of purchasing from the station is a cheaper fare but never guaranteed.

At least it gave me time to eat – I went to Lotteria and ordered the bulgogi burger combo ₩10200. I was able to get a T-Money card (you will need cash to top up) ₩3000 for the card and I added ₩10000.

By the time I got out of Busan Station, I still had one more leg of travel – a bus (1hr 5min) to the hotel. The whole journey the moment I left Japan was covered in heavy rain and 15°C weather. I made it into the hotel at 215AM where I was greeted my friend Jenn who joined me for the South Korea leg of the trip. We stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott Busan.

I knew this travel day was going to be a journey and a half but I also knew I needed to exchange money to travel through. I exchange my Japanese Yen for Korean Won at the airport and immediately was down $45CAD in the horrible exchange rate. So if possible, exchange money anywhere but the airport.

For South Korea though, finding banks that take foreign cards is difficult. Citibank and maybe Woori are the only ones that take foreign cards to take out cash from an ATM. They are also far and wide and not the easiest to access.

05/06/23

Busan, South Korea

We had a late start (230PM) since we got in super late and Jenn still had to work. We ate breakfast at the hotel (included). The wind was also incredibly strong making the rain travel angular so it was the perfect time to do laundry.

When we decided to finally leave the hotel to start our day, we hopped on the bus for a good 45mins to get to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple 해동용궁사. A large temple right on the eastern coast. It was lovely to see but would’ve been a nicer experience if it wasn’t raining.

There were food stalls lining the entrance so of course we had to grab something to eat. We had fishcake skewers (Eomuk-guk or Odeng-guk) ₩2000 from Mattteulan handmade fish cake store. After you finish the skewer, you can pour some dashi broth into your cup. We also got Hotteok (sweet fried pancake) honey & seed ₩2000 & one with cheese ₩3000 from Bong-Ja Korean pancake.

Started to walk back up towards the buses and saw Skyline Luge. It had stopped raining so we decided to luge since there was absolutely no line up. We did 4 rides each ₩33000. Our butts were slightly wet but the courses were empty for us to fly down.

We got on the bus and went to Shinsegae Centum City Mall 신세계백화점 센텀시티점 (the largest department store according to Guinness). They close at 830PM so we had just over an hour to walk through.

When the mall closed, we continued walking past the mall towards the river (which had Hong Kong vibes) and to Busan Cinema Centre – largest cantilever roof. Stunning architecture by Coop Himmelb(l)au also features a large LED saturated outdoor roof.

We hopped on the train back to Haeundae station. We ate at Haeundae Traditional Market street 부산 해운대전통시장 at Deliciously Spicy fire Oden (near the end of the market street closer to the famous Hotteok stand). We shared set 1 – 4 fish cake, 7 tteokbokki + blood sausage ₩13500 & ramen ₩4000.

05/07/23

Busan, South Korea

Another wet day in Busan. We walked the boardwalk of Haeundae beach as well as the coastal walk to see The Princess Hwangok Mermaid & the Lighthouse.

We returned to the hotel to grab our things to move to another hotel in the Songdo Beach area. We stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott Busan Songdo Beach.

After dropping off our luggage, we went to Gamcheon Culture Village. The wind decided to pick up at this point with the rain. We explored the main strip and made our way down into the smaller alleys. It was so gloomy outside but the vibrant colours of the houses still stood out.

We hopped back on the bus to check out Bosu-dong (book street) 보수동 책방골목 문화관. It is a smaller area where there are multiple stores clustered together where it has floor to ceiling stacks of books.

Walked down to Bupyeong Kkangtong Market 부평깡통시장 aka Tin Can Market. After all the walking, transiting and moving hotels, our first meal of the day Bibim dangmyeon 부산 비빔당면 – served as a bowl of boiled & cooled-down glass noodles topped with thinly sliced flat fish cakes, pickled radish, and boiled chives ₩5000. We also got grilled squid ₩10000 & some amazing Hotteok ₩13500 at Uncle Hotteok. I also bought some candied Mango & Ginger ₩5000Ea.

Walked down to Biff Square Market – BIFF광장. So many food stalls with handprints of famous people on the street. We ended up eating at one of the stalls. I got freshly made Gimbap ₩6000.

After eating, we wandered a bit more before making our way to Yongdusan Park 용두산공원 – mountain park with Busan Tower. I stayed down below to watch the live performances happening while Jenn went up Busan Tower ₩12000.

After about 45 mins I was wondering if she had already come down and I missed her. Turns out she was on a QR code scavenger hunt. She made some new friends up in Busan Tower – Elane & Nhung from Melbourne, Australia. They came down to find the last 2 codes. They got little prizes but Jenn talked to the guy & scored us all pencils. Elane & Nhung walked us to our bus stop & that was the end of the night.

Hiroshima – Osaka – Kyoto, Japan – 2023 – Day 76-80

04/30/23

Miyajima-guchi, Hiroshima, Japan

Bev & Eric weren’t feeling the best in the morning so solo day to Miyajima Island for me. Luckily the rain from the previous day was nowhere in sight and the day eventually was sunny and between 15-21°C.

About an hour from Hiroshima Station to the island. With the JR Pass, the ferry is included. The ferry is about 10mins. You also show your JR Pass or pay via IC card when you arrive to the island.

When you start to walk into the main area, you will see wild deer roaming around the island. There are many stalls, stands and restaurants all around. Hiroshima is known for oysters, conger eel & momiji manju (buckwheat rice cakes shaped like Japanese maple leaf with filling – it is the local specialty of the island of Itsukushima).

My first bite of the day was Grilled oysters (2) with yuzu miso glaze ¥400. I grabbed Momiji Manju from Miyatoyo-honten. I had an apple & a red bean with yuzu (my fave) ¥120 each.

