1. Notarise COVID-19 vaccination certificate (3 doses)
3. JR Rail Pass physical copies
Is the JR pass worth getting?
It depends on how many cities you are traveling to via the Shinkansen.
In our case, we saved about SGD$123 per pax from the Japan rail pass.
We activated it on Day 3.
Get the Japan rail pass here on Klook.
To collect at the airport:
Unlimited Data sim card for 8 days
Keisei Skyliner & Tokyo Subway Ticket 40min ride tickets from either ticket counters or vending machines
Skyliner vending machine -get the pass from Klook to cover the first 2 days -the officer will collect back this ticket once you arrive
This is a Skyliner pass card.
Skyliner gantry |
Apps to download:
- Navitime -tells you which subway lines to take via the Tokyo Metro pass or Japan Rail pass
- Google maps
-informs you of the different train timings so you can pick which train timing to take
Airbnb Accommodation:
3D2N Tokyo: Tokyo Design Room Dyson+Free Washer
-Tokyo accommodations are relatively pricier than other cities
-Recommend staying at either Shibuya, Asakusa (we stayed nearer here) or Shinjuku areas
2D1N Mount Fuji: Fuji beautiful, close!! *luggage drop-off allowed*
3D2N Kyoto: Shimogyo Ward Manga *luggage drop-off allowed*
4D3N Osaka: 戎204/A0719/15 min Shinsaibashi・Dotonbori
-Recommend staying near Namba or Tennoji areas
Day 1: Tokyo itinerary
0645 Reached airport
While waiting for Tsujihan, we got Takoyaki nearby because we were so hungry.
After eating these takoyaki, I am convinced that takoyaki sold at pasar malams is a scam. The takoyaki in Japan had big octopus pieces and were massive. 😍1100 Tsujihan ZEITAKU DON (We wanted to arrive before 10am, but we arrived at 11am and waited for 3 hours. It is overrated in my opinion, you can still choose to queue at 3pm if you arrive later.)
1500 Akihabara+ walk to Airbnb to put down the luggage
1600 Sensoji Temple + Melon Pan (Originally we wanted to get Matcha no.7 but they only allowed those with coupons to purchase their food. We had no clue what was going on.)
0700 Meiji Jingu Shrine + Yoyogi Park @Meiji Harajuku Station
0900 Harajuku Takeshita street (1000 could have been better as shops open at 1000 but you can start queuing for crepes at 0930)
Marion Crepe |
Zakuzaku milk ice cream (these were so good) |
We did run into some Yakuza?
1100 Shibuya Crossing + Hachiko (Dog statue) @Shibuya Station
1130 Ramen Ichiran, Shibuya (Opening hours: 10am-6pm)
The waitress serving the Ichiran ramen (you don't get to see her face 🙃) |
1400 Ghibli Museum (prebooked 1 month before on 10th Feb at GMT +8 10am)
Book tickets at 10am on the 10th of each month on the Lawson website https://l-tike.com/st1/ghibli-en/sitetop |
1630 Suga Jinja My Name staircase
1800 Go Tokyo station to activate JR pass
1900 Udon @ Ginza Dinner with Derek and a friend
2100 Book Fuji excursion tickets
Alternative popular eats:
Onigiri Bongo 11:30am-11pm
Udon Shin (11am-10pm)
Day 3: Going from Tokyo to Mount Fuji via Fuji excursion train
(It took me some time and searching to figure this out so I wrote more detailed explanations here.)
Do try to book the Fuji excursion tickets at least 1-2 days in advance because we were luckily left with just nice 2 side-by-side seats.
-select Japan Rail Pass -scan the QR code
-type in your full passport number (not the last 4 digits)
-Fuji excursion trains run at 0730H, 0830H, and 0930H at Shinkuju station
-look for the words "Fuji excursion" and select that train
-this is to book free reserved seats from Shinjuku station to Otsuki station
-From Otsuki station to Kawaguchiko Station, you would need to pay 600 yen by cash, and 1140 by Passmo card upon arrival, or entirely by cash is okay too.
0630 Tsukiji fish market (It's closed on Sundays so we chose to go on Monday.)
0900 Arrive at Shinjuku station platform 10 Fuji train 0930H
Alternative ways to reach Mt Fuji include taking the Fujisan limited bus express but it takes 2.5 hours.
Taking the 0930H Fuji excursion would let you reach Mount Fuji at 1035H which takes about 1 hour.
