Here is Part 4 of my Japan blogs. I'm now in the Osaka portion of my trip. Even though we went beyond Osaka's borders for some of the areas (like Kyoto), I'll still refer to it as Osaka since it was our base of operations. As usual, below is a link to my previous entry about a couple of these areas.
IKEDA
DAYS SPENT: 0.5
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I covered Ikeda as Osaka last time since I visited only the Cupnoodles Museum. This time we checked out a restaurant and supermarket. Check out this area if you want to see the Cupnoodles Museum.
PLACES VISITED:
Cupnoodles Museum (RE-VISIT)
For the My CUPNOODLES Factory, it costed 500 yen this time to make your own ramen. Darn it, inflation! It's borderline too pricey but to me it's still worth it. The procedure is pretty much the same as last time:
1. You get in line to buy an empty cup. This time you need to confirm with a staff member how many empty cups you intend to buy from the vending machine. I don't think there's a maximum amount of cups one person can buy. Maybe it's to monitor stock levels?
2. After buying your cup, you sanitize your hands at a sanitation station.
3. You tell another staff member how many people will be designing a cup and you'll be directed to a table when it's empty.
4. Design your cup! Always be sure to note the current day since the cup noodles will expire one month from that day.
5. Once you're done designing, head to the topping stations and hand your cup to the staff person. When it's your turn, you can pick one soup base and four toppings. You can double-up on toppings if you want. The staff will then put the lid and shrink-wrap your cup and then you can take it back.
6. With your cup in hand, head to the air-sealing station. Even though I was intending to bring the cup noodle back home with me (meaning I shouldn't be doing this), I wanted the experience. My boyfriend and I followed the instructions and found it quite difficult to air-seal it nicely! I pumped too much air that my cup noodle was halfway out of the plastic bag. I found a way to let out some air so I could re-do the pumping without re-doing the whole process.
Once we were done, we hung the cup noodles around our necks and explored the other exhibits in the museum. I was looking forward to checking out the Tasting Room but I didn't see it this time. Was it under maintenance? :(
Looking at the Cupnoodles Museum website, there is a 500 yen admission for the Yokohama location and you may need to make online reservations, so keep that in mind if you decide to check the Cupnoodles Museum at Yokohama instead of at Ikeda.
A wall chronicling all the Cup Noodles flavours and brands / sub-brands since the beginning.
A replica of one of the first vending machines for Cup Noodles.
A shot of a noodle-making workshop (Chicken Ramen Factory). I was considering signing up myself and my boyfriend, but I read online that the instructions would be in Japanese. You can only sign up for the noodle-making workshops in pairs, and it can only be done online.
A shot of the My CUPNOODLES Factory design area.
The available toppings and soup base. The limited topping is between the corn and the kimchi. I can't read what it says. ^^;
My own cup noodles in an airtight bag. It was fun to set up but I let the air out when putting the cup noodle in my luggage.
OTHER PHOTOS:
The supermarket we visited. It was decent.
KYOTO
DAYS SPENT: 0.5
OVERALL THOUGHTS: We were planning on spending the whole day in Kyoto, but with the sun's rays scorching down on us and there being no good places for shade (it was 32 degrees Celsius), we half-rushed back to the subway after we hit our marks. Whenever we came across a vending machine with water, it felt like finding salvation.
Much of our time was spent around Arashiyama. When we got back to Kyoto station, we decided to stay there and find a certain restaurant my boyfriend suggested. Maybe our energy was low but we had difficulty finding it even though we consulted various maps. After an hour of walking back and forth in Kyoto station, we finally found the restaurant by riding up a certain set of escalators.
I was surprised that the scenery around Kyoto station was very different from Arashiyama... or from what is normally associated with Kyoto. Kyoto station has a lot of industrial / commercial buildings.
PLACES VISITED:
Tenryu-ji Temple + Garden
The last time I came here, I rushed through everything because I only had about 20 minutes to get to the bamboo grove before Tenryu-ji Temple closed. This time, I was able to explore. Admission for the Tenryu-ji Temple was 500 yen by itself, 800 yen with the garden exhibit included. To walk around the inside of the temple, we had to leave our shoes in a cubby. The scenery and architecture was neat. As we explored, my boyfriend told me stories about the temple.
