Travelogue 2023 Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe 8-Day Free Trip

[Travelogue] 2023 Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe 8-Day Free Trip

2023/05 Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe 8-day free trip record and information on food, accommodation, transportation, and entry

Preface

Previously, I only visited two Southeast Asian countries, 🇲🇾 Sabah in 2019 and 🇹🇭 Bangkok in 2018, both with tour groups.

I really like the cloudless blue sky and the unrestrained indulgence of Southeast Asia

ENFP

As an enthusiastic and impulsive ENFP, this trip was proposed and executed within two weeks; it started because my friend Huang Xinping happened to have a career gap, and he is an INFJ, the complementary personality to ENFP; I provided the enthusiasm and direction, he provided the detailed planning, and together we spontaneously decided to go.

Preparation Before the Trip

Fun

Since everything was very spontaneous, we only planned to visit Universal Studios Japan, so we bought tickets online; because the timing was too close, everything was sold out, and we could only buy regular admission tickets.

Popular attractions and theme parks in Japan really need to be booked early Orz. This time we missed out on baseball tickets, and there were none available on-site, so we could only tour the venue for a day.

Other attractions, temples, and trips were spontaneous.

You must exchange Japanese yen, as most temple tickets, souvenirs, amulets, and some trains (if you want reserved seats) can only be paid in cash.

This time I exchanged ¥50,000, and I had about ¥15,000 left at the end.

Transportation

🛫

With less than a month before departure, there wasn’t much to choose from, so we went directly to SkyScanner and found a flight that matched our spontaneous pace:

Taoyuan <-> Kansai

• 5/22 EVA Air BR 130 13:35 TPE -> KIX 17:15 (actually delayed by over an hour, arrived in Japan at 18:40)
• 5/29 EVA Air BR 177 11:10 KIX -> TPE 13:05

Round trip: $14,915

It seems that starting last year, checked baggage is charged by piece and weight, with each person limited to one piece & 23kg; additional baggage costs extra.

Since buying tickets with a credit card includes travel insurance, it is recommended to buy tickets individually and check the insurance coverage of your bank’s credit card, as some debit cards may not include it.

You can also purchase additional travel insurance (medical, inconvenience, loss, accident…) yourself; this time, 8 days of insurance cost about $1,500.

The Flight Tracker

I recommend installing The Flight Tracker App and entering your flight information to track real-time flight details, including terminal, gate, and baggage claim information. (It will notify you of changes, but always follow on-site information)

You can enable iOS Live Activity to track the flight in real-time a few hours before takeoff

📲

For internet, I bought an 8-day unlimited SIM card from KKDAY for about $700; there is also an E-SIM version, but I still prefer swapping physical SIM cards for peace of mind.

• Keep the SIM card (including the SIM card pin) with you, and you can switch to the Japanese SIM card on the plane after landing safely
• Remember to enable roaming after switching and then restart your phone
• Unlimited data in Japan may not truly be unlimited; speeds may be throttled after a certain amount of data usage. Check with the seller for details; it’s recommended to use Wi-Fi for uploading or watching videos.

🚈

You can directly use the Sucia card for trains, subways, or buses; it can also be used in some convenience stores and for shopping.

iPhone users can go to “Wallet & Apple Pay” -> “Add Card” -> “Transit Card” -> “Japan” -> “Sucia” to activate the virtual Sucia directly.

However, you need to use a MasterCard credit card for top-ups. I failed to top up with a Visa card; it is recommended to top up in Taiwan first. Otherwise, you may find that you cannot top up in Japan and cannot receive SMS verification codes, rendering the card unusable.

If you cannot use iPhone Sucia or Android; currently, physical Sucia cards are out of stock in Japan. You can only buy the 28-day Welcome Suica limited-time card, which can be topped up and used, but it will expire after the period and cannot be refunded.

Apple Watch also supports Suica (not interchangeable with iPhone). Remember to set it up and top it up in Taiwan first.

When using the iPhone transit card, you don’t need to specifically bring up the Apple Pay screen. Just take out the device, and it will automatically sense (it will wake up the sensor itself).

