I will check both out for lunch, regardless if there is a queue or not, I will likely go to Aidaya. I might return to Ramen Kamo to Negi geh if I abandon my dinner plan of trying Tsujita Akihabara.

I never tried Kombu water tsukemen before, but with your recommendation I'm more likely to try. In Shinjuku, if I'm craving tsukemen it is Fu-unji (they make an insanely good sardine broth).

Weather is quite hot, UV index is high, apply sunscreen if you don't want to be burnt if you are always outdoors.

As for the rest of your questions, it's difficult for forummers to recommend specifics if you haven't given them sufficient context. What may appear to be an excellent itinerary for me could be a nightmare itinerary for you.

I didn't manage to eat ramen at Ueno cos of the queues at Ramen Kamo to Negi and Aidaya : ( The queue at Ramen Kamo to Negi was almost double the length of that at Aidaya when I passed by at 11.15am.

Will definitely be back.

Have you visited Japan before? How many times? Where have you visited? If not, what other countries or places you have visited? Which do you like? What is your traveling style or preference? Who do you travel with? These are some of the context that are important before one can provide you a useful reply.

You are asking about crowd levels, transportation complexity and although they could be construed as general questions, it would still be helpful to provide some context. Otherwise the general replies you should expect would swing on a wide spectrum. For people who like visiting big cities/metropolises, Osaka is not difficult to visit. Let me compare Osaka against Tokyo and Yokohama to give you an idea about crowd levels and public transportation complexity. For crowd levels, Tokyo > Yokohama > Osaka. However, if you have only visited Sapporo or Hokkaido and love it there and never visited other prefectures in Japan, you are going to find crowd levels in Osaka very high/busy. For public transportation, if you are able to handle Tokyo train network, Osaka is very manageable. In Tokyo, weekdays are slightly busier than weekends. Weekday rush hours on public transportation in Tokyo are 7.30am-9.30am and 4.30pm-7.30pm whereas weekend rush hours are more staggered not as pronounced as weekday rush hours. Osaka's would be similar but less densely crowded. Even though you find Dotonbori and Umeda crowded, one street or station away from these you'd see significantly less crowds.

Other factors like travel period also affect crowd levels. There are less visitors during summer and the typhoon seasons. Tokyo and Osaka are very walkable cities, so you need not buy transportation passes. However, if you are the type that scoot between 4-5 different areas in a day, then it might make sense for you to buy a metro pass. You should only decide on a metro pass after you finalise your itinerary.

Would you be returning to Hokkaido in the future? If yes, why not focus on Sapporo, considering your trip duration and leave the Noboribetsu for the next trip? Sapporo is the 5th largest Japanese city and the largest northern city. It gets dark by 7pm during May so unless you are prepared to start your day trips very early and return to Sapporo earlier, it might be challenging to fully enjoy the sights and experiences without feeling a bit rushed. Prioritising Sapporo allows for a more relaxed pace : )

I like the sound of this. Just that driving into cities like Sapporo (or Hakodate) will require you to hunt for parking lots (if you can't find street parking), park and pay for parking that will diminish the convenience of driving. Not all parking in the cities are paid parking and usually parkings at larger supermarkets or konbinis are free. Do not park at unauthorized parking spaces (there are signages and notices indicating fines of ¥10,000 or ¥30,000).

Since you plan to visit Jigpkudani Valley, might I interest you in the nearby Oyunuma Pond and Foot Bath? If you don't make it to the Foot Bath, you might come across other public foot baths too, so it's not a must see. Also consider visiting Noboribetsu Bear Park (entrance fee ¥3,000 comes with a return ropeway ticket) but if you're driving there there is another ¥500 parking fee (applicable at both the Bear Park Parking Lot and Jigokudani Parking Lot). There are activities on a daily basis at the Bear Park (duck race, bear activities that are planned from 10.00am-3.30pm except from 12.00pm-1.00pm).

Yes, that would be the best approach. I'm just expressing the pain of driving and more importantly parking in cities. Driving outside Sapporo or Hakodate is not so bad, can save some time commuting and provide convenience for travelers.

When are you visiting? Share your itinerary here lah. Are you using Sapporo as your only base?

If you are willing to rent a car, you will be able to see and experience a bit more compared to using public transportation especially if you intend to visit Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Niseko on the south western side. At the risk of not knowing your intentions and plans, I'd suggest staying the first two days in Sapporo before driving to Lake Toya for a night, Hakodate for 2 nights and maybe a night at Niseko or Otaru before ending your trip in Sapporo for the final 2 nights.

