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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/starter_fail on 2024-04-29 15:18:22.
Osaka->Miyajima Island->Hiroshima->Kyoto->Kanazawa->Tokyo
Thank you Redditors for all the tips & insights during my trip planning. Here's a report to give back!
Biggest surprise & highlight: When we booked this trip, we did not expect to see cherry blossoms but because of the cold snap, we saw them everywhere but Tokyo! What a thrill. They are a truly special sight.
Preface: Seven ladies, late 50’s-mid 70’s trip. All varying degrees of physical fitness. Booked guided tours to have group activities, then separated to do our own thing. Some meals were together, sometimes we were on our own. We did a surprising amount of conbini & grocery store meals. Moderate hotels. I’m the group planner and somewhat OCD but know there needs to be flexibility for unforeseen events. By the end of the trip we all strayed from the itinerary except for booked activities.
Pre trip: Booked flights directly with United. Flew open jaw into Osaka, then out of Haneda. Booked Hotels direct & thru Hotels.com, any special tours, sightseeing train to Nara, Osaka Mint Cherry viewing tickets (free), Nishikawa reservations, baseball tickets, purchased JR Kansai Hiroshima pass & Haruka voucher on Klook, downloaded Suica on iPhones (my Visa card worked!), downloaded Ubigi (10G was used up literally when I was at Haneda flying home).
Transportation: Regional JR Pass Kansai Hiroshima was a good deal for us. Osaka->Himeji->Miyajimaguchi->Hiroshima->Kyoto. We picked up both JR Pass & Haruka trip at the JR Office at KIX. While we were there, we reserved seats for our trip to Himeji, Miyajimaguchi & Hiroshima. For Kyoto & Kanazawa, we went to the station early and reserved seats that morning and it was no problem. The shinkansen was so comfortable! There’s an overhead shelf for bags but if you needed, there’s probably enough room for small bags to keep in front of you. Loads of leg room.
Having a SUICA on your phone was a game changer. Tap in/out at all stations. It was nice knowing what the balance was as you’re going along. Buses were convenient and would often take you closer to where you need to go. Everywhere but Tokyo, you would enter thru the back, tap in, then tap out & exit at the front by the driver. In Tokyo, you would tap in & enter at the front & exit at the back (no tap out). In Kanazawa, they do not take IC cards (210¥) on city bus. Only JR buses, Kanazawa loop bus and Machi bus (different color buses than city bus) I know, that confused us too.
Uber app worked everywhere. Taxis also respond to Uber so there’s no need to download GO Taxi if you already have Uber.
Shopping: The Yen was at its all-time low so shopping was pretty fun. My favorite places to shop were at Uji for tea, Chion Ji market for handicrafts (some vendors took credit cards), grocery stores for food souvenirs (esp anything yuzu) and conbinis for mini bottles of Kewpie mayo for little stocking stuffer gifts. If you are looking for a kimono or art for your walls, buy them in Kyoto. Kyoto has many 2nd hand kimono shops and they are a bargain there. I bought a beautiful Haori for ¥550 (roughly $4 USD!) and there’s a shop called Wargo where they sell kimonos for ¥1 per gram. I bought a kimono as a gift there for ¥547! They also had some beautiful obis there that you can use for wall hangings (¥990). For inexpensive general items, look at Hands, Daiso or Seria (fun household things). In general, things are at least ¥50 more expensive in Tokyo.
Miscellaneous tips– hotels all provided loungewear, so I didn’t pack PJs. Hotel provided most toiletries including toothbrushes, hair brush & razors, tho not body lotion (just buy at the drug store). Unless you have little feet or big feet, the slippers provided won’t fit. I’m a big Japanese tea drinker and all the hotel green tea sucked (shocking?). Drank a lot of iced tea from the conbinis. Food from conbini was great but find a grocery store near your hotel to buy fruit & pre-made food for cheap meals. Luggage transfers worked like a charm. Super easy and not expensive.
Having 7 people on the trip was a challenge at times so booking private tours here and there solved a lot of issues. Along with all the great info they provide, it was nice having a guide to maximize our day and keep us from walking in circles, as we tend to do.
Having few garbage cans in the country is no joke. Carry your garbage back to your hotel with you. When we did see random garbage cans, we gasped. I saw 3 public garbage cans (not with the conbini) the whole time I was in Japan, 2 of them in Peace Park in Hiroshima.
