Last April, I went on a quick trip to Japan for the first time since Fukuoka in October 2019. I did not make any concrete plans on where to go or what to do since I revisited the same places I had been to a few years ago: Osaka and Nara.
I booked my ticket in November 2022 when Cebu Pacific Air offered a ₱1 base fare sale during 11.11. I flew in via Fukuoka, and then I took a domestic flight to Osaka afterwards. I stayed in Osaka for 6 nights and decided to just go around the city and the nearby cities for the rest of the trip.
This post will be different since I will not talk about where you should go or what you should do in these cities. I will only share random photos of the places I have been on this trip. Spoiler alert! I still saw some cherry blossoms in Nara. Enjoy!
Osaka
Dōtonbori
Hozenji Yokocho
Kuromon Ichiba
Shinsekai
Nara
Todai-ji Namdaimon
Tōdai-ji Chumon
Nara Deer Park
Kōfuku-ji Chukondo & Kofuku-ji
It felt surreal visiting Dōtonbori again after a few years. It also felt amazing to see the world-famous cherry blossoms for the first time in x years of going to Japan.
Thank you for joining me in today’s photoblog. I hope you stay tuned for Japan-related content in the future. I hope you can also visit and follow my social media pages –Facebook & Instagram! Thanks again and see you in the next one.
We can’t deny the fact that Japan accommodation prices are very high compared to those of our neighboring countries. From someone who’s been to a number of countries, I can vouch that it actually has one of the most expensive per night rates (both in hotels & hostels) in Asia.
I’ve been flying to Japan every year since 2015 & believe it or not, I’ve never stayed in a hotel. I always go for the cheaper & comfortable option of staying in hostels. I have the tendency to be very picky on which hostel to choose & what time of room or dormitory configuration to book but so far, I’ve never made a bad decision. All rooms & bed types I got in the past are decent, secured, comfortable, some are a little bit over the usual price but totally worth every yen.
In the last 5 years of flying to & travelling around Japan, I discovered 4 trusted hostel groups that offer affordable & over-the-top services to its guests. Note that I’ve stayed in at least one property of these hostel groups in the past. If you’ve been following my Hostel Of The Day posts in the past, you’ll see some of featured hostels coming from these hostel groups. These hostels are located in places or cities where most foreigners go or visit.
The aim of these hostel groups is to provide the best quality of hospitality in the most affordable price or rate. I can assure you that all hostels under these hostel groups provide the best comfort they can at such low prices. Allow me to share with you which hostel groups you should check for your next Japan trip.
Have you read the article I posted about the pattern in getting the best travel accommodation deals online? If not, better check out this post.
Oak Hotel Group
Oak Hotel Group is a hostel group owned & managed by Oakhouse Co Ltd. The group started in 1992 as living spaces for foreigners in Japan. It has transformed into share houses for both foreigners & locals. A few years after, the hostel is operating in 6 locations in Tokyo & 1 in Nara. The hostel group’s concept is ‘enjoyable living.’ True enough, all their properties are equipped with facilities that provide comfortable & enjoyable experience.
Check out these photos of Oak Hostel Zen’s common lounge, wash, kitchen & dining areas. Neat!
My favorite Tokyo hostel is under this hostel group – Oak Hostel Zen. In fact, I already stayed in this property for 3 times (2015, 2017 & 2018) & I am planning to go back in the future. Check out the hostel of the day feature of Oak Hostel Zen.
J-Hoppers & Hana Hostels Group
J-Hoppers & Hana Hostels Group is a combination of 2 smaller hostel groups – J-Hoppers & Hana Hostels. J-Hoppers started in 2002 in Kyoto, Japan in a small building near Kyoto Station. Different branches have been added since then. The owner’s vision in creating this hostel group is to give foreigners a ‘home’ during their ‘Japan-hopping’ trips.
This hostel group also operates J-Stay, a shared-house business for those who want to stay in Kyoto for a longer time, J-Hop Tour, a bus-tour that runs from Osaka or Kyoto to Shirkawa-go & Hida Takayama & hana SAKE bar, a sake bar located on the ground floor of the Osaka property.
This is how a bed in a Hana Hostel dormitory bed looks like. It’s spacious, clean & comfortable. 🙂
One of my recent hostel of the day features is that of Fukuoka Hana Hostel where I came back for the second time. I stayed in the same property (& same room) last November 2016 when I went hopping around different cities. I also stayed in Osaka Hana Hostel & Hiroshima Hana Hostel in November 2016.
