2017 Summer Japan Trip Report

[IMANOOB]

Hi All,

Just want to share my last year's overdue Trip Report. I had received a lot of help while researching for my Japan trip in this forum.

Credits to @Majimax & @thywsg for helping me finalize my itinerary.

TRIP SUMMARY:

*18 DAYS JPN
- TOKYO 8D7N
- TAKAYAMA 5D4N
- HIROSHIMA 3D2N
- KYOTO 6D5N

*Trip Expenditure : 3300 SGD

- Accomodation : 86000 yen for 17 nights (inclusive of 3300 SGD total)

- Vietnam Air Return tix : 430 SGD
- JR Pass 14 days : 46350 yen

- All photos taken with Samsung A7 due to broken camera

My trip started just after golden week had ended, and thus i was able to avoid high season just by a hair's breadth, and it was just a cheap backpacking trip.

In total i spent like around 3300 SGD for 18 days of travelling. I wish that one day i can do a month long trip AHSS style.

I purchased a promo ticket by Vietnam Air @425 SGD return arrive and exit via Kansai. Unfortunately, the promo ticket means i had to endure an 8 hour layover in Hanoi Airport

I had intended to spend the 8 hours sleeping on the sleep pods said to be located in Hanoi Airport, however, upon arrival i discovered that those same sleep pods are located outside the immigration area.

view of Noi Bai Airport Tarmac


The vietnamese immigration officers aren't exactly helpful, and they're not known for their hospitality. In the end, i decided to spend 3 hrs at a lounge by forking 30 USD.

The trip on the plane itself weren't memorable, Vietnam Air had a good service as expected of a national carrier, but the interior was a bit lacking. Flight itself had a few turbulence so can't sleep well

 

[IMANOOB]

When i arrived at Kansai, the first thing i did was exchange my JR Pass located at the 2nd level of Kansai Airport, just slightly outside the airport. I remember back then the weather was pretty cool , ard 18. c.

Afterwards, i continued my journey to Shin Osaka using Haruka Express.

At Shin Osaka, i continued my journey and purchased an Ekiben. Unfortunately since i was exhausted, i accidentaly dropped the ekiben and messed the contents a little bit. It costed me 1300 yen for this cold meal tho.

Ekiben bought at Kyoto station

the journey to Tokyo took 3 hrs, and upon arrival, i immediately checked in my Hostel. i stayed in this hostel at Asakusa named Enaka Asakusa Central Hostel

Hostel itself was pretty simple and i booked myself a semi single room for around 38 SGD, but it was pretty clean and close to a japanese chinese restaurant which i ate at for breakfast for 2 times.

When i checked in, i got the shock of my life and discovered that my FF X-10A broke. I tried to get it fixed at BIC Camera stores, unfortunately most of them require at least 2 weeks.

I thus made my way to Yokohama from Asakusa, the journey itself took for about an hour, used both JR Pass and Suica to cover.

The loss of my camera dampened my spirits a lot, but with a heavy heart i decided to continue to Yokohama. I had to depend on my Samsung A7 for photography.

I initially wanted to visit the ramen museum, but i decided to meander around Osanbashi bridge and the chinatown, my mind is still pretty heavy from the loss.

entrance to Yokohama Chukagai

Masu-byo Gate

Streets of Yokohama Chukagai

Yokohama Chinatown is also known as Yokohama Chukagai, and it isn't that far from Yokohama JR station. I'd say it's about 30-40 mins walk.

It's known mainly for its Mazhu and Guandi temple, and genunie Japanese Chinese food. Ate Mapo tofu course in this enclave.

 

[IMANOOB]

Dafuq why are my images not showing

 

[IMANOOB]

Surprisingly, my A7 actually took some good night shots of Osanbashi bridge, despite just being a camera phone.

