I finally got to go on my long-awaited trip to Japan. I was supposed to go in 2020 but the pandemic happened. Now with Japan relaxing restrictions to visit and me finding myself with more free time these past months, I thought this was the best chance to go.
Just like with my previous Prelude blogs, this entry will go over any preparations I did before the flight as well my experiences on the plane rides, hotels, and other thoughts. I'll also go over any changes I experienced since some processes did change from the last time I went to Japan.
Even though this was my 4th trip to Japan, I am always excited to go. Japan is such a fascinating and beautiful place for me.
For this trip, I went with my boyfriend. He's never been to Japan so there were places I re-visited to show him for the first time. We also both experienced some areas for the first time. With me being a somewhat hardcore Yakuza fan, I had to -- had to make my "pilgrimage" to the key locations in the series, mainly Kabukicho and Osaka.
Below are links to my previous trips to Japan if you would like to check them out.
2018 trip (with my sister and her husband)
-Japan Eats (all the food I ate while there)
2016 trip (solo)
-Prelude
-Part 1: Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya
-Part 2: Laguna Ten Bosch
-Part 3: Akihabara, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku
-Part 4: Roppongi, Harajuku, Saitama, Tokyo
-Japan Eats (all the food I ate while there)
-Random Thoughts + Swag / Purchases
2014 trip (with my sister and her husband)
-Prelude
-Part 1: Asakusa, Meguro, Odaiba
-Part 2: Akihabara, Ikebukuro
-Part 3: Shibuya, Shinjuku
-Japan Eats (all the food I ate while there)
-Random Thoughts + Swag / Purchases
-Extra: Some of My Karaokings
PRE-TRIP PREPARATIONS
Before the flight to Japan, there were some things I had to do. I mentioned a couple of these in earlier blogs:
1. Rent a pocket WiFi. As I've said before in earlier blogs, a pocket WiFi is really useful to have if you want reliable internet access.
Before the flight to Japan, there were some things I had to do. I mentioned a couple of these in earlier blogs:
1. Rent a pocket WiFi. As I've said before in earlier blogs, a pocket WiFi is really useful to have if you want reliable internet access.
However -- and I have to mention this -- there is another contender in this space and that is the eSIM. I do not fully understand how it works, but apparently an eSIM allows your phone to switch providers without needing to physically change sim cards. Renting an eSIM provider in Japan tend to be much cheaper than renting a pocket WiFi, but there are some things to consider:
-When you rent an eSIM, you'll be able to choose a plan of how many days you'll be renting for and a set amount of data you'll be able to use during that time. If you use up all your data before all your days are up, then you'll need to "top up" with another plan. If you use a lot of data everyday, you may end up running out of data fast and would need to "top up" multiple times.
-Is your phone compatible for eSIM? Some older models aren't. My previous phone (Galaxy S4) wasn't.
-How many people are travelling and for how long? If maybe four people are travelling and there are no plans to separate during the trip then renting a pocket WiFi might be more cost-effective than having each person rent an eSIM.
For this trip, I rented a pocket WiFi while my boyfriend rented an eSIM. Performance-wise there didn't seem to be much of a difference. A few days before the trip's end, my boyfriend's data ran out so he stayed connected to the pocket WiFi afterwards.
If anybody's curious, this is where I rent my pocket WiFi (hopefully the site will still be functional years from now):
https://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/.
My boyfriend rented his eSIM from Ubigi: https://cellulardata.ubigi.com/
2. Book my hotels. THERE WAS A CHANGE WITH THIS PROCESS! Whenever I booked my hotels directly in the past, I'd pay for the booking when I checked in, in person, in cash. After COVID, though, the three hotels I booked accepted cashless payment only so I had to pay immediately via credit card after making the bookings. This is something to keep in mind if you were budgeting paying for the hotel bookings during the trip instead of before.
3. Purchase tickets to Universal Studios Japan. Not too much to say here. Since I was going to be in Osaka, I thought we should check out the Super Nintendo World area at Universal Studios Japan. I had a lot of difficulty buying my tickets directly from the Universal Studios Japan site, so I went through a travel agency listed on their site. If you are purchasing Universal Express Tickets, be aware that the travel agency will choose random times for you.