Also carry a little towel with you when you wash your hands at a public toilet. You can get cheap ones at Daiso or any discount store. I also carried soap strips as many toilets didn’t have soap dispensers either.
Bring well broken in shoes. I had On Running for every day walking, Blundstones for hiking & rainy days. They’re also good for some temple walks on uneven ground. I also brought Clarix flats for short walks to dinner shoes. I could have done without the Clarix shoes.
Steps – Highest was about 31K in Osaka and it got progressively lower (averaging about 20K) as we became more comfortable with taking public transportation by the time we got to Tokyo.
I forgot to bring a sun hat. We had some hot sunny days and would have liked one. Buy sunscreen while you’re there. I’m in love with Bioré UV Aqua Rich. Goes on smoothly with no white cast.
Be aware of lunch times. A lot of restaurants close between 2-5.
Learn a little bit of Japanese. The Japanese people are so kind and gracious, even a smile and a bow will get you far. Google translate is your friend.
Collect goshuin at temples & shrines. They are beautiful and a nice memory of your trip and it makes temple hopping a little more fun. Eki stamps are fun to collect as well. Most of the train stamps we got we outside a JR office.
Hotels:
Osaka: Hotel Monterrey Grasmere (2 nights) – great location on top of Namba station, although we got lost underground trying to find it the 1st time. Did not buy breakfast. Comfy, traditional rooms. No onsen. Used luggage service to send large luggage to Kyoto (hotel aided) & brought smaller bags the next few nights.
Miyajima Island – Miyajima Villa (1 night) – our favorite hotel during our trip. Located very close to the pier, we took the half board plan. Loads of selection for breakfast & dinner with Japanese & Western dishes, including Hiroshima oysters. Relaxed vibes. Onsen was the best. I slept in my single loft room for 8.5 hours and it was glorious. Happy hour was nice. Learned the highball is a popular drink in Japan.
Hiroshima – Hotel Intergate Hiroshima (2 nights) – good, comfortable rooms & location, about a 15 minute bus ride or walk to the station. Onsen & happy hour available. Breakfast was great, loads of selection. They had a beef stew that we’re still talking about. I love the sliding door between the bedroom and the hallway to the bathrooms. If you're one to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, having a door shielding the bedroom from the light was awesome.
Kyoto – Mimaru Suites Kyoto Shijo (6 nights) – Loved this place. It was great to spread out. Booked 2 rooms with 2 BR each. Had in suite laundry, dining area and kitchenette. Staff was especially friendly and helpful, happy hour was great (craft beer, sake & sodas) plus staff did calligraphy lessons. Good location near the Karasuma line & buses. No onsen but nice bathtub and bought bath salts. Lots of conbini breakfasts + a good local gyudon place nearby. Used luggage service to send large luggage to Tokyo (hotel aided) & brought smaller bags the next few nights.
Kanazawa – Onyado Nono Kanazawa Hot Spring (3 nights) – Great hotel, hard beds and lumpy pillows. Tatami floors, no shoes past the front lobby (there were show lockers). Close to Omicho Market and a 15 min walk to the Castle. Caters to an Asian crowd. Breakfast was probably the best here. Sashimi, ikura, crab, tempura oh my. Plus the coffee machine also made matcha lattes. Most organized with busy breakfast lines. Onsen was nice, had sauna & different pools, including a cold pool. Crowded at times. Would be perfect except for the pillows & bed.
Tokyo – Asakusa View Annex Rokku (4 nights) – Very nice hotel, comfortable bed. Didn’t buy breakfast (friend had BF there one day and said it was expensive & not good). Great location, near Hoppy Place, a 24 hour Donki & a Family Mart that had really good pork baos (along with Famichicki and egg sandos) and a coffee shop for BF. Close to bus lines & a 7 min walk to the Ginza line. No onsen but found a place with private sauna & bath nearby. Also room has a nice bathtub with really hot water. Hotel caters to an Asian crowd (and boy they were louder than we were. Lol). Happy hour on 10th floor from 3-10 with wagashi & snacks, juice, soda, coffee & tea (no booze). Nice views of the Skytree. There is a luggage room with luggage locks where you can keep luggage if you come in before check in or have a late afternoon flight.
Highlights & low lights. Things that were planned, unplanned and things I didn’t do.
I think I scheduled my trip pretty well, there were only a few things I didn’t do because we spent more time at another place. Flexibility is key.
Osaka – 1.5 days
• Hello Kity Haruka from KIX – a great intro to Japan
• Underground navigation was a chall...
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