Stay

Mainly use Agoda to find places close to train or subway stations.

Kyoto 2 Nights: Toyoko INN Kyoto Shijo Omiya

Toyoko INN is a chain hotel system recommended by friends familiar with Northeast Asia. It has a high cost-performance ratio and won’t disappoint, plus it includes a Japanese breakfast (rice balls or curry rice).

Due to late booking, only Toyoko INN at Shijo Omiya had available rooms; it is relatively far from Kyoto Station, about 3 kilometers:

2 people total NT$3,844

Osaka 4 Nights: APA Hotel Osaka Umeda

Similarly, due to late booking, choices were limited; we chose another chain hotel system, APA, which is closer to the station but more expensive. It does not include breakfast but has facilities like a swimming pool and public bath.

It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Osaka Umeda Station:

2 people total NT$21,459

Pre-Entry Application (Fast Track)

No need to apply for a visa, no need to provide COVID vaccine/nucleic acid proof; once flight and hotel bookings are completed, you can fill in the pre-entry information on Visit Japan. After landing and connecting to the internet, you can enter directly. Without pre-application, you can only fill out a paper card on-site.

1. Register: https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp/main/#/vjwpco001 account

• The password rules may not be your usual password; remember it well or write it down to avoid forgetting it when you need it for entry in Japan.

2. Select “Register Entry, Return Schedule”

3. Enter flight information

Image for illustration only

Travel Name: Customizable, for your reference

4. Enter contact information in Japan

Image for illustration only

I entered the hotel information for the first night’s stay, using Google to find the English version of the hotel address and contact number (it doesn’t need to be too precise, just not too far off, at least the hotel name should be correct).

5. Register Schedule

Image for illustration only

6. Select “Return to Entry, Return Procedures” to continue filling in information

7. Select “Foreign Entry Record”

8. Fill in Basic Information

The number of days of stay includes the arrival and departure days, totaling 8 days.

Final Step to Complete Registration:

9. Select “Return Entry, Return Procedures” Again to Fill in “Customs Declaration Preparation”

After filling in the basic information, select “No” all the way to the end to complete the registration:

10. Completion

Steps upon entry:

• Connect to the internet and log in to the website
• First step, entry inspection, find “Entry Inspection Preparation” and select “Show QR Code”

• Scroll to the bottom of the webpage to find “Show QR Code”

• Present your passport and QR code to the visa officer (yellow code)

• Second step, after collecting your luggage and clearing customs, click “Customs Declaration QR Code” (blue code)

At the self-service customs inspection machine, scan your passport and this QR code, and confirm to complete the customs entry process.

Day 1 Departure

Log in to the airline’s website or email for online check-in, and you can directly add the ticket to Apple Pay for a fully electronic process.

A1 Taipei Main Station Pre-check-in

Since the flight is at noon, leave home slowly in the morning and arrive at A1 Taipei Main Station at 9 AM to handle pre-check-in:

Pre-check-in = At A1 Taipei Main Station (also available at A13 New Taipei Industrial Park), you can complete check-in, luggage inspection, and luggage check-in; you can go directly to the departure area at the airport without crowding at the counter.

If you are coming from the MRT, remember not to go directly down the escalator into the Airport MRT; pre-check-in is outside the Airport MRT.

Restrictions:

• Only certain airlines are available, please refer to the official website
• Check-in and luggage check-in must be completed 3 hours before the flight departure on the same day

Service Hours:

• A1 Taipei Main Station 06:00~21:30
• A3 New Taipei Industrial Park Station 09:00~16:00

Hands-Free to the Airport -> Terminal 2

Remember to first check the Airport MRT official website for the airport express train schedule to better control the actual time to the airport; be sure to take the express train.

Waiting for the Flight

Leaving too early + pre-check-in, there are almost 3 hours left after clearing customs before the flight.

Empty airport at noon

Eating Lin Dong Fang beef noodles while waiting for the flight

There is even Xingbo Coffee!

Due to the delayed landing, the takeoff was also delayed by more than an hour.

Not sure if it was because of the pre-check-in, but while waiting, the ground staff called our names to confirm our presence for boarding.

