ya, most of the bento boxes and bread are all sold already
thn i saw got 1 bento box left that has unagi inside..thn i saw the sticker write 200 yen...i straight grab it

i think after 6/7PM, they start slash price already

i don't think it defers through season
all supermarket or the one under takashiyama will start slash price around 5-6PM because they close very early
it depends how late the shop closes really

when i was in tokyo, the food hall under the odakyu department store at shinjuku station closed at 6PM
so around 5PM, they start to slash price already and tons of japanese workers go there to grab their dinner
by 6PM, the gate is closed

at the sticker in front, it said the unagi is made 8AM
it's 12 hours...and i left it until next morning to microwave to eat...so i don't think is fresh anymore
but for 200 yen...its darn cheap

u want a quick, cheap hot meal?
find ramen store that is standing only

Best cheap food in Japan are Yoshinoya and Sukiya
Way better than those slash price bento.

500 Yen can get decent meal

I find Matsuya is cheaper a lil bit (100yen or so) than Yoshinoya. I only go Matsuya 2 times for breakfast because it only cost 290 yen for basic gyuudon set.

Ramen franchises like Ippudo or Ichiran is about the same price. Another chain that I went to is Tendon Tenya (天丼 てんや) which primarily serves beef and seafood don. Not sure if you can find in ur area of visit. Another franchise I tried is Coco Ichibanya (curry rice). All 600-800 yen with good portions. Others mostly I tried is small family restaurants but I see ur need for halal(or pork free) food so that is a challenge. Most restaurants display their menu at front so it helps if you can read them. Otherwise McD, KFC, Mos Burger, Starbucks, is your best choice.

I would usually include meals as part of my trip experience so I prefer to try as much variety and not too worried about the prices but that's me personally.

i've never seen anyone who go japan and not buy medicine
it's publicly available and better than our local meds

this is what most people buy for fever

some store are straight scam, they use the cashier to persuade them to buy more and more...so got more discount(plus tax refund)
so they end up buying alot of things they don't need...it happens right in front of my eyes
she keep saying left 3k yen...scan another stuff thn say left 1.5k yen...etc etc
smart buyer will only buy what they need(do your research beforehand)
i only tried the one at the basement of the umeda sky building
there is no non-japanese menu at all, most patron are japanese
the waiter can only do recommendation(via mandarin), we can only say yes
menu is hand written, can't use google translate

Beauty products my friend. Many of the stuff we even get in Malaysia is not available in China (or at least only in high class boutique shops at expensive prices). That's what my colleague told me before.

I going to osaka on year end (December end) anywhere is a good place for ski?

yes for bag...no for jacket...i only have a bottle of water in my bag and a pack of pocky. The lady just told me...please don't open and eat this inside ya....then i'm in. Cause I nvr plan to bring food cause I woke up late...i reach there already 9.30 or 10am.

5 year ago i when to Disneyland Tokyo...they don't check bag...

my heart cannot take fuji Q's ride
i'm good with disneysea and USJ
disneysea was epic when i go 2.5 years ago during their 50th anniversary(if i remember correctly) and christmas period
so many extra shows

to those going JP soon
can go grab the klook's roaming man pocket WIFI...RM1/day only
available for first 50 checkout...still available

no
the date in front, u select MUST be 11th

u read at the top there "For 11.11 Promotion, please select the pickup date at the checkout page"

after u select "11.11 Sale (1 Ringgit Deal) WiFi Device"
select days...press book now
at the booking page...see the 1st column that say "Device Pickup Date (3 months from booking)" - this is where u select the date u want

i guess it's confusing that's why until now 1st 50 booking also not yet finish

why would anyone want a suica card that has 28 days validity period?
he don't wanna go back japan    

I also got mine from Klook, RM9 for 9 days.

Flight to Osaka today.

Not everyone is loaded with money....

They're all the same je, SUICA give me discount sometimes

😁

Leaves in certain Arashiyama temples look good today, mostly bright red and orange with only some green left.
The hills however still look more greenish than not.

