Tag: stories

Going Solo in Japan Series: KYOTO & OSAKA

KYOTO

After spending 3 days in Nagoya & 2 days in Hiroshima, it’s time to move to the next city – Kyoto. I already visited Kyoto with my high school friends in 2015 but the city is so beautiful I didn’t mind going back.

I took a 7-hour Willer Express night bus ride from Hiroshima to Kyoto. I arrived Kyoto around 6:45 am the following day & I immediately walked to the hostel to leave my things & freshen up.

It was also in Kyoto where I met my good friend & colleague Rona who has been going around Osaka while I was in Hiroshima. We decided to meet & go around in Kyoto & Osaka for 3 days before she heads up to Tokyo & meet another set of friends.

With my Kyoto-Osaka buddy & good friend Rona

Accommodation

I loved my previous stay in Backpacker K’s House Kyoto I decided to stay there again for this trip. Rona & I decided to stay in a mixed dormitory room to cut down expenses & also to meet & talk to other travelers. Each night stay in a 6-bed dormitory room costs ¥2,900. Not bad, right?

The hostel’s 2nd floor common bathroom

I really like this hostel. The staff were so nice they allowed me to use the shower & toilet even before check in; they also allowed me to use the common lounge area while waiting for Rona. They also kept our luggage while we walked around the city (check-in time was 3:00 pm).

Backpacker K’s House Kyoto Communal Lounge & Dining Area

Also, this time we had some spare time to meet & hang out with the other hostel guests in the on site bar. We even met a group of Filipino guys who are now based in Brisbane, Australia. What a small world!

Places We Visited

Just like the 2015 Japan trip, we only spent 1.5 days in Kyoto. Given the limited time, Rona & I only chose the places to visit. We went to the following places:

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest – what a beautiful view! 😍

A trip to Kyoto will never be complete without a visit to the bamboo forest. Just like last year’s itinerary, this beautiful place came first. We wanted to make it different by taking the Sagano Scenic Railway trip but all the seats were sold out. Oh well, another reason to go back to Kyoto. (No entrance fee)

Access: From JR Kyoto Station, take the JR Sagano line to JR Saga Arashiyama Station & walk for 10-minutes to the bamboo forest. You can also visit the nearby Tenryū-ji, a Zen temple located beside the bamboo forest.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Kyoto’s most beautiful temple 😍

As mentioned in my past Kyoto blog, this Golden Pavilion Temple is the most famous & the most beautiful temple in Kyoto. The autumn colors of the leaves added beauty to the temple surroundings. (Entrance fee: ¥400 per person)

Access: From the bamboo forest, walk to the Randen station of the Keifuku Randen Tram Line. Take the local tram to Kitano Hakubaicho station & walk up for 10 to 15 minutes to Kinkaku-ji. If you still have more time, you can get off Omuri-Ninnaji Station & check out the temples (Ninna-ji, Myōshin-ji & Ryōan-ji) on the way to Kinkaku-ji. Note that you need to board different buses in between these temples; make sure to avail the 1-day bus pass for this.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

The 3 storey pagoda before upon entering the Kiyomizu-dera Temple grounds

After going back to JR Kyoto Station, we hopped on to Bus 206 to go to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This Japanese Buddhist temple is located in the hills east of Kyoto. Famous for its autumn & spring sightings, the temple grounds provide beautiful sunset & city view. This temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Tip: The temple grounds tend to get busy during sunset. Make sure to go there early if you want to secure a good spot while watching the sunset.

Gion

After waiting for the sunset in Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Rona & I decided to walk 15 minutes down to Gion area. Our main purpose here was to hunt for geishas. We went back to same street & geisha house we went to in 2015 & luckily we saw a handful of them. Mission accomplished!

Nearest train station: Gion-Shijō Station of the Keihan Main Line

Fushimi Inari Taisha

The iconic torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha

The following morning, Rona & I went to Fushimi Inari Taisha. This shrine is famous for its torii gates up to the top of Mount Inari. Again, we did not bother going up to the top of the mountain due to limited time. (No entrance fee)

One of the small shrines in Fushimi Inari Taisha

Nearest train station: Inari Station of the JR Nara Line

Tōfuku-ji Temple

Located 10 minutes by foot from Fushimi Inari Taisha is Tōfuku-ji Temple. This Buddhist Zen temple is famous for its spring & autumn colors. This temple is also dubbed as one of the great five Zen temples of Kyoto.

One of the smaller halls in Tokufu-ji Temple (forgot the name, sorry!)

Nearest train station: Tōfukuji Station of the JR Nara Line | From Fushimi Inari Taisha, turn right & walk for about 10 minutes to reach Tōfuku-ji Temple.

Tip: Make sure to check out the garden near the Tsutenkyo Bridge. It’s at its best during autumn. (Entrance fee: ¥400)

OSAKA

After our brief stay in Kyoto, Rona & I took the 29-minute train ride to Osaka. Yes, it’s my 2nd time in Osaka. Since I’ve been to this city before, I decided to just walk around & relax a bit. I needed to take my time because the past few days were really tiring.