Walked further in and ended up on Omotesando Arcade with more food and souvenir stalls. I grabbed a red bean and a Blueberry momiji manju ¥110 each from Tsuda-seifudo. I also grabbed a cool cucumber on a stick ¥300 which is very refreshing. Eat it near the stall and you can return/dispose of the skewer back to them.

Went to the 5 story Pagoda – built in 1407. Was going to go into the Itsukushima Shrine as it’s a UNESCO world heritage site but that line never ended.

Went to check out the Itsukushima Jinja Torii Gate aka the Floating Gate. At low tide, you can walk out on the bay as it drains out. It wasn’t fully low tide so you couldn’t walk right up to the gate but enough to get a reasonable photo nearby. You have the option to rent kayaks to go up to it though.

The next plan of attack was to take the Ropeway up to Mt Misen but I didn’t feel like doing it as it was a long line up and ¥1100 one way up. I opted to walk the trail up.

Before starting my hike up, I explored Daisho-in Temple. It’s at the base of Mt Misen and It’s extensive including many halls, statues & religious objects. There are even little Buddha’s with knitted caps.

I took the Daisho-in Course to get up to the top of Mt Misen. It is a 90min hike up. It was a little tough but mainly stairs. Sweating and panting real hard, made it to the top. You get a 360 view of the surroundings but the trees block the Itsukushima Torii gate. There is a platform on the Daisho-in Course that has a great view of the gate before actually getting to the top. I ended up taking the Momijidani Park Course down. This trail is apparently the shortest. I flew down.

No matter what way you decide to get up to Mt Misen (even Ropeway) you still have to hike up a bit so be prepared with good footwear.

Back down and the sun was still out so I went back to get better shots of Itsukushima Torii gate and the shrine. Since the bay was low tide, I walked up to the Itsukushima shrine and got some nice shots without actually going in.

Famished from the hike, I had lunch at Ruuju. I ordered the Kaki udon set – oyster with udon & conger eel on rice ¥1650.

I walked around a bit more before heading back to the city.

I guess hiking up and down a mountain on an island wasn’t enough in a day so I climbed a slightly smaller one in the city. I climbed up to Futabasan (Mt Futaba). You end up walking through Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine which just keeps going up but also features torii gates. Caught the beginning of the sunset over the city but left time to get down with some light.

Final stop was to McDonald’s to see what’s new on their menu. I got the Gohan Chicken tatsuta yuzu flavoured radish combo + 5 mcnuggets ¥810. I went into this building where there was a McDonald’s on the 11th floor across from Hiroshima Station but there is food on all floors. There’s a nice city view but I came down from the temple too late to catch it there.

05/01/23

Hiroshima – Osaka, Japan

Roughly 2 hours to get into Osaka from Hiroshima via Shinkansen.

Stored our bags in a coin locker at JR Namba and off we went.

First stop Namba Yasaka Jinja. Giant Shisa lion head at a temple. From there, we walked to Shinsekai – the old school shopping street that brings you back in time with views of Tsutenkaku Tower. We found a ¥100 drink machine and I got a melon soda. I bought Hokkaido melon bread ¥160 from Yamazaki Sun Royal.

After exploring Shinsekai area for a bit, we made our way up to the Umeda area for lunch. The Osaka Metro line is no joke – there are so many lines it goes up to W in the alphabet. Umeda station and area are incredibly intricate and even our GPS was malfunctioning. We were there but not there. Turns out the building we wanted to go into – Links Umeda is also called Yodabashi Umeda. Yodabashi is the store with overwhelming qualities but has everything you ever need in store such as camera gear, bags, toilets, tv etc.

We went to the 8th floor to have lunch at Shirokujichu おひつごはん四六時中 – donburi & ochazuke (dashi broth or soup poured onto your rice when you are half way done eating to make the meal 2-in-1). I got the Shiroku Ohitsugohan + cold Soba noodles ¥1880.

After lunch, my friend Kayo joined for the rest of the day. I met her in 2012 on my first trip to Japan with my friends Georgina & Shela. Since then, Kayo came to Toronto to visit in 2014, I visited again in 2017 and now again we got to meet up.

We made our way to Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai – the longest covered indoor shopping arcade street. We walked a bit more and it started to drizzle. Got back down to JR Namba and picked up our things to check in to our Airbnb.

As we were walking to the Airbnb, the rain started to come down.

The evenings event was Teamlab Botanical Garden at Nagai Park. After checking in, Eric & Bev tapped out from Teamlab as they were exhausted from the day.

Kayo & myself still went. It turned out to be a great time and the rain stopped the moment we left the Airbnb. We reserved the 7-8PM slot for the Teamlab Botanical Gardens ¥1600. Unlike Tokyo’s Teamlab exhibit, this is a nighttime open air museum that comes to life when the sun goes down. Nagai Botanical Gardens and it’s flora meld with the art installations and depending on the season, the interaction between nature and art changes. We ended up walking around for over 2 hours.

We made our way to Tennoji Station and had a Yakitori dinner at Gosakudon Tennoji-koenmae 海鮮居酒屋 吾作どん天王寺公園前店. We ordered skewers of chicken neck, chicken skin, tsukune (chicken meatball), Tamago roll, & a slightly seared bonito bashing.

05/02/23

Osaka, Japan

Breakfast at Osaru Coffee. I got the salad & toast combo ¥700 + matcha latte ¥650.

It was our shopping day in Osaka. We walked over to Amerikamura アメリカ村 for Takoyaki at Kogaryu. We ordered the scallion & yuzu flavoured soy sauce ¥600.

We visited the Railway Forgotten Market 鉄道忘れ物市 (ground floor in building 9). This store has items that people have left behind on the JR that end up being put up for sale for cheap. Tons of towels, umbrellas, hats, chargers, headphones, mobile battery packs, fans, curling iron, jewellery, beauty products, glasses, wallets, toys and surprisingly really good to almost brand new condition clothing & shoes.