4. Buy a JR pass. Since we were travelling to Osaka and back to Tokyo, we thought this would be worth getting. When buying a JR pass, you have to order it before your flight. Then when you arrive to Japan, you'd go to a certain place to actually exchange for it. I was under the impression that the JR pass activates as soon as you exchange it but that's not the case.
When booking for the shinkansens (bullet trains), we used the ticket machines which were easy to use. Thankfully you can choose English for the interface and there was a big button just for JR pass holders.
PLANE RIDES
I have to mention: FLIGHT COSTS ARE SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE!!! It used to cost about $1700 round-trip for a direct flight to Japan, but now it costs about $2800. I didn't expect such a price hike!!! o___o
PLANE RIDES
I have to mention: FLIGHT COSTS ARE SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE!!! It used to cost about $1700 round-trip for a direct flight to Japan, but now it costs about $2800. I didn't expect such a price hike!!! o___o
There was also some strange bug when I tried to book my flights on the Air Canada website. For whatever reason, after choosing my flight to Japan, the costs for the return flights doubled... so for example, if the flight to Japan cost $1400, the return flight would cost $2800. I had to choose my flights through Google Flights to "lock in" the actual cost before purchasing.
On the way to Japan, I watched a bunch of movies. I talked about them briefly in my last blog but I watched:
-Barry Lyndon
-Scream VI
-Shazam!
-M3GAN
On the flight back, I only watched Avatar. I spent most of the time sleeping even though we boarded the plane in the afternoon. We were also seated next to the washroom which was very convenient.
THE HOTELS
We stayed at three hotels for this trip. When deciding which hotels to book, I went with my favourite hotel chain as much as I could. The 3rd hotel's location was to cater to my boyfriend's preference: to be close to a temple.
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Higashi Shinjuku
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Higashi Shinjuku is a rebranding of Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku. I am just glad that it still exists <3 The check-in process has changed drastically. You no longer need to check-in to a person -- you check-in to a machine (most likely to combat the pandemic at the time). I forgot the actual process but at some point you'd need to have your passport scanned. If you are a Sotetsu Club Member, you'd need your member code scanned.
I want to talk a bit about the Sotetsu club membership. If you plan to stay at a Sotetsu hotel, there is no reason to NOT be a member -- just being a member lets you check-in early (at 2 PM), check-out later (at 12 PM), and you get a 500 yen cash back every night that you stay. It sounds little but it adds up if you stay for many days. And anybody can be a member. If you sign up and you live outside of Japan, when it asks for your Prefecture, scroll allll the way down to "Overseas".
If you plan to stay at a Sotetsu hotel, become a member and then book your hotel while logged in as a member.
The hotel itself was as I remembered for the the most part. Changes included the rooms being cleaned every 4th day to be more eco-friendly, though you can request your room be cleaned earlier. All the amenities were in the lobby so you can grab whatever you want.
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Osaka-Namba
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Osaka-Namba was similar to the Higashi Shinjuku location. One difference was that the lobby was on the 2nd floor. We also had to grab the pajamas for ourselves, which was fine. Overall, I enjoyed my time there.
No.268 APA Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon
APA Hotel looks very flashy. The rates were also pretty cheap. I was a bit suspicious why the rates were so cheap, but there didn't seem to be any issues while we were there. Plus, we were able to watch some movies / shows on demand for free. Apparently room cleaning was supposed to happen every 4 days, but it looked like the room was cleaned everyday. The only con for it is that there is only one elevator. Checking in was done in person.
No.268 APA Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon
APA Hotel looks very flashy. The rates were also pretty cheap. I was a bit suspicious why the rates were so cheap, but there didn't seem to be any issues while we were there. Plus, we were able to watch some movies / shows on demand for free. Apparently room cleaning was supposed to happen every 4 days, but it looked like the room was cleaned everyday. The only con for it is that there is only one elevator. Checking in was done in person.