Bye 🇹🇼

After the plane landed and I switched to a Japanese SIM card to connect to the internet, I could log in to Vista Japan to complete the immigration and customs procedures.

Heading to Kyoto

After leaving Kansai Airport, we took the JR Kansai Airport Express HARUKA to Kyoto Station, which took about 1.5 hours with only a few stops along the way.

It is recommended to buy tickets from the vending machine to ensure you have a seat.

The iconic Kyoto Tower right outside the station

Then we took a taxi to the hotel (since we had luggage, we didn’t take the bus, although there is a bus that goes there); with the flight delay, it was already past 9 PM when we arrived at the hotel on the first day.

Toyoko INN Kyoto Shijo-Omiya

There was a lady at the hotel front desk who spoke Chinese. She kindly advised us on the best way to go about our itinerary for the next day.

The room was cool, it was two single rooms mirrored and connected, sharing a bathroom.

Hanamaru Kushikatsu Seisakusho Omiya Branch

It was very late, so after dropping off our stuff at the hotel, we went out to find something to eat and chose a kushikatsu (fried skewers) restaurant nearby.

Umeboshi Chazuke

The cheapest skewer was 80 yen, fresh, delicious, and cheap! It was a pleasant surprise, and we wanted to visit again the next day but found it closed QQ

After eating, we went to the convenience store LAWSON to buy some snacks to take back to the hotel:

The soy sauce fried noodles were mediocre, and they felt greasy.

Day 2 (Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto Tower)

Woke up early and went downstairs to pack breakfast to eat in the room:

Curry rice, a bit too heavy for breakfast, still prefer Western or Taiwanese breakfast.

Yasaka Shrine

After breakfast, we took a bus to Yasaka Shrine:

Walked all the way to Kiyomizu-dera

The streets of Kyoto are incredibly clean, even the roadside concrete blocks are spotless.

It takes about 1-2 kilometers to walk from Yasaka Shrine to Kiyomizu-dera, but you can enjoy the street scenery along the way!

Yasaka Tower

Stopped by a shop midway to have iced matcha and black sugar dumplings:

Also had delicious sake ice cream:

Kiyomizu-dera

Arrival

The sun was very strong, and there were many people

Otowa Waterfall

Lined up to pray for academic success, love, health, and longevity.

After finishing the visit, we walked back down to Yasaka Shrine, had a random rice bowl on the way, and followed the trend by buying a cup of % coffee.

In the afternoon, we took a bus to “Takao”… (just kidding, it was Kinkaku-ji)

After getting off the bus, it was about a 15-minute walk to Kinkaku-ji:

Kinkaku-ji

The bus stop on the way back was crowded, so friends with active feet can walk to the next street corner to catch another bus route to avoid the crowd and head to Kyoto Tower.

Kyoto Tower

Arrived at the Kyoto Tower observation deck around 5:30 PM:

You can overlook the vast Kyoto, and there’s a bar downstairs; we originally planned to go down for a rest and come back up to see the night view, but when we were full and wanted to come back up, we found out that re-entry was not allowed, and we had to buy tickets again, so we gave up.

Here’s a photo of Kyoto Tower at night taken from outside after we left. (The weather was really good)

Cute Items

Went to a convenience store to buy some instant noodles for a late-night snack back at the hotel.

Day 3 (Arashiyama, Osaka)

Didn’t have the hotel breakfast on the second day, slept in, checked out, stored our luggage, and headed out to Arashiyama.

McDonald’s Breakfast (cheaper than in Taiwan by $15)

After eating, we directly walked across the street to catch a ride to Arashiyama

Shijo-Omiya is the starting station, and you can ride directly to the terminal station Arashiyama, which is very convenient and always has seats.

Arashiyama

Arrival:

Then walked towards Arashiyama:

You can experience a boat ride to see the river view (similar to Xiao Bitan?)

For those with good stamina, you can choose a small hike:

We went hiking to see monkeys and the panoramic view, it takes about 30-45 minutes from the bottom to the top, and it’s not difficult to walk.

