thanks! just getting some comfort that i can withdraw money in JP

I will go slightly earlier than you, will report back if something is not right.

Is there any card for reload at Hokkaido ? I mean the name. I been to Osaka and use icoca. My icoca I have returned it when back to Malaysia. Where should I get the card? Thank you

Kitaca I think, as Googled. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

i wore short pants all the way
the weather is weird
some days, it's cold AF
some days, hot AF(the kind that will not sweat)

my answer, just bring a windbreaker for preparation is enough

the typhoon doesn't seem to be too bad(i think)
since the rugby world cup and japan F1 is still continued

Yours was still early Autumn ma.

at my coldest days
even with short pants and windbreaker as a layer is enough
and i'm the type that is very scared of cold, body fat % very low kind

the days i felt the coldest is the day i went USJ
my ticket is B and the crowd doesn't seem like B....if the crowd i saw is B(no timed entry to harry potter), i wonder what C and D will look like

Lucky for you the typhoon completely missed Kyushu. No disruption and destruction.

Early autumn I did wear shorts and t shirts walking around but I have high endurance for cold weather. There was one winter where I spent months working in Beijing, I just wore jeans, long sleeves and a winter jacket. The Chinese looked at me one kind.

Did you mean it was very crowded even though it was B? Why no timed entry?

Lucky for you too, aren't you going to Nagasaki too?

A very rough sketch of our itinerary are as follows. We arrive in Osaka on the 16th of November

Osaka
Day 1: Land at Osaka Kansai airport at night.
Day 2 (Osaka Amazing Pass): Dotonburi, Hozenji Yokocho, Shinsaibashi, Osaka Castle, Sakuya Kanohona
Day 3 (Osaka Amazing Pass): Temponzan ferris wheel, Umeda sky building, Museum of Housing & Living, Wonder Cruise
Day 4: Kuromon Ichiba market, Shinsekai, Midosuji shopping street
Day 5: USJ

Nara/Kyoto
Day 6: Nara Deer Park and Todaiji temple and after lunch, travel to Kyoto. Nishiki market and kawaramachi shopping area.
Day 7: Kiyomizudera (optional due to construction), Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka steps, Kodaiji temple, Maruyama park, Yasaka shrine, Gion Shirakawa & Hanamikojidori
Day 8: Philosopher's path, Eikando temple, Nanzenji temple, Daigoji temple, Eikando temple (night illumination)
Day 9: Arashiyama, Gion in the evening/night, Pontocho Alley
Day 10: Kyoto and Sento Imperial Palace, Kinkakuji temple, Kibune/Kurama (worth going?)
Day 11: Fushimi Inari, Tofukuji temple
Day 12: Will be a more relaxing day. To visit places that we missed earlier if any and to finish up any last minute shopping
Day 13: Depart for Malaysia

p/s: Places to visit in Day 7 & 8 are chosen based on proximity to each other.

This is our first time to Japan so we don't really know how much time will be spent on each place.
We dislike the "touch and go" style and we like taking our time to walk around the streets and check out the temples/shrines/shops/restaurants.
We love nature and the lovely sceneries in Kyoto

Do suggest any nice places that we can add into our itinerary. (Eg: Day 10 and 11)

Just came back from there late this week actually. That time last week was worried typhoon Mitag was heading towards Kyushu but it veered off to Korea instead, so I had 1+ week of clear weather with certain days a few hours of rain. Interestingly while Mitag didn't hit Nagasaki, during the closest approach, it was hot like Malaysian weather (27-28 C). Earlier of the week, it cooled off.

As to your request, here is status of the main Glover house:


BTW, you can get Inasa ropeway ticket at the Info Counter at JR Nagasaki(same place get 500yen all day tram pass), it only cost 1000yen per pax so saving 250yen per head but it cannot be refunded so buy it when you intend to get up there (counter closes at 8pm).

This post has been edited by babylon52281: Oct 13 2019, 11:10 PM

I see. I thought you haven't gone yet.

OK la, maybe I can skip Glover House since under renovation?

Thanks for the tips for Inasa Ropeway, cheaper than using the discount voucher downloaded from their website.

I am arriving in Osaka 1 day after you but will depart for Kyoto immediately so will be doing your Kyoto portion first.
Can't comment much about the Osaka portion as I would rather cut down on Osaka and go to Himeji/Okayama etc for day trips.

I think Nara on day 6 deserves a full day, leave in the evening and head to Kyoto for dinner/shopping at Kawaramachi.
Day 7 looks good
Day 8 looks good, can add in Reikanji (only open during autumn) or Honen-in along PP
Day 9 looks good
Day 10 for Kibune/Kurama will be a full day especially since you mentioned you're the chillax style so having Kinkakuji in there might be a tad rushed
Day 11 can add in Sanjusangendo after Tofukuji, just one station away. Or you can choose to go to Uji which is along the same line and further down south

Well depends. The rest of the other 'houses' are still open for display, you can still rent to cosplay with European period clothing, can still have teatime at Jiyu-tei, you still get a lot of scenery around the area. So it depends, its like the main roller coaster in a themepark is closed but the rest are still open. If ur okay with that, really go for it.

Yup. Was buying the 500yen pass, when the counter staff mentioned they also sell ropeway ticket at cheaper price. I was planning to ride the bus from JR Nagasaki to Ropeway so it was convenient for me to comeback in the afternoon and buy them.

Oh and thanks for the advice on souvenirs from Nagasaki. Got myself a small Vidro vase/ornament.

Page 1 got Kansai 14 days itinerary posted by me.
You can refer it

Hi friends,

I am planning to purchase shinkasen train tickets from Kyoto to Tokyo this coming mid November. Is buying from smartEX app reliable or you have better suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

Your itinerary looks good especially if you want to spend good time at each location. Osaka looks fine but just some suggestions that you can consider for Kyoto:

Day 6: I agree with another forumer that you should spend a full day in Nara and travel to Kyoto in the evening. If you are planning to do last minute shopping on day 12, you can do Nishiki market and Kawaramachi then.
Day 7: Kiyomizu-dera is still worth going. There's a lot more to it than the roof renovation.
Day 8: Daigoji temple seems a bit out of the way? If you are planning to walk the Philosopher's Path, perhaps you can start from Ginkakuji and walk south. Maybe you can consider doing Gion and Pontocho Alley on this day also.
Day 9: Arashiyama might be worth your full day too especially if you don't mind walking to temples like Gio-ji.
Day 11: If you want to go Daigoji, you could do it on this day since it's nearer to Fushimi Inari compared to your day 8 locations.

PSA: Hakone is badly hit by typhoon. Lake level overflow, landslide and public transport also affected.

Cool, then I may not skip this place. It's nearby to my hotel, so I may walk there to check it out.

Talking about the 500 yen pass, can I buy in advance, like today buy for tomorrow? Or I have to drop by everyday to buy?