With Rona in Mikkabozu Kamoshi, a known local ramen joint in Osaka

Accommodation

Due to Majo’s last minute decision to join the 2015 Japan trip, my friends & I ran out of accommodation choices. We stayed in an Airbnb flat somewhere in Namba area. For this trip, I decided to book early & stay in what was supposed to be our 2015 Osaka accommodation – the Osaka Hana Hostel. Yes, it is also part of the Hana Hostel / J-Hoppers Hostel Group. [Update – Osaka Hana Hostel has ceased operations.]

The hostel is located in the Chūō Ward, a few minutes walk from the Shinsabashi shopping street. The nearest subway exit is Exit 7 of Shinsaibashi Station. I spent 3 nights here & decided to stay in a 6-bed male dormitory room.

Slept in this bed for 3 nights in Osaka Hana Hostel

Just like any other Hana Hostel branch, each bed includes its own reading light, pillow & sheets, curtains, curtains (for privacy), universal plug & a storage box beside the bed. Toilets & bathrooms are shared by guests per floor. I paid ¥3,100 per night (¥9,300 for 3 nights) because it was peak season. It’s still affordable in an expensive city like Osaka.

The hostel people were one of the nicest people I met on my trip (shout out to Kazzy!). They helped us in all of our questions; they even recommended good places to visit & eat. The hostel has a spacious kitchen, lounge & dining facilities on the 2nd floor & 5th floor – a good place to meet & hang out with other guests.

Osaka Hana Hostel’s 2nd floor communal dining, kitchen & lounge area

Osaka Hana Hostel is definitely a good accommodation choice in Osaka. It has the most affordable rates per bed or room, the most convenient location, the nicest staff & the best facilities you can have in a hostel.

Tip: The hostel staff will give you a coupon for the sake bar in the first floor. Make sure to try the different flavors of sake + alcoholic drinks. Good stuff.

Places to Visit / Things to Do

Since I’ve been to Osaka the past year, I sort-of took advantage of my 4 days there. Aside from taking day trips to Nara & Kobe, I just stayed in the Chūō area.

Dōtonbori

Always a busy night in Dōtonbori

Dōtonbori is one of the busiest tourist destinations in Osaka. It is the home of the famous Glico Man signage & the Dōtonbori canal. It is also the home of famous takoyaki shops, ramen places (like Ichiran!) & Don Quixote.

Dōtonbori canal at night.

Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street

Shinsaibashi is Osaka’s largest shopping district. Home to different specialty stores & brands, tourists flock this area almost every day. The perfect time to walk around the shopping street is during lunch time where there are less people. Make sure to go to check out the big GU store in the middle of the shopping arcade.

Hozenji Yokocho Alley

Located behind the Hozenji Yokocho Temple is an alley of local bars, izakaya & restaurants. I walked along the alley to just see what’s in there. Looks like the bars, izakaya & restaurants offer authentic Japanese meal experience. I would love to go back & try some restaurants there. The alleys gets a bit busy during night time, so make sure to go there around 6:00 in the evening.

Tip: All these places are located a few minutes walk from Midōsuji Line’s Shinsaibashi Station Exits 5 & 6.

Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden

View of Osaka from the 39th floor of the Floating Garden Observatory

The floating garden observatory is located in the 39th, 40th & the rooftop floor of the Umeda Sky Building. The observatory is the ‘bridge’ that connects the 2 sky buildings. It offers a 360-degree view of Osaka.

The best time to go is during night time where you can see the beautiful city lights of Osaka. Note that it can also be really crowded during night time; but that is only before the elevator access. Entrance to the observatory costs ¥1,000 per person. You can stay as long as you want to.

Tip: We got our tickets from the hostel at a discounted price of ¥900. Ask your hostel / hotel; they might have discounted tickets too. Also, the Willer Express Bus Terminal is located in the 1st floor of the east tower.

Access: Get off at Osaka Station & walk for about 7 to 10 minutes to the Umeda Sky Building grounds.

Ichiran

The. Hype. Is. Real. The. Hype. Is. Real.

Ichiran is definitely a must try when are in Japan. The ramen chain originated in Fukuoka, the birth place of tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen. Ichiran ramen is probably the best ramen I’ve ever tried – rich & creamy pork bone broth, perfectly cooked noodles, tender pork slices & red pepper sauce all in one bowl. It was really good I ordered another serving (yes, you can do that) of noodles. I went to their Dōtonbori branch twice – one for dinner with Rona & the other one for brunch.

Ichiran is the place to be! 😋

Tip: Plan out what time you’ll visit this ramen chain. People usually line up outside & wait for their turn. If you’re staying nearby, then you won’t have any problem because they are open 24/7.

Pablo

Pablo signage you’ll see outside the Shinsaibashi shopping street store

Pablo is known for the freshly baked cheese tarts. People line up in their Shinsaibashi branch just to buy boxes & pieces of these heavenly cheese tarts. I believe it is also something worth trying when in Osaka.

Oh Pablo cheese tart, why so good?