I did some research just now (Aug.6) and found that there is some controversy regarding the president plus a safety issue with one location. I may have to take these things into consideration before staying at another APA hotel in the future, despite receiving good service during my stay.
VISIT JAPAN WEB
Visit Japan Web is a site that helps speed up the immigration process when you land in Japan. It's best to be on your phone when using this site because you will be creating an account and taking pics of your passport. When it asks of information of where you'd be staying, it will be the first place you stay if you are staying in multiple places during your trip.
Visit Japan Web is a site that helps speed up the immigration process when you land in Japan. It's best to be on your phone when using this site because you will be creating an account and taking pics of your passport. When it asks of information of where you'd be staying, it will be the first place you stay if you are staying in multiple places during your trip.
The idea is to have all this information filled out and saved before leaving Japan so that you end up with a QR code that can be scanned when you get to the immigration line. You can also get a QR code if you need it when buying things tax free.
It was a bit of a pain to take a good picture of my passport but filling this out before the trip really did alleviate some of the stress and wait time while in Japan.
TRAVELLING DURING THE SUMMER SEASON
Unless you are one who loves the heat, I would very much recommend you stay away from Japan during the Summer season. It gets hot -- very hot -- and humid -- very humid. Temperatures ranged from 25-37 degrees Celsius (77-95 degrees Fahrenheit).
TRAVELLING DURING THE SUMMER SEASON
Unless you are one who loves the heat, I would very much recommend you stay away from Japan during the Summer season. It gets hot -- very hot -- and humid -- very humid. Temperatures ranged from 25-37 degrees Celsius (77-95 degrees Fahrenheit).
I thought I'd be able to deal with it but there were a few days when we'd retire to the hotel earlier than anticipated because of the heat. I'd often shower three times in the day because of it.
If you do decide to go during the Summer season, here are some tips:
-Stay hydrated! Make use of those vending machines if you want to drink something cold!
-Put on sunscreen, even when it's cloudy!
-Bring or buy some UV blocking umbrella!
-Take a couple minutes detour to go in a nearby department store or convenience store just to take in the air conditioning.
I still was very happy to be in Japan, but man -- I was melting, haha. My boyfriend had no problems with the heat, though (lucky him).
Here's a photo I took after landing in Japan and some photos of the hotels:
So below is an itinerary of my whole trip. This section is more for me to keep track of my days, so it may not be interesting to you. It does give you a peek at all the places and things I experienced, though. I should note that even though Breakfast isn't mentioned for some of the days, I'm pretty sure I had breakfast, considering all the time I had after waking up.
SUMMARY OF EACH DAY *ALL TIMES MENTIONED ARE APPROXIMATIONS*
BASE #1: SHINJUKU
Here's a photo I took after landing in Japan and some photos of the hotels:
This was in Narita airport. Welcome to Japan!
My beloved hotel. <3
My hotel room in Higashi Shinjuku. It's kinda small for two people but it's manageable.
The amenities you can grab for yourself at Higashi Shinjuku.
Other amenities like the pajamas are already in the room.
The front of APA Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon.
So below is an itinerary of my whole trip. This section is more for me to keep track of my days, so it may not be interesting to you. It does give you a peek at all the places and things I experienced, though. I should note that even though Breakfast isn't mentioned for some of the days, I'm pretty sure I had breakfast, considering all the time I had after waking up.
