Wait since we're on the topic of Shibazakura. The ticket get at Kawaguchiko station?
I saw that they have 2,000 yen pass which includes the return bus ride and entrance ticket. However I also read on their site that if the bloom almost end, the entry fee might be waived off.

I'm going 3rd week of May, so hopefully it's still good.

Bro, you earning SGD. Don't so kiamsiap la. Go holiday just enjoy more la.

Anyway, not sure about the costs, but it should be quite reasonable, no? Should be 1-2k yen at most depending on luggage size? If you compare putting it at coin-lockers for 2 days which cost you 500-600yen/day, then the 'extra cost' is just a bit mah

I sent a cabin-size luggage from Takayama to a hotel in Tokyo and it cost me only about 1450yen

Kyoto-Osaka won't take you more than 1 hour of commuting including transfer(s) etc to reach key destination in Osaka like Namba. Take normal rapid train service would do, not need Shinkansen

Yes, just get it at the Kawaguchiko bus station.

At first misread it to be 3rd of May lol, which should be full bloom. Last time i visit there around 21 April and the flowers haven't fully developed

Maybe you should also see weather forecast to avoid cloudy day. if not, your big Mt Fuji will just be covered in cloud

Yes. once go in the kawaguchiko station , left side is the ticketing counter with english speaking guide.
The 2,000 yen pass is return ticket with entrance ticket. No other lines (Red,blue,Green bus) will reach the festival. Hence really no choice but to buy the return ticket package.

Ahhhh 21st could be early. I think early May will be just nice, since sakura was an early bloom. But I wanted to avoid crowd and peak (if anything, big crowds of people irk me the most) so opted for non-peak.

Dang it's a 3D 2N trip rain all 3 days but seems light.

Indeed, it did say they purposely have a bus to cater for the festival. One more thing, they said there are coin lockers in the Kawaguchiko station, however another person said the lockers are full and it's so bad that sometimes people just dump the bags on top of the lockers and go off. When they come back, the bags are still there. No doubt, usually nobody will take. But did you see this situation at the station?

Short answer: Technically no need exit.

Long answer: There is Fare Adjust machine at Kyoto station and some other stations, else goto Customer Service counter at wherever your final exit. If your journey doesn't need to pay anything, then no need adjust fare. i.e. top-up some credit into your Haruka ticket or ICOCA card.

Bear in mind, it may auto activate your X days free pass or whatever combo ticket you purchase. Normally what I do is at KIX JR Office, collect all booked tickets and ask them to confirm and hardcode all the dates for the passes, etc. at the counter and pay for it.

Yes, the station is like pasar malam. Its super cold not just luggage were left on top but humans all over flocking inside. Right outside of the station they have per hour charge luggage drop center but i think its cut throat rate.

So encourage to store your luggage in train station. If you coming from shinjuku via bus and planning to store luggage at coin locker. Please store at shinjuku JR station. The rate is 700 yen for L for one day rate and the one in shinjuku bus station is per hourly rate.

*For the rain part, when i was in Osaka the weather all nice but one day happens to rain almost full night and day. Then when i was in kawaguchiko, it rained for 2 days straight, yeah i didnt managed to see mt. fuji but its all right we still managed to see sakura blooming there as well as enjoy nice and peaceful retreat.

This post has been edited by mugenz: Apr 25 2018, 12:09 PM

Hi,

Anyone try book JAL domestic flight thru their website before?
I was trying to book but after finish key in credit card along with the sms code. No confirmation given.. no news at all. I call their customer services, they only say no payment receive, dun even see credit card info. I call my bank, bank say.. no transaction. Sigh.. fed up. Am planning to fly Haneda->Sapporo; then Sapporo -> Osaka. In view that their promo giving 2bag x 23kg.

Okay, thanks for managing my expectations hahaha. So far most of the places I've been are all okay, including station at Shirakawago so this comes as a bit of a surprise. I guess the facilities were a bit lacking to cater for the major crowd that comes.

Unfortunately I'm leaving from Yokohama so I won't be at Shinjuku. My plan for luggage:

Pass big luggage to Yamato service -> they deliver to baggage storage counter in Shinjuku -> store for 2 days -> collect at Shinjuku then check-in to accommodation.