I have not used airport transfers in Japan because I am fortunate to be able to make the airport transfer with public transportation or taxis.

In your situation, for a family of 4 and arriving Haneda close to 11pm with young children, please prioritise reliability over price. Choose a Klook provider with stronger reviews and consistent performance. Klook and Trip.com are middle men that typically use the same group of service providers but they could operate under different business entities, so it is most important if you select the service provider with the best reviews. If not, be prepared to rely on costlier taxis if the Klook or Trip.com service provider lets you down.

If not mistaken, the last train from Haneda Airport to central Tokyo (via Keikyu Line to Shinagawa Station) departs at midnight, arriving Shinagawa by 12-15mins or the last monorail departs Haneda Airport at 2345hrs and arrives Hamamatsucho station at approx 0015hrs. If you can book an accommodation nearer to either of these two train stations, then you can still consider boarding a train/monorail from Haneda Airport to either of these two stations before getting to your accommodation using taxi.

Is Day 1 a Sunday? Ginza's Chuo-dori becomes car-free on weekends. It adds to the charm : ) The Uniqlo Ginza Flagship Store is worth a visit (all 12 floors of it), if shopping is your thing.

Food is a very personal choice and I am sure you would enjoy Harbs Azabudai.

There is plenty to see and experience apart from Disneyland in Tokyo. If you are visiting and staying at Asakusa, it would be more convenient this way rather than staying at the West side of central Tokyo.

If you are referring to Ramen Kamo to Negi Ueno Okachimachi Main Store, yes they are open 24hrs. If the line is unbearably long, try nearby Aidaya or Sharin Tsukemen (actually Rokurinsha) near Ueno Station.

Yokohama is much more relaxed than Tokyo. It has the largest Chinatown in Japan, if this floats your boat. Walking by Yamashita Park, Osanbashi Pier, Red Brick Warehouse, Landmark Tower are some of the touristy must do's. If you got a lot of time on your hands and are looking for souvenirs, pop by one of the three Hard Rock Cafe's in Tokyo metropolitan area next to Landmark Tower (other than Yokohama, the other two are within central Tokyo proper - Roppongi and Ueno) and Cup Noodle Museum (where you get to discover the history of instant noodles and make your very own cup noodle that is packaged nicely and securely for you to bring home).

Kamakura is packed on weekends and especially so in the summer. Quite a long walk filled with lots of day trippers and plenty of street food and small shops selling knick knacks. Oh and if you like cats, you got to visit nearby Enoshima. It's more fun than Kamakura : )

From now till 11th Nov, ANA has special fares to Tokyo and other cities starting from rm1,699 for April - Sept, excluding Golden Week.

They're okay. Try to opt for layover at Saigon instead of Hanoi. It's a much shorter walk to transfer desk after getting out of Vietnam Airlines plane at Saigon airport, compared to Hanoi airport. They make you go through another round of full security check at Hanoi airport. The security check at Saigon airport was very express like.

I'm not familiar with winter boots per se, but what brands are you referring to? Some consider Clark Desert Boots as winter boots, some think Dr Martens and Timberlands are winter boots, some only consider Ugg to be proper winter boots. If you're looking specifically for these, then lots of thrift/2nd hand shops around Tokyo carry them.

You will find plenty of boots in second hand shops or thrift stores. Just inspect them carefully before buying them and they'll last the duration of your 2 week trip.

I'm not sure if there are rentals of these winter boots. I assume you are not referring to ski or snow boots yeah.

If you are comfortable with Tokyo train network, starting from Omorikaigan Station you can visit Tokyo Tower early in the morning to avoid crowds, go all the way to the top or just visit Shiba Park or Zojoji Temple nearby. Then go to Roppongi and/or Odaiba for some window shopping before calling it a day and returning to your hotel. If you are thinking of shopping for supplies from pharmacies, best to do so nearby those near your hotel (but check the closing hours) so that you don't have to carry them around for the entire day. If you are feeling adventurous and Roppongi or Odaiba doesn't float your boat, try Shinjuku to view the Christmas deco instead before ending your day. Shopping on Day 6 will allow you more flexibility to pack your luggage with gifts/souvenirs. Nakamise-dori (on Day 7) is a nice place to shop for souvenirs too but it is too crowded and packing items that you buy after that would be a nightmare.

I think chemical warmers are not classified as dangerous goods and can be carried in both carry‑on and checked baggage.