SUMMARY OF EACH DAY *ALL TIMES MENTIONED ARE APPROXIMATIONS*
BASE #1: SHINJUKU
DAY 0-1: TUES. JUN. 27 / WED. JUN. 28, 2023 (CLOUDY)
4:48 AM -- Woke up
4:48 AM -- Woke up
6:51 AM - 7:22 AM -- Car ride to Pearson Airport
7:40 AM -- Checked in + got my boarding pass
9:00 AM -- Checked my bag
1:50 PM - 2:22 AM (3:22 PM Japan time zone -- Wed. Jun. 28) -- Flight to Narita, Japan
3:22 PM - 4:45 PM -- Immigration line + Bag pick up + Picked up pocket WiFi
4:59 PM - 6:30 PM -- Transit to Higashi-Shinjuku station
6:45 PM -- Checked into the hotel + dropped my luggage
7:36 PM -- Dinner from 7-11
10:22 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 2: THURS. JUN. 29, 2023 (CLOUDY; 32 degrees Celsius)
2:23 AM -- Woke up
5:30 AM -- Walked to Maruetsu
1:50 PM - 2:22 AM (3:22 PM Japan time zone -- Wed. Jun. 28) -- Flight to Narita, Japan
3:22 PM - 4:45 PM -- Immigration line + Bag pick up + Picked up pocket WiFi
4:59 PM - 6:30 PM -- Transit to Higashi-Shinjuku station
6:45 PM -- Checked into the hotel + dropped my luggage
7:36 PM -- Dinner from 7-11
10:22 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 2: THURS. JUN. 29, 2023 (CLOUDY; 32 degrees Celsius)
2:23 AM -- Woke up
5:30 AM -- Walked to Maruetsu
6:00 AM -- Breakfast from McDonald's
7:05 AM - 8:45 AM -- Roamed around Kabukicho, Don Quixote
8:50 AM -- Back to the hotel
9:15 AM - 9:32 AM -- Transit to Ikebukuro
9:15 AM - 9:32 AM -- Transit to Ikebukuro
9:40 AM - 10:50 AM -- Roamed around Toho Cinema, Labi1 Life Select
11:00 AM -- Lunch at Cafe Roanapur
12:15 PM -- Namco arcade
12:45 PM - 3:30 PM -- Sunshine City (Daiso, Mugiwara Store, Pokemon Center)
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM -- NAP
8:20 PM -- Dinner at Matsuya
9:20 PM -- Back to the hotel
2:11 AM -- CRASHED
BASE #2: OSAKA
DAY 3: FRI. JUN. 30, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 27 degrees Celsius)
4:44 AM -- Woke up
7:30 AM -- Breakfast from Maruetsu
12:15 PM -- Namco arcade
12:45 PM - 3:30 PM -- Sunshine City (Daiso, Mugiwara Store, Pokemon Center)
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM -- NAP
8:20 PM -- Dinner at Matsuya
9:20 PM -- Back to the hotel
2:11 AM -- CRASHED
BASE #2: OSAKA
DAY 3: FRI. JUN. 30, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 27 degrees Celsius)
4:44 AM -- Woke up
7:30 AM -- Breakfast from Maruetsu
9:05 AM -- Check out of the hotel
9:16 AM - 9:20 AM -- Transit to Shinjuku-Sanchome station
10:10 AM -- Exchange for JR Rail
10:34 AM - 10:47 AM -- Transit to Tokyo station
9:16 AM - 9:20 AM -- Transit to Shinjuku-Sanchome station
10:10 AM -- Exchange for JR Rail
10:34 AM - 10:47 AM -- Transit to Tokyo station
11:33 AM - 2:15 PM -- Transit to Shin-Osaka via Hikari Shinkansen
2:35 PM - 3:00 PM -- Transit to Namba station
3:32 PM -- Checked into the hotel
4:30 PM -- Roamed around Dotonbori
3:32 PM -- Checked into the hotel
4:30 PM -- Roamed around Dotonbori
5:00 PM -- Dinner at a conveyer belt sushi place
6:15 PM -- Melon bread with ice cream
6:15 PM - 6:57 PM -- Roamed more around Dotonbori
6:58 PM -- Family Mart
7:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
8:00 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 4: SAT. JUL. 1, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 25 degrees Celsius)