The Pablo branch here in Manila has mixed reviews; if you want to know the real taste of the cheese tarts, make sure to head to their Japan stores. I’ve also tried another famous cheese tart store in Japan named Bake (tried it in Fukuoka because the Osaka branch is far from where I stayed). I believe Bake’s has better crust, but Pablo’s filling is a stand out. Both cheese tart shops are worth the try.

Pasalubong shopping in Don Quixote & Daiso

Pasalubong shopping is always part of the itinerary when a Filipino is out of the country. The perfect places to buy goodies & treats in Osaka are Don Quixote & Daiso – located both in Dōtonbori / Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade. Both stores have everything you need – from chocolates, to noodles, clothes, accessories & even house stuff.

Some of the Kitkat chocolates you’ll get in Don Quixote 😋

Don Quixote offers tax-free shopping for purchases more than ¥5,000 provided you have your foreign passport with you. Daiso on the other hand is famous for their ¥100 (+ tax = ¥108) goodies. Your ¥10,000 will have a long way to go in both shops. Make sure to head over these stores before going home to the Philippines, okay?

The Kyoto & Osaka leg of this trip had almost the same itinerary as that of last year’s with some additional sightings like the Kiyomizu-dera & Tōfuku-ji Temple in Kyoto & the Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden in Osaka. It was mentioned above that I did 2 separate day trips from Osaka – one day in Nara & another day in Kobe. Those 2 cities will actually be the topic of the next part of the Going Solo in Japan Series. Stay tuned!

The beautiful autumn colors of trees in Tokufu-ji Temple 😍

Make sure to also check how I conquered the <₱50,000 challenge in going around 7 Japan cities for 13 days. Click here to know more. If you are planning to apply for a Japan tourist visa soon, I also posted a blog about the 4 easy steps in applying for it.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 & have a nice day! 😃

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.

Tuesday Tips for Filipinos / Philippine Passport Holders: 4 Easy Steps On How To Get Your Japan Visa (Tips Included!!)

Getting a Japan tourist visa is probably the most nerve-wrecking part of planning your trip. The fate of your trip will depend on the outcome of your application. Some say applying for a Japan tourist visa is a difficult process. I say it’s not – coming from someone who has already applied for tourist visas twice. It’s just like any other visa application process.

In 2015, I applied for a tourist visa with 2 friends for our 9-day Japan trip. All 3 of us were granted a single entry visa valid for a 15-day stay. Last year, I applied again for another tourist visa for my 13-day solo trip. Few days after, my passport came back with a 5-year multiple entry visa up to 2021. Good stuff, right?

My first ever Japan tourist visa!~ Of course I had to cover the visa details 😏

Let me show you how you can easily get your own Japan tourist visa. It’s simple as downloading & filling in the application form, preparing the necessary documents, applying through an accredited travel agency & getting back your passport after a few days. I will discuss these 4 easy steps in detail below (will also include some tips based on my personal experience). Allow me to also share some snaps I took in my past 2 trips to Japan.

Note: Some details below were obtained from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website. The tips below apply to people who are employed in a private company. Business owners can also use the steps below but they might need to submit a few more papers related to their businesses. 

Step 1: Download & fill in the application form

The first step is to visit the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website & check on the visa application requirements. Kick start your application by downloading the application form from the website. Make sure to print this form in an A4-size paper with proper margins. Alternatively, you can ask for application forms in the embassy entrance or in the accredited travel agencies.

Write down your details neat & clear using a black or blue pen only. The accomplished application form should not have any erasure.

Tokyo DisneySea is a must-see in Tokyo; allot 1 day for this theme park~

Step 2: Gather the necessary documents

The embassy requires certain documents to be presented in order for them to decide on your application. Why is this so? It’s because they need to see that you are a registered Filipino citizen, you are qualified to go out of the country, you are capable of supporting your trip & that you will come back to the Philippines after your trip.

So what are the documents the Embassy of Japan require? Please see the not-so-long list below:

Valid Passport – Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months during your trip. The laminated part should be in perfect condition. It must have your signature & have at least 2 blank pages.

Birth Certificate & (if married) Marriage Contract – Both documents should be obtained from the National Statistics Office & must be issued within the past 12 months. You can check lower left portion of your document (near the bar code) to see the date your document was issued. If you do not have time to go to the NSO to get these documents, you can always request from the E-Census & NSO Helpline websites & they’ll have them delivered to your doorsteps.

Note: If you have a used Japan visa in your old or valid passport, you are exempted from submitting this requirement. The embassy already has a copy of your documents when you submitted them before.

Photo – The embassy website mentions that the photo should be 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm with white background. It’s best to wear something formal when having your photo taken. You only need 1 photo that you will attach in the application form.

Don’t miss the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto! 😍

Income Tax Return / BIR Form 2316 – You need to submit a copy of your latest income tax return. The form needs to have your signature. This will show the amount you earned for the past year as well as the amount of taxes you paid to the Philippine government.

Certificate of Employment – This is not listed in the embassy’s requirements but the agencies require this. You need to ask for this certificate from your HR officer. The certificate should contain your gross annual income, position & date when you started working for your employer. It’s best to get it on the same week of the application.