The way to the Tenryu-ji Temple + Garden!
A room full of tatami mats.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (RE-VISIT)
This will always be a wondrous place for me. Being surrounded by all the tall green bamboo is such an awe-inspiring experience. Last time there were tons of people walking through the grove and this time it wasn't any different.
Close to the exit, we saw a huge earthworm crawling along the ground. I stared at it long enough that eventually a small crowd gathered to observe it, too. As my boyfriend and I were heading away, one person tried putting a stick under the earthworm to move it away from the foot traffic.
This pic doesn't do it justice.
Somebody playing some musical instrument close to the entrance of the bamboo grove.
A short clip of the person playing that instrument.
OTHER PHOTOS:
An amusing sign at Saga-Arashiyama station.
Walking along the streets around Arashiyama. It looks scenic and nice. In reality I was sweating profusely due to the scorching sun.
A shot of the buildings around Kyoto station.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN
DAYS SPENT: 1
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I was intending to set aside Universal Studios Japan as a separate blog entry, but then I thought I wouldn't have too much to say to justify it. Little did I know... hahaha. Please forgive my rambles below.
When I knew we'd be staying in Osaka for a week, I was debating whether or not to go to Universal Studios Japan. I wanted to check out Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but I knew that any rides or attractions would most likely involve long lines, something my boyfriend really hates. I don't like long lines either, but I've grown to accept them when they happen -- it's the price of being a fan, lol.
Then around April I saw an article online saying that a One Piece live show and restaurant was coming to Universal Studios Japan, and it would start on July 5th. Immediately, I thought, I'm still in Osaka on July 5th! And with that, Universal Studios Japan was on our itinerary.
For those who don't know (I didn't know this until I looked into it), Universal Studios Japan sells two kinds of tickets -- the Studio Pass, and the Universal Express Pass. The Studio Pass is the entry into Universal Studios Japan -- you have to buy this ticket. The Universal Express Pass is another ticket that can sometimes guarantee entry into timed areas and reduce wait times for certain rides.
As of this writing, the Super Nintendo World is a timed area. That means only those with tickets into the area would be allowed in and a certain amount of tickets for certain times are available each day. Once everybody has claimed all the tickets for that day, nobody else would be able to claim any. Timed entry tickets are free so if many people are attending Universal Studios Japan on a certain day, tickets can go fast. To ensure we'd be able to enter Super Nintendo World, I decided to buy Universal Express Passes.
The ticket-buying experience was frustrating. I tried using the Universal Studio Japan's site, but it wouldn't accept my credit card info. I checked online and it seemed that many others also experienced the same issue. Some experienced success after multiple tries so I tried but none of my attempts went through. After the fifth failed attempt, I gave up and bought the tickets through a travel agency. The benefit of buying tickets through the Universal Studio Japan's site is when it comes to buying Universal Express Passes, the time slots for the rides can be chosen. It's not possible when buying through a travel agency.
The ticket prices made me sick to my stomach. The Studio Passes themselves ranged between 8,600 to 10,400 yen for one adult depending on the day you go. Depending on which rides and attractions you'd want to experience, the Universal Express Passes ranged between 9,800 to 14,100 yen! Just imagining the total cost for a family makes me want to hurl. :S Two Studio Passes and two Universal Express Passes with entry into Super Nintendo World costed $430.68 CAD (roughly 46,886 yen). Yuuuuuuck... You know what's the kicker? We didn't even really need the Universal Express Passes in the end... :'(
Something I should mention is the importance of the Universal Studios Japan app. If you need to get a timed entry ticket to Super Nintendo World or you want to register your power-up wristband, it's pretty essential to have the app. The app has other features like checking wait times on rides and using it as a map.
