Japan 2017 -(i) the prepping stages

T-minus less than 2 months and my bf and I will be off to Japan for 2 weeks! Before dear readers read on thinking this post will be full of wonderful tales of Japan and their beautiful scenery and people...this won't be that post. Is it as the title says, my ramblings on our preparations for the trip towards the lead up to the actual day of our departure.

So maybe it would be useful for those who are looking for ideas on how to prepare for a trip to Japan, because believes me, you will get so much out of it when you have things organized. Sure, you'll still have fun if you just pop over and see what the city throws at you without an itinerary in hand...but being an organizational freak that I am, these prepping stages are massive fun >=)

I first started using the excel pages in Drive to create my itineraries and lists so that I can open them anywhere anytime. I did this for the Korea trip few years back so that was very handy. Having booked our flight tickets and knowing the dates, we started jotting down the places we wanted to go to. We were going to visit the major attraction sites, so no brainer, Tokyo would be our major stop, followed by Osaka, Kyoto, and a stop in Hakone for the hot springs.

Main Initial goal: Cherry Blossoms

We knew roughly how long we were going to stay in each city, based on the attractions we were visiting. Our main goal for the trip was to catch the blossoming of the cherry blossoms, and since we will be arriving near the middle/ end of the season, it feels like a race to catch the flowering in at least Tokyo and in Osaka/Kyoto before they disappear. There's a blossom forecast online  - https://www.kyuhoshi.com/japan-cherry-blossom-forecast/ - that I recommend when planning a trip during this season. They estimate the average blooms based on the forecast from previous years, and it's different in each city. Blooming starts from the south end in Kyushu and goes up towards Hokkaido.

If you want to check out the best places for cherry blossom viewing, simply just do some google work. I personally found this site useful - http://www.seejapan.co.uk/jnto_consumer/experience/outdoor/enjoying-japans-seasons/where-to-see-cherry-blossoms

Accomodation 

OK, next step was the accommodation. Roughly we knew we wanted to stay in Osaka/Kyoto for about a week. Plus we needed to figure out the transport between there and Tokyo and within the cities, but that's a whole entire section in the next phase.

Obviously accommodation is personal preference, so we wanted a place to fit the following criteria:
1. Good location - safe, close to public transport
2. Decently priced - not 5 star 'Hilton' price, but we weren't interested in hostels 24/7
3. Clean
4. Good reviews
5. One place where we can experience the traditional Japanese feel - places like Ryokans or simply just a room with tatami mats and futons.

We used a range of sites until we could find the ones we wanted, such as Agoda, Expedia, Booking.com...and the great thing about these sites is that most of them allow a 0 cancellation fee up until a week or 2 before your stay. So my tip is, especially if you're going during peak season (in this case Cherry Blossom season), just book a place early but still keep searching for hotels. If you find a better one, cancel the previous hotel you booked then make a new booking before the cancellation period.

Airbnb is also another great place to find cheap accommodation. Particularly for Kyoto or Osaka, I was able to find cheaper places with nice 'traditional-style' homes compared to Tokyo. Prices in Tokyo are slightly cheaper, or roughly the same as the hostels or sometimes hotels. The rooms are also smaller, and gets more expensive the further they were towards the city.   
Cheaptickets.com was the only place where we couldn't get the free cancellation fee, but we knew the hotel was good based on location and reviews. If you're lucky you can find a cheaper price there.

Other sources I looked at were Lonely Planet guides and the Japanese Tourist Organization Site.
 

Transport
Transport...is a bitch to research for. Once you get the hang of it it's not so bad, but there's so much to read about in order to get the most out of it. When you first look at the subway map for Tokyo, its like looking in a bowel of Allen's Snakes...or a deformed squashed rainbow - Colorful lines. Everywhere. If you're used to catching subways in Asia, then it's not much of a hit. 

The annoying bit about the subway lines is that they're owned by more than one company. So if you happen to have a pass that gives you free unlimited use of one particular train line, once you hop onto another line you'll have to pay. Sometimes you can avoid it, but you might end up wasting time trying to switch at multiple stations in order to get to your destination.

In between cities
 
Many tourists would know about the JR Pass.  It comes in either 7 days, 14 days, or 21 days passes. They give you unlimited rides to anywhere on trains, bullets trains, local buses, ferries and the monorail across Japan provided they are:

1. JR line


2.  Shinkansen bullet trains (except Nozomi and Mizuho service, limited express trains, express trains and rapid or local trains)


3. JR bus company local lines (JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokal Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Kyushu Bus)


4. JR Miyajima ferry 
 

5. Tokyo Monorail
 

Usually you can purchase this beforehand online, and exchange the coupon with the pass once you're in Japan. 