We ended up on Shinsaibashisuji Shotengai (covered shopping street). We spent a good chunk in Parco – a department store with many stores within the building attached to other malls such as Daimaru. Got some stuff at Hands. Bev & Eric got some bags from Anello & shoes from Spingle.

We briskly walked through Dotonbori as it was the beginning of Golden Week celebrations and the area was really busy. A quick glimpse of the Glico Man sign and found ourselves at Katsudon Hozenji-Yokocho 喝鈍 法善寺横町店 for a very late lunch. I got the Katsu curry bowl & beer ¥1300.

Walked down to Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street 千日前道具屋筋商店街. This is the shopping street where all the cooking aficionados go for proper cookware, knives & the rest of the kitchen needs. Specifically for Bev & Eric, they were looking for knives. They ended up buying 2 knives from Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide. Using the same techniques and methods used in manufacturing Japanese swords, it’s been used to create impressive knives of all sorts.

All shopped out, we returned to the Airbnb to rest.

For dinner, we went to this lovely Soba shop called 重蔵. I ordered the natto omelette ¥450 & shrimp tempura soba ¥1000. The owners were really sweet & there was a customer who spoke a bit of English who helped Bev & Eric ordered their meal.

05/03/23

Osaka – Kyoto, Japan

It was a 13 minute shinkansen ride from Osaka to Kyoto.

Perfect weather with a high of 23°C

We dropped off our stuff off at our Airbnb and back on the JR train we went to get over to Arashiyama. I have been to Arashiyama before and there are many places that are over run with tourists. This time around, I tried to make an itinerary with alternatives to the main tourist attractions.

Our top priority was to get a table at Otsuka Steak. A fond memory from my last visit in 2017 and it did not disappoint. They changed locations and now have a new and improved space to better accommodate the masses. They put out a sheet at 9AM and you write your name and how many people. At 11AM when they open, if they call your name and you aren’t there, you lose your spot. First come, first serve and they are only open until 230PM.

We put our names down and luckily we were 5th on the list. We walked around for a bit and grabbed a little snack of red bean/anko mochi ¥200 and custard pancake balls ¥600.

I got the 150g Chuck Flap steak ¥3960. It is lightly seared and kept rare on the inside. Served with 4 dipping options, a salad and rice, it was the perfect amount and you know you need to soak up the juices.

After that meal, we officially started out day. We walked to Saga Toriimoto St – a street with preserved homes turned into shops and galleries dating back to the Meiji period.

From there, we went to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple 愛宕念仏寺 – ¥300. This temple features 1200 stone sculptures of Rakan, the Buddha’s disciples, all with different facial expressions and poses. Left with nature, moss and plants have grown around them.

Walked back down to Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple あだし野念仏寺 – ¥500. It has 8000 statues tightly placed together to remember the souls who died without relatives. The hidden bonus at this temple is Bamboo forest stairs at the back of the temple. As beautiful yet emptier than the infamous Arashiyama Bamboo grove that is 300 meters long and usually has hoards of tourists.

We hopped on the train back towards our Airbnb to check in but stopped off a train stop earlier to grab some dessert. We passed by Marché Noguchi  and grabbed organic fruit & veggie smoothies. I got the Beet Apple & lemon ¥250.

We grabbed ice cream at Premarché Gelateria プレマルシェ・ジェラテリア. I got the ninja food (black rice, pine nut, black sesame, black currant & bamboo charcoal) & ume sorbet (plum) ¥700.

Checked into our Airbnb and it’s beautiful. It is called the Kinse Inn. It’s a 250 year old building that was once a ageya (Edo period brothel) where Geisha entertained at dinner parties then converted into a ryokan and reopened as a cafe/bar and Airbnb in 2012.

We finished the night big with conveyor belt sushi at Sushiro – Gojo Shichihommatsu スシロー 五条七本松店. We ordered a good variety of things including desserts. Yellow plates were ¥120, red were ¥180 & black plates were ¥360. Usually you could just pull any plate off the conveyor belt but since it was a busy dinner rush, it was easier to order on the tablet and it signalled you when your food approached. We had to look for the pink stand to grab our food. It ended up costing us ¥7570 for 3 people including 2 alcoholic drinks.

05/04/23

Kyoto, Japan

From our Airbnb, we walked under an hour to Kiyomizu-dera ¥400 making stops along the way. We finally made it there around 1120AM & it was jam packed. Luckily it’s been the only day of this trip that it was overwhelmingly crowded. Golden week is definitely in full effect in Kyoto.

The weather also was the hottest we’ve had in Japan reaching 24-25°C – hot heat but not humid.

Walked the Higashiyama District – the old cobblestone streets of Ichinenzaka, Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka. All very crowded. Along the way I grabbed a matcha craft cola from Ito Kyumon ¥490 & a Hojicha ice cream from Macchado ¥550.

Had lunch at Masaichi 一念坂 まさ壱. Kyoto style grilled fish set course – 2 kind grilled fish, buckwheat soba noodles, seasonal cooked rice, simmered local dish + 2 side dishes ¥2500.

Viewed Hokan-ji Pagoda & breezed through Yasaka Shrine. Walked towards the river, briskly walked through old gion & into the heavily crowded Nishiki Market. We braved the crowd for about 2 streets then gave up from there.

Bev & Eric split off to head home to get ready for their fancy dinner at Kikunoi Roan. I wandered a bit, walked a bit of Pontocho area & got miso dango skewer at Ohagi no Tanbaya ¥150.

Trying to get through the crowds, made my way over to the ever popular but also hidden Tsukemen restaurant – Wajoryomen Sugari 和醸良麺 すがり. Did I stand in line for 90mins?; yes I did. The entrance is through a tiny door. If you aren’t lining up outside, you are lining up in a hallway where you pay & make your order via a machine. From there, you hang out in the courtyard until there is a seat for you at the table. The place can only seat about 10-12. I got the Tsukemen w/pork +egg ¥1050.