K’s House Quality Hostels
K’s House Quality Hostels is a multi-awarded hostel chain that started business in 2003 in Kyoto. As per the company’s website, their group’s concept is to provide ‘inexpensive, convenient & comfortable accommodation for travelers.’ They aim to be true to this concept by providing all guests with quality service, spacious communal areas & comfortable bedding be it in private or dormitory rooms. The group currently operates 12 properties & plans to expand to more locations in the coming years.
The hostel group also operates an affordable Mount Fuji One Day Tour & another accommodation branch, K’s Villa which offers affordable vacation rentals in various locations.
K’s House Kyoto’s spacious common area. This area is the best place to meet people traveling Japan.K’s House Mt Fuji’s 8-bed dormitory room. Stayed in this dormitory room last November 2017.
The last of my 4 trusted hostel groups is Japan is Khaosan Hostel Group. The group is owned by Manryo Co Ltd which started business in January 2004. The owners of the group have transformed old buildings, love hotels & restaurants into shared accommodation & now have 9 operating properties in Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka. The company’s goal is to create a community of travelers having a great time together regardless of nationality, background & companions.
The family deluxe room with tatami-style beds we got at Khaosan World Asakusa Ryokan & Hostel.
I stayed in one of their love hotel turned accommodation in Asakusa – Khaosan World Asakusa Ryokan & Hostel – last February with my family. We enjoyed our stay in a Japanese (tatami) style spacious room. My high school friends also had nice reviews about their stay at the Namba property last November 2018.
The hostels may be operating under different hostel groups but bear in mind that their goals are one & the same – to provide comfortable, affordable & quality accommodation when travelling around Japan. I’ve stayed in at least one property of each hostel group & I recommend all of them to you my readers. It will now depend on your room choice, price difference & preferences on which hostel group or property you’ll book your next stay. Good luck in making those decisions.
Look how super spacious & clean this dormitory room. Took this when I stayed with Oak Hostel Zen
Have you stayed in one of the properties mentioned above? How was your stay? Are you planning to go back in one of those accommodations? Are there other Japanese hostel groups that I need to know & try in the future? Feel free to mention those properties or groups in the comments below. You can also send the details to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
It was a beautiful, clear & sunny day in Fukuoka during my 22-hour stopover last February 2019.
There’s one more part I’d like to share with you to complete the details of this Japan 2019 trip. In between the places & hostels I mentioned above are 2 cities where I stopped for a few hours – Matsumoto & Fukuoka. Allow me to share with you the details of my stopovers in these cities.
Matsumoto
Matsumoto is a mountain city in central Japan; it is the second largest city in Nagano Prefecture. This very small & simple city is known for its beautiful castle & the view of the Japan Alps. I had about 3 hours of stopover in between trips from Nagano to Osaka.
I took the local JR train from Nagano Station to Matsumoto Station. The trip took about 2 hours.
I took about an hour trip from Nagano to Matsumoto via the local JR line. We passed by the snowy mountains & smaller towns of central Japan. Upon arrival at the station, I was welcomed by the beautiful view of the alps. I had a 3-hour stopover so I decided to walk around the city.
Matsumoto Castle
The city’s landmark is the country-famous Matsumoto Castle. Know locally as Matsumotojo, this is one of country’s original & most beautiful castles. It is a castle that is built on a flat ground rather than a hill or a mountain. This castle dates back to the ancient 1600’s & still has the majority of the original structure. Entrance to the castle grounds is free while a fee of ¥600 needs to be paid if guests want to go inside the castle buildings. I didn’t have enough time to inside the buildings; I explored the nearby streets instead.
One of the streets near the castle is Nakamachi Street. This street is full of ancient & preserved wooden houses that have been converted into commercial spaces & souvenir shops. There wasn’t much going on when I walked along the street.
Matsumoto Station
The city’s main hub is Matsumoto Station. Everyone that travels to the city by land drops by this station. This station is also an inevitable place to see when visiting the city because of its modern & clean facilities.
Japan Alps
One of the most beautiful views that welcomed me in Matsumoto is the view of the Japan Alps. I’ve seen the same alps in 2017 from Mount Fuji’s 4th Station but seeing them a bit closer was different. These alps run along the mountains of Central Japan, mostly in Nagano Prefecture. Most of the areas in Matsumoto provide a nice sight of the alps.
After walking around Matsumoto for a few hours, I headed to the Alpico Bus Terminal in front of Matsumoto Station & took the afternoon bus to Osaka where I met with my sisters.