But do we really need one? Well it depends. The price isn't cheap, so we had to calculate ourselves if the trips between Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, and Hakone warrant the JR pass. Say if you're only going to use the bullet train to and from Tokyo and Kyoto once, and nothing else on the list above, then no you definitely don't need the JR pass. There is a good site where you can put in your trips and it will calculate for you whether it's worth it to get the pass or not - http://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

Because of our itinerary, we found that it was better to get the JR Pass. So not only can we use this when we travel between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, we can use this locally within the cities provided that the transportation is owned by JR (eg JR subway line). 

Tokyo
The best way to navigate through Tokyo is by their famous complicated looking BUT efficient subway system. Those trains arrive at the station ON THE DOT (compared to our railway system in Melbourne...).
There are a number of passes we can buy, but again it depends on how many stations we will stop at and whether it's worth all the trips. Or if we just want to hop on and not have to deal with the ticket machines, then the passes would be the good way to go.

Go grab a Tokyo subway map online and you'll see the different subway lines on the lower right hand corner. The main ones we'll be using will be the Tokyo Metro Line, Toei Line, and maybe the JR Line if our pass is still valid. Otherwise the first 2 will suffice for most of our stops. The information outlined below are based on the Tokyo Metro Guide brochure my dad brought back from Tokyo, so its a simplified basic version. Otherwise you can visit this site for more info and includes more discounts and combo passes - http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ 

Tokyo Subway Ticket




 They come in 24 hour (Y800/Y400), 48 hour(Y1200/Y600), and 72 hour (Y1500/Y750) tickets (adult/kid price). You can hop on either the Tokyo Metro Lines AND the Toei Subway Lines.We will purchase these tickets likely at the airport when we arrive, but apparently they can be found in stores like Major Bic Camera, Laox and some H.I.S Tourist Centers.

Keisei Airport and all day Metro Pass combo


This pass was great for us based on our schedule and hotel location. There's another train that runs from the airport straight to Tokyo station, but the Keisei Skyliner goes straight to Nippon and Ueno which was better for us. They say its takes 41 minutes to get to Ueno station. Also as a bonus, there's a package they offer where we can purchase a return ticket and add on a Tokyo Metro Ticket, the same ones as mentioned above, so we don't need to worry about purchasing a subway ticket when we arrive in Tokyo. And it's cost effective. Win! They can also be purchased online prior to the trip.
Check it out here: http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/value_ticket/subway.php

Ordinary Fares
There may be an off chance where we will have to purchase individual tickets at the stations. The fares depend on the station we're traveling to, so I assume it increases by distance of travel. It's slightly cheaper if we use an IC card, otherwise they range from Y170 upwards.

Other passes that we're not using but can be useful
-IC cards (Pasmo or Suica) : reloadable cards, convenient, especially if you go back to Japan constantly
-One Day Open Tickets: Comes in either Tokyo Metro & Toei subway pass, Tokyo Metro only, or Combination with Tokyo Metro, Toei, Toden Arakawa lines, Toei buses, Nippori-Toneri Liner lines and JR lines within metropolitan district.

Kyoto
Not as complicated as Tokyo, but still has a couple of special passes for visitors that we needed to consider. They do have subway and bus passes - http://www.insidekyoto.com/special-kyoto-bus-train-subway-passes 
The pass we're planning to get is the 2 day pass which allows unlimited usage of buses and subways for Y2000. They can be purchased at a store near Kyoto Tower. Even though initially we calculated that it was slightly cheaper not to get a pass and pay upfront, however we reckon it's worth it out of convenience. There are change machines on buses up to Y1000 in case you don't have exact amount, but in case we get lost or if we wanted to go to another area on the day, at least we don't have to worry about transport cost.

The only transport that we have to pay for would be the Randen, a tram like system, which we need when we go hiking at the Bamboo forest at Arashiyama and towards the Kinkakuji Temple. It costs Y210 per trip.

Nara
Nara is already covered with our JR Pass. But there are many passes available that allows travel to and from Nara at a discounted rate, as mentioned in this site - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4107.html

Osaka
We discovered the Osaka Amazing Pass which indeed, sounded amazing. Not only does it provide unlimited usage of the subway line within Osaka, they provide free access to various big tourist attractions including the Osaka Palace, Umeda Sky Building, and HEP Five Ferris Wheel. They also have coupons for shops and restaurants across Osaka.  It's Y2300 for one day, Y3000 for 2 days.

Hakone
We're able to reach Hakone as we bullet train towards Tokyo. The town is quite small, so we just needed to hop onto the local subway and shuttle to reach our hotel.  