This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Apr 26 2018, 10:09 AM

that's strange...

i went to temples during summer with short pants...nobody looked at me one kind or stopped me, i saw others also wearing similar

This post has been edited by lyc1982: Apr 25 2018, 02:10 PM

cool. thanks for the info. yes yes. i am planning to visit during evening / night - Namba, Dotonbori, Shisaibashi, Famous Crab Restaurant [かに道楽 道頓堀 本店] . - copy this from some of the itinery here.

meaning its doable. plan to stay in kyoto and commute to osaka via train that way. Dont really enjoy switching hotel all the time.

Independent tour actually
Unfortunately, I didn't saw any 2 person bike available for rent there
Would like to do Shibazakura too, but the event haven't started yet when i was there

Yes its doable. Just need make sure the train schedule is right if not you will be wasting time taking non-rapid which will take longer time to reach kyoto.
If you wish to wish those mentioned names at night in Osaka, please take note the shops especially shopping closes very early. Eg, Shinsaibashi at 9pm, 65% of the shops already closing. Departmental shops like takashimaya close at 8pm

thanks for the heads up. If like dat meaning we might be ending our daily tour early and sleep early? what about night life? anyway, suits me and me wife since we're both early bird type. But trains runs until midnight right? As long as we try to catch the train around 9pm or 10pm back to kyoto should be safe already then?

Me and my wife also just like you guys but after 3rd day, we rather go back earlier to rest our pitiful legs from the walking
Night life = if into clubs and all, there are lots of em. I noticed that Japan where i go and stay there will be a red light district.

Either end ur kyoto tour around 3pm and come back to Osaka around 4pm. Rest and come out for shopping 5pm to 9pm then take late dinner or only allocate half a day for kyoto come back Osaka rest then allocate evening for shopping

Just fyi
1. Fushimi inari shrine complete route = 2 to 3hours (walk right up till the end and come down)

2. Arashiyama - with train rides, bamboo forest with lunch might take more than half a day as well.

This post has been edited by mugenz: Apr 25 2018, 03:56 PM

not yet complete. but this is the my current list. yes. i place fushimi inari and arashiyama both early morning trips so we're fresh and strong. walking wise, not a problem for me but me wife not as tough as me. haha. so i rather we take these 2 place slowly early in the morning. And still having headache where to slot in himeji. First time to japan. so quite worried about the train schedule. what if its not avaiable.

Tokyo
5th June 2018 Tuesday (1st day)
Morning - Tsukiji Fish Market
Afternoon - Odaiba, Diver City Tokyo, Akihabara, Gundam Cafe, M, Kanda Myojin Temple.
Evening/Night - Shibuya crossing, Hachiko Statue, Hachiko exit,Center Gai, Nonbei Yokocho
conveyor belt sushi in Shibuya, there is one inside Seibu on the top floor called Midori Sushi

6th June 2018 Wednesday (2nd day)
Morning - Asakusa, Kaminarimon, Nakamise District, Sensoji Temple
Afternoon - Meiji Jingu - Harajuku Shopping Street
Evening - Shinjuku - Omoide Yokocho,Golden Gai,Keio,Lumine,Kabukicho,Ikebukuro

Tokyo - Shirakawa (3rd day)
7th June 2018 Thursday - Shirakawago no Yu Hotel (booked for one night)

Early morning, goto Tokyo Station, take Hokuriku Shinkansen to Toyama Station. From Toyama Station take bus to Shirakawago (must catch the 1200pm or 1205pm bus depending on that month’s schedule latest).
Should buy the bus ticket online or buy on the spot???
Overnight in Shirakawa.