4:00 AM -- Woke up
5:56 AM -- Breakfast at Matsuya
7:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
8:00 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 4: SAT. JUL. 1, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 25 degrees Celsius)
4:00 AM -- Woke up
5:56 AM -- Breakfast at Matsuya
6:30 AM -- Breakfast snack at McDonald's
7:00 AM -- Family Mart
7:35 AM - 7:51 AM -- Transit to Umeda station
8:00 AM -- St. Marc Cafe
9:50 AM - 10:09 AM -- Transit to Ikeda station
10:20 AM -- Cup Noodles Museum Osaka (Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum)
11:30 AM -- Daiei supermarket
12:02 PM -- Lunch at Cafe Restaurant
11:30 AM -- Daiei supermarket
12:02 PM -- Lunch at Cafe Restaurant
12:45 PM - 1:47 PM -- Back to the hotel
3:35 PM -- Roamed around Dotonbori
5:00 PM -- In line for Ichiran
5:58 PM -- Dinner at Ichiran
8:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
3:35 PM -- Roamed around Dotonbori
5:00 PM -- In line for Ichiran
5:58 PM -- Dinner at Ichiran
8:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
10:24 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 5: SUN. JUL. 2, 2023 (SUNNY; 32 degrees Celsius)
5:09 AM -- Woke up
DAY 5: SUN. JUL. 2, 2023 (SUNNY; 32 degrees Celsius)
5:09 AM -- Woke up
9:16 AM - 9:30 AM -- Transit to Shin-Osaka station
9:45 AM -- Lunch from Keikatsu
10:13 AM - 11:14 AM -- Transit to Saga-Arashiyama station
12:03 PM -- Tenryu-ji Temple
12:40 PM -- Bamboo grove
2:27 PM - 2:45 PM -- Transit to Kyoto station
4:00 PM -- "Lunch" at Kyoto Omuya
6:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
8:17 PM -- Dinner at a ramen place
8:45 PM -- Family Mart
9:17 PM -- Back to the hotel
10:37 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 6: MON. JUL. 3, 2023 (CLOUD-SUNNY; 25 degrees Celsius)
1:30 AM -- Woke up
DAY 6: MON. JUL. 3, 2023 (CLOUD-SUNNY; 25 degrees Celsius)
1:30 AM -- Woke up
7:14 AM -- Laundry (wash + dry)
8:14 AM -- Breakfast at Matsuya
8:14 AM -- Breakfast at Matsuya
9:14 AM -- Picked up the laundry
10:00 AM -- Roamed around DenDen Town (Taito Game Station, Volks Osaka)
10:00 AM -- Roamed around DenDen Town (Taito Game Station, Volks Osaka)
12:35 PM -- Lunch at some ramen place
1:25 PM -- Taito Game Station
2:00 PM -- Roamed around Dotonbori
4:12 PM -- Back to the hotel
4:30 PM - 7:00 PM -- NAP
7:30 PM -- Felt feverish
9:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 7: TUES. JUL. 4, 2023 (CLOUDY-SUNNY; 27 degree Celsius) **Not feeling well today**
6:00 AM -- Woke up
7:00 AM -- Laundry (wash only)
9:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 7: TUES. JUL. 4, 2023 (CLOUDY-SUNNY; 27 degree Celsius) **Not feeling well today**
6:00 AM -- Woke up
7:00 AM -- Laundry (wash only)
7:35 AM -- Picked up laundry
8:40 AM -- Oriental bakery
8:57 AM -- Breakfast from Supermarket Kohyo
8:57 AM -- Breakfast from Supermarket Kohyo
11:15 AM - 2:45 PM -- Karaoke-kan at Dotonbori
3:13 PM -- Family Mart
3:15 -- Back to the hotel
3:13 PM -- Family Mart
3:15 -- Back to the hotel
3:15 - 10:30 PM -- Chilled at the hotel
10:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 8: WED. JUL. 5, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 27 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
6:24 AM -- Woke up