Pocket Wifi 



Very handy to have around, especially navigating. Google Maps will be our best friend.
The company I'm renting from is Global Advanced Comm, which was highly recommended by a friend. 
http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html 

Disney Sea



Last time I went to Japan I went to the original Disneyland, which was very much similar to the one in LA. So I'm very much looking forward to visiting this one. Getting there is simple via the subway. Tickets can be purchased online or at the counter. There are cheaper tickets sold in small ticket stores where they offer roughly 5-10% off, but due to the language barrier and the time spent going there...I'll pass for another time. I was told to make a strategic plan when visiting DisneySea, thanks to the long lines and huge crowds. The period we're going in isn't going to be a public holiday, but it doesn't stop tourists or school excursions (yes, Japanese kids take excursions to Disneyland) from going. Fast Passes which are given to anybody will be a huge deal. So we shall see how that goes. 

Other things worth mentioning?
We're both trying to learn the language too, me being the slow beginner is only grasping the alphabet so by the time we get there, hopefully I can read the hiragana and katakana. I can at least guess some of the kanji. Yes there's a language barrier, but I hear that body language (and a bit of interpretive dancing) works well too. Unfortunately we missed out on the Ghibli museum because the tickets got sold out so quick. Oh well, another reason for me to make another visit back. Now it's just counting down the days until we hop on that plane and jet off!

Day 11 / 12 : Last days in Seoul

Day 11 was when my stomach failed me. I woke up to a nice sunny winter's day but my gut had a mind of its own this time and decided to relieve all the contents for the next 24 hours. Therefore I stayed in bed and only replenished myself with sport liquids. forever cursing the doughnut I had from Paris Baguette.

Obviously I had no photos, so here is a cartoon which represented the day (with some censoring).

The next day, or our final day in Seoul was more promising. Thankfully I didn't miss out on walking through the streets of the Ehwa Shopping district. This is a must-go place for young shoppers, with its affordable and stylish clothing boutiques, accessories, hair salons and small cafes to chill out (which I did in a 2 storey cafe surrounded by clothing boutiques (view captured below)).

I won't bore you with the shopping details, but one place that I've been meaning to visit was an animal cafe. They're pretty popular in Asian countries, and after some research I found a couple of dog cafes, cat cafes, and even one sheep cafe. I went for the dog one and chose Bau House which could be reached on foot from Hongdae. Due to the many positive reviews online, I couldn't wait to visit it as my last tourist destination in Seoul. Location wise, the cafe is very convenient since it's close to Hapjeong station. At Exit 3, we had to backtrack a bit to find the sign to the cafe leading to the back of a high rise building. Fortunately I recognized the picture of the dog silhouette representing the cafe.

Because the cafe is not directly visible it can be hard to find, particularly since the entrance is at the back. After coming down the small alleyway, the clear window panels revealing the warm interior can be seen with the business name printed at the bottom of the door.

 

Upon entering the cafe, we were greeted at the front reception and asked whether we wanted to be with the small dogs (front room) or big dogs (back room). Below is the front part of the cafe.

 

We chose to be with the big dogs in the back half of the cafe, and sat ourselves down as we ordered our drinks. At first I though the place would be smelling slightly of dog excrement, but instead the air was smelling of disinfectant. The reason for it was self explanatory as the workers clean the floors with a mop constantly, and heavily disinfect and clean the areas where the dogs have relieved themselves. So no not all dogs seemed to be potty trained but at least there were plenty of workers ready to clean their mess up. 

The price of the tea may seem higher than usual (and it wasn't super special tea either), but part of the money goes towards the upkeep of the animals. 

 

 Being a weekday, I was surprised at how many people visited the cafe still. It was a popular place for foreigners too, and many including myself couldn't help but purchase some dog snacks and treats from the counter so that the dogs can pay attention to us lol. Oh yeh, these dogs are spoilt rotten with many visitors every day, so they're pretty immune to all the attention given to them. If you want a group of dogs coming your way, just hold out some snacks in your hand, otherwise they won't give you the time of day!

Below is Bau, the beautiful dog who seems to be the leader of the pack and belongs to the owner. The cafe provides the list of dogs and their photos and names residing in the cafe so you can call them by their name (not that they respond so much unless you have food).

 Most of the dogs there were gentle and approachable, although it's always a good idea to not force yourself on them if they don't feel comfortable. They're allowed to freely roam around the entire area, jump on seats and onto the side ledges as if the building is their own.

 Time spent at the cafe is unlimited, but by lunchtime we needed to eat so we popped out and had pasta at Han's Deli. I found their pasta sauces to be quite light with less of the tomato pungent taste.

 By late afternoon, we headed back to our hotel to pack our luggage and took the taxi to the Best Western Airport Hotel so that we can catch the early morning flight to Taiwan the next day. Compared to all the accommodations we stayed at, the queen size beds and the enormous rooms were the most extravagant, and the price didn't lie either! However since it was our last night we just had to call room service for dinner, something I don't normally do so it was a little bit exciting.

