Holidaying in Japan

We had a week long exciting adventure in the Land of the Rising Sun.  One week was too short to explore the best of Japan, but we tried and did as much as we could in the little time.

Here's a travel blog on what we did, saw and ate, our experiences on our holiday.

Day 1
We arrived at the Narita airport on Saturday evening and took the Airport Limousine bus to the Tokyo bus station from where we then took a Taxi to our hotel. We stayed at Tokyo 21 East hotel which was near the Tokyo tower. Our rooms had the view of the tower and was beautiful to see it all lit up at night.
The hotel is very convenient , as it has the Toyocho subway station a 5 minute walk away as well as is a busy shopping area. We even had an Indian restaurant where we had dinner at on our first night in Japan.

Day 2
Meiji Jingu Shrine/ Shibuya
We took the Subway one day pass at the station, which is a more cost effective option of travelling within the city.
We started the day off by visiting the Meiji Jingu Shrine where we witnessed a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. The admission is free of charge, and is easily accessible by subway.

The whole atmosphere is so calm and though there are a lot of tourists visiting , we didn't feel it was over crowded unlike here in China. Even the wedding ceremony was so solemn and beautiful.
We then took a stop over for some green tea flavored and sakura flavored ice-cream before moving to Omote Sando for some shopping.
At Omote sando we stopped at the Oriental Bazaar to pick up gifts and souvenirs for family and friends. It has everything under one roof if you are running out of time in Tokyo.

Meiji-Jingu shrine entrance

The shrine

Sake wine barrels

Women in traditional outfits visiting the shrine

A wedding at the Meiji-jingu shrine. Bride and groom in traditional wear

Ema (Wooden plaques) on which prayer wishes are written

Sakura and Green tea flavored ice cream

In the evening we headed out to the Shibuya crossing to see the "scrambling" , it was an experience standing in the middle of all that organized chaos. We also paid our respects to Hachiko the loyal dog
whose statue is put up at the station.
We had the "Kobe" beef sizzler for dinner, and the beef in Japan is truly out of the world, so juicy and soft.

The Shibuya crossing

Kobe beef for dinner

Day 3
Tsukiji Fish market / Mt. Fuji
At 5 am we headed to the Tsukiji Fish market to see the world's largest fish market in action. Be prepared to be disappointed if you want to watch the auction. They only allow 120 people in each day and
there are people that wait overnight , so most chances are you won't be able to make it. They strictly do not entertain tourists so if you'd rather just enjoy the fish market you can go in at 09:00 am when it opens up.
We didn't lose heart and had some fresh sushi at the restaurants outside. Be prepared to queue up if you want to eat at one of the popular places.

Fresh Sushi breakfast

Queues outside the popular sushi restaurants at 6am 

Japanese knives on sale at the market

Later that day, we took the Odakyu Sen Romance Car to Hakone Yumoto from the Shinkuju Station. We took the day pass as we were returning back to Tokyo that evening. You need to set a whole day aside for this tour.
The travel time to Hakone Yumoto is only around 90 minutes , but there are lot of things to do on the way. We took the Cable car, Ropeway and the boat cruise on Lake Ashi but Mt. Fuji was playing hide and seek with us and we couldn't capture the mountain on camera.
We then took the bus ride back to the station to return to Tokyo city.

Tips:
The day pass covers all the fees for the cable car, rope way cruise, bus ride etc, so it saves a lot of time and money while you plan. If you plan to stay there, there are up to 3 day passes as well.

Odakyu Sen Romance Car

Shinkuju Station

The ropeway at Hakone Yumoto

The boat cruise at Hakone Yumoto

Mt. Fuji smogged out at a distance

Hakone Yumoto

Day 4
Gion, Kyoto
We checked out of Tokyo and headed to Tokyo station by taxi, from there we bought the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train ticket to Kyoto. We chose to take the non reserved seats which were 800 yen cheaper than the reserved seats. The travel time is about 90 minutes.
At Kyoto we stayed at the New Hankyu hotel right outside the Kyoto train and bus station which was very convenient.