There really are monkeys

After descending the mountain and heading back, we had tempura soba for lunch on the way:

Ordered wrong, shouldn’t have ordered the rice bowl, it turned into soba + tempura rice bowl.

After eating, we headed in another direction to “Tenryu-ji Temple”:

Tenryu-ji Temple

Exited through the back gate of Tenryu-ji Temple directly to the bamboo forest:

There were really a lot of people, you need to find a good angle to take photos 🥵

It also looks beautiful when taken from below.

Descend the mountain to eat ice cream, ready to head back

Casually bought some local sake

Returned to Shijo-Omiya to the hotel to pick up luggage and head to Osaka:

Right outside the hotel is Hankyu Omiya Station

When we first arrived here on the first day, it felt a bit inconvenient because it’s a distance from Kyoto Station; but later we found it actually great; it’s at the center point of Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera, and there’s a direct train to Arashiyama right outside, and to go to Osaka you just take the train directly (it takes about an hour).

First time in Osaka, it felt easy to get lost, there are many exits, Osaka and Umeda are actually the same place.

Arrived at APA Hotel

Huang Xinping

The hotel has a free rooftop pool, a convenience store inside, and a free public bath.

After putting down our luggage, we went out to find food:

Tengu Sakaba Sonezaki Ohatsu Tenjin Street, five skewers of grilled chicken for 385 yen… cheaper than Taiwan!

After eating, we wandered around near the station

The amusement park has a polar bear that makes fun of itself!!

Day 4 Osaka Castle, Tsuruhashi, Nintendo

Following Google Map directions, took the train and then walked to Osaka Castle, the walking part from the station to the moat and then to the main castle took about 30 minutes, a bit of a distance.

Osaka Castle

View of Osaka from the top:

Each floor has an introduction to Sengoku history:

After leaving Osaka Castle, we wandered around the area looking for food.

Then we headed to Tsuruhashi in the suburbs to shop at some small stores.

Tsuruhashi

We walked around Tsuruhashi, which seems to be a non-tourist area with very few visitors; there are many Korean shops, making it feel like a Korean town for Japanese people.

We came here just to buy some Korean cultural and creative items, but later found out they are also sold in Taiwan -_-

Nintendo

After walking around Osaka, our feet were exhausted; fortunately, we headed back and stopped by Nintendo near Osaka Umeda Station.

Nintendo Osaka is located upstairs in the Daimaru department store next to the station.

Went crazy buying Zelda merchandise:

Everything is of high quality, the badges are made of metal, and the craftsmanship is very detailed.

Day 5 Universal Studios

We didn’t get the express pass or Super Mario World tickets, nor did we wake up early to queue; we took a relaxed approach and entered the park around 10 AM.

There were a lot of people entering the park, so we quickly used the app to try and get Super Mario World tickets; thanks to the expert Huang Xinping, we got 5 PM entry tickets for Mario World.

First, we wandered around the Harry Potter themed area:

Butterbeer

Queued up to buy Butterbeer (non-alcoholic, very sweet), and thought if we really wanted to collect it, we should buy the most expensive glass one.

Next stop, Jurassic Park:

Queued for the ride, which took about 45 minutes; we sat in the front row.

Similar to a volcano adventure, it ends with a drop 🥵 (I am very afraid of the feeling of weightlessness).

Glad we rode it, later saw on the news that this ride will be undergoing renovations starting in June and will be closed for a few years.

After playing, we started wandering around and looking for food around noon

The scenery inside is very realistic, you might think you’re in 🇺🇸

NO LIMIT! Parade!

Yoshi!!

The initial surprise was fun and joyful, and the melody still lingers in my mind today!

There will be floats (Mario, Pokémon, Sesame Street… characters) and dancers leading the dance. At each segment, they will stop and get everyone involved! All staff, including those maintaining order, will join in the dance, creating a strong sense of immersion!

Super Mario World

Wandering around until nearly 5 PM, we headed to Super Mario World.

I have to praise this scene design, it completely brings the game world to reality, like coming to a paradise!!

Since it was close to closing time, we didn’t buy the watch to play interactive scenes, just queued for Yoshi’s ride.

Every detail is done very delicately!