7:48 AM - 8:35 AM -- Transit to Universal City station
10:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 8: WED. JUL. 5, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 27 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
6:24 AM -- Woke up
7:48 AM - 8:35 AM -- Transit to Universal City station
8:50 AM -- Universal Studios Japan
9:00 AM -- Wizarding World of Harry Potter
11:10 AM -- Super Nintendo World
1:45 PM - 2:25 PM -- Lined up for the Toad cafe
2:40 PM -- Toad cafe
4:30 PM -- Back at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
4:37 PM -- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride
5:48 PM - 6:48 PM -- Transit to Namba station
6:52 PM -- Dinner from Cook Deli Gozen
6:53 PM -- Krispy Kreme Doughnut
7:15 PM -- Back to the hotel
10:30 PM -- CRASHED
BASE #3: ASAKUSA
10:30 PM -- CRASHED
BASE #3: ASAKUSA
DAY 9: THURS. JUL. 6, 2023 (SUNNY; 32 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
4:00 AM -- Woke up
9:20 AM - 11:20 AM -- Walked around Dotonbori
11:45 AM -- Checked out of the hotel
12:30 PM - 5:36 PM -- Transit to Asakusa station
4:00 AM -- Woke up
9:20 AM - 11:20 AM -- Walked around Dotonbori
11:45 AM -- Checked out of the hotel
12:30 PM - 5:36 PM -- Transit to Asakusa station
6:00 PM -- Checked into the hotel
6:30 PM -- Dinner from 7-11
10:51 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 10: FRI. JUL. 7, 2023 (SUNNY-CLOUDY; 34 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
5:30 AM -- Woke up
8:00 AM -- Ate cup noodles
10:00 AM -- Roamed around Asakusa
10:51 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 10: FRI. JUL. 7, 2023 (SUNNY-CLOUDY; 34 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
5:30 AM -- Woke up
8:00 AM -- Ate cup noodles
10:00 AM -- Roamed around Asakusa
12:48 PM -- Lunch at Yoshinoya
2:13 PM -- Back at the hotel
2:13 PM - 7:40 PM -- Chilled at the hotel
7:45 PM -- "Dinner" from 7-11
8:05 PM -- Back to the hotel
12:10 AM -- CRASHED
DAY 11: SAT. JUL. 8, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 27 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
5:00 AM -- Woke up
9:00 AM -- Left the hotel (Starbucks, stalls, supermarket Ozeki)
8:05 PM -- Back to the hotel
12:10 AM -- CRASHED
DAY 11: SAT. JUL. 8, 2023 (CLOUDY-RAINY; 27 degrees Celsius) **Better but not 100%**
5:00 AM -- Woke up
9:00 AM -- Left the hotel (Starbucks, stalls, supermarket Ozeki)
9:45 AM -- Back to the hotel
10:45 AM -- Daiso
12:45 PM -- Back to the hotel
1:49 PM - 2:04 PM -- Transit to Suechiro station
2:04 PM -- Aki-Oka Artisan
2:10 PM -- Roamed around Ueno
3:12 PM - 3:25 PM -- Transit to Asakusa station
3:35 PM -- 7-11
3:45 PM -- Back to the hotel
3:45 PM - 7:40 PM -- Chilled at the hotel
7:40 PM -- Laundry (Wash)
8:15 PM -- Laundry (Dry)
11:23 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 12: SUN. JUL. 9, 2023 (CLOUDY; 32 degrees Celsius) **Trying to eat**
5:33 AM -- Woke up
DAY 12: SUN. JUL. 9, 2023 (CLOUDY; 32 degrees Celsius) **Trying to eat**
5:33 AM -- Woke up
10:10 AM - 10:26 AM -- Transit to Suechiro station
10:30 AM -- Volks Tokyo
12:18 PM -- Vie de France Dining
1:24 PM -- Akihabara X shop
1:41 PM -- Lunch at GinZo sushi
3:35 PM -- GiGo Taiyaki
3:55 PM -- Hobby-Off
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM -- Back to the hotel