1230 Reached 音楽民宿 やすらぎ荘 Yasuragiso Airbnb
The window view of Mt Fuji from our Airbnb |
looks like where Doraemon stays |
1500 Arakurayama Sengen Shrine @Shimoyoshida Station
1700 Eat Hotto noodles Funari (Opening hours: 11 am–9 pm)
Day 4: Going from Mount Fuji via a shinkansen at Mishima to Kyoto
0800 Yagizaki Park + Lake Kawaguchi 1000 Airbnb check-out Reserve on https://www.fujikyucitybus.com/en/mishimaliner/ at least 3 days in advance 1120 Take a reserved bus to Mishima to take Hikari Shinkansen to Kyoto 1245 Reached Mishima to book Shinkansen and eat lunch
Kyoto itinerary
1500 Put luggage down at Airbnb 1600 Arashiyama bamboo walk
1930 Matsuba Soba (Closed on Wednesday)
Daifuku 😍 |
Masuda Chaho Matcha ice cream |
-Nakamura Tokichi Byodo-in
-Marukichi‘s dango (We didn't have time to search for this.)
1430 leave 1530 Nara Park
famous mochi stall on the way to Nara park |
Nara deers |
Udon here was so goooood 😋 |
A popular place that we skipped:
Kinkaku-ji
Day 6: Kyoto->Osaka
(Singapore to Osaka)
Osaka itinerary
1045 Check out from Airbnb
1115 Kyoto station
Book the Hikari train from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka Station
Osaka loop line is free with a JR rail pass
1130 Lunch Okonomiyaki Chitose
1430 Namba JR Namba Station
Dotonbori-signature Glico’s Running Man signboard |
Uncle Rikuro Cheesecake (Must try!) |
1530 Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street+551 Horai Butamen (Buns but not that special to us Chinese who have been eating buns all our lives)
1545 Maidreamin Osaka Namba outlet
Kuromon Market Street food
1730 Join queue Katsudon Chiyomatsu Dotonbori Main Store (Opening hours: 11am-3pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm, 1 hour waiting time)
Big katsu size difference |
1800 Airbnb @Shin-Imamiya Station
2000 Solaniwa onsen
A popular place that we skipped:
Osaka Castle (9am-5pm) Entry fee: 600yen Ōsakajōkōen Station
Day 7: Osaka Universal Studios Japan
0800 Universal Studios Japan (actually better to reach there at 7am) @Universal-City Station
-do book your tickets via Klook at least 1 month before
-tickets are cheaper on weekdays
1930-2050 Chainsawman cafe
2100 Mcdonalds + Mister Donut + Uniqlo shopping
2130 Reserve seats for the Sakura train to Hiroshima (Ideally, book 2 days in advance because we ended up seating apart in the same train car.)Day 8: Miyajima, Hiroshima, Kobe
0500 Wake up
0530 JR Osaka loop to Shin-Osaka, take Shinkansen Sakura to Hiroshima
In total, a 3h ride to Miyajimaguchi Station (JR Sanyo Line)
0840 Reached Miyamaguchi station
0855 JR Ferry Miyajima Ferry station (Free with JR pass, original cost 180 yen)
-take either 0855, 0910, 0925, 0940, or 0955 to Miyajima
-just flash your JR pass to the officer once you reach the island
0910 Itsukushima Shrine (Giant vermillion torii gate) Entry fee: 300 yen
-you can buy omamori here1000 Lunch Yakigaki No Hayash10.30am-4.30pm (queue early)
Food must try
-oysters
-eel bowl
-Jakee (red bean paste cake)
We had the freshest oysters I have ever eaten in my life. |
1035 leave Miyajima
1140 Reach Hiroshima station Shinkansen Exit 2
Take the Hiroshima sightseeing bus which is free with a JR pass
-bus driver will use a camera to take a picture of your JR pass each time you board the bus
Lemon Bus Route
Lemon Bus |
Atomic Bomb dome free |
1500 Hiroshima station
1700 Eat Kobe beef
Kobe Chinatown @Motomachi station |
Day 9: Leave for the airport
1000 Kaitenzushi Ganko Abeno Harukas Sushi Conveyor Belt
30min Haruka train (Hello Kitty train)
Go to Kansai airport at Osaka to fly back to Singapore
If you want to go back to Narita Airport or Haneda Airport, it takes about 4 hours by Shinkansen. Alternatively, take a Sunrise Izumo night bus back to Tokyo.
It was a memorable Japan trip.
Referral codes
Klook: 2FQHXF (you will get $5)
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