Farewell

Before closing, we took some night shots of Universal, many places that were crowded before became great for photos.

Especially the Harry Potter themed area, where the wand interaction scenes usually had long lines. Before closing, there was no one, and we saw a girl enjoying every interactive scene by herself XD

Finally took a shot of the globe, goodbye Universal.

Had izakaya for dinner and bought Nissin instant noodles for a late-night snack (still the best tasting).

Day 6 Kobe, Dotonbori

Woke up early to take the train to Kobe.

First, we visited Kobe shopping street.

Tried the famous Kobe beef croquette.

Walked from the shopping street all the way to Kobe Port.

Walked to find out that Kobe Tower is under maintenance QQ

Completion time uncertain

Walked back, strolling through Kobe streets

Found a café in Kobe to rest a bit:

Strawberry chocolate milkshake smoothie, tasty but very sweet.

Dotonbori

From Kobe to Dotonbori area

Dinner at the famous Osaka Shinsekai Kushikatsu Ittoku.

After eating, started the tourist itinerary, took pictures of landmarks, and shopped at drugstores.

Glico

Back in Taiwan, saw on IG that I took the wrong shot XD, there’s a better spot inside the department store next to it.

Back to the hotel, continued eating instant noodles and drinking sake as a midnight snack.

No impression of the taste

Day 7 Koshien, Namba, Drugstores, Shopping

Second to last day before returning to Taiwan, just a sightseeing itinerary.

Koshien, failed check-in

Decided to go to Koshien early in the morning to watch a Hanshin Tigers baseball game, took the subway to Koshien Station.

Exit the station and you’re at Koshien Stadium.

But we were turned away, unlike Taiwanese baseball games where there are always seats, Hanshin games are sold out until July; you have to buy tickets early, otherwise, you can only tour outside the stadium.

Finally, we ate something nearby, bought some Hanshin Tigers merchandise, and had coffee at Komeda before leaving.

I always thought it was called “Coffee Place”

Hanshin Tigers sticker

Namba

After leaving Koshien, went to Namba for shopping and strolling.

Also had some takoyaki and crab legs from street vendors.

Maybe went to the wrong store, felt very average.

Walked back to the Dotonbori area, then to the main Don Quijote store.

The only store with a Ferris wheel

After shopping, returned to Osaka in the evening, found an izakaya near the hotel for the last dinner.

Took one last look at the Osaka night view.

Day 8 Return

Flight at noon, checked out at 7 AM to head to Kansai Airport.

Today Osaka’s weather also changed, started to get cloudy and rainy, perfectly matching the farewell mood.

Finally took a picture of the Osaka building view as a farewell.

Originally planned to take the train to Kansai Airport, but dragging luggage up and down was a hassle; the day before, we specifically checked the bus route (including time and station location). Early in the morning, we went to see if there were many people at the bus station. Fortunately, there weren’t many people in line, so we bought bus tickets to Kansai Airport and comfortably took the bus directly to the airport.

Along the way, we could enjoy the last view of Osaka.

We were shocked by the long queue at the airport counter.

Finally realized we were in the wrong line. We had already checked in online, so we could go directly to the baggage drop counter, saving almost an hour.

I really wanted to tell the people in line that if they opened the webpage and checked in online, they could go straight to the baggage drop and then proceed to departure.

After passing through security, Kansai Airport was under renovation, with few food options and shops. We ended up buying pork cutlet curry toast from Shinsekai.

Waiting for the flight back to Taiwan.

Safely arrived in Taiwan in the afternoon, time to rest at home! 🇹🇼

Souvenirs

Didn’t buy much, just bought whatever caught my eye. After comparing prices, I found that the drugstore outside Kyoto Station was the cheapest (about 100-300 yen cheaper than Osaka), with Don Quijote being the most expensive.

The theme song of Yodobashi is really catchy; after shopping in Kyoto, it got stuck in my head.

Japan’s tax-free policy requires a minimum purchase of 5,000 yen with a passport to qualify for tax exemption. The items will be sealed in a plastic bag and can only be opened after returning home (the above items were photographed at home; if opened within Japan and checked at customs, you may have to pay the tax, but it seems they don’t check often. However, to comply with regulations, remember that liquids can only be checked in. If the sealed items contain liquids, the whole bag must be checked in).