Bank Certificate – The embassy won’t tell you how much money you need to have in your account when you apply for the visa. However, the agencies require that you need to have at least ₱100,000.00 in your account. I know it’s quite a big amount of money. As of June 2023, the Embassy of Japan in the Phillippine added some requirements. First, the bank certificates should now include the account’s ADB or average daily balance. Second, if the bank certificate has no ADB and the applicant has no BIR Income Tax For, then the applicant should provide the account’s bank statement for the last 3 months.

Daily Schedule in Japan / Taizai Nitteihyo – Japan is one of the very few countries that ask for the detailed itinerary of your stay. The embassy needs to see what days are you arriving & leaving Japan, where will you stay (includes physical address, email address & phone number) & which places / areas are you going to explore. The embassy DOES NOT REQUIRE confirmed airline tickets & hotel / hostel reservations; you can just indicate your intended flights & hotel accommodations in the daily schedule. If you want a sample itinerary, I can send you the one we used 2 years ago. Feel free to send me an email to request for the said copy.

Osaka’s Dōtonbori canal at night + the famous Glico Man

TIP: It is always better to apply for a visa as a tourist rather than a visitor of a friend or a relative. The latter requires additional documents (invitation letter, photo, etc) that need to be submitted together with your application.

TIP 2.0: Some people previously ask me why did I book my airline tickets without having a Japan tourist visa. I told them that I would take a risk & spend less than ₱5,000 (before) for round-trip ticket rather than spend ₱15,000 – ₱20,000 pesos on a round-trip ticket last minute. I’ve saved more which I can add up to my daily expenses in Japan. Of course, you lose ₱5,000 if you get denied. If your documents are complete, I don’t see any reason why your application will rejected.

Step 3: Apply in a Japanese Embassy accredited travel agency

Now that you already have your application form & requirements, it’s time to submit them to the relevant agency. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines does not directly accept visa applications. The office has authorized a handful of travel agencies that can accept these visa applications with, of course, a handling fee. These applications are compiled daily & are being sent to the embassy for processing.

I personally recommend Reli Tours & Travel Agency. They have one of the cheapest visa handling fees among the agencies (only ₱950) for tourist visa applications with no guarantors. They have different branches here in Metro Manila; my last 2 applications were handled by their Dusit Thani Hotel office.

All documents will be checked before your application will be accepted. After everything has been checked & accepted, they will ask for the visa handling fee. They will give you a receipt + a stub which you will present when claiming your passport. Applications usually take 3-7 working days.

TIP: If you want Reli Tours to submit your documents next day , make sure to hand over your applications before 5:00 pm in the Dusit Thani Hotel office. Any application submitted after 5:00 will still be accepted that same day; but will be submitted 2 days after. Note that other Reli branches have different cut-off times.

USJ’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter should be in everyone’s list!

Step 4: Go back to the agency & claim your passport

The agency will normally send you a text message once your passport is ready for claiming. Note that they will not inform you if you have been granted a visa or not. You will only know if you were granted a visa when you sign the passport release sheet with a check mark in the ‘Yes‘ box.

You can either be granted a single entry visa valid for 3 months from the date of issue & is valid for a 15-day stay in Japan or a multiple entry visa valid for x years (can be 1, 2 or up to 5 years) from the date of issue & is valid for a 30-day stay per entry.

TIP: Passports can only be claimed in the afternoon from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Make sure to go there on time.

The list of requirements might be a little intimidating; but I tell you, once you are done gathering all the necessary requirements, the visa application process will be as easy as these 4 steps! So what are you waiting for? Book your plane tickets, gather all the needed documents & apply for your Japan visa as soon as possible. A trip to Japan is something you won’t regret. 😉

My 5-year multiple entry Japan tourist visa issued last year 😏

Have you encountered any problem when you applied for your Japan visa? Did the agency require additional documents from you? Do you have any questions or clarifications with the things mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments – it’s always nice to hear from you guys.

Alternatively, you can also send your questions & thoughts to contact@thewkndtravel.com or via Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Thank you for reading & have a nice day!

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.

Going Solo in Japan Series: NAGOYA

Three weeks ago, I shared to you how I conquered the ₱50,000 x 13-day Japan trip challenge. I went around 7 different cities in the southern part of Japan. I mentioned there that I will blog about the 7 cities I visited in 4 different posts. So yeah, here’s the first one!

European vibe in Noritake Garden

The first 3 days & 2 nights of the trip were spent exploring the beautiful & laid-back city of Nagoya. Nagoya is the capital of the Aichi Prefecture & is also one of Japan’s famous port cities. People normally skip this city because they say there isn’t much to see compared to Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka; but I am here to debunk that notion. This city has some of the most beautiful gardens I’ve been to in my whole trip. Let me elaborate below on where I stayed & what I did in my short stay in Nagoya.