It was absolutely packed today, definitely need to come earlier in the morning. When you see a long queue purchasing tickets to enter Jojakkoji, you know how bad it is.

Greetings from Nara. I think it's peak here already

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En route to Kyoto later..

Pictures will come soon bro haha!
Busy on the road everyday!

Busy feeding deers ke, or getting chased and bullied by deers? 

Which will be the better rate, exchange RM to Yen in Malaysia or USD to Yen in Japan ?

My Kyoto/Nara portion of the trip has now ended and here are some of my tips/tricks & observations that can hopefully help those going in the future:

• Wake up early and hit the famous spots first. We did Kiyomizu, Fushimi Inari & the Sagano bamboo forest each morning before 8am and they were wonderful. Fast forward 2 hours later, they looked like a human zoo.

• Speaking of bamboo forests, there are 2 smaller versions of them in Kodaiji & Adashino Nenbutsuji. They may not have the grandeur of the Sagano one but there was almost nobody there so you'll be able to enjoy it more.

• Weather in autumn is nice and crisp. Can be a bit cold in the morning and at night so layering is the best strategy.

• The best warabi-mochi I've tried on this trip is in this place called Rakushō. It's in Gion on Nene-no-michi, near the entrance to Kodaiji. Melts in your mouth and oh sooo good!

• Try out a kimono in Gion and choose the silk ones especially during autumn/winter as they are warmer. We rented ours from Rose Kimono Rental.

• Coffee lovers, the % Arabica in Gion is less crowded and more pleasant than the one in Arashiyama which had too long a queue (unless you go early in the morning).

• The green tea desserts and coffee in Yojiya Cafe were one of our favorites. Do take note that the one near Ginkakuji is under renovation.

• Buses are much easier to ride than I anticipated. Instructions are clear and in English. They are less crowded and you can get a seat if you start your journey from outside the city center. For example, I took a train from Shijo to Kitaoji station and changed to a bus to Kinkakuji.

• The Starbucks in a Gion machiya house is overrated although the interior and exterior are unique.

• Take a bus to the nearest Kiyomizu bus stop and make your way up to Kiyomizu. From there, head downward to Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka and the Gion district.

• Kinkakuji at 4pm on a Sunday was less crowded and manageable. Not sure how bad the morning crowd is although I've heard horror stories.

• If you have a Nara bus pass or Kintetsu Rail Pass, take the bus from the station to Kasuga Taisha and make your way anticlockwise to Todaiji. More downward sloping than the other way round.

• Yoshikien in Nara is free to foreign passport holders! Show them your passport to gain free entry into this beautifully manicured garden.

• Many people skip Naramachi and only visit the park for the deers. I like Naramachi and spent a few hours wandering around the old neighborhood, even visiting a traditional machiya called Koshi-no-ie.

• Finding rubbish bins was a pain so bring a spare bag for your trash especially if you're like us who snack a lot.

• The special edition Coke bottles are much cheaper in Bic Camera/Donki compared to the vending machines.

• When purchasing towels or hankies, look for the Imabari branded symbol as they are of high quality.

• Most products are genrally made in China but normally in a store they have a separate section for made in Japan goods. The price is higher but  so is the quality.

• If travelling from city to city, use the luggage forwarding service to save you the hassle.

Bonus for onsen & seafood lovers:

• Kinosaki Onsen was LOVELY. Very worth visiting and spending the night in a ryokan. 2.5 hours from Kyoto and close to 3 from Osaka, the express train is covered by JR Pass.

That's it for me now, will see how my remaining trip goes and see if I have time for a concise trip report when I get back . Feel free to tag this post on the first page if it helps sweet_pez.

That one is for hardcore mang, if you don't mind some people in your shot, I think 8-9am is a sweet spot, just nice and easy enough to find quiet spots. The crowd tsunami usually start pouring in after 9am

Yeah most of the time 6 or 6:30 have to be awake.
No choice due to the crazy crowds and also shorter daylight as you mentioned.

I slogged it out for 6 months, time to enjoy haha!
You'll get there for sure mate.