Exploring Japan: A Journey from Halloween to Mid-November

Exploring Japan: A Journey from Halloween to Mid-November:

By Lars Guo

Published: April 21, 2024

Opening Message: Hi folks! I hope you all are enjoying the blogs! I wrote this during my trip but it has not been officially published until today. This will cover what I did, some fun facts, overall verdict, and tips about the trip. I hope you enjoy!

Day journals:

Tokyo:

• First full day in Japan: I went to Asakusa. I enjoyed having honey lemonade with gelato on top. It was absolutely delicious. For dinner at Ginza, I went to a restaurant that served steak, shrimp, tuna, etc. It was very delicious. To finish off the day, I went to Tokyo Character street and found amazing anime souvenirs. All of the parts are gorgeous. Japanese people are so nice and helped me out a lot. The opportunity to learn the landscape and learn Japanese was priceless. 

• Second full day: I went back to Tokyo Character street to explore and get merchandise. Then, I went to a district called Ueno. It is very nice! There were lots of anime merchandise especially the place I went to. I explored Ueno and Akihabara. I went to a ramen place where I ate tsukemen, which are also known as dipping noodles. It was amazing and it was very close to the hotel. There is a 7-11 near the restaurant as well! I am excited to continue the journey. 

• 3rd full day: I had plans of going to the Ghibli museum, but didn't work out so I wound up going to the Pokemon Center. I met a couple of young people who only spoke Japanese and became friends. We snapped photos together and shopped at the Pokemon Center together. We all walked out with Pokemon we liked. The back up plans on going to Tokyo Planet also fell apart but a walk through a different part of Tokyo was a blast and I snapped photos. I ate some tsukemen at Tsujitas and learned that they only take cash and/or SUICA cards. I tried onigiri and some other sweets for the first time for lunch and it was delicious. 

• 4th full day: I got to travel to Ueno. It was great. I got to explore more of it and almost saw some things that caught my eyes. I found two tee shirt designs from Japan. I snapped photos and chilled. 

• 5th Day: I went to Asakusa and walked around and snapped photos. I also went to Ginza and walked around and splurge on lunch with steak, fries, apple sorbet, and two non alcoholic drinks. My friend and I had ramen together at Ramen Ifu. It was delicious 😋. 

• Day 11: I returned to Tokyo. Most of it was smooth sailing. I got to have tsukemen at the Tokyo station and found what I was looking for. I also got to go to the Kirby Cafe one last time. My hotel is a really nice place and the bed is comfortable. 

• Last full day in Japan: Today was amazing 👏. My friend and I went to Roppongi for the first time. It is a part of Tokyo I have heard about through anime. Then we went to Ueno and Tokyo station. We had some amazing views of Tokyo station from outside. She showed me around where she worked from the outskirts. We went to a huge bookstore in Nipponbashi. We enjoyed tsukemen at a very famous restaurant in Tokyo Station. The tsukemen was amazing. 

Osaka:

• 6th full day: I traveled to Osaka via train which went quite smoothly. The convenience store is next to me so I can get food quickly. Everything is close by. In my Osaka hotel, there is a cute robotic puppy. The hotel says it is their pet and is interesting. I have never seen a hotel have a robotic pet. It was pretty cute all things considered. Tsuruhashi Gyuichi is the steak restaurant that I am going to. It is a steak restaurant. 

• 7th full day: I went to Osaka Castle, a garden which was closed, Shittenoji temple, Kaiyodo figure museum, Pokemon Center, and Nintendo store. The highlight of today is absolutely Osaka Castle with the views outside of the castle, from the top of the castle, and inside of Osaka Castle. It is a photographer's dream. You can see a lot of Osaka from the top of the castle. A good, but nowhere as good as a highlight as Osaka Castle, is being able to physically be able to say that I have been to the only 2 Nintendo stores in the world, which were the New York one in August 2022 and Osaka on November 8, 2023. 

• Day 8: I went to Universal Studios. I found that getting there was difficult. I went on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. Everything was in Japanese and the ride was slightly different in what the content was but mainly the same. I, unfortunately, could not go to Nintendo World because you need a reserve ticket and that is done by lottery. I ate corn chicken soup for dinner and a lemon dessert. 

• Day 9: I relaxed today and took some photos of my plushies. Some had props while others did not. 