Meijō Park near Nagoya Castle grounds

Accommodation

It’s not a secret that accommodation is one of the most expensive in all of Asia. Just like my previous Japan trip, I stayed in hostels. You still get a your private space (beds with curtains) in a room for 3-6 people at a very affordable rate. I stayed in 7-bed dormitory room in Glocal Nagoya Backpackers Hostel in Nakamura Ward. It is a 5-10 minute walk from the JR Nagoya Station & also near to both Willer Express pick-up & drop off points. The hostel is also located near different convenience stores & local restaurants. You won’t have any problem looking for food in the middle of the night. 😉

My dormitory room in Glocal Nagoya Backpackers Hostel

The hostel staff were really nice & helpful. I remember one of the staff told me he loved the Philippines when he visited a few years back. He also wants to fly back soon & explore more places / provinces. The hostel has an on-site bar & restaurant in the ground floor where you can meet & interact with local people & tourists. It also has a communal dining & lounge area in the 3rd floor exclusively for the guests. The property also offers free Wi-Fi to all guests. If you ever plan to go to Nagoya, I recommend that you stay in Glocal Nagoya Backpackers Hostel. The hostel also has private rooms for those who do not want to stay in dormitory rooms.

Transportation

Going around Nagoya is not difficult. The city has numerous JR & local subway lines that take you to almost all tourist attractions. Transfers between train stations & lines are convenient & tourist-friendly.

I didn’t get the Japan Rail Pass or the 1-day tourist pass during my stay; I only re-used my IC card from last year’s trip. I added credit & used it in every train ride. I also used this IC card in convenience stores, fast food restaurants & other shops.

Places Visited in Nagoya

Atsuta Jingu

Atsuta Jingu entrance

Atsuta Jingu is one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines in all of Japan. This is somewhat similar to Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine. Each entrance to the shrine grounds has a torii gate. I went there on a Sunday & there were many Japanese families spending some quality time in the shrine grounds. Anyway, the shrine can be reached by a 5-minute walk from Meitetsu Nagoya Line’s Jingumae Station or Meijo Line’s Jingunishi Station. (No entrance fee)

Shirotori Garden

Shirotori Garden is a traditional Japanese garden with pathways around ponds & streams. This garden is also home to different events & fairs. Luckily, there was an organic food fair the day of my visit. The garden can be reached by a 5-minute walk from the Atsuta Jingu Shrine. (Entrance fee: ¥300)

Beautiful morning in Shirotori Garden

Noritake Garden

Noritake is one of the world’s leading tableware brand that originated in Nagoya in the 1900s. Noritake Garden was built in the former production grounds of the company. It has a craft center where you can see & experience how these wares are being done. There is also a museum which houses the exceptional crafts of Noritake through the years.

Inside Noritake Garden

The garden & recreation area provides a European vibe making you think if you are really in Japan. This is one of my favorite places in Nagoya; I will definitely visit again when I go back. (Entrance fee: Garden grounds: free | Craft center: ¥500)

Peaceful yet beautiful walkways around Noritake Garden

Osu Kannon Temple & Osu Shopping Street

Osu Kannon Temple is Nagoya’s most famous Buddhist temple. The temple’s center of attraction is the wooden status of Kannon, the Japanese goddess of mercy & pets. I went to the temple grounds during night time I wasn’t able to get a decent photo of it. (No entrance fee)

Beside the temple is the Osu Shopping Street. Compared to Tokyo’s Akihabara District, it has hundreds of shops specializing in electronics, anime, cosplay & Japanese goods. This shopping street is a good place for buying souvenirs . (No entrance fee)

Osu Shopping Arcade at night

The Osu Kannon Temple & Shopping Street can be found a few steps from Tsurumai Subway Line’s Osu Kannon Station. Alternatively, you can go down at Kamimaezu Station, a common station of Tsurumai & Meijo subway lines.

Sakae Ward

Afternoon stroll at Nagoya Central Park

Sakae is Nagoya’s downtown district. Department stores, specialty stores & restaurants are all located in this area. The local party scene can also be found here. It is also in this area where you will find 2 iconic Nagoya landmarks – the Oasis 21 & Nagoya TV Tower plus their own version of Central Park.

The futuristic Oasis 21 in Sakae Ward

Nagoya TV Tower from the Central Park

This area can be accessed by going down at Sakae Station or by a 20-30 minute walk from JR Nagoya Station.

Meijō Park

Don’t get me wrong, my initial plan was to go & see the Nagoya Castle. When I walking at towards the entrance, I saw a park full of red, orange & yellow leaves. Since I already know how Japanese castles look like (from my visit in Osaka Castle in 2015), I opted to just go to the nearby Meijō Park. Autumn was definitely at its peak when I went there. I enjoyed walking around, sitting on different wooden benches, observing people & thinking about random stuff. I tell you, it was the best decision I made that day.

The Meijō Park can be found a few meters walk from Meijō Kōen Station (nearest) or Shiyakusho Station (other station; this one is near Nagoya Castle). (No entrance fee)

Best decision I made that day – skip Nagoya Castle & walk around Meijō Park 😍

You might notice I didn’t go to so many places in Nagoya. Um… Yes. To be honest, I wanted the itinerary to be as flexible as possible. I didn’t plan on where to go or what to do; I only asked a few suggestions from the hostel staff & people I met plus check some online sites. I took my time in exploring & enjoyed every single minute I spent in these places.