There was a ticketing printing error happening which started conversations with the guy in front of me. I made a new friend named Adrian who also happens to be from Scarborough / Toronto. He’s a chef who was in Japan for part work, part leisure.

Osaka – Tokyo, Japan 2017 – Day 13

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We woke up early and packed. We had about an hour and half before we needed to check out so we walked around America-mura and grabbed morning takoyaki at Kogaryu – 大阪アメリカ村 甲賀流 本店 (Japan, 〒542-0086 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Nishishinsaibashi, 2 Chome−2−18−4) which is on the Michelin Star list and for good reason – the octopus was just so much more flavourful than many I have eaten in the past. Mike dropped one – that was a sad moment. Before we checked out of the Airbnb, we wanted to be hip and sit on the wooden patio outside of AKTR/Sporty Coffee shop スボティコーヒー. I purchased Sporty blend coffee beans – sourced from Wakayama for my pops (1380y). We grabbed all our stuff and took the train to Shin-Osaka where we dropped off our luggage – the main JR station was already packed with bags but I cut and saved a large locker for Mike & Manwai. 300y for a small locker. We took the train to Umeda station and went to find Kayo at her work. For some reason, I didn’t check where she worked and I assumed it was Umeda station because she mentioned it earlier however her workplace is located at the  Whity Umeda so it would’ve been Higashi Umeda station we should’ve gotten off at.

We surprised Kayo at work but she actually surprised us because she had gotten the photos she took on her camera the previous day printed and gave them to us with personalize notes inside. She went on lunch break and we went to Okonomi Yukari which was also in this underground mall. Back to the mall for a second, this mall has over 200 shops and averages 600,000 visitors a day – so confusing to walk through – think Toronto’s underground Path but 5x bigger. Now back to food. Okonomi Yukari serves for majority of its menu – okonomiyaki – a savoury japanese pancake made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage with meat and topped with a variety of condiments like bonito flakes, mayonnaise, sweet brown sauce etc.

I found the sailor moon makeup my friends were looking for at Its Demo. We made our way back to Shin-Osaka station and off we went. 3 hours to get back to Tokyo – We forgot to ask for mountain side view seats as we pass Mt Fuji heading to Tokyo. Luckily, I woke up hearing a phone taking burst photos and I got up and got a shot of Mt Fuji for the 1-2 minutes it appeared as the shinkansen speeds past at 300KM/HR.

Our original plan was to leave Osaka early in the morning to Nagoya and purchase tickets to watch a baseball game at 6PM (Dragons vs Tigers) and leave Nagoya by 8PM latest to make it back to Tokyo but it was a little too ambitious I suppose. Cassie also followed us back to Tokyo but went to Shinagawa first. We continued onwards to check in to our Capsule hotel – Grids Akihabara (Japan, 〒101-0031 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Higashikanda, 2 Chome−8−16) – we booked a private quad capsule room with shared showered but sink and toilet in our room. Tokyo was really windy that day.

Once we settled in, we made our way to Shinjuku to Comme Ca to pick up Mike’s jacket. We met up with Cassie at Tokyu Hands (Kit Kat Chocolatory was on the lower level but closed about 15-20 minutes before we got there). We had passed this cool looking pop-up shop looking food truck and restaurant so we decided to check it out instead of joining Chi & Karen in Harajuku for gyozas because it was cold and this was also closer. The restaurant is called Sanagi Shinjuku サナギ 新宿 (Japan, 〒160-0022 Tokyo, 新宿区Shinjuku, 3 Chome−35−6). It is a asian tapas restaurant that serves thai, chinese, japanese and other asian cuisine. The place is very eclectic. There are multiple rooms all designed differently. One area looked very cafe like, another had benches with paper lanterns adorning the ceiling, we sat in the area where you sit on the floor and had neon lights. The washrooms also featured different aesthetic – the unisex washroom had pennants covering the ceiling, the women had stuffed dolls and the mens something else.

We ordered a whole bunch of things and drinks. I got their local Dove and Peach sake and then a shochu wine drink – all in all, a very fun way to end out time in Japan for sure. I have been very dehydrated this trip (little known fact – I am a very dehydrate person in general) so drinking this much (I went for the hard stuff I know) made me even more dehydrated and I guess low blood sugar. As we were getting off the train, my vision went a little white and fuzzy but all was good with a little sports drink in me and I was fine.

Kyoto – Osaka, Japan 2017 – Day 12

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We took a cab to Kyoto station to meet Cassie at Kyoto Station. Such a large station with multiple JR offices to book tickets but we eventually found Cassie. We got there in time to reserve seats for the shinkansen bullet train to Osaka. It literally took 14 minutes for us to get to Osaka from Kyoto. Local JR would take about 30-60 minutes – so insane. It was so fast that the ekiben that I purchased I had to inhale and almost didn’t finish in time to get off the train. We arrived in Osaka rather early to meet our Airbnb host at 1130AM so we put our bags in the lockers and went shopping at Tokyu Hands. Turns out our 20 minute limit turned into an hour. I purchased about 114,000y but what sucks is that at the tax free counter, i only got 633y back because my purchased items didn’t qualify for a tax exemption. By this point of seeing Osaka, everyone had talked ourselves out from leaving for Nagoya the following day to leave a little bit more time in Osaka.

We left Tokyu Hands and walked through Shinsaibashi street to America-mura where we would meet our Airbnb host Yuta and be staying. Cute apartment in a nice building with a coffee shop at the bottom. Yuta let us check in early and leave our stuff but the apartment still needed cleaning. He recommended a place to eat in Shinsaibashi called Daruma (1-6-4 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka). Daruma is a kakushikatsu which basically means everything is fried. There was also a train the food would come on after ordering on the ipad/computer and a person would come around and place it on the heated plate for us. There is a sauce we can use to dip our skewers in but only dip once.