• Day 10: I went to the Hozenji temple which was an 8 minute walk from my hotel. I went to Book Off after. I got a few things. My sling broke and I got desperate and bought a 500 yen temporary solution. I ate my last steak dinner in Osaka. It was not the end of the world by any means and I acknowledge that it is a first world problem, but today I was exhausted and not in the mood for anything. It wasn't the activities I did today. I just needed another day to chill. 

Advice and tips on what I have learned in Japan as a solo traveler:

• Make sure you get the Japan rail pass FIRST because there is only one person only and it takes forever. 

• Get the welcome SUICA card.

• Make sure you try to sleep on the plane

• Air Canada is mostly okay with food but definitely brings snacks. There are three meals that are served. 

• Pocket WiFi is a life saver.

• Before your trip, inform anyone who you know will want to contact you. Having a Google number, etc would be helpful. 

• Know some basic phrases or as much as possible in Japan. 

• People are super helpful in Japan. Do not be afraid of asking questions/help. 

• Try to talk to the locals and make some friends.

• Get souvenirs for yourself and loved ones

• Take photos and keep some form of journal

• Absolutely do some exploring without a plan because it will be fun being adventurous. I explored Ueno for the first time as well as aimlessly walking around Akihabara. I didn't have a plan but exploring and trying new things was totally a blast.

• Absolutely learn as much of a foreign language to the country you are going to because it is WAY MORE fun and opens more friendships. You will get more out of it than if you didn't go in with the language knowledge. 

• Don't rely solely on credit and debit cards. You need cash for the trains and paying for places that only accept cash such as capsule toy machines, certain restaurants and shops, loading your suica card, etc.

• Convenience store food in Japan is amazing. Great quality food for a low price is great especially if you are on a budget for food.

• Do not get the same food every night because you'll get sick of it and try new foods that are not popular in the US. 

• Do not rely on google maps to get you from one point to another. It isn't that reliable without cell service. I tried to be too reliant and people were more reliable than maps.

• Use a well known but still unique brick and mortar location nearest to your hotel and ask people for directions there and go home from there assuming you know some part if you know your hotel's location well enough. 

• In Tokyo, if your hotel is near the Akihabara district nearest to its respective station,  for great tsukemen, go to a restaurant called "Ramen Ifu". It has delicious tsukemen for a cheap price.

• Have about $200-300 worth of yen because stuff tends to take cash only. I wish I brought more.

• Do laundry at the hotel if they have machines depending on how long your trip is. 

• Coins are still a necessity in Japan. Don't throw them out or waste them.

• Have backup plans if things don't go your way 

• Keep track of your budget for the trip.

• Use convenience stores to your advantage. 

• Be creative and strategic on what you spend on. Always ask yourself: Can I get this easily in my home country without it costing a fortune and/or find it at all? I found two cherry blossom key chains that need chains to make full fledged necklaces to wear. 

• Be mindful of what you get in a foreign country because of lost packages due to shipping, overweight bags at airline are problems that ca occur.

• If you need sleep, big time difference trips will not be your jam. You will have some rough sleeping days where you get little to no sleep.

• Asking for help on where to go is nothing to be ashamed of.

• Super Hotel Premier are good places to stay at. I have no complaints. 

• Looking for a restaurant in Osaka that takes credit cards? Tsuruhashi Gyuichi: Kobe beef. It is a steak restaurant. Warning: it is expensive. 

• Osaka has its own subway system and SUICA cards don't work except for convenience stores and vending machines. If you have enough yen, go for the multi-day pass. I, unfortunately, did not have enough yen. Physical yen can only be used to pay for anything subway related. I did the second best thing and did all of the things that require a subway in one day excluding Nintendo World which will be done one day after the first full day of Osaka. At the time of this post, it was 8000 yen was needed for unlimited rides. 

• Double check your itinerary which include the names of the hotels you are staying in, activities, etc. I got home late and got lost a little bit for about an hour trying to find my hotel. 

• Make sure you got on the right line and the correct ticket because there is a difference between the Osaka metro and other lines. 

• When in doubt, get the ICOCO pass. It is 2000 yen. I just didn't have enough yen.

• When something breaks, try to repair it if it is possible. When not possible, buy a replacement. Hopefully, you can find a bag with better quality than mine. 

