Tag: blog

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.

Friday Thoughts: How To Travel While Working Full-time

One of the many questions people ask me now is “How do you manage to travel a lot given by Monday-Friday work schedule?” I won’t have a clear answer if you asked me the same question 5 years ago. As the months & years of travel went by, I realized there is a pattern in almost every trip I take.

Looking back at the past years, 2013 was by far the busiest. I’ve been to Davao, Zambales, Boracay (twice), Kuala Lumpur, Cebu, Bohol, Singapore, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Hongkong & Macau in a span of 10 months. 2015 & 2016 came next where I’ve been to Siem Reap, Bali, Taipei, Krabi, South Korea, Yangon, Boracay & El Nido. I’ve also been to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur (again!), Singapore & Japan twice in the past 2 years. Quite a long list, eh?

View from the shores of Padang Padang Beach in Bali – the place where the Eat Pray Love beach scene was taken

Imagine the number of days I had to take leave from work, the amount of money I spent for every plane ticket, accommodation, food, drinks, activities, etc. However, I don’t regret spending a lot on travels for the past years. Every trip was just worth it. The exposure I had & experiences I gained in the different places & cultures were far more valuable than the amount of money I spent.

Now let’s get back to business. Let me give you some thoughts on how you can travel a lot given your full-time job. Please note that all these pointers are based on personal experiences; one or two may or may not be true for you.

Plan where & when to go

You need to decide where you want to go. The world has so much to offer – relaxing beaches & islands, antique or modern temples & churches, busy city streets, laid-back cultural villages, stunning landscapes, etc. You may want to visit the beautiful islands of Coron & El Nido, the world famous sunset of Boracay, the untouched beauty of Batanes or the majestic cone-shaped Mayon Volcano of Albay. You may also want to consider the delicious street food & fun street parties of Bangkok, the amazing Petronas Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur, the famous Merlion statue of Singapore or the busy Shibuya intersection in Tokyo. It all depends on you on what you want to see or experience.

Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers

You also need to consider when you are planning to go. Note that prices tend to double during peak summer months & during holiday breaks. You also need to consider the weather or season of the place you’re going to. Generally, it’s expensive to go everywhere during summer & Christmas / New Year.

Manage work leave credits

After deciding on where & when to go, the next question is what dates should you take. For the past years, I mostly had trips during long weekends (+1 or 2 regular days) here in the Philippines. It saved me quite a few vacation leaves, plus I get to extend for another day or two in my destination. The Philippine government releases the list of  regular & special non-working holidays pretty early so you have a lot of time to plan on which long weekends to take.

Been a year since I went to Yangon, Myanmar; it was during the Chinese New Year long weekend here in the Philippines; photo taken inside Shwedagon Pagoda

Make sure to always include Saturdays & Sundays in your trips. Your leave credits will perish fast if you always leave on a Monday & go back on a Thursday. Take advantage of the other leave privileges offered by your company. In my case, I always use my anniversary & birthday leaves for travel; additional 2 paid day offs won’t hurt.

Book tickets as early as possible

Now that you know where & when to go & you already planned your vacation leaves, you should book tickets as early as possible. I don’t consider a trip ‘official’ if I haven’t booked plane tickets.

₱1-fare ticket I booked to Bangkok last year (photo from my previous post)

You might ask me why you should book as early as you can? Simple, you get cheaper round-trip fares. 2 weeks ago, Cebu Pacific Air had a surprise ₱1.00 sale for both domestic & international routes. Domestic round-trip tickets were at less than ₱600 while international round-trip tickets were as low as ₱1,400. Super affordable, right? Booking plane tickets early will save you some money which you can already add to your trip budget.

If you need some help in booking low-fare tickets, I got you covered. I blogged about it last month; click here to know more.

Set up a travel fund

Aside from conflicting work schedules & leaves, money is probably the other reason why most people don’t travel. They think travelling is too expensive. Yes, it may be for some; but it’s affordable for most young people.

So the travel dates, leaves & tickets are all set. The question is, where will you get the money you’ll spend for the trip? My only tip for you is to open another bank account for your travel fund. This account will be different from your payroll & savings accounts. Allot a certain amount of your monthly salary to your travel fund. You must also promise yourself that you will not withdraw any money from that account up until before your trip.

Tip: To avoid withdrawing money from your travel fund account, make sure to open a passbook savings account instead of an ATM savings account. You will feel lazy lining up in the bank just to get some cash.

Some of my previous travels (L-R: El Nido, Japan, Myanmar & Taiwan)

This tips worked for me; probably the reason why I was able to travel a lot while working full time for the last 5 years. I hope this entry will inspire you to travel more! ✈️

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.

Tuesday Tip: How to be a CHAMP in booking low-fare tickets

Who would say no to a ₱200+ round-trip ticket to Cebu, a ₱1,300+ round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur, a ₱1,800+ ticket to & from Bangkok & a ₱4,900+ round-trip ticket to Tokyo & from Osaka? No one. Many friends ask me how do I book affordable tickets for all of my past travels. Some think I’ve done it with luck; I say I’ve done it with a few strategic measures.

You want to know my secret? Let me teach you how you can become a CHAMP in booking cheap domestic & international tickets from Manila, Cebu or any Philippine airport.