If you haven’t joined and booked with Airbnb yet, follow the link and get credits for your first booking. www.airbnb.ca/c/ruu

I had to meet my friend Kayo at a Namba station but my maps brought me to the JR Namba line instead of the local trains so Kayo met me on a corner while my friends were in Loft. Loft is a design store and a dangerous store in terms of wanting to purchase everything there. After Loft, we went to the Daiso store which is also filled with things we don’t need but fun to look at.

When we came out of the Daiso store, Kayo pulled out these little brown bags from her bag – she got us gifts! We opened it up to reveal that she gave us personalized (she personalized it herself) key chains with our names on it from her workplace – Business Leather Factory. So sweet of her! We told her we wanted to see her store so she took us to the Namba station branch of the store as she works at Umeda Station location. Cassie bought a wallet and Mike & Manwai purchased passport cases and Kayo was so sweet to give us 5% friends & family discount + tax free savings. I would’ve bought a new wallet but I am very particular about the things I want from a wallet. On our way to the store, we were eyeing Mister Donut and she stepped out and bought a box for us – she is way too sweet!

We walked from there through Shinsaibashi street to the Glico man sign and we went a little further down the river to find so benches to enjoy the donuts. Along the way, we also stopped and grabbed ourselves Croissant Taiyaki – croiyaki? 1000y for 5. There was azuki red bean, custard and sweet potato filling – the sweet potato was delicious! We hung out on under the bridge and on ate then walked back to our area of America-mura – it is very hip and so many colourful characters especially in clothing style. Very much American influence on clothing style but more so the 90’s wears and hip hop influence. Since they were cleaning the apartment when we dropped off our bags, we went back to the apartment to hang for a bit and saw the sunset from the balcony. There was a giant bowling pin just outside our building and we decided to go bowling at Shinsaibashi Sun Bowl 心斎橋サンボウル. It was 950y/pp for shoe rental and 1 game. Kayo put our names in kanji and off we went. My first bowl was a strike! Kayo was pretty precise in her bowling. In the end, Manwai, Kayo and myself were part of the strike club while Cassie and Mike were in the spare club. We even bowled with the bowling pin costumes at one point. I won!

After bowling, we returned to Shinsaibashi to see the Glico Man sign at night then went to Aburiya Dotonborimidosuji あぶりや 道頓堀御堂筋店 for Yakiniku – all you can eat 4380y with option for all you can drink for 980y. We ate so well in the 2 hour time limit plus we all get 1 dessert included. We of course treated Kayo. It was such a good night. We did stop and get takoyaki beside the large Don Quijote near the Glico man sign while we waited for our reservation for Aburiya.

Itinerary – Japan – 2017

0406-2017 Japan

This was my second time travelling to Japan. My previous visit was short but sweet staying in Osaka with a day trip to Nara & Kyoto for less than a week. Japan is definitely one of those countries that can and need to be explore multiple times. I travelled to Japan with Mike, Manwai, Cassie, Glenn, John, Karen & Chi with guest appearances along the way. The flight deals were too good to miss out on especially during Hanami (cherry blossom festival). We found our deal on www.nextdeparture.ca for $730CAD roundtrip to Tokyo (1 stopover in Chicago each way). Originally, it was just myself plus Mike & Manwai that booked together. As the next few weeks past and a few meals Mike & Manwai had with friends, our group became 8. During the trip, I mainly travelled with Mike & Manwai. Total of 14 days.

We booked many of our accommodations with Airbnb. If you haven’t joined and booked with Airbnb yet, follow the link and get credits for your first booking. www.airbnb.ca/c/ruu

Included in this Itinerary, I have included some helpful information to know in advance before you go.

www.hyperdia.com – This is awesome for figuring out your bus and JR routes but you need to know what stations you are leaving from and arriving to.

-Google Maps works well too. If Google Maps does not load/poor connection, enter the directions into the internet browser.

 

$$$

-100y = $1USD roughly.

-The Japanese use cash over credit for majority of their day to day living and it isn’t unusual to break a 10,000y bill on something small.

-The 2000y bill is actually quite rare in Japan as its been phased out and was started in Okinawa for unknown reasons. When exchanging money outside of Japan, you may receive 2000y bills which a few Japanese collect HOWEVER, not all the machines take 2000y bills.

-For many Japanese, they may or may not accept it at their work establishments but some will keep as a keepsake similar to Canada’s old $2 bill that is now replaced with the toonie.

-You can pay for some meals in coins alone as the largest valued coin is 500y which is roughly $5USD.

-For 14 days, I took out just over $100CAD a day. $1502.45CAD – 123000Yen

 

Book in Advanced

Studio Ghibli Museum tickets can only be purchased 1 month in advanced and sells out quickly. The 10th at 10AM Japan time of every month. Much cheaper to purchase from site than through a tour group (service charges are killer). The actual ticket is only 1000y

-JR Pass must be purchased outside out Japan. Maximum 90 days before your trip. JTB Canada is where I purchased mine. For 14 days of travel, my JR Pass was $539CAD

Sumo Wrestling Tournaments are held 6 times a year. If you have the chance to go see it, tickets will go on sale a month in advanced so be aware they are highly sought after and sell out fast. Another option if you are going during non tournament months is to go visit a Sumo Wrestling Beya (practice) at multiple locations and watch their early morning practice.

Robot Restaurant – a month in advanced.

MariCar – Must have International Drivers License (goto CAA – $25CAD (bring your own photo or take one there) + Countries driver’s license to participate in this activity.

 

WIFI Router & Sim Card

-WIFI Routers are great if you have a large group – You can rent at the airport or various locations. Highly recommend renting or bringing a portable battery pack to keep router and phone charged.