• Definitely have back ups in case stuff gets broken, lost, and/or stolen. Nothing is a day ruined more than not having what you need. 

• You need sleep, stamina, motivation, street smarts, and a loose leaf plan to succeed. 

• Actually bring your debit card for extra cash. 

• Make sure your phone is on airplane mode when using pocket WiFi, otherwise you will be charged for international data/call. R means roaming. 

• Pay everything as you go so you know exactly how much you have left.

• Bring a power bank with you.

Summary:

Most fun time in Tokyo:  hanging out with my friends, going to the Pokemon center, and having tsukemen. 

Most amazing activity in Osaka: Osaka Castle

Best views for photography: Osaka Castle

Most stressful place to get to: Nintendo World 

Best restaurant: Osaka's Gyuichi 

Best restaurant in Tokyo for tsukemen: Ramen Ifu

Best souvenir find that I got for myself: All Kuroko’s Basketball merchandise, Dragon quest merchandise, Fuecoco plushies, Blue lock plush

Hardest day for week 1: Arriving to Japan 

Best opportunity as a foreigner: speaking Japanese with the locals and learning about the culture.

Hardest part as a foreigner: getting used to the time change, getting around (also the fun part with the exception of Nintendo world), finding places that take credit cards

Most amazing discovery and achievement (aside from doing this as a solo traveler): going to both Nintendo stores and being able to say I went to both.

Most disappointing part of the vacation: Not being able to get into Nintendo World because you need a reserved ticket. It is done by lottery. 

Worst days in Japan: First day of Japan (jetlag), last full day of Osaka, and leaving Japan.

Most annoying part of Japan: lack of clarity on what public transportation goes to.

Best part of solo travel: talking to locals, trying new things, being yourself, having your own space, and controlling where and when you go places

Best deals: turned a couple of cherry blossom key chains into necklaces. It costs hundreds of dollars and I can do it for a fraction of the price.

Most surprising highlight: Osaka Castle and making friends during my travels 

Most surprising worst day: last full day of Osaka because I was tired, my bag broke, and had no energy for anything. Doing nothing was something I wanted to do and couldn't because it was my last full day of Osaka. As a side note about the bag, it is a first world problem but it didn't help my day get any better.

Hardest day during week 2: last day in Osaka. Explanation is in the previous line.

Most surprising food that I liked in Osaka: all of the ice creams at Gyuichi 

Most underwhelming place I went to: Hozenji temple. There wasn't much to do or see.

Most successful day: I would say for Tokyo for the first leg of the trip: everyday except the first day and not the day I could not go to the Ghibli museum. For Osaka, I would say getting to and from Osaka and the second most successful days also include my couch potato day and first full day in Osaka overall.

The worst day with actual activities planned out: My last day in Osaka (full day) because I was tired, my bag broke, and wasn't in the mood to do anything. 

Best day on the second half of the trip: Without a doubt, spending time with my friend exploring Tokyo together was the best day for sure. 

Worst overall day: last day because I got sick. The trip was still amazing regardless. 

Surprising fact about my photography: I found it very hard to find great photo places for the plushies because I needed a certain amount of space and a great scenic place to make it look great. The space by far was the hardest. Sometimes it is difficult to capture the plushies and a good scene.

Worst food I had: My last meal in Tokyo was the worst by far. The food on Air Canada wasn't that good either. 

Reflection on my Japanese: While I had a lot more meaningful conversations and had more Japanese in my arsenal than my first time going to Japan in 2019 shortly after my brother's wedding. I was relatively a beginner at that point and a lot of people asked me to talk to them in English which stung a bit. This time, a lot more people just spoke to me in Japanese and made some friends/acquaintances. I had more conversations in Japanese. Unfortunately, there was still too much usage of Google translate/reliance on English than I would like though. It made me realize how much more I have to go. With that said, I felt like I learned more about the culture and more Japanese in general.

Trip rating out of 100 percent:  97%

If I were able to go to Japan as a solo traveler, I would absolutely go again. I had a blast overall. I was absolutely living my dream out for the most part. I made a friend. I got to explore various places and try new things. I learned so much on this trip on my capabilities, what I want in life, etc. I had a couple of I was too tired to do stuff days at most. My time with my friend made my last full day in Tokyo feel extra special. 

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