Note: These tips mostly apply only to low-cost carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia et al. The tips below are purely based on actual observations & past personal experiences; they did not come from any airline insider or connection. Also, these tips don’t include baggage allowance, seat selection & other flight add-ons. I don’t intend to endorse any airline / carrier; I am not affiliated in any of the mentioned companies below. 

UPDATE (9 May 2017) – This post has a PART 2! Click HERE to know more about the additional 5 CHAMP tips! 😎

C – CHECK & subscribe to mailing lists

Airlines regularly send out emails about their upcoming & current fare offers. Air Asia announces their low-fare sale 3-5 days before & announce the travel period a day before the priority sale. Cebu Pacific Air sends out regular announcements to there subscribers while Jetstar alerts their subscribers 2-3 days before a low-fare sale or minutes before the regular 10 AM Friday Frenzy Sale.

H – HOLIDAYS & special occasions

Seat sales usually happen 1 day before or sometimes on the day of the holiday / special occasion. Cebu Pacific Air usually starts their offers 12:01 am of a day before a Philippine Holiday – true to the recent New Year sale (started 31 December 2016), Christmas Day sale (started 24 December 2016) & Bonifacio Day sale (started 29 November 2016). From memory, the only seat sale that starts 12:01 am of the same day is the Easter Sunday sale. This was the holiday where my friend & I booked our Japan tickets for less than ₱5,000 each.

A Japan round-trip ticket for 2 booked during the 2015 Easter Sunday seat sale

There are also occasions where airline companies hold special seat sales. This can range from anniversary sales (i.e. Cebu Pacific’s 20th Anniversary Piso (₱1.00) base fare sale last 8 March 2016 & Philippine Airline’s 75th Anniversary (up to 75% off on fares) sale last 13 March 2016) to random calendar patterned offer fares (i.e. Cebu Pacific’s 12.12 sale last December 12, 2012 & 10 peso sale last October 10, 2010). On the other hand, Jetstar holds their annual Boxing Day sale every after Christmas & their Return-For-Free promo in some selected months per year.

A super duper mega affordable round-trip ticket to Bangkok booked during Cebu Pacific Air’s 20th Anniversary Sale last March 2016

A – Airlines’ Mobile APPS

Airline websites tend to get busy minutes after every low-fare sale starts. An alternative way of securing cheap tickets is booking via the airlines’ respective mobile applications. These applications show the same fares being offered in the websites.

The Bangkok ticket above was booked at 12:38 am via the mobile app

Some applications allow you to log in & key in personal details beforehand for faster check out. Always remember only credit card is the only mode of payment accepted in booking via these mobile applications.

M – MEMBERSHIPS, Miles & Loyalty Points

Airlines offer memberships to all its patrons. These memberships let you save your personal details, family members & companion details as well as credit card details in their system. Having all the details saved online makes bookings faster, thus securing your promo seat in no time.

Air Asia provides a 24-hour priority access to their Air Asia BIG Loyalty Programme members. The members can already book tickets ahead of time (usually every 12:01 am Sunday) before they start the network-wide sale (which starts 12:01 of the next day, Monday).

A round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur I got for 20 Air Asia BIG Points & ₱1,300+

Cebu Pacific’s GetGo also send emails for upcoming seat sales; these email alerts let their members plan their trips ahead of the sale.

Most airlines also allow you to earn loyalty miles / points every time you fly with them. Air Asia allows you to earn Big points, Cebu Pacific Air lets you earn GetGo Points, Philippine Airlines allows you to earn Mabuhay Miles & so on. Make sure to register in these platforms & earn miles / points every flight you take. Keep on earning miles / points with these airlines & you’ll get eventually get privileges such as free flights, exclusive seat sales, in-flight treats & lounge access.

Flew back to Manila for free last week; Used my GetGo points for my ticket

P – PLAN Dates

The last tip I can give to everyone is to plan the dates of your trip. You might ask me, how will one know the travel period of the upcoming sales of each airline? Easy. Given I’ve been booking tickets for years, I have already noticed some patterns on the travel dates offered in the seat sales.

Cebu Pacific Air makes changes in their website a few minutes before 12 midnight. Make sure to check the website 11:58 pm – 11:59 pm before the usual holiday sale to have an idea on the offer fares as well as their respective travel period (before everyone knows about it by 12:01 am). Usually, the travel period of the low fares can range from 4 months from the current month up to 12 months.

Air Asia on the other hand announces the travel period 12 hours before the priority sale for BigShot members. They send out an email to all members to announce the travel dates for the upcoming sale.

Jetstar’s Friday Frenzy sale usually offers discounted fares for immediate travel (within the next 3 months) while their special sale offer low fares for travels 4-6 months from the day / month of booking.

Tip: If you want to travel on dates during long weekends, make sure to choose the dates 2 days before or after the holiday / long weekend for higher changes of securing a low fare seat.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to the different airline websites & subscribe to their mailing list, download the available mobile apps, join the different membership & loyalty programs, plan your next trips & wait for the next low fare sale. You might just get the most affordable ticket to your dream destination! ✈️

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.

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.

imag8994_1-2

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.

imag8952-2

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.

dsc_1089-2

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.

dsc_1317-2

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.

imag9204_1-2

What I had for lunch (yum!)

imag9207-2

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).

imag9397_1-2

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.

imag9482_1-2

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).

imag9560_1-2

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.

imag9614-2

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.