Shirakawa - Kyoto(4th day)
8th June 2018 Friday
Morning - Shirakawa
Afternoon - Depart for Kyoto ( Take bus from shirakawa to kanazawa, then take the train from kanazawa to kyoto) - 4hr++
Evening / Night time Gion Corner

Kyoto (5th day)
9th June 2018 Saturday
Morning - Arashiyama & Sagano
Afternoon - Kyoto Craft Centre
Take train from kyoto to osaka
Evening / Night - Namba, Dotonbori, Shisaibashi, Famous Crab Restaurant [かに道楽 道頓堀 本店]

Kyoto (6th day)
10th June 2018 Sunday
Morning - Fushimi -> Inari -> Taisha
Afternoon - Nishiki Market
Evening / Night - undecided.

Osaka (7th day)
11th June 2018 Monday
Kyoto - Osaka by train
Morning - Osaka - osaka castle - Osakajo
Afternoon - Walk from Osakajo to Kuromon

12th
Morning - Hotel check out.
Yet to plan for what to do. Maybe Himeji. Then back to osaka.
Head for Osaka airport (10pm flight black to malaysia)

With this kinda planinng, JR PASS is more suitable right?

1. For train schedule - can refer to hyperdia website for the schedule and come with Fees as well then put them into spreadsheet see whether how much u will spend on JR line and other subway line and see worth to buy the pass. My trip is similar with you but i never travel between osaka and kyoto. I didnt get any pass just ICOCA.

2. Try to schedule Shinjuku, shibuya, harajuku and meiji shrine in one day as they are the same area. If your shopperholic dont think can be done in single day. So much to see and buy! Adidas original ! BAPE! BIC Cameras!

3. If you are into anime/electronics/manga, u wont be able to schedule akihabara together with Odaiba. I m not otaku but i spent almost 1 day there just playing ufo catcher, checking out huge electric stores for cheap stuff like gshock, nintendo switch etc.. Maybe you can plan Tsukiji in the morning then Asakusa then evening in akibahara.

not really that shopaholic. same with my wife. I think we'll just take a walk and enjoy the atmosphere.
and yes. i'm into anime. I will wanna have a walk thru akihabara. Thinking of skipping Odaiba or not since the most i wan to do in Odaiba is taking picture with the giant gundam there.

The main dish for us both is Tsukiji and Asakusa. Thats why i put both in the morning so we can enjoy it thoroughly. Hyperdia website. will do so after finish the schedule.

For Fushimi Inari, you don't really have to go to the peak unless you want to pray or for bragging rights. It's just a lot of shrines there. There is a mid-point which opens up to a nice view of the city which you do want to reach at least. I'm not sure if the food stalls along the street at the base is open daily but I grabbed a few bites when I got back down.

For Arashiyama, I was there last week and it gets crowded very quickly. Try to go as early as you can. I messed up some photos in the morning and went back in the afternoon to re-take some shots and it was impossible.

I wouldn't recommend you walk all the way from Osaka-jo to Kuromon (ie. slot in a subway ride in between). It's quite a distance and you'll be tired out. The sushi at Kuromon market was actually pricier compared to proper sushi prepared by chefs at Endo Sushi at the wholesale market and Harukoma sushi. I found Harukoma to be very good value for money. I went to the Harukoma branch at Tenjinbashi.

In the evening in Osaka, you could walk down Ota Road and have girls in maid / schoolgirl uniforms call out to you and promote their maid cafes

You could also go up the Umeda sky building to the observatory and get a night view of the city.

This post has been edited by tbcheese: Apr 25 2018, 05:42 PM

A lot of in inputs...so let's start

1. I assume u fly in Tokyo and fly out from Kansai Airport? Based on your itinerary, you should look at Hokuriku Arch Pass which covers most of the Shinkansen you are taking. it's cheaper at 24,000 yen also.

2. For Toyama-Shirakawago, you can purchase the bus ticket online (1 month before) from JapanBusOnline. Same thing with your Shirakawago-Kanazawa bus.

3. For Tokyo leg, you should consider grouping Asakusa-Odaiba-Akibahara together since they are within the same vicnity. Same with Meiji Jingu-Harajuku-Shibuya. Though to be honest, there's not much of an improvement over your original itinerary given you have only 2 days.

4. Shirakawago - why not consider spending a night in the Grass house?

5. For 8-day trip, you really should consider just focusing Osaka/Kyoto or Tokyo areas. but i guess you already booked flight..so yeah...