Japan! Japan!

Konnichiwa!

Osaka Castle

Here's my 5 day trip to Japan:

Trip to Japan
Japan Japan! (Prep)

Japan - Tokyo Day 1

Japan - Tokyo Day 2

Japan - Osaka Day 1

Japan - Osaka Day 2 (Universal Studios Japan)

Japan - Kyoto (side trip)

My total expenses including roundtrip airfare, travel tax, terminal fees, etc.

*Best Western Hotel Tokyo for 1 night: 5,500 JPY or 1182.5 PHP per night

Toyoko Inn Senba Higashi for 2 nights: 13,500 JPY per night for 2 pax with free breakfast

Japan Japan! (Prep)

Konnichiwa!

Diver City Tokyo

TICKET

After I applied our visa, we booked our ticket last August 15 via Cebu Pacific.


Manila to Nagoya

Base fare of 499php, we got our ticket for a total of 6,952.32php or 3476.16php each departing from Manila to Nagoya, with 30 kilos check in baggage (shared).  

Osaka to Manila

For our return flight, we got our ticket for a total of 17,678 JPY, with basefare of 1499 JPY(no check in baggage).

WILLER BUS EXPRESS

Nagoya is our port of disembarkation, we need to travel again to reach Tokyo and Osaka. We choose to travel by higway bus via Willer Bus Express. Though Shinkansen or bullet train is the fastest way to reach prefectures in Japan, like traveling from Nagoya to Tokyo will only take 100 minutes via shinkansen and 6 hours by highway bus.  It would really save you time but shinkansen is too expensive, the regular one way fare is 10,360 JPY for non reserved seat and around 11,000 JPY for reserved seat while highway bus fare starts from 3,000 JPY, cheap right?

Of course this is a budget trip, so we choose to take the Willer Bus Express,  we didn't only save fare for transportation but also for accommodation :)

Our ticket cost:

Nagoya to Tokyo
13,680 JPY for 2 pax

Tokyo to Osaka
11,800 JPY for 2 pax




MONEY MATTERS

I exchanged my peso at Sanry's Money Changer (Robinsons Forum branch), exchange rate is 0.4290 JPY to 1 PHP.

ACCOMMODATION

TOKYO

BEST WESTERN
Tokyo Nishikasai

6-17-9 Nishikasai, Edogawa-Ku
Tokyo, 134-0088, JP
Phone: +81 3 3675 8900
Fax: +81 3 3675 9208
Check In 3PM (15:00)
Check Out 10AM (10:00)

Best Western website: click here

OSAKA

TOYOKO INN OSAKA

Senba Higashi

Address: 2-4-29, Nounin-bashi Chuo-ku Osaka-city, Osaka   Postal Code: 540-0011

Tel: +81-(0)6-4790-1045     Fax: +81-(0)6-4791-1046

Toyoko Inn Osaka (Senba Higashi) website: click here

VISA

Filipinos still need visa to enter Japan, luckily this year it was announced that getting Japan Visa for Filipino will be relaxed.

How to to apply Japan Visa: click here

Single Entry Visa

ITINERARY

October 18 - Arrival: Nagoya

Take overnight Willer Bus Express to Tokyo in Nagoya Station

October 19 - Arrival: Tokyo

Check-in: Best Western

Diver City Tokyo (Daiba)

Shibuya Crossing (Hachiko)

Mugiwara Store (One Piece Shop)

October 20

Glimpse of Tokyo Disneyland

Asakusa (Sensoji Temple)

Akihabara

Shibuya

Take overnight Willer Bus Express to Osaka in Shinjuku

October 21 - Arrival: Osaka

Check-in: Toyoko Inn

Osaka Castle

Dotonbori

October 22

Universal Studios Japan

October 23

Kyoto

Inari Shrine

Departure: Kansai Airport

Japan - Kyoto (side trip)

Konnichiwa!