-Sim cards – unlocked phones – You can pick up a visit sim card at Yodobashi or BIC Camera/BICQLO(might be cheaper than Yodobashi). If you can find the B-mobile Visitor Sim – 5GB for 21 days (Y2,970-3,480).

-I highly recommend bringing a portable battery pack to keep your phone charge especially if you are using your phone for directions.

 

Transportation

-JR Pass holders need to go through the manned gate to get through at each station.

-You need to make reservations on certain trains but if you don’t, there are a few carts where it is first come first serve or you can sit but if the person with the reserved seats shows up, you give them the seats. The reserved seats also swivel to have 2 facing one another if preferred.

-With the JR Pass, if you miss you train, you can easily get the next one without any penalty fees.

-If you plan on reserving seats for trains for peak times, go earlier to reserve them.

-If taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto etc – request mountainside view to see Mt Fuji!

-Make sure to purchase ekibens before your ride (bullet train specific meals that differ per region and have have seasonal regional speciality foods – all cold)

-Eating is not permitted on trains besides Shinkansen

-JR Pass does not cover all train lines – only JR lines (minus Nozomi/Mizuho/Hayabusa (Shinkansen)) and a Suica or a Pasmo card (similar to Octopus card of Hong Kong or Toronto’s Presto) are indeed very useful and refillable

Pasmo & Suica cards can also be used to pay for other things such as drink machines and whatnot.

-Pasmo can be used in Tokyo, Osaka & Kyoto (from my experience)

-There are women’s only carts depending on time of day

-Trains end around midnight-1AM. There are taxi queues.

-The Japanese are large in numbers but when walking, they don’t necessarily have a sense of urgency and the pace to my standard is slow

-The Japanese do stay in shape by the amount of stairs they need to climb each day while commuting. The train stations are floors upon floors with limited elevators and some floors have escalators while many are just stairs upon stairs.

-You stand on the left side and pass on the right on the escalators. (Although in Osaka, they did opposite)

-Walking is the same – Walk on the left side

 

Weather (From what I experience this April trip)

-It is normal for Japanese people to stay covered up even it is hot outside as they care about their skin getting dark (similar to Hong Kong) They are more conservative in terms of covering cleavage but will wear short shorts. I wore a tank top because it was hot but got looks.

-April – light jacket/trench coats (Japanese fashion trend) and umbrellas are key.

-Tokyo is humid. April – average temp – high of 20, low of 6 – chances of showers high but muggy.

-Kanazawa – chilly and windy but otherwise warm during the day, can see breathe in the evening

-Takayama – Hot during the day – really hot as in we got slightly burnt but once the sun goes down, cold and chilly.

-Kyoto – Hot! (average 21-26C during the day) but cools down at night.

-Osaka – Just right! Not too hot, not too cold; bearable to walk around in a t-shirt majority of the day.

 

Misc.

-Carry your passport around for many places you go shopping you can get tax free!

-Outlets are the Western 2 prong style instead of the american 3 prong

-There are a lot of people but they tend to move slower than the average if compared to Toronto foot traffic.

-You don’t tip in Japan – the only time you tip are in fancy high end restaurants or when you see fit.

-There are designated areas for people to smoke but the smoke still billows the streets and still litters the streets

-Smoking is not allowed while you are walking

-Smoking is allowed in certain food establishments

-There are rarely any garbage cans on the streets of Japan – 1 reason – you mainly goto establishments to eat or eat at home. 2 – in the past, terrorist attacks with packages left in garbage bins now detour garbage bins

-non combustibles and combustible garbage separation

-some wear masks but others don’t and when they sneeze or cough, they just let it out so be aware of that. Coming for Canada, where its customary to sneer into your elbow or cover your mouth, this might put you off a bit like it did me.

-Sailor moon make up by Beaute Creer – You can pick this up at Its Demo stores.

-In some cities like Takayama at night, they have flashing red lights outside of an establishment to signal that they are still open as other stores or restaurants close early.

 

Now onto my actual Itinerary. My itinerary got very extensive and ambitious with things and places I wanted to see and goto. Everyone else built their own itineraries but we made sure at certain aspects, we would all meet up in a different city for certain events such as the Takayama festival in Takayama and Temple running in Kyoto. In the span of 2 weeks, my goal was to make it through all these cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Enoshima, Kawasaki, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya) but of course not all goes to according to plans and we cut out some areas to explore other areas more. This was the itinerary that actually happened. There will always be another time to visit Japan once again to get more accomplished and more land covered.

 

Some places and things I originally had on my itinerary for the surrounding area but wasn’t able to accomplish were the following:

-Baseball – much different than Western Baseball – Hanshin Tigers VS anybody – the atmosphere is completely something to take in

 

Enoshima/Fujisawa/Yokohama/Kawasaki

-Enoshima – fujisawa – cute city – view of Mt Fuji in painting

-Ramen museum (yokohama)
-Cup Noodle Museum (yokohama)

-Chinatown (yokohama)

-Kawasaki Warehouse – arcade games

 

Tokyo

-Tokyu Plaza – escalator & rooftop

-Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan – Tōkyō, Chiyoda, Sotokanda 3-15-5 Gee Store Akiba – 11AM-7PM

 

Nagoya

-Nagoya Dome – Purchase tickets – ticket booth near gate 1 – 10AM-5th inning

-Osu – The Harajuku of Nagoya

-enmusu – Onigiri style w/shrimp tempura – Senju – Nagoya-Famous

-Temmusu (めいぶつ天むす 千寿) – 4-10-82 Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya-city – 830AM-6PM

-Miso Tonkatsu – Misokatsu Yabaton – Yabacho Restaurant (みそかつ 矢場とん 矢場町本店) – 3-6-18 Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya-city – 11AM-9PM

-Hitsumabushi (Grilled Eel on Rice) – Atsuta Horaiken – Main Restaurant (あつた蓬莱軒 本店) – 1130AM-2PM; 430-830PM

