japan highlights – The Wknd Travel

Japan Highlights 2019: MATSUMOTO & FUKUOKA Stopovers

Now, I’ve shared much detail about my recent Japan trip – from spending 36 hours in Tokyo, exploring Nagano in 48 hours to going around Kyoto for a day, riding thrill rides at Universal Studios Japan & playing with the sacred deer of Nara Deer Park. I’ve also talked about the hostels I’ve stayed with – Khaosan World Asakusa Ryokan & Hostel, Dot Hostel Nagano, New World Inn Osaka & Fukuoka Hana Hostel.

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 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.

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.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Japan Highlights 2019: NARA – A Morning Visit To The Deer Park

After 36 hours in Tokyo, 48 hours in Nagano, a day being a kid at Universal Studios Japan & a lovely day around Kyoto, I accompanied my sisters to spend their last morning in Japan with the deer in Nara. This is the last city my sisters & I visited before they flew back to Manila the same evening. I’ve been to Nara in 2016 & I was delighted to go back & bring my sisters this time.

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.

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Kōfuku-ji

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!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Japan Highlights 2019: KYOTO – Japan’s Ancient Capital In One Day

The whole 9-day Japan trip is starting to take its full shape. My first 36 hours was spent in Tokyo with my family. Then, I took the off-beaten path & spent 48 hours in the mountainous area of Nagano. After my stay in Nagano, I headed to Osaka to be reunited with my sisters for a few days. Our 1st day in Osaka together was spent being ‘kids’ again at Universal Studios Japan.

After spending a fun day in USJ, my sisters & I allotted one day to visit Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto. It was their 1st time in the country so a visit to Kyoto (at least the highlights) was on our list. I already wrote a few articles about Kyoto in the past in this website. I’ve been to Kyoto in 2015 & 2016 so I was their tour guide for that day. We only had a day here so we only chose the major sights & carefully planned our route.

Kyoto Route

In my past visits, my friends & I decided to stay in Kyoto during our visit. This time, my sisters & I decided to base in Osaka. From our accommodation, we started our Kyoto journey by taking the train to Hankyu-Arashiyama Station. We walked around Arashiyama & then took the local railway from Randen Arashiyama Station to Kitano Hakubaicho Station. Then we walked for about 15 minutes to reach Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Pavilion. From there, we took the local bus to Kyoto Station for lunch.

After lunch, we went to the nearby Higashihonganji Temple. We walked back to Kyoto Station & took the local train to Fushimi Inari Taisha. After going up (or at least half of the mountain), we walked down to Fushimi-Inari Station of the Keihan Main Line & took the express train back to Osaka.

We planned our route well up to the point where we won’t go back & forth certain places. We started off in Arashiyama & finished our Kyoto visit in Inari area with a short stop in the center.

Let me share to you the specifics of each area we visited.

Applying for a Japan tourist visa soon? Let me help you. Check out these 4 easy steps on how to get your Japan tourist visa.

Arashiyama

Katsura River
Random street in Arashiyama

My recent Arashiyama visit was different from my previous trips. This trip started off in Hankyu-Arashiyama Station where we walked along Arashiyama Park, Togetsukyo Bridge & Katsura River. We then headed to Tenryu-ji, Arashiyama’st most important zen temple. The temple features a landscaped garden with a central pond surrounded by rocks & trees. An entrance fee of ¥600 is collected from each visitor. My sisters & I bailed out knowing there’s an entrance fee.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

We continued walking to Arashiyama’s main attraction, the Bamboo Forest / Grove. This must-see scenic place stretches through an easy uphill path. We went up to the very end of the way thinking there will be lesser people. Unfortunately, there were even more people in that part. Luckily, we found some spots where there were close to no people.

More of the Bamboo Grove
Local Randen Railway

Kinkaku-ji

After about 1.5 hours around Arashiyama, my sisters & I went to Kinkaku-ji via the local Randen railway & a few minutes walk. Kinkaku-ji, commonly known as the Golden Pavilion Temple, is Kyoto’s most beautiful & famous temple. This temple is the number 1 attraction in Kyoto & is flocked by millions of tourists every year. It has a pond in front & a garden at the rear. We were there during a cloudy day but we still saw a reflection of the temple in the pond. [Entrance fee: ¥400]

Kyoto Center

Right after a short visit in Kinkaku-ji, we took the local bus to Kyoto Station. We first had lunch at Sukiya, a local restaurant chain in Japan. I got my favorite gyudon dish topped with melting cheese. I ate it with their signature pickled radish & cold Japanese tea.

After lunch, we walked to the nearby Higashihonganji Temple. This temple served as the center of Buddhism in Kyoto. Admission to the temple is free. We leisurely walked back to Kyoto Station & went to our next destination.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

From Kyoto Station, we took the JR Nara Line to Inari Station, then to Fushimi Inari Taisha, the temple famous for the thousands of orange torii gates. This shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. We went up to half of Mount Inari, to where there were more torii gates & less people & took photos of ourselves. Entry to the shrine & up Mount Inari is free of charge.

We then made our way back down & headed to Fushimi-Inari Station of the Keihan Main Line. We took the next express train back to Osaka, had dinner in Shinsaibashi & went back to our accommodation.

It was a day full of walking & sort-of hiking around Kyoto. We may not have been to as many places as we can but we surely covered the highlights of Japan’s ancient capital.