After our check in , we headed to Gion (Geisha district) by local bus. The fare to get around anywhere in Kyoto is 230 yen, and the day pass is 500 yen. So if you plan to visit more than one place it is worth
taking the day pass. You can buy the pass either at your hotel or on the bus.
Gion was beautiful. The lovely small streets and shops , more colorful and bustling in the evening. We waited for the Geishas to step out to click pictures (we spotted both geiko and maikos). There are police
guards waiting on the side of the roads so tourists don't block their path. There are also a few coming in to the streets in Taxis but when the tourists start rushing to take their pictures cover their faces.
The tea houses were exclusive to members only but there are also tourists centers at which you can pay to experience a tea ceremony and a geisha dance performance.
We ended our day with some Teppanyaki for dinner.

Nozomi Shinkansen (Bullet train Tokyo to Kyoto)

A Bento box meal on the Nozomi Shinkansen

Gion , Geisha district

Gion

Small streets at Gion

A Tea house Gion

A Geisha on her way for work

Spotting Geishas

A Maiko (Geisha apprentice)

Cops making way for the Geishas from tourists

This beautiful Geisha stopped on her way to greet an elder woman she knew which gave tourists some photo opportunity

Gion streets

Teppanyaki dinner

Yakisoba noodles

Okonomiyakii - Japanese pizza

Day 5
Kyoto city
We bought the day pass for the bus and first headed to Kinkaku-ji (Golden temple) The sight is so beautiful that even taking pictures on your phone make it look like the ones in the magazines. We stopped for lunch at a traditional Japanese home made in to a restaurant and had a full Japanese meal. Was the most authentic experience which made the whole trip to Japan worth while.
Later we went to the Kiyomizu-dera temple. The climb is steep but the view from the top is gorgeous. We took our time to explore this temple and only left during closing time.

After all the sightseeing we headed back and right next to our hotel there was a Yodobashi Camera mall which was Tax free shopping for tourists in Japan. This mall had everything from electronics to cosmetics.
You need to carry your passport to avail the tax back benefit.

Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple

Breathtakingly beautiful Kinakuji

Kiyomizu -dera temple, Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera

Doraemon

A traditional Japanese style meal

Tempura and tea

A full fledged Japanese lunch

 Day 6
Osaka
Our last leg of the trip was Osaka, we took the local rapid train from Kyoto to Osaka (30 minute travel time) and then the JR line to Universal City where our hotel was. We chose a hotel close to the tourist area
but not too far from the airport either. We stayed at Hotel Keihan which is right at the Universal City walk.
We spent the rest of our day /evening walking around and enjoying foods from different stalls. The Takoyaki Museum is a must visit to try the Osaka special Takoyaki - the octopus fried balls.

The Metro train to Universal city

Universal City Entrance

Universal City walk, Osaka

 Day 7

Osaka Castle and Donki market
Our holiday was coming to an end, we were exhausted with all the travelling over the days but wanted to do as much as we could while we were here so headed to Osaka castle in the morning.
We missed the blossom season which is when is the most popular to visit this site. Nevertheless, we had a beautiful view of the castle and the natural green kept us cool on the sunny day.
We then headed back to Osaka station to do some last minute shopping at Don Quijote (called Donki by locals)which is another popular tax free shopping supermarket.

Kawai girls 

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle

The park at Osaka Castle

Don Quijote (Donki Market) - Tax free shopping for tourists

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Our Japan holiday had come to an end, we were amazed at the hospitality and how friendly the people were in Japan. Everyone is always smiling and goes out of their way to help.
We had issues with communication due to language but people often walked us to our destination or helped us out with actions. Everything is organized and clean.
You won't find a trash can on the road side, but won't find any garbage either. The public toilets are clean and public transport efficient.

We were travelling with a toddler, and most places are child friendly. The toilets have a child seat where you can place your child inside the toilet while you are using it. All tourist areas are stroller friendly.
We bought a light umbrella stroller at a second hand shop for 200 yuan while we were there.

Sayonara Japan, we'll definitely be back again!