Also, I missed a number of notable places in Nagoya like the Tokugawa Garden, Nagashima Spa Land, Nabana no Sato Flower Park, Toyota Automobile Museum & Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture.

3 days (or strictly speaking 2 full days) are not enough to explore the beautiful city of Nagoya. The city has so much to offer I want to go back there soon!

It was also announced last year that Legoland Japan will open a theme park in Nagoya. It will be the 8th in the world & the first in East Asia. Legoland Japan is expected to open to the public next month, 1 April 2017. Another park to add in the list for my next visit!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re.

The Japan Series | 2 of 3: KYOTO

Welcome to the 2nd installment of the 3-part blog series about our Japan trip last October 2015. After spending 5 days in Tokyo, Majo, Junelle & I decided to go down to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital via night bus.

Kyoto is known for its breathtaking landscapes, beautiful heritage-listed temples & rich history. Most people go to Kyoto only for a day trip from either Tokyo or Osaka but we opted to stay for 1 night to cover as much as we can.

Japan ’15 crew @ Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

I will keep this blog informal & perhaps discuss it part by part – from where we stayed, how we went around Kyoto, what we did & where we went.

Where We Stayed

We’ve read reviews of the best places to stay in Kyoto; we found Backpacker’s K House Kyoto as one of the most affordable & well-recommended accommodation near JK Kyoto Station. It is about 10 minutes walk from the main station.

Since we were a group of 3 with big bags, we decided to get a triple private room with shared bathroom for around ¥3,200 each (¥9,600 per night). The room consisted of a bunk bed & a single bed. If you are travelling by yourself & you want to meet other people, the hostel also offers bunk beds for a more affordable rate.

The hostel has a spacious reception area. It also features a 2nd floor large common area. It has couches, computers, outdoor terrace, common dining & kitchen area. It also has a common traditional Japanese bathroom & toilet. There is also a bar & restaurant, called Zen Cafe, at the ground floor beside reception.

The hostel allows both incoming & outgoing guests to use the facilities in the common area while waiting for their room access (which starts at 3:00 in the afternoon) or their night buses or flights. Given we arrived in the morning, they allowed us to use the bathroom & toilet in the common area to freshen up & then had our bags stored in the luggage room.

Spacious hostel lounge area

I recommend staying in Backpacker’s K House when in Kyoto. The hostel is centrally-located & offers great amenities plus really nice & helpful staff. Make sure to book your rooms / beds early because they are usually fully booked.

How we went (or to go) around Kyoto

Apart from having a JR Pass, there are other ways of going around Kyoto. As mentioned in my Tokyo blog, we each got an IC card which is valid in almost all train lines all over Japan. We opted to use our IC cards for that day. We took the JR train to Arashiyama, boarded the local tram & city buses to the different temples & went to Gion & Inari via local subway all using the IC card.

A cheaper alternative is to get the 1-day Kyoto bus pass for ¥500 or the 1-day Kyoto Tourist pass for around ¥1,000+. The bus pass gives you unlimited access to all city bus routes for a day. This option is cheap but one thing you need to know is that lines can really be long in different bus stops (especially the buses leaving from Kyoto Station). The tourist pass gives you unlimited access both to the city buses & local subway lines.

Each bus ride / subway ride costs around ¥200 yen to ¥240 yen, except the JR line to Arashiyama which costs around ¥400+. Come think of it, the 1-day bus pass is really a good deal. It will save you some cash but just make sure you are not in a hurry. Both passes are available at the Kyoto Bus Information Center in front of JR Kyoto Station.

View of Kyoto Tower outside JR Kyoto Station

What We Did & Where We Went

Given we had limited time in Kyoto, we carefully planned our itinerary for our stay. Too bad we were not able to cover everything but we managed to visit as much temples & places as we can.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – This place is famous for the famous scenic bamboo forest. It is a short passageway full of bamboos on both sides. Make sure to go up to the end to take pictures with lesser people in the background. It would also be better to go there around 8 in the morning to avoid the crowd. (No entrance fee)

Taken towards the end of the Bamboo Forest where there were less people

Tenryū-ji – This is Arashiyama’s most famous & most important temple. This  white zen temple is also listed as a world heritage site. It features a landscaped garden with central pond surrounded by rocks & trees. (Entrance fee: ¥‎500 per person – for more information about the temple, click here)

Right outside the main temple building

Ryōan-ji – This is a temple famous for its rock garden. Viewed from the Hojo Building (former head priest’s residence), the garden consists of pebbles & rocks laid out in portions of moss. People are advised to keep quiet while inside the building. The temple grounds also feature a park & a pond; one of Kyoto’s most beautiful spots during spring & autumn. (Entrance fee: ¥‎500 per person – for more information about the temple, click here)

View from the Hojo Building

Ninna-ji – This is another world heritage-listed zen temple famous for its temple buildings & beautiful gardens. It also features a five storey pagoda, which you can immediately see upon entering the temple grounds. Just like Ryōan-ji, this is another famous spot for cherry blossoms every spring. (Entrance fee: ¥‎500 per person – for more information about the temple, click here)

Ninna-ji’s 5-storey pagoda

Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) – This is the most famous temple in Kyoto; I reckon also the most beautiful I’ve seen that day. The golden temple features a pond in front & a garden at the back. Seeing its reflection in the water on a sunny / clear day makes it even more beautiful. Make sure to also go early to get decent photos & also to avoid the crowd. (Entrance fee: ¥400 per person)

Stunning view of the Golden Pavilion

Gion – This is the Kyoto’s famous geisha district. It is full of traditional Japanese restaurants & tea houses, modern cafes & shops. Make sure to head over to Hanami-Koji Street & it’s alleys to try your luck with spotting geishas. My friends & I gave it a try & we saw around 10 of them (real ones). We even identified one of the many geisha houses in the area.