Have you been to Kyoto in the past? How did you find the city? Are there other places that I need to visit when I go back? I’ve been to this city 3 times & I feel like I still need to go back & to explore more. Don’t be shy & share your suggestions in the comment section below. You can also send those suggestions 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. Arigatou. ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Japan Highlights 2019: TOKYO – 36 Hours In The Land Of The Rising Sun’s Most Famous Metropolis

Last week, I shared with you details of Dot Nagano Hostel – the hostel I stayed with in Nagano. It was antique & unique, small but affordable; it’s the best place to stay in a beautiful city like Nagano.

My 2019 Japan trip started in Tokyo before I went to Nagano. My initial plan was to explore Nagano, Kanazawa, Toyama & Kumamoto for 9 days until my sisters & relatives joined the trip. I had to revise my itinerary to join them most of the time & also to guide them in their first trip to Japan. I joined them for 36 hours in Tokyo before going on my own in Nagano. I met with my sisters in Osaka a few days after.

Saw these empty barrels of sake outside Meiji Jingu Shrine. Felt so good to be back in Tokyo, Japan!

In this post, I will specifically talk about in 36-hour stay in the world’s most populous metropolis, Tokyo. Please note that this is not my 1st time (actually my 4th) in the city. Also, we’re travelling with a 1-year old kid. Our itinerary was relaxed & kid-friendly.

Flight To Tokyo

Will you believe me if I say that I booked my ticket to Tokyo for only ₱850 one way? Yes, it’s true. I booked this flight August 2018, right before all the fuel surcharges & other charges imposed on airfares. I took advantage of GetGo‘s, Cebu Pacific Air‘s lifestyle rewards program, 8,000 points off promotion that time.

I only paid 3,900 GetGo points & ₱850 for this flight to Tokyo. The flight left Manila at 6:15 am & arrived Tokyo ay 11:30 am local time. Flight time took about 4 hours & paying such cheap fare was definitely worth it. I wrote a previous post on how you can score cheap flights like this; check out this link (& this link too) for more information.

Places Visited Within 36 Hours

36 hours may be too short for a trip to Tokyo; but hey, I got the most out of it. Most of the places we went to were the same places I’ve been to in my past Tokyo visits. It’s their 1st time, so they need to see the highlights. Check out these places we went to:

Asakusa

One of Tokyo’s visited areas is Asakusa. This area is known for the Senso-ji Temple, the city’s world famous & oldest red Buddhist temple. We passed by the temple on our way to the hostel. We also walked around the busy streets & even went to one of the biggest Don Quijote stores in Tokyo.

Nearest train station: Asakusa Station (Tobu Railway, Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway Lines)

Roppongi

The main reason we went to Roppongi was to attend the 6:00 pm anticipated Sunday mass at the Franciscan Chapel Center – Roppongi Catholic Church. We also explored the area, walked around different shopping malls & even saw Tokyo Tower from afar.

Nearest train station: Roppongi Station (Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway Lines)

Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu is Tokyo’s most important Shinto shrine & is dedicated to Emperor Jingu. We went there on a Sunday, so the place was flooded both by locals & visitors. I’ve been to this place in 2015 & again, I witnessed a part of a Japanese wedding.

Nearest train stations: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line) & Meiji-jingu-mae Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda & Fukutoshin Subway Lines)

Takeshita Street

Harajuku’s Takeshita Street is one of the city’s busiest places. It is a short street full of shops, cafes, restaurants & anything fancy. I reckon it is the best place to buy pasalubong. Look for the stall that sells Kitkats for less than ¥200 & chocolates for less than ¥90 per small box. I forgot the name of the place but it’s the one with chocolates displayed along the streets.

Nearest train station: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line)

Omotesando Hills

Right at the other end of Takeshita Street is Omotesando Hills. This area is Tokyo’s special area for shopaholics. Omotesando Hills is a large shopping complex where you can find all local & international luxury & branded stores. It is also a place where you’ll see many boutique & specialty stores.

Nearest train station: Omotesando Station (Toko Metro Chiyoda, Ginza & Hanzomon Lines)

Shibuya

Sushi for lunch!
Scallops Sushi

Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s most famous places to visit. It became famous for the intersection & its busy commercial district. It’s also a good place to go shopping & have good food. We had our late lunch in a sushi (train) restaurant. We went around different stores & buildings afterwards. We also dropped by the famous Hachiko statue.

Nearest train stations: Shibuya Station (JR Yamanote, JR Saikyo & Shonan-Shinjuku Lines, Keio Inokashira Line, Tokyo Metro Ginza, Hanzomon & Fukutoshin Lines)

And that’s a wrap! That’s already 36 hours around Tokyo, Japan. I may not have been to new places but I had a great time visiting these places again – but this time with my family. I left for Nagano afterwards while they went to Tokyo DisneySea Resort, Akihabara & Shinjuku days after.

It’s still in my plan to go back to Tokyo for a few days & go to newer places. I heard there’s quite a list of new & exciting places to go to. The last time I went there to explore was in 2015 & it’s been years. I don’t know when will that be but hopefully soon.

Have you been to Tokyo recently? Any fancy, new or interesting places to go to? Share your suggestions & itineraries below. Feel free to also send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com if you’re shy enough to comment. Make sure to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Watch out for my post about the beautiful Nagano. Ciao!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.