 

-Ashikaga Flower Park – Wisteria

Nara, Japan 2012 – Day 13

10/06/12

Since we stayed at J-Hoppers for 5 days, we got a free bike day. After packing our things, Georgie and myself went biking for about 2 hours and made sure to be back by noon as we had to go meet Kayo at 1PM for a day trip to Nara. When we returned,  Daniel showed us his bike that he had purchased for roughly 300CAD. It was a foldable bike called Yeah. We said our goodbyes as he went on his way enroute to Tokyo while we waited for Shela’s return. She had taken the train to Nando station for a 100¥ shop and found Japanese peaches. She had to wait for the bus which made her late, luckily we called Kayo to let her know we would be late. We arrived at the station to meet with Kayo quickly and purchased our ticket to Nara which was 480¥ (our most expensive one just yet for a single ride). To get through the ticket gate from our station, you had to combine the tickets into the ticket slot and then it spat back out the Nara ticket. The train went around the mountain and gave us a nice scenic view.

We went directly for the deer park and grabbed the deer crackers 150¥ a pack. The deers have been in Nara for thousands of years so they roam free. If you bow to them, they will bow to you for food. But be aware, the deers swarm when they see food. They are suppose to be polite but occasionally they will headbutt you in the butt or pull on your shirt for food so when you don’t have any crackers left you are to show them your hands to show them there is nothing left. It was very cute to see the kids make them bow. The Sika deer are free roaming especially in the park but they do go into town. The deer have become symbols of luck and have a slight deity status which makes them sacred and protected so killing one could be punishable by death. Even if you don’t have food, it is great to see that if you bow to a deer they will bow back to you.

We also went to see the Big Buddha in the temple which cost 500¥. Nothing too special but the courtyard was beautiful and the grass was pristine.

We ate near the train station where we had udon noodles. For only 680¥, I grabbed the egg soup udon noodles which was the perfect size and so delicious. We also found the Daiso (which is Japan’s 100¥ shop) selling pretty much anything and everything you could need for a home. On the train heading home, there were these 2 gentlemen sitting across from us – you could clearly tell they had been drinking. At one point they stood up but wasn’t fast enough to get off at their stop so they stayed on. One of the guys then decided to approach Kayo to tell her that he thought we are all beautiful ladies and gave us a box of special sushi. Fruits and sushi are given as gifts for any occasion. We aren’t sure as to what kind of sushi at this point but Kayo tells us that it is good. However, that man didn’t want to get off the train but his friend got too embarrassed and made both of them get off. As the train pushed away, the man kept waving frantically.

When we returned to J-Hoppers, Shela cut open the peaches she bought earlier and we ate them before we left. At first, the first piece I had wasn’t anything special but then I took a piece from the second peach and it was so good! The skin has a softer texture to what I’m used to and it is just so juicy. Those peaches were incredibly tasty and unlike the regular peaches back home.

We have had an amazing high of 28, low of 15 degree weather since we arrived in Japan so a light shower came down as we grabbed our things from J-hoppers and departed for our new home for the night – Capsule Hotel Asahi Plaza in Shinsaibashi. We really wanted to experience what it would be like to sleep overnight in a capsule. We arrived and tried to get settled. The thing is a capsule hotel is very simple and bare. You take off your shoes immediately and put them into a designated shoe locker, grab the key and give it to front desk (you should remember your number). There are lockers for charging and maybe 1 plug inside the capsule areas. You get a capsule key holder with a big key and a small key – the big one opens the main corridor for the women’s only section (there are single gendered & co-ed dorms as well) and the small one is for your locker where you can store things. Mind you, it is tiny – 88CMx24CMx44CM so you can throw things in there like your personal bag and things you would need from your luggage. If it is too large, the luggage gets stored at reception for 200¥ a night but the good thing is that 200¥ gives you 24 hours of storage.

The bathing area is an open area with 1 stand up shower and 5 sitting with a tub to soak in – very traditional Japanese style bathhouse arrangement. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body sponge and facial wash are provided for you. So the proper etiquette for taking a shower in this onsen is you go into the main room of the shower room where there are little lockers to store your clothes and lock it up. You strip down then go into the bath room and choose your spot. You want to rinse yourself first then go abouts with your personal hygienic business. There are mirrors but I would say try to avoid looking at them since the mirrors are placed in angles that you could potentially lock eyes with someone else in the room. After people wash and clean themselves, some opt to soak in the tub (I did not) and then you get out, dry off and dress. I’m not the biggest fan of communal shower but at least I can say I’ve stayed at a capsule hotel and I’ve also done the whole communal bath house that is part of Japanese culture.

The capsule is for sleeping. It’s not too small but I hit my head 3 times on the built-in television. If you are sitting straight up in your pod, there is still space around for those who feel claustrophobic. There are capsules where you need to crawl straight in and then there are some that you go sideways in. You also have either someone on top or under you as well. You have a bamboo type curtain that separates you from the rest of the pods with a light and air constantly being blown into your space.

 

Osaka, Japan 2012 – Day 9

10/02/12

The weather is amazing but the sun is strong. The girls wanted to sleep so I strolled around the streets and noticed that our hostel was actually situated beside a elementary school. It was undōkai (Sports day) and I asked the PTA if I could watch and take some photos which they had allowed.

We were confused about what ticket to purchase us to get to the Osaka Aquarium. Luckily we saw a caucasian man there. Our theory is if we get lost here, we look for a caucasian to help us out. We asked the man and he said his wife (Japanese) could ask for us. They apparently live a prefecture or 2 away and so the area isn’t that familiar to them either. From Fukushima station we connected to Bentencho then to Osakako. Once we arrived, we walked into the 7-Eleven and grabbed us some onigiri (triangle rice balls with seaweed on the outside and assorted filling) for lunch. We purchased our ticket at the Tempozan Ferris Wheel which gave us a deal for the aquarium and ferris wheel for 2600¥ (admission for aquarium is 2000¥). We decided to go aquarium first as it was around 1-130PM and the sun was roasting us.