Fukuoka
The second stopover I made & the last city I visited on my recent Japan trip is Fukuoka. As mentioned in my previous posts, I had to go to Fukuoka because it was from this city where I got my cheap flight back to Manila. Believe it or not, my Fukuoka to Manila ticket cost me less than ₱700 not including check in baggage. Cheap right? I got this on way ticket from one of GetGo‘s points sale last August 2018.
Found a lovely small park while walking around somewhere near Canal City Hakata in Fukuoka.
I’ve been to Fukuoka in 2016 so I decided to just walk around the city in this 22-hour stopover. I booked a night stay in Fukuoka Hana Hostel (again) & explored the nearby area by foot right before my flight. I went around the following areas.
Kawabata Shopping Arcade
My hostel was located along Kawabata Shopping Arcade. I took this chance to check on the local shops, restaurants & cafes in the arcade. The area is tourist-friendly though I find it catering more to the local crowd than the tourists. I still had a nice stroll anyway.
Tenjin
Tenjin is Fukuoka’s downtown area. Located about 15 minutes walk from my hostel, this area is full of shops, fancy restaurants & night clubs & bars. It is also where you will find most of the locals & tourists; also the place to see a lot of Hakata ramen places.
Canal City Hakata
Canal City Hakata is Fukuoka’s largest & most unique shopping complex. This 5-storey commercial complex has about 200 shops & restaurants & 2 hotels with canals running through the building.
One of the unique areas you’ll see in this shopping mall is the Ramen Stadium in the fifth floor. It is an area of 8 restaurants serving different flavors of ramen from various Japan cities & areas.
Kushida Shrine
Kushida Shrine is the Shinto shrine a few meters away from my hostel in Hakata. The famous local festival called Hakata Gion Yamakasa is being held in this shrine every July. I was there on a weekend so there were a lot of people in the shrine.
I only decided to walk around the area near my hostel because I was a bit tired. It was the last of 9 days in Japan & I’ve been out & about for the past days. That laid back last day was the one I wished for before flying back to Manila the same night.
So there you go.. This post sums up my stopovers in Matsumoto & Fukuoka & my February 2019 Japan trip in general. Thank you for taking time in reading my posts & sharing them in the online world. I appreciate all the comments, emails & messages I receive. They keep me going!
Do you have any question about Matsumoto, Fukuoka or the whole trip in general? Feel free to post them in the comments below or send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Can you do me a favor? I hope you can help me promote my social media pages to your friends & families – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
The end of a trip series means a start of another series. That’s right – watch out for my upcoming posts about my recently-concluded Melbourne trip with my N9 friends.
After spending 4 days & 3 nights around the Kansai Region (Kyoto, USJ & Nara), I had to fly to Fukuoka for an overnight stop before heading back to Manila. My sisters flew out of Kansai International Airport in Osaka on the same night I flew to Kyushu’s main city. I had to spend a night in Fukuoka & decided to book a stay in today’s Hostel Of The Day feature – Fukuoka Hana Hostel. It was the last of 4 hostels I’ve stayed with in this February 2019 Japan trip. The other 3 hostels I’ve stayed with are Khaosan World Asakusa Hostel & Ryokan, Dot Hostel Nagano & New World Inn Osaka.
I already stayed with Fukuoka Hana Hostel in 2016. In fact, I did a quick feature of the hostel in my Fukuoka 2016 blog post. I remember I mentioned in that post that I’ll stay in this hostel again if I go back to Fukuoka. I just did! I didn’t have the Hostel Of The Day section at that time. Now that I’ve started writing about the hostels I’ve been to, I think it’s the best time to share with you a thorough feature of Fukuoka Hana Hostel. This hostel is a member of the Hana Hostel & J-Hoppers Hostel Group.
Location & Access
Fukuoka Hana Hostel is located along the Nakasu Kawabata Shopping Arcade. It is the only hostel among the row of shops, cafes & restaurants in the arcade. The nearest subway station is Nakasu-Kawabata Station & is about 5 minutes by walk from the property. The famous Canal City Shopping Mall is about 2 to 3 minutes away by walk while the Tenjin area is 15 minutes away by foot. There is also a nearby 24-hour Don Quijote shop located 10 minutes away by foot.
Fukuoka’s main train station, Hakata Station, is a station away from the nearest subway station or around 15 minutes by foot. Fukuoka Airport is 4 stations away (10 minute ride) from Nakasu-Kawabata Station. My flight from Osaka arrived the airport at 9:15 in the evening. I got off the plane, picked up my baggage, walked to the airport station & arrived the hostel at 9:50 in the evening. It was that close! The nearest local supermarket & convenience store is a crossing away from the hostel.