We weren’t able to see all temples & shrines on the same day so we moved the visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha the next morning. The temple is in the foot of Mount Inari & is famous for the big & small torii gates. These torii gates lead you up to the forests of mountain as well as to the peak. We had limited time here so we did not bother going up that far from the main grounds.

Just like any other famous place in Kyoto, I recommend that you go here before 8:00 in the morning to enjoy the place by yourselves. As far as I can remember, the place is open for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can go there as early as you can. (No entrance fee)

Inside the row of torii gates

We’ve been to a lot in our 1.5-day stay in Kyoto but I reckon we haven’t covered most of it – only some of the major ones. If ever you are to visit Kyoto soon, make sure to stay here for a few days (not just the usual 1 day tour) to see more of what this beautiful city has to offer. Kyoto is one of my favorites in Japan; I will definitely visit this place again soon.

Just in case you missed it, click here to read about our first 5 days in Tokyo. I also blogged how I spent less than ₱40,000 for this Japan trip. You want to know how? Check this out! I will talk about our last stop, Osaka, in the final installment of this 3-part Japan Series in the coming weeks. Thank you for reading! 😊

PS. Thanks again to Junelle for allowing me to use some of her photos.

The Japan Series | 1 of 3: TOKYO

Hey, I hope you’re having a really good day. I apologise I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been really busy the past 2 months plus I also just came back from a well-deserved holiday. I feel like it’s time to catch up with the planned contents for the site.

As mentioned in my previous post about enjoying a 9-day Japan trip on a shoestring budget, I will post separate & detailed contents of trip whereabouts. I have decided to divide it into 3 different blog posts & these posts will be called “The Japan Series”.

Japan Series | 1 of 3: TOKYO

My friends & I were lucky to have booked a very affordable roundtrip Japan tickets (Manila-Tokyo-Osaka-Manila) last year. Considering we will fly to one city & leave from the other, the three of us sat down few weeks before the trip & planned on what would be the flow of our itinerary. We’ve decided to spend the first 5 days in Tokyo because there’s so much to see in Japan’s capital city.

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Japan 2015 crew! (L-R) Paolo (me), Majo & Junelle

Day 1

It took us 4 hours from Ninoy International Airport (MNL) to Narita International Airport (NRT). After clearing immigration & getting our bags, we decided to try McDonald’s. They give you an option to choose between 6 pieces of nuggets & fries to go with your burger & drink. As expected, all 3 of us chose nuggets over fries. We were so hungry we finished our own orders.

There are a few ways to choose from going to the city center. Since we were not in a hurry, we took the cheapest option – the local train to Tokyo. Other options include Keisei Skyliner & Narita Expess (N’EX). We went to the station counter & bought loadable IC cards. The IC card is like Seoul’s T-Money, Singapore’s EZ Link & Taipei’s EasyCard. You can use the card almost everywhere – from all JR & subway lines (except bullet trains) all over Japan, to convenience stores & fast food restaurants.

After 1 transfer & about 1.5 hours of train ride, we got off JR Uguisidani Station & headed over to Oak Hostel Zen where we booked our 1st 4 nights. The cold weather greeted us when we get off the train. I believe it was around 15°C. It’s something we don’t experience in Manila so we obviously loved it.

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Sensō-ji Temple at night

After an hour of rest, we went to Ueno Park for a late afternoon stroll. It is one of the sakura parks flooded by tourists during spring. We went for another 10 minute walk to Asakusa Temple. It is Tokyo’s famous red Buddhist Temple; also the oldest in the city. We also had our first takoyaki fix here. We were so excited to try it up to the point we forgot to take a photo of it. After spending a few minutes in the temple complex, we had dinner in a local Japanese restaurant then headed back to the hostel.

Day 2

We spent the most of Day 2 in Shibuya Ward. First, we went to Takeshita Street, just outside Harajuku Station. This street is famous for cosplayers walking around in their respective costumes. We’ve seen a few in their costumes but I believe we were too early for us to witness the big number of cosplayers walking around. Takeshita street is also a good place to go when you like all things fancy – from accessories, chocolates, footwear, souvenirs to hoodies & clothes.

From Harajuku Station, we took the subway to Yoyogi Station. If I’m not mistaken, from Exit 2 we walked about 600 m to reach the Meiji Shrine. It is Tokyo’s most famous Shinto Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji. We were lucky to witness a traditional Japanese wedding while we were there. The place was full of tourists & local Japanese families enjoying the hot sunny Sunday. There were also a few adorable Japanese kids walking around in their kimonos.

