I’m going, to be honest, I didn’t really want to go to Japan.
I know super stupid and if I’m honest I was terrified of losing the kids because you know its a country of 127 million people and being country kids I thought it would be a nightmare. However, apart from the subways which are crazy busy {in any city} its also crazy calm and so Japan and me we developed a vibe together.
I loved Japan. It took just three days into our twelve days to say to my husband I really like it here and I’m looking forward to being able to come back and we have considered going back this year already.
And I know its taken forever but this is our travel to Japan. It was completely DIY and thank you to everyone who tipped and advised me on what to do but here are the long-awaited details of our trip.
We did the normal ‘family’ excursion I am told. Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Our exact trip was Tokyo – snow monkey town- Osaka- Kyoto – Tokyo.
We swapped out the obligatory Mt Fuji trip for the Snow monkeys which I am glad I did {you get to see the Mountain on the train from Kyoto to Tokyo as good as any tour I reckon. They say its hardly ever viewable due to the clouds and at the time we went climbing wasn’t possible}because it snowed at Monkey town. A bonus because the kids got to experience ‘falling’ snow without the stress of a having to go to a full-blown snow resort.
I highly recommend the Snow Monkeys as either a day trip alternative or an overnight trip; personally, I would do an overnight trip. Snow monkey town; sweet as and its a great spot for trying an Onsen something the boys tried, however, the nakedness scared them off. We did the snow monkey trip on our own, using this site for great directions on trains to catch and advice – although don’t wait for transfers at the station grab a taxi it’s literally fifteen minutes up the mountain, much cheaper and there is no wait.
A word of warning the walk to the monkeys is a hike and the area where the monkeys is a bit ordinary but seeing them interacting, hanging out, fighting and ah mating was totally cool and we {with the exception of B1 who was scared they would rip his face off -you cant look them in the eye because they may take it as a challenge} We stayed at a traditional Rykon here also. It should also be mentioned the train ride from Nagoa to Osaka was breathtaking and the train with its big windows was like a tour in itself as it meandered through snow-covered forests and the rice paddies.
And if I was to choose a city to go back to it would be Kyoto. Loved it. Its the art centre of Japan {thats how it seemed} and just a bit quieter. Its also the home of the Geisha and I loved being able to see the old Geisha town and it was so lovely walking the streets at night seeing the Geisha girls gong from tea house to tea house; that is not common I’m told but it was so cool to see.
I really could go on some more about Japan and perhaps I will but the details of our ‘finer’ details of our trip and how we did it.
Accommodation.
We used booking.com to book all our accommodation and being five of us we booked family rooms in hotels and hotels. The hostels were clean and I was seriously happy with all our accommodation. The biggest thing to remember is that the Japanese sleep on floor mattresses folded and put away each morning so you may want to confirm that with hotel or hostel if they are Western beds or Japanese bedding either way as we discovered the Japanese like firm bedding and pillows. Try and stay as close to the train line as you can. We stayed at the following and I can recommend them based on price and cleanliness although cleanliness is not an issue at all in Japan.
Tokyo. Khaosan World Travellers Hostel.
We stayed here twice. This is a super basic hostel I can’t stress that enough but its clean and with the family room, it has your own shower and toilet. Its basically how the Japanese live and is just a few centimetres short of a capsule room {Im exaggerating sort of – rooms are small in Japan} It has floor mattresses and its located in Aksuksa the food district. Having visited almost all the districts Asuksa and Ginza were my favourite spots.
Monkey Town. Zen Hostel. This is a traditional Rykon. It’s in the middle of Monkey Town and walking distance from the train being a Rykon it has traditional bedding. It’s so clean; very clean. Family rooms are available so you don’t have to share {I think}. It has shared bathroom facilities. The shanty styled restaurant located just a few doors down was the restaurant that B3 ate his entire dinner and more without arguing, it is hailed by everyone in the family as the best dinner ever.
Osaka. The accommodation we used in Osaka was also a small apartment and fantastic. It was located in the ‘entertainment district’ and whilst I cant locate the details it was also so clean. It had traditional bedding and fantastic service.
Kyoto. Kyoto Higashiyama With. This was like a small apartment and my favourite of all our stays. It had a mix of western and traditional bedding. It was in a great location and so clean. It was self-check-in after hours but the reception was outstanding, especially when we asked for some western pillows. Again it was in a great location and despite being on the main road so quiet, however, that’s Japan for you.
Getting around.
Apart from our feet, we used the subway a lot and the bullet trains to get between cities.
The subway takes a bit to get used to but we used the PASMO card it’s a card you can refill and any credit left on their last for ten years.
For the bullet train and regional travel buy your train travel pass before leaving for Japan. We used JTB {no affiliation} and they were super efficient and easy to buy from. Just make sure that when you enter your details for the tickets it’s just as your passport states as you will need to show them with your passport when going through the gates and they won’t let you on if its wrong. I entered a letter wrong on B1’s ticket when purchasing and whilst I picked up the error here in Australia a reissue fee cost $55 AUD. It should also be mentioned that you can only pick and exchange these tickets up from a central station once in Japan so be prepared for that. The seats also need to be reserved at the station before boarding you cant just grab a seat.
Money.
Japan is a cash society. I had read that before we left and its very much as everyone says. Only major stores and hotels use credit cards with most restaurants and smaller stores use cash. Carrying cash on you as we discovered was as safe. B1 left his wallet behind and someone from the store chased us down wanting to return it and a checkout girl miscounted not giving us enough back and chased up down also for 5cents.
Internet.
If you’re not using your time in Japan for a digital detox then I highly recommend you hire a pocket wifi. Book online before you go and have it delivered to your accommodation for when you arrive. Set up is easy and you can get it for as little as $79 for ten days. The internet is super fast and reliable in Japan and we used ours everywhere and was awesome for when we got lost and needed google maps, although if you download maps.me app if you don’t need the detox.
Food.
The Japanese don’t eat at home a lot so the options for dining out are endless. Each area has its own ‘dish’ and best of all its cheap as chips. We easily fed six for $55 AUD a night. My advice is to try each town for their dish. I have never liked the noodle soup Ramen but oh my goodness we had it in Osaka in this little restaurant where when we entered everyone got up and moved seats so we could fit in and it was amazing. For breakfast, we went to the supermarket and bought some noodles and sandwiches as the boys didn’t want a traditional Japanese breakfast. Fast food restaurants are not common as I suspect vending machines and their style of eating fill this gap.
People.
Be prepared for the loveliest of people its what sold me on Japan. The number of times we ‘looked’ lost and people came out of the crowd to help us. On our first night we couldn’t locate our hotel and a young fellow we stopped to ask walked us to the hostel. Young men offered to carry Nana’s bag up the stairs at the subway, they gave up their seats for Nana and my littlest of boys. Nothing is a drama which is why no one says excuse me because it’s not. The only exception to the rule I found was on the subway escalators stand to the left unless you are climbing them.
Language.
My advice is to learn the basics but that’s common courtesy for when you are travelling to any country. There isn’t a lot of English around but there is enough to get you by and everything is so well signed posted that you will manage anyway.
Well thats a wrap and its got me all nostalgic about going back. Its a seriously great place to visit. I will add more or complete other posts as I things come to mind.
xxDeb