4:45 PM - 10:00 PM -- Chilled at the hotel
10:00 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 13: MON. JUL. 10, 2023 (SUNNY-CLOUDY; 34 degrees Celsius)
10:00 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 13: MON. JUL. 10, 2023 (SUNNY-CLOUDY; 34 degrees Celsius)
4:42 AM -- Woke up
6:30 AM -- Senso-ji Temple
7:00 AM -- Starbucks
10:30 AM - 10:40 AM -- Transit to Nihombashi station
11:07 AM -- Pokemon Center DX Tokyo
11:51 AM - 12:25 PM -- Transit to Ueno-Hirokoji station
12:42 PM -- Lunch at KFC
2:00 PM -- Roamed around a nearby street3:04 PM - 3:24 PM -- Back to the hotel
7:30 PM -- Hozuki Market by Senso-ji Temple
8:19 PM -- Back to the hotel
10:06 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 14: TUES. JUL. 11, 2023 (SUNNY; 32 degree Celsius)
5:10 AM -- Woke up
DAY 14: TUES. JUL. 11, 2023 (SUNNY; 32 degree Celsius)
5:10 AM -- Woke up
10:52 AM - 11:36 AM -- Transit to Tokyo International Cruise Terminal station
11:36 AM -- Roamed around Odaiba
12:22 PM - 6:30 PM -- Divers City Plaza
6:36 PM - 7:30 PM -- DECKs Tokyo Beach
7:40 PM - 8:30 PM -- Transit to Asakusa
8:30 PM -- Dinner at Magurobito Kaminarimon Branch (Standing sushi bar)
9:05 PM -- 7-11
9:11 PM -- Back to the hotel
10:40 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 15: WED. JUL. 12, 2023 (SUNNY; 37 degrees Celsius)
5:19 AM -- Woke up
10:34 AM - 11:14 AM -- Transit to Meguro station
11:25 AM -- Meguro Parasitological Museum
12:05 PM -- Gankodako Takoyaki
12:41 PM -- Lunch at Mos Burger
1:28 PM - 1:45 PM -- Transit to Shibuya station
2:33 PM -- Ikea
3:34 PM -- Krispy Kreme Doughnut
4:21 PM -- Pachinko
5:52 PM - 6:30 PM -- Transit to Asakusa station
6:30 PM -- Dinner from Seiyu supermarket
7:30 PM -- Back to the hotel
11:00 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 16: THURS. JUL. 13, 2023 (CLOUDY; 29 degrees Celsius)
7:00 AM -- Woke up
11:00 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 16: THURS. JUL. 13, 2023 (CLOUDY; 29 degrees Celsius)
7:00 AM -- Woke up
7:40 AM -- Laundry (wash)
8:15 AM -- Laundry (dry)
11:15 AM -- Drum Museum
12:20 PM -- Lunch at McLean (burger place)
1:19 PM -- Japanese Sword Museum
2:45 PM -- Back to the hotel
4:50 PM -- Wandered around Asakusa (Japanzon, Adores Entertainment, Taito Game Station)
6:22 PM -- Dinner at Tokyo Asakusa Chicken
7:54 PM -- Back to the hotel
7:54 PM -- Back to the hotel
11:11 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 17: FRI. JUL. 14, 2023 (CLOUDY; 27 degrees Celsius)
5:49 AM -- Woke up
10:55 - 11:44 AM -- Transit to Koshigaya-Laketown station
DAY 17: FRI. JUL. 14, 2023 (CLOUDY; 27 degrees Celsius)
5:49 AM -- Woke up
10:55 - 11:44 AM -- Transit to Koshigaya-Laketown station
11:45 AM -- Aeon Laketown ~Mori
12:25 PM -- Lunch at the foodcourt
1:05 PM -- Namco arcades
1:48 PM - 3:48 PM -- VS Park
3:48 PM -- Shopped around (Animate, Hobby Shop, WEGO, Uniqlo)
7:24 PM -- Dinner at Chibo
9:10 PM - 10:09 PM -- Back to the hotel
11:51 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 18: SAT. JUL. 15, 2023 (CLOUDY; 29 degrees Celsius)
7:00 AM -- Woke up
10:00 AM -- Waited for Asakusa Gyukatsu
11:51 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 18: SAT. JUL. 15, 2023 (CLOUDY; 29 degrees Celsius)
7:00 AM -- Woke up
10:00 AM -- Waited for Asakusa Gyukatsu