Feels like a classier version of Clarke Quay

Nihon Maru Ship


On my way back, my mood lightened a bit when i happened upon this parade. Turns out on the day of my arrival in Japan, Kanda had some sort of festival. They brought the shrine palanquin to the station and did some sort of funny dance

Suffice to say it was pretty interesting to see. After spending sometime wandering the streets of Asakusa, i went back to my hostel and called it a day

 

[investccc]

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

 

[IMANOOB]

Day 2


After waking up somehere around 8 am, i decided to have a leisurely breakfast at a nearby chinese restaurant while checking the weather updates. The best thing about staying in Asakusa is that there are a lot of restaurants around. The one i had breakfast in was quite cheap, with full set meals with free water for around 600 - 900 yen The weather was drizzling outside, and i had a Buta Kimchi set. Not that much meat but tasty and filling. I had this dish twice on my stay in Asakusa.

Buta Kimchi set for 700-800 yen with free water!


Since the weather was disagreeable, i decided to visit Ryogoku and drop by Akihabara later

This was the station where i dropped in, lots of sumo wrestlers around. It seemed that there was a tournament going around. However Ryogoku was closed when i visited. I pondered if i should watch the sumo tournament, but i was confused on the schedule, so i went to the nearby Edo museum instead. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures inside, so this were the only 2 pic that i took.

Saigo Takamori's Armor. Took it discreetly. Exhibition has no english explanation

Entry was somewhere between 600, i opted for the exhbition ticket which was 1600 yen, which includes the normal museum fee, plus an exhibition about Saigo Takamori.

After my visit to Ryogoku, i went to Akihabara. I went to the building that has outside escalators. For an otaku mecca, my visit to Akihabara left me unimpressed. I always thought it was more fascinating, but that maybe because i limited my visit to 1 building since it was drizzling outside.

 

[IMANOOB]

Day 2


After roaming aimlessly around Tokyo, i decided to finally complete one of my trip higlights this evening. I went to Ashikaga flower park.

This was Ashikaga's train station, and from the station you need to walk around 1 km to reach the park itself. By the time i arrived there, thankfully the rain had ceased drizzling.

some wildflower i encountered on my trek to the park

I specifically went around 1630, intending to arrive there around 1700 +. Apparently tickets were cheaper for evening admission compared to day admission. The wisterias were also said to have a unique charm to them with illumination. Ticket was around 700 yen/person if i recall.

 

[IMANOOB]

The park itself has many different kind of wisterias, and they also have bunches of other flowers.

The many flowers of Ashikaga Park

 

[IMANOOB]

However, the only that truly left me with a deep impression were the wisterias.

When i reached the wisteria garden, a strong smell similiar to jasmine immediately struck my nose, and it was a vivid, fragrant yet bewitching smell. And the entire part of the park that has wisterias was blanketed with this fragrance. It was pretty strong, but nice, like a potpourri smell.

 

[Perisher]

TS, anymore updates?

 

[IMANOOB]

TS, anymore updates?

will update later. busy researching for my next trip

 

[princessreiko]

When was your travel date?
Will the wisterias and azeleas still be around in mid - end of June?

 

[IMANOOB]

When was your travel date?
Will the wisterias and azeleas still be around in mid - end of June?

i saw the wisterias before May 14. Azaleas would still be around until late May i believe, but not June. same with Wisterias.

 

[rrr2015]

that was 2017 right? this year seems to bloom much earlier in mid-April!

i saw the wisterias before May 14. Azaleas would still be around until late May i believe, but not June. same with Wisterias.

 

[IMANOOB]

More wisteria updates. i will be posting Wisteria Tunnel tomorrow along with the rest of the park

Ashikaga Wisteria 13th May

 

[IMANOOB]

that was 2017 right? this year seems to bloom much earlier in mid-April!

Yea, i heard that sakuras and most other flowers are blooming earlier this year.

But i understand that flower blooms in Hokkaido happens slower by a month.

Shame though, i would love to see another wisteria bloom in Hokkaido.

 

[IMANOOB]

Ashikaga Wisteria Tunnel, and White Wisterias.

Almost made me regret not going to Kawachi Fuji-en.

I always though Wisterias are best viewed in Afternoon, turns out in evening they're as enchanting!

White Wisteria Tunnel