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On our way to Meiji Shrine

On our way back to the train Station, we dropped by a local restaurant to have lunch. We then headed to Shibuya crossing, dubbed as Japan’s (not sure if also the world’s) busiest intersection. Crossing the intersection was fun & time chaotic. Thousands of people cross the street every few minutes. It gets busier during late afternoon & night-time. We checked out the shops at the other side of the intersection – specifically went to H&M, Uniqlo in Shibuya 100, ABC Mart & some other ones.

Given it was a Sunday & we missed the morning English mass, we went all the way down to Roppongi to hear mass. We went to the Franciscan Chapel Center – Roppongi Catholic Church. It is a few minutes walk from exit 6 of Oedo Line Roppongi Station. They have several English masses every Sunday. You can check out their website for the updated mass schedule. The mass was mostly attended by Filipinos living & visiting Tokyo.

We can’t get over of the Shibuya crossing experience so we decided to go back after mass. We wanted to experience crossing the street at night with all the city lights. We had our dinner there & we also took a photo with Hachiko, the famous & loyal dog. We went shopping before heading back to the hostel.

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Shibuya crossing selfie

Day 3

We initially planned to go to the gardens & the palace for our 3rd day but we found out that these places close on Mondays. We had to interchange the activities & places planned for days 3 & 5.

We headed to Ueno Park again to check how it looks like during the day. Since autumn foliage is just about to start, the leaves are still green. We had a minor photoshoot in the park (haha) then we headed to Tsukiji Fish Market. Usual trips to the market start at 4:00 in the morning to see the live ‘market action.’ We opted to skip that very early activity & decided to just go there for lunch. We walked around the market, saw what each stall is selling & watched what people do.

We came across this Japanese restaurant (we didn’t understand the name) & decided to have lunch. I ordered a plate of assorted sushi & a glass of draft Asahi beer. Perfect combination! Everything was fresh delicious! The meal cost me around ¥‎2,400. It was a bit expensive but it was all worth it.

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What I had for lunch (yum!)

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Draft Asahi beer!

Then we headed back to Shibuya area to buy some treats for our families & friends. The prices of chocolates & biscuits in Takeshita Street shops were the cheapest ones we saw in Tokyo. We also went to Daiso to get goodies for ¥‎100 each (plus tax so around ¥‎108 each).

Day 4

We only had 1 activity planned for this day & that is to enjoy Tokyo Disney Sea. We opted to go for Tokyo Disney Sea instead of Disneyland because Junelle & I have already been to another Disneyland Park (in Hong Kong). Also, Disney Sea is one of its kind so we thought it was worth checking.

We purchased our tickets online, days before we flew to Japan mainly to skip the queue. I suggest you also get yours beforehand as the lines are really long. We got our tickets for ¥‎6,900 each (October 2015 price).

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Inside Tokyo Disney Sea

We spent the day there walking around the theme park & also trying as many rides as we can. Even if it was a Tuesday, the park was full. There were also many ones in their respective costumes. If we only knew about it, we would’ve been there with our own costumes as well.

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Beautiful sunset to cap off the fun day at Disney Sea

We left the park around 5:30 in the afternoon. It took us around an hour from Urayasu to Akihabara. Akihabara is Tokyo’s central shopping district for anime, manga, gadgets, computers & all other things related to electronics. We only went around the area near the station since we were all tired from a long day of walking around Disney Sea. We had dinner at CoCo Ichibanya, a famous Japanese curry restaurant, before heading back to the hostel.

Day 5

It was our last day in Tokyo. Since our Willer Express bus ride to Kyoto is at 10 in the evening, we decided to go around during the day. After breakfast & hostel check out, we headed to Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens. We walked around the garden & went to different temples & shrines. We were lucky enough to see one tree with autumn sakura (cherry blossoms).

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Autumn sakura

We planned to go to Edo Castle but we couldn’t find our way there so we just decided to go to Minato Ward. We went to the Kumano Shrine & Zojo-ji Temple, both a few meters walk from the subway exit. We also went to the Tokyo Tower grounds but decided not to go up due to time constraints.

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After a few days in Japan, we finally had ramen for lunch!

We had lunch in a local ramen restaurant. The ramen costs around ¥600+ per bowl & it includes unlimited rice & pickles. Yes, we didn’t know Japanese people eat ramen with rice. We gave it a try & it was really good. After lunch, we went back to the hostel to rest & also to get our bags.

We experienced an earthquake while we were in the hostel common area. I think it was somewhere between magnitude 4 & magnitude 4.5. Everything was shaking; I thought the structures will collapse. The hostel staff advised us that earthquakes happen a lot in Japan. It was another experience to remember.

After spending a few hours in the hostel common area, we then headed to the Willer Bus Terminal in Shinjuku & waited for our night bus to Kyoto.

We’ve been to many places in those 5 days but I feel there are still a lot more to explore. We missed out on Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Edo Castle & a lot more. These places will definitely be in my list when I fly back to Tokyo in the future.

PS. Thanks again to Junelle for allowing me to use some of her photos.