11:00 AM -- Asakusa Gyukatsu
11:49 AM - 12:43 PM -- Transit to Nakano station
12:45 PM -- Nakano Broadway
4:17 PM -- Lunch at some place
5:00 PM -- Shopped at Nakano Broadway
6:54 PM - 7:33 PM -- Transit to Tawaramachi station
7:33 PM -- Dinner from Seiyuu supermarket
8:12 PM -- Back to the hotel
9:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 19: SUN. JUL. 16, 2023 (SUNNY; 34 degrees Celsius)
5:45 AM -- Woke up
8:12 PM -- Back to the hotel
9:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 19: SUN. JUL. 16, 2023 (SUNNY; 34 degrees Celsius)
5:45 AM -- Woke up
7:34 AM - 8:13 AM -- Transit to Shibuya station
11:00 AM -- Lunch at Sushi no midori
12:25 PM -- Lindt store
12:38 PM - 2:38 PM -- Karaoke-kan
3:00 PM -- Pachinko
4:00 PM -- Tokyo Food Show
5:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
7:00 PM -- Dinner at Denny's
8:30 PM -- Back to the hotel
10:30 PM -- CRASHED
DAY 20: MON. JUL. 17, 2023 (SUNNY; 34 degrees Celsius)
5:30 AM -- Woke up
8:30 AM -- Breakfast at Denny's
DAY 20: MON. JUL. 17, 2023 (SUNNY; 34 degrees Celsius)
5:30 AM -- Woke up
8:30 AM -- Breakfast at Denny's
9:36 AM -- Back to the hotel
11:00 AM -- Uniqlo
11:36 AM - 11:46 AM -- Transit to Ueno-Hirokoji station
11:50 AM -- Uniqlo
11:55 AM -- Walked around Akihabara
2:39 PM -- Lunch at Burger King
5:57 PM - 6:05 PM -- Transit to Tokyo station
6:30 PM -- Dinner at Tendon Tenya
7:15 PM -- Godiva cafe
8:09 PM - 8:33 PM -- Back to the hotel
12:00 AM -- CRASHED
DAY 21: TUES. JUL. 18, 2023 (SUNNY; 35 degree Celsius)
5:53 AM -- Woke up
12:00 AM -- CRASHED
DAY 21: TUES. JUL. 18, 2023 (SUNNY; 35 degree Celsius)
5:53 AM -- Woke up
6:30 AM -- Don Quijote
7:07 AM -- McDonald's
7:25 AM -- Starbucks
7:35 AM -- Back to the hotel
10:53 AM - 11:45 AM -- Transit to Shibuya station
11:47 AM -- Taito Game station
11:58 AM - 2:58 PM -- Karaoke-kan
3:15 PM -- Lunch at Ichikakuya Ramen
4:28 PM -- Taito Game Station
6:11 PM - 7:09 PM -- Back to the hotel
7:09 PM -- Started watching Mondays: See you "This" Week!
8:38 PM -- Dinner at Sushizanmai
8:45 PM -- 7-11
9:00 PM -- Back to the hotel
9:05 PM -- Finished watching Mondays: See you "This" Week!
2:02 AM -- CRASHED
DAY 22: WED. JUL. 19, 2023 (SUNNY; 35 degrees Celsius)
6:00 AM -- Woke up
9:22 AM -- Checked out of the hotel
DAY 22: WED. JUL. 19, 2023 (SUNNY; 35 degrees Celsius)
6:00 AM -- Woke up
9:22 AM -- Checked out of the hotel
9:42 AM - 10:48 AM -- Transit to Narita Airport
12:31 PM -- Lunch at Keisei Yuzen
1:56 PM -- Checked luggage + dropped off the Pocket WiFi
If you've read this far, you are awesome! :)
2:15 PM -- Went through security
2:15 PM - 5:00 PM -- Shopped in the airport
5:16 PM -- Boarded the plane
2:15 PM - 5:00 PM -- Shopped in the airport
5:16 PM -- Boarded the plane
5:30 PM - 5:42 AM (4:42 PM same day Toronto time zone) -- Flight to Toronto
5:46 PM -- Customs? (we went through it but I don't recall when) + Baggage pick-up
6:06 PM - 6:36 PM -- UP Express to Union station
6:51 PM - 7:30 PM -- Transit back home... wahhhhhhhhh T________T
If you've read this far, you are awesome! :)
Thanks for reading!! Hopefully the next Japan blog will come soon-ish. That one should have a bunch of photos, haha.
Stay safe and until next time! :)
Stay safe and until next time! :)