Fukuoka Hana Hostel‘s location is very central & accessible. Everything a visitor or tourist needs can be found a few minutes by foot. The tourist spots can also be reached through the nearest subway station.
Room Types & Pricing
Fukuoka Hana Hostel is a medium-sized hostel that caters to both leisure & business travelers. The property has both dormitory & private rooms. The dormitory rooms (3-bed male, 6-bed female & 8-bed mixed) cost from ¥2,500 a night (seasonal). The rate includes free WiFi, a single bed with curtains, duvet & pillow, air conditioning & exhaust fans in a spacious room, a personal reading light & access to in-room or communal shower & toilet facilities. Towels are not included.
The private rooms (loft bed twin room, double tatami room & loft bed triple room) cost from ¥6,200 per night (seasonal) & has an in-room toilet & bath. Guests also have access to free WiFi & air conditioning just like the ones in the dormitory room.
Guest Perks & Amenities
If you’ve read my previous Japan-based hostel of the day features, you’ll know that these hostels provide a long list of perks & amenities to all of its guests. These hostels cost higher than the usual Asian hostel; it makes sense they give the guests more facilities to enjoy. Check out the following perks, facilities & amenities a Fukuoka Hana Hostel can enjoy.
Free WiFi
The hostel offers free WiFi to all its guests. The password can be obtained from the reception. The WiFi signal is available throughout the building.
Private/Common Toilets & Shower Facilities
The hostel has both private or communal toilet & shower facilities depending on the room configuration you avail. The 3-bed male dormitory room on the 2nd floor has its own toilet & shower area. Other dormitory rooms have access to common facilities in the hallway. These facilities include free shampoo & liquid soap.
Communal Kitchen With Free Coffee & Tea
Fukuoka Hana Hostel has a spacious kitchen area where guests can cook & prepare their meals – may it be breakfast, lunch or dinner. The property also has storage spaces & a refrigerator to store the guests’ food. Coffee & tea are offered for free at any time of the day or night.
Communal Living & Dining Area
The hostel has a spacious living & dining area where guests can mingle with the other guests or with the staff. There are a number of tables & chairs available for use. Guests can also use the desktop computers near the reception for booking flights, planning itineraries or for whatever use it can be. There is also a television in the living area which guests can use to watch news, series & shows.
Rooftop Terrace
The hostel also has a rooftop terrace where guests can relax while having a nice view of the river.
Washing & Drying Facilities
They also have washing machines & drying facilities on the rooftop terrace. Washing clothes cost ¥200 while drying costs ¥100. Check with the reception for the updated rates & times when the machines are available.
Free Luggage Storage
The property offers free luggage storage to all its guests. There is a dedicated luggage storage room right beside the reception area. Guests can leave their bags & luggage in that room on the days of check in & check out only.
Standard Reception Hours
Reception is open daily from 8:00 am up to 10:00 pm with about a 1-hour break from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Check in time starts at 3:00 pm until 10:00 pm while check out is until 11:00 am.
Helpful Staff
Fukuoka Hana Hostel’s people are nice & helpful. They speak good English & make sure that all guests have a good stay. They even give out recommendations on where to go & what to do while in Fukuoka. Ask for tips on where to eat the best Hakata Ramen – they know where to go.
Guest Events
The hostel hosts guest events (or parties as they call it) at least once a week. These events range from takoyaki making activities to meet-up nights. It’s the perfect time to meet people from all the world & enjoy exchanging stories with these people.
Free Use of Board Games & Books
There are shelves full of books & guides which guests can make use of. All guests can pick up a book/guide & read at any time during the stay. Guests can play using the board games stacked near the shelves.
Bicycle Rental
The hostel offers bicycle rental to guests who want to explore the city by bicycle. Feel free to check with reception how much is the rental rate.
Secured Door Entry & Facility
The hostel doors are open every time the reception is open. After 10:00 pm, the hostel door is locked & only guests can access it via a secure code found in the hostel keys. The hostel is also equipped with surveillance cameras.
My Experience
Allow me to share my thoughts on how my stay with Fukuoka Hana Hostel went. I booked a night stay in a 3-bed male dormitory room via Agoda for ¥2,600+. I believe the weekend rate at that time was at ¥2,800 but I got a discount from my BPI Credit Card. The room I booked in 2016 is the same room I got for this year’s trip. I requested to stay in the lower bunk bed upon booking. Voila, the hostel staff reserved the lower bunk bed for me – massive thanks!