For food, besides famous snacks, I mostly looked for local products from century-old stores. They may not be guaranteed to taste good, but they are guaranteed to be around for a century. Popular snacks recommended by others are guaranteed to taste good but also guaranteed to have long lines and not be century-old XD.

In the end, it’s still best to look for delicious food!

Postscript

Fell in love with Japan on my first visit and started planning my next trip as soon as I got back.

Actually, I went to Tokyo again from 6/7–11 😝. Travelogue part two coming soon.

Overall, the transportation is convenient, it’s quiet, the climate is pleasant (in May, it feels like autumn in Taiwan, with cool evenings), people respect personal space and are polite; I really like it!

Considering the current exchange rate and prices, it’s actually cheaper than Taiwan.

Accommodation and Transportation:

• Trains and buses are more extensive and convenient than in Taiwan; during the entire trip, we only took a taxi on the first day to the hotel.
• Although transportation is convenient, Japan is vast, so you need to walk a lot, averaging almost 20,000 steps a day.
• Standing on the left or right varies; in Kyoto, people stand on the left, while in Osaka, they stand on the right.
• Buses wait for passengers to sit down before moving and wait for you to get up and alight slowly; no need to rush before the stop, as Japanese people don’t like that.
• Hotel bathrooms are very clean and comfortable; even the smallest ones have bathtubs.
• Almost all toilets are bidets, and department store toilets even have background water sounds (to avoid awkwardness).

5/23–5/28 Step Count Peak

Culture:

• The city is clean and uniform (e.g., all doorways look the same; if some have shoe cabinets, all do, and if some don’t, none do).
• No one eats while walking; people finish their food at the store entrance before leaving.
• Trash must be taken back to the hotel; there are few trash cans on the streets, so it’s most convenient to return the trash to the store after eating at the entrance.
• Stores only accept their own trash.
• English is generally not understood; you can only use very simple words and gestures or use translation apps. However, drugstores and large shopping centers usually have Chinese-speaking staff.
• When buying tickets, receiving receipts, giving or receiving money, remember to place/take them from the tray without direct contact with the staff.
• Avoid physical contact and getting too close.
• Public transportation is generally very quiet, especially buses.
• Try not to photograph or film people directly; if uploading to social media, you should blur faces.
• Temples should be photographed at an angle, not directly.
• They pay great attention to detail and SOPs; it feels difficult to fully integrate into Japanese society.
• Japanese people generally dress formally or at least neatly, and women are very well-groomed.

Additionally, don’t talk about others. We encountered a group from Taiwan (they had 🇹🇼 on their bags) at Universal Studios, who were on a company trip similar to a direct sales company. They were loudly shouting slogans and filming videos like “shout super awesome, sales keep going up” or something like that. Because there were already a lot of people, they blocked the way, shouting slogans in a group, and kept repeating the shots and shouts if they didn’t get it right. It was very embarrassing.

Returning to work and the “product”

My own feeling is that if you want to break into the Japanese market, it would be very difficult to rely solely on advertising and marketing. At most, you might attract some people who want to try something new. Japan has a very strong cultural unity, and you need to find a way to integrate into their lives and habits to have a chance to win their hearts.

Additionally, the tolerance for errors is very low, such as bugs or unexpected appearances of other languages. For us, we might think one or two times is okay or at least not too frequent. For them, I think even one time might be enough to blacklist it because it shows the product is not rigorous enough and doesn’t take them seriously.

— — —

👑 Finally, here is the most Carry travel companion Huang Xinping

Kansai trip success!

More travelogues

• [Travelogue] 2023 Hiroshima Okayama 6-day free trip
• [Travelogue] 2023 Kyushu 10-day solo free trip
• [Travelogue] 9/11 Nagoya one-day flash trip
• [Travelogue] 2023 Tokyo 5-day free trip

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.

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本文中文版本

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This article was first published in Traditional Chinese on Medium ➡️ View Here