 

Bimbimbap set and creamy mushroom soup.

Day 10 : Busan tour

I woke up to a sunny clear day in Busan as the start of the new year 2015. The view outside the hotel pretty much represents the city as a litter of buildings surrounded by high mountains and the sea. Today we were going to continue exploring Busan before returning to Seoul.

 

For breakfast we ventured out to the streets where virtually no store was opened besides restaurants and some cafes. In comparison to the busy atmosphere in the afternoon and evenings, mornings before 11am turned the streets into a ghost town. 

We came across this famous chain restaurant known for their chicken ginseng soup so we decided to try it out. Their standard ones for 14 000W are a huge stone pot of ginseng soup with chicken stuffed with ginseng and rice. Unfortunately the flavor was pretty bland compared to their Seoul counterparts.

The first destination we visited was Igidae Park, where we can take a picturesque view of Busan and its famous Gwangsan or Diamond Bridge. I followed the directions from this website where it outlines the trail from the train station in Namcheon to Igidae Park (http://cityawesome.com/busan1/2011/10/a-walk-through-igidae/). It was pretty easy to follow, but it did get a bit confusing once we reached the intersection after MegaMart. Below is a photo of where we stood and looking back after heading straight past the intersection and under the Gwangandaegyo bridge above us. We then crossed the lower bridge and up on the pink wooden boardwalk on the left hand side facing the coast.

As we continued walking, we slowly left the city behind us.

Gwangandaegyo bridge towards Haeundae

Off in the distance was a trapezoid looking glass building on top of the cliff, which was where we're heading.

Once we scaled past the coastline, we had to walk up the hill to get to the viewing area at the edge of the small cliff that overlooks the northern side of Busan. In the photo below, that's below the glass building (which was called 'The View'). In terms of the weather, it looked nice and sunny but the real chill came from the wind >.< 

Below is the view that we came for at Dongsaengmal Observatory. On the left is the Diamond Bridge, and on the far right is Haeundae Beach. The entire journey took us 30 minutes.

Although we didn't walk the entire course, we strolled across the boardwalk that's built on the edge of the coast.

By the time we turned back, I was very keen to take the taxi after all that walking to our next destination: Gamcheon Culture Village. If not taxi, there are other ways to get there such as either 1) training to Toseng station and taking the bus (Bus 2 or 2-2) in front of the hospital or 2) taxi after arriving at Toseng station.

The village is known to be the artistic and crafty side of Busan, where their cute colorful houses stacked on the mountainside facing the sea is iconic to the area. It was constructed by refugees during the Korean War, and later locals and artists decorated the town as a conservation art project.
Because it was a popular tourist area for locals and foreigners, a trail map was provided for us as a guideline to explore what the town has to offer. At the very start of the trail, we came across these thin toffee candy. Initially the owner makes them in a circle and a shape is pressed in the center. What's fun about this is that customers will use pins (shown on the left) to try and pry out the shape without breaking it. It's actually harder than it sounds, and it depends on the shape. Usually the owners will give them away for free if the customer can avoid breaking it (sadly we broke ours, but the result was still nice and sweet).

Another snack we came across were red bean cakes in the shape of cute turtles. Below is the photo of the owner quickly squeezing bags of red bean filling onto the cake batter before snapping shut the cooking plate to heat them.

I really wanted to take more shots of this statue, but there were people waiting behind us so I only took this one shot of the little prince, based on the French novel "The Little Prince" overlooking the village.

As we ventured our way further up the village, we came across the observation tower, which serves as the perfect point to soak in the sight of the entire town and its charm.

Walking down the stairs can be super scary since it's a very steep way down.

Since we had to take the KTX back to Seoul at 5pm from Busan station, the tour around Gamcheon was cut short in order to head back to our hotel and grab our luggage. Once again, we bought bread from the bakeries at Busan station for lunch. It's really not hard to miss a chain bakery in Korea. 

Back at Seoul, it was already dark and we were tired from our train ride. The taxi brought us to our new lodgings at Gyengbokgung where we stayed at a traditional style house (https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1734950). This house was located in a small alleyway but its wooden traditional style doors luckily gave it away.

 

The entrance taken in the morning

In terms of the room, even though it's made for 3 people, personally I think it should fit 2 because it can easily become very cramped. The bedding was surprisingly heavy, so setting it up on the floor whilst we were tired and sleepy was a 'challenge'.

The living room was very nice, fitted with dozens of the owner's books, a laptop for guests to use, TV, electric kettle, water, tea, coffee and cups. Each room has its own bathroom, and the house fits about 4 families.

Although despite it all, tragedy struck. I was food poisoned by a doughnut that I bought at Paris Baguette so for the next 24 hours, my experience in this part of Korea was halted and became a nightmare. GARGHHHHHHH!!!