Also with the app, you can register your tickets, which can make getting a timed entry ticket much easier if you want one. Registering your tickets can be done anytime after buying your tickets, preferably before the day of. If you are going with a group, you can register each person in your group so you can get a timed entry ticket for each of them at once. Keep in mind, though, that to get a timed entry ticket with the app, you and your group need to get their ticket scanned at the entrance. So pretty much:
1. After buying your tickets, register your tickets in the app
2. Minutes after your ticket has been scanned at the entrance, open the app and try claiming the timed entry tickets
It beats the alternative, which is either running to a certain booth to claim a ticket or buying a Universal Express Pass.
A couple days before the big day, I wasn't feeling very well. My stomach felt bloated and was very upset later that night. The next day I was okay but started feeling feverish in the afternoon. I rested in the hotel while my boyfriend tended to me. My boyfriend suggested that we skip Universal Studios Japan tomorrow if I didn't feel any better. After much insistence, I relented. At night, I wished really hard that I'd feel better. The thought of $430.68 CAD possibly going down the drain was devastating!
The next morning, probably because I barely ate anything the night before, I felt better. Before my condition could change, we got ready and commuted to Universal Studios Japan. We got to Universal City station around 8:35 AM and followed the signage. Along the way, there were shops and restaurants. Some of the shops even had some Universal Studios Japan merchandise, though probably not all of them. It's something to consider if you wanted to go to Universal Studios Japan just to buy the merchandise.
After getting through the main entrance, I went on the Universal Studios Japan app and got timed entry tickets into Super Nintendo World for myself and my boyfriend -- meaning I didn't need to buy those Universal Express Passes to get into Super Nintendo World! :'(
Overall, Universal Studios Japan was good and disappointing. I was happy to explore the two main places I wanted to explore, but I was disappointed at the timing for certain things and that I paid too much for something I barely used. More details on the two areas will be below.
We never did end up checking out the One Piece restaurant nor the live show. Upon further research, it looked like reservations for the restaurant was lottery-based (no thanks), and tickets for the live show required a Japanese address and phone number. I could have used the hotel's address and number, but no thanks.
The next time I visit Universal Studios Japan, I'll purchase the Studio Passes only. Set aside all the money I would have spend on the Universal Express Passes on souvenirs and snacks! :)
PLACES VISITED:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
For the rest of this blog, I will refer to "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" as "Harry Potter World". The name is just too long to write out every time, hahaha.
Harry Potter World was very beautiful. From the cobblestone streets to the pointy-roofed brick shops and buildings, to the serviceable but drabby-looking washrooms (with ghostly wails coming from one of the stalls), to Hogwarts castle in the distance -- it really felt like we were in another world. For a Harry Potter fan, this is a great place to visit.
The first thing I wanted to do was have some butterbeer. It was very delicious, tasting like carbonated caramel. The next thing I wanted to do was buy a wand, but I reconsidered after seeing the price (5,500 yen!). Later I found out that buying one of those wands would unlock activities to do around the area.
We spent about 2.5 hours in Harry Potter World, leaving once to get into Super Nintendo World, and then going back to get on the Forbidden Journey ride with my Universal Express Pass. We passed on the 60 minute wait time for the other ride (Flight of the Hippogriff) and spent much of the time walking around, enjoying the scenery, and looking at the gift shops. I was a bit overwhelmed at the number of shops in Harry Potter World. I guess they wanted to cater to as many people as possible, but all I thought was, I'm not made of yen! >_>!
The Forbidden Zone ride was a unique experience. It was a ride exploring some of the interior of Hogwarts and the ride would shift in various directions. Before you get on the ride, you are instructed to put away all your bags and such in a locker room. With the way the ride moves, it's best to have nothing in your pockets!
Aside from the shops and the ride, the only other thing we got to the check out was Olivander's. When we got in line, we didn't realize it would be an event. We thought it'd just be a wand shop. Well, it was a wand shop, but after everybody went inside, we were led into another room where a person playing Olivander welcomed us to the shop. Then he proceeded to pick an audience member and a neat show happened which ended in Olivander handing a wand to the audience member. Then we were led into the wand gift shop. If anybody was wondering if the audience member got the wand for free, apparently not, according to Reddit searches.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Harry Potter World and would definitely check it out again -- maybe with a wand next time.
