An Amazing 7-Day Trip to Japan: A Personal Experience
Thanks to all the shared experiences in this group, my friend and I had an incredible 7-day trip to Japan! It wasn't enough, and we're already planning a return trip to shop more, eat delicious food, and enjoy even more fun.
Trip Breakdown
Visa
I prepared the documents myself and submitted them via Indochina: 820k VND.
Flights
We bravely bought our tickets four months before applying for the visa in late September, purchased in late May: 7 million VND (including 20kg checked baggage). On the return flight, we bought an extra 20kg for 880k VND. Total flight cost: 7.9 million VND (Kansai arrival, Narita departure).
Accommodation
We visited Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, staying two nights in each city.
Osaka
We stayed in the Namba-Hotel Shin Imamiya area: 750k VND per person per night. Private toilet, a small room but fully equipped and clean, also very close to the train station.
Kyoto
A university friend works there and lives alone, so they invited us to stay, saving us on accommodation costs.
Tokyo
We stayed at APA Hotel Higashi-Shinjuku: 1 million VND per night per person for two nights.
Transportation
We recharged our Icoca card four times, spending 7000 JPY, spent 3500 JPY on taxis, 14170 JPY on the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo, and 1300 JPY on the bus from Tokyo Station to the airport.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Osaka Arrival
Our flight arrived at Kansai at 8 AM. Luggage and customs were quick. We bought and recharged an Icoca card and took the yellow train line to the Namba area. As soon as we exited the station, a kind Japanese man helped us find our hotel, even though it was only 80 meters from the station.
11 AM - 2 PM: We left our luggage at the hotel and took a train to Osaka Castle to see the autumn leaves. We had lunch with all four types of grilled skewers from the castle vendors – delicious!
2 PM - 3 PM: Check-in and rest at the hotel.
4 PM - 6 PM: Nakanoshima Park.
6 PM - 10 PM: Osaka Dotonbori: We had ramen for dinner and tried the cheesecake. Apparently, it's only sold in Osaka, and it was amazing! The cake cost 965 JPY. We also stopped at Family Mart for snacks and fruit, and Don Quijote and a drugstore for souvenirs. Total food cost for Day 1: 5000 JPY.
Day 2: Universal Studios Japan (USJ)
7 AM: We left for USJ, grabbing breakfast at Family Mart. Arrived at 8 AM, took photos, and lined up to enter at 8:30 AM. We bought our USJ tickets via Trai Nghiem Nhat Ban for 8100 JPY (compared to 8900 JPY on the USJ website). We regretted not buying express passes. Luckily, it was a lightly rainy Friday, so the lines weren't too long.
Harry Potter: Only a 10-minute wait!
Nintendo: We reserved a time slot on the app and entered right on time.
Minion: This was my favorite ride – so colorful and fun!
Spiderman: The longest wait, but worth it!
We had pizza and soup for lunch in USJ, then played Dark Horror games and took pictures in the afternoon. We left USJ at 5 PM.
7 PM - 9 PM: Shopping at Daiso and Don Quijote.
9 PM - 11 PM: Shabu shabu in Shinsaibashi. We had beer and ice cream, costing over 9000 JPY per person. Our Japanese friend (a former client) treated us, so our food cost for Day 2 was only 2000 JPY.
Day 3: Kyoto Bound
7 AM - 9 AM: We explored the Umeda area, had udon for breakfast, and took pictures. Then, we used our Icoca card to travel to Kyoto.
12 PM - 2 PM: Kyoto: Tofukuji Temple. The autumn leaves were only about 40% turned but still beautiful.
2 PM - 4 PM: Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of red torii gates. We also bought Wagyu beef skewers.
4 PM - 7 PM: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: It's quite far and out of the way. By the time we arrived, it was too dark to appreciate its beauty, and it was a little scary, so we left.
8 PM - 11 PM: We had conveyor belt sushi, ordered on a tablet, and browsed Uniqlo. Food cost for the day: 5000 JPY.
Day 4: Kyoto in Kimono
My university friend works at a Ryokan and lent us two Kimonos. They even helped us put them on!
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Nishiki Market. It's not just fish; it's a beautiful market with many things for sale.
11 AM - 2:30 PM: Over 3.5 hours spent exploring Gion and Kiyomizu-dera Temple. We bought souvenirs and snacks. There was a cosmetics shop selling many small beauty products; we bought oil blotting paper and soap. We bought over 10 bags of red bean mochi from a shop in Gion; it was delicious!
3 PM - 4 PM: Sukiyaki hot pot for lunch, then relaxing at home.
5:30 PM - 11 PM: Took photos of the famous Kyoto bridge and dedicated the evening to shopping and eating. Visited Don Quijote, drugstores, bought a suitcase, and shoes at ABC Mart. We had a Kobe beef buffet. Total food cost: 6200 JPY per person.
Day 5: Tokyo Arrival
8:30 AM: Took a taxi from Karasuma to Kyoto Station to catch the Shinkansen. Each of us had nearly 40kg of luggage, making it hard to move around the station. We bought tickets to Tokyo.
12:10 PM: Arrived in Tokyo, changed train lines to get to our hotel, but got off at the wrong station while looking at our phones. We decided to walk the remaining 1km to the APA hotel with two large suitcases and one small one each. Arrived at the hotel at 1:20 PM.
1:30 PM - 3 PM: Left our luggage and had Kobe beef for lunch.
3 PM - 5:30 PM: Explored Nakamise shopping street, Tokyo Tower, and Sensoji Temple. The crepes there were delicious; everyone was lining up to buy them.
5:30 PM - 7 PM: Relaxed at the hotel.
7:30 PM - 10 PM: Sushi, sashimi, and a stroll around Roppongi Hills. Food cost for the day: 10,000 JPY.
Day 6: Mount Fuji Day Trip
7:30 AM: Left the hotel. Arrived at Shinjuku at 8 AM, bought food at Family Mart, and stopped at Lawson for pastries and drinks. We had hamburger for lunch (2300 JPY+) on the way to Lake Kawaguchiko. We stopped at a mini-store, and I bought more snacks and souvenirs. Then, we took an onsen near Mount Fuji (1 hour for 1500 JPY).
Evening: A night dedicated to buying souvenirs, shopping, and eating. We had delicious Wagyu beef nearby. We bought grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, ramen, and snacks as gifts. Food cost for the day: 7000 JPY.
Day 7: Departure
In the morning, we checked out, took a taxi to Tokyo Station, and bought bus tickets to the airport. I bought even more souvenirs at the airport!
Conclusion
Overall, the trip was a mix of taking photos, eating well, and experiencing new things.
Total trip cost: 25 million VND, including all food and activities.
Souvenirs for family and friends: 15 million VND.
By Tuyen Nguyen
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