I had a pleasant one night stay in Fukuoka Hana Hostel last February. The staff welcomed me with big smiles on their faces. The facilities were clean & well-maintained. Everything looked the same since my 2016 stay. The kitchen, dining & lounge areas were kept clean & tidy. Check in & check out were smooth. Everything fell into place again.
Bought food for dinner in the nearby supermarket & ate it in the communal lounge area. Yum! 🙂
In a growing popular city like Fukuoka where hostels or budget accommodations are limited, Fukuoka Hana Hostel stands out to be the best. The nightly rates, location, service & facilities make the hostel the best-valued property in the city. I will say this for the second time. I will definitely stay again in Fukuoka Hana Hostel if I plan to go back to Fukuoka in the coming months or years.
If you have questions or clarifications with the hostel, feel free to contact them on the details below. Make sure to book your stay as soon as possible – they’re always booked out!
Let’s have a last look at the clean communal lounge & dining spaces of Fukuoka Hana Hostel. 🙂
Have you ever stayed with Fukuoka Hana Hostel? How was your stay? Feel free to share some details of your experience in the comments section below. I am in constant search for hostels to stay with & feature in this site. Do you have a cool or hip hostel in mind or maybe a property you’ve stayed with in the past? Share your suggestions below! You can also send your suggestions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Thank you for reading.. Until the next Hostel Of The Day feature! ✌️
Our main reason for visiting Nara was to see & play with the deer. We really go there to explore everything Nara has to offer. I’ll probably put that as something to do in a future Nara trip. Let me share with you some details about this short but fun morning trip to Nara Deer Park.
Transportation & Access
As discussed in my previous Nara post, the city is accessible by trains from Osaka. The JR Yamatoji & Kintetsu Nara Lines connect the city to various points in Osaka. We took the JR Yamatoji line train from JR Shin Imamiya Station to Nara Station. I forgot how much the train fare costs because we used our IC cards in the trip. Journey takes about an hour per way.
We got off at JR Nara Station & walked towards Sanjo-Dori Street. This walking street full of souvenir shops, restaurants & cafes takes the visitors to the deer park. We dropped by a temple along this street before heading off to the park premises.
Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple found along Sanjo-Dori Street & is one of the must-see places in the city. It is also one of Nara’s Seven Great Temples that played an important role in the history of the city, especially during the time of the Fujiwara clan. Make sure to check out the 5-storey pagoda within the temple grounds plus the various halls around it.
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji is the most famous temple in the city. It is located just by the deer park & it houses the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue. This temple also has a large wooden gate at its entrance called Nandaimon Gate. Entrance to the main hall of this temple costs ¥600 per person. My sisters & I opted not to go inside the temple because of time constraints.
Nara Deer Park
Nara Deer Park is the place to see & play with the deer. These deer are considered sacred creatures in the Shinto Religion & are allowed to freely roam around the park. The deer do not bite or hurt the tourists but they tend to become really playful. The deer know how to ask for crackers from the visitors & know how to bow. They also know how to pose for selfies.
My sisters & I spent about an hour going around the park, feeding & playing with the deer. There were moments when we ran around the park because these deer don’t stop asking for food. Some of them, maybe those who are already full, just sit or lie down in one area & ignore all the people around.
Japanese Street Food
Right outside Tōdai-ji is a long row of stalls offering street food for reasonable prices. They have takoyaki (octopus balls), pork & beef sticks, yakisoba, ice cream sundae, chicken tenders, etc. My sisters & I dropped by for a snack. I got myself a pack of freshly-cooked takoyaki for ¥500.
This pretty much sums up our short but fun morning visit to the small city of Nara in Japan. It was a perfect morning side trip to see & play with the sacred deer. We rushed back to Osaka, had lunch in Ichiran, got our stuff from New World Inn Osaka & went straight to Kansai International Airport. My sisters flew back to Manila the same night while I flew to Fukuoka for an overnight stopover.
Have you been to Nara in the past? How was your visit? Did you enjoy feeding & playing with the deer? Are there other interesting places I should visit when I go back in the future? Let me know in the comments below & let’s engage in a discussion. If you want to be anonymous or if you have a question, you can also send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Many thanks!
Watch out for my next post about the short stopovers in Matsumoto & Fukuoka I had for this trip plus the post about the last hostel I stayed with in this trip – Fukuoka Hana Hostel. Thank you for reading & see you next time!