The entrance to Harry Potter World.
This really does feel like we're in Harry Potter's universe.
All the available wands. I thought about getting one but the price turned me away. I wanted Hermione's wand.
A shot of Bertie's Botts beans.
Zonko's, the joke shop.
Inside Olivander's shop. All the wand boxes look so neat.
Another shot of Olivander's shop, and a shot of Olivander.
The castle looks so cool.
Super Nintendo World
Super Nintendo World was marvelous. I can understand why it is currently a timed area. There was a lot to explore and do. There were also a lot of lines and unfortunate happenings, but I'll get to that later. The timed entry ticket on my Universal Studios Japan app said 11 AM so we got to Super Nintendo World around 11:10 AM.
The first thing we did after getting inside was check out the Toad Cafe. One thing I really wanted to do at Super Nintendo World was eat at the Toad Cafe. There was a huge line and one of the staff was handing out small slips of paper. I approached her and she showed me that the slip was to secure a spot in the Toad Cafe... at 1:45 PM. I took the slip, hoping that we would be done eating at Toad Cafe in time for me to use my Universal Express Pass for the Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge ride between 2:20-2:50 PM.
The next thing we did was buy a power-up band. It's a silicone wristband that lets you play certain games and interact with certain things around the area. It is a bit pricey (4200 yen each), but to fully experience Super Nintendo World, it's a must-purchase and it seems like it can be re-used the next time you visit. If you've collected everything, you can also get the data wiped at a certain place so you can do it all over again. The Universal Studios Japan app is needed to link the wristband and to keep track of coins and stickers you've collected. My boyfriend and I did a variety of things like hitting brick blocks when we saw them. We also did activities like trying to match the same suit for three blocks (we matched three Yoshi eggs). There was some Bowser challenge that required collecting a certain number of coins (that was really fun!). We avoided the rides because the wait time was always 45-90 minutes!
In the middle of the day, it started raining. We rushed to the closest gift shop to take shelter and then noticed the shop was selling umbrellas and ponchos. My boyfriend got a poncho while I got an umbrella. I'm sure sales for those two items skyrocketed that day.
When it was nearing 1:45 PM, we made our way to the Toad Cafe and my heart sank: there was a line for attendees who were given the 1:45 PM slip! We got in line but internally I was distraught: will we be able to get on the Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge ride in time? When we reached the Toad Cafe entrance and saw that the line also snaked inside, I knew: we were going to miss it. The $200+ I paid for the Universal Express Passes were more or less wasted. :(
When we were done eating at the Toad Cafe, the wait time for Mario Kart: Koopa Challenge was still 90 minutes. Not wanting the Universal Express Pass to be a complete waste, we left Super Nintendo World to go on the Forbidden Journey ride at Harry Potter World. I tried to get another timed entry ticket to Super Nintendo World with the app, but it wasn't allowed. So if you get into Super Nintendo World, stay there until you are satisfied!
Overall, I really enjoyed Super Nintendo World and would definitely go back. Ideally, I'd get there earlier so I could get into the Toad Cafe at a good time or get on the rides when wait times might not be as long.
You gotta walk through this pipe to get to Super Nintendo World.
Walking out of the pipe we see...!
A stall selling the power-up wristbands.
Toad!
These models were inside one of the activities.
A shot of Super Nintendo World.
OTHER PHOTOS:
The walk to Universal Studios Japan.
More walking.
The long line to get inside. The cloudy skies looked so ominous.
Jaws! O_O!
A stall selling One Piece goods.
That's it for Part 4. One more part and the "Adventure" portion of the Japan trip will be done! Before I get to it, though, I gotta blog about something else... One of the phone games I play is ending soon so... I gotta say my good-byes in blog form. ^^;
Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or comments about any of these places I visited, feel free to say something in the comments box or fill out a contact form! :)
Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)
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