My favourite part of the aquarium was the great barrier reef section as it reminded me of my great barrier reef experience in Australia but this time I had a camera that didn’t fail. The ferris wheel has 2 see through bottom carts but the wait was 30 minutes so we opted for the standard and up we went. It was nice to see Osaka from that angle. It’s outer limits are lined with mountains and then a few tall building but not too many and opposite of Hong Kong skyline.

Back to Osaka station then we walked to Umeda station to meet Georgina’s friend Kayo (kai-oh) in front of Kinokuniya (a bookstore) and 2 big screen tv named Big man. Kayo came over to Toronto on exchange to learn english and lived with Georgina’s neighbour. She worked for a magazine answering phones (in english). We told her we wanted to try grilling meat on a wire grill top. She told us its called Yakiniku (jap version of korean bbq but much better and on a wire grill top) and we ate at Aburiya Plus Grand on the 7th floor in the Umeda area. We ordered so much meat but the calbi beef and another thin one were the best of the meats. Kayo did all the ordering for us and it was the quietest thing ever. Both the server and Kayo spoke in hush tones. Kayo also ordered sides for us like salad and also huge lettuce leaves to wrap out cooked meat in. She also got us egg in a bowl to dunk our cooked meat into. 2 similar things that Chinese do for hot pot – crack the egg and duck meat wrap. We also ordered Calpis which is a Japanese soft drink that looks milky but tastes a little like lemonaid. We ended off with dessert and I had the tofu dessert with blueberry sauce and sago as well as the dough ball and black sesame mochi ball.

Since we landed in Osaka, we have been getting weird looks from people and we noticed no one around us was wearing tank tops. I asked Kayo and she said that it’s autumn so everyone’s shift to autumn attire although it’s still about max 27 degrees and low of 15. She also told us that the men we see only wearing plain white dress shirts with black dress pants are uniforms for the companies they work for. For women, its usually anything they want but business-y. There is no talking on the train/subways (unless hush tones), you can go on your phone and use it but talking is a no-no as part of etiquette.

After dinner we walked through E street which has gambling, arcades, and food. The controller hand pick game that you would play for toys could also be used for food. Kayo took us into the arcade and we got our photo taken in the photobooth japan style. Over here they use real DSLR cameras (Canon with 18-55mm lense) and the photos are enhanced so the eyes are larger and skin complexion is fixed. WOW is all I said. Our eyes were huge! But nonetheless what a fun time! I highly recommend getting photobooth photos done when you are out in Japan. There are also Photo studios available where you can dress up in cosplay to take photos.

Osaka, Japan 2012 – Day 8

10/01/12

We flew with Peach Aviation and the flight took 3-4 hours and a bit to arrive in Osaka. It cost less than $1300CAD for 3 people. Osaka recently had a typhoon so flights had been delayed days before but luckily it had passed over. The weather was nice with an average of 24 degrees unlike Hong Kong’s 28 degrees + humidity. Coming through customs we had to get our index fingers scanned and a photo taken. Since we arrived so early and were so close to Rinku Outlets, we decided to kill a few hours and head from Kansai Airport to Rinku Outlets. We arrived to Rinku town and put our luggage into the lockers (500¥). Once we walked out of the station towards Rinku, we saw a few broken umbrellas and bicycles/Vespa’s knocked down due to the recent typhoon which we missed by a day or two. We arrived really early (8AM) and nothing was open so we took over their benches waiting for Mcdonalds to open. Once again we had Mcdonalds but this time in Japan. They had a breakfast burger but fries instead of hashbrowns. They have a nifty hand wash station and they separate their garbage and liquids. We were all so hungry and tired since the flight was in the middle of the night not making for a comfortable sleep. The subway lines are extensive here but I think we’ll get the hang of it. It cost us 350¥ to get from Kansai to Rinku and cost us 970¥ to get from Tennoji to Fukushima station where our hostel J-Hoppers is located.

Rinku outlet didn’t really have great deals I must say especially against the Canadian conversion rate. It was the perfect temperature however the fluctuating weather patterns of raining, cold to hot weather were caused by the typhoon that just hit. High of 27 low of 15 for the days we were here. They don’t rely on AC very much and if there is, it’s very low. The seats on the train can flip, as in the back piece can get moved so u can have them facing one another so its a bunch of 4 or switch it so its 2 and 2. For some stops, you have a button to press to open the door. At Tennoji, the voice over the PA system told us to get off to transfer however we shouldn’t have gotten off. We needed to stick to a line that went the Osaka loop so we had to wait for the next bus which took 10-15 minutes. Once we finally arrived at Fukushima station, we just followed the instructions to get to J-Hoppers by following a coloured brick road which also connects in Shotan mall. This is a pedestrians only street (including bicycles).

Arriving at J-hoppers, we were greeted by Mr Yano, Kyohei and Keiko. Our room was on the 5th floor (top floor with rooftop access up one level) but no elevator and narrow stairs but we got here in one peace. We booked a triple bed room so a bunk bed and a single bed. The rooftop is a nice place to relax but I wish it was higher. This culture and environment is much more to my liking. It’s a busy city but calm at the same time especially compared to Hong Kong. The street our hostel was on had loads of little shops for food but we don’t know how to read Japanese so I guess we missed out on some good eats. We went to Yoshinoya for dinner but first we had to get in. To get in you press the little red square on the door and they will slide open – a good note to know if you don’t see any handles on the doors. The currency here has tons of coins and its weird to pay for our meal in only coins. After dinner, we walked through Fukushima street which was so pretty and tons of locals biking home from work. We went to the local grocery store to grab some drinks and cereal for breakfast. Spent some time on the rooftop before sleeping.