This is our 5th day and last day in Japan, if only I could extend more days to visit other part of Japan, I would but I couldn't and this so called vacation will be over soon, sad right :(


Anyways let's take a glimpse of Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto served as Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. It is now the country's seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people and a modern face.

How to get here from Osaka:

Take JR Train from Osaka Station straight to Kyoto, travel time is 45 minutes.

FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE

One of the famous shrine in Kyoto, with thousand torii gates that is just amazing!

How to get here:

Located just outside JR Inari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line 

Aside from vermilion torii gates Inari Shrine is simply beautiful with stunning architectures, it is really worth a visit.

Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers

Make a wish 

A very short trip to Kyoto, hope I can visit again to see more of this prefecture, I failed to visit the "Golden Pavilion". At least I have another reason to come back ^^

Sayonara Kyoto!

Japan - Osaka Day 2 (Universal Studios Japan)

How to get here:

I'm so excited to visit Universal Studios Japan because of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Potterheads will surely be delightful to see this mystical place of Hogwarts!

As early as 8am we are already lined up at the entrance park. Muggles are piling up as time pass by and at 9:30am they opened the gate! I was suprised that most of them ran and so we did ^.^ , most of them wanted to secure pass to enter Hogwarts. Yes you still need a "pass/ticket" to enter "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter", the pass has your time of entry to Hogwarts. This was done in order to accommodate visitors in timely manner.

Reservation Ticket Entrance

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!

The Flying Ford Anglia welcomes you. This car was modified by Arthur Weasley to be able to fly, as well as become invisible. It was also used by Weasley's to save Harry Potter who was locked up in his room at the Durshley's. 

Please Respect The Spell Limits

Hogwarts Express

Tha train that transport students to Hogwarts Castle, the train makes run between London, King's Cross Platform 9 3/4 and Hogsmeade Station. 

Platform 9 3/4 is only available in Universal Studious Orlando :(

Welcome to Hogsmead Village

Zonko's Joke Shop

Various wizard joke articles from this shop are up for grabs.

Honeydukes

The Hogsmeade sweetshop where you can buy magical sweets that seen from the film. Warning: We lined up for almost an hour to buy some sweets here, it was really crowded! ^^

Dumbledore

Three Broomstick

The only restaurant in Hogsmeade that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is no reservation here, first come first serve basis ^^

Dogweed and Deathcap

Hogsmeade Post Office

Dervish and Bangles

Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop

DIAGON ALLEY


Ollivanders

Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop

Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment

Gladrags Wizardwear

The Magic Neep

"In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own!" - Dumbledore

Tomes and Scrolls

Spintwitches

Muggles everywhere!

At the end part of this village you'll see the Hogwarts Castle!

Inside the castle you can explore the classroom and corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, as well as some moving portraits and Dumbledore's office.

Welcome to Hogsmeade!

Want some butterbeer?

Cheers! 

"Wingardium Leviosa!" (feeling wizard)

We spent more than half of the day at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The weather didn't cooperate much with a light rain in this autumn season, somehow we still make the most of it exploring every corner of this theme park!

Hello Kitty overload!

Hello Kitty Dress

This is so cute, designed Hello Kitty plant.

I've been to Universal Studios Singapore (twice), well for me Universal Studios Japan has a lot to offer except that some of the attractions is outdated and spoken in Japanese. Even the staff speaks pure Japanese even if you ask them in English :) funny isn't ^^, but nevertheless I enjoyed my day here in USJ!

Welcome to Amityville

Halloween in USJ

Sesame Street Central Park

Universal Studios Parade

Definitely a worth well day spent here in USJ, one of the world best amusement park. Everything is delightful, can't explain how much we enjoyed "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Well this place is really crowded, need a lot of patient waiting for the rides. Don't expect some English translation here, as most of the rides/attraction is spoken in Japanese. Food is everywhere, don't worry you won't get hungry and there are lot of choices too.