The Travel Archives

Summer at the Himeji Castle

Here's the next part of our Japan adventure -- Himeji, Kobe, and Nara! We used our JR West 2-Day Passes for these trips. Click here to learn more about the passes.

Alternatively, you may also use the Kansai Thru Pass to easily visit all of these places! Click here to learn more.

To see the first part of our itinerary (Osaka for 2 days), click on this link. To see our introduction which states our general tips, click here.

DAY 4, Tuesday: Himeji and Kobe (JR 2-Day Pass)

We did Himeji and Kobe in 1 day. We could've toured more had we gotten up at 6AM in the morning...but we opted to rest for a bit before hitting the road. Japan is tiring as you will be forced to walk and walk and walk...

Our main objectives for the day were to see Himeji Castle and to have a taste of Kobe beef in Kobe's Chinatown. Here's what happened:

• Quick breakfast
• Himeji Castle. A MUST-SEE! It has wide and complex castle grounds so be prepared to walk even more! Stock up with a matcha ice cream sandwich and some hydrating drinks, or a good brunch/lunch before going in. It took us about 3 hours to tour and enjoy the palace. Himeji is more than an hour away from Osaka, so you might want to leave your Airbnb/hotel earlier than usual.
• Rushed lunch in a grocery
• Rushed to Kobe to try Kobe beef at Kobe's Chinatown. We weren't willing to spend 10,000 JPY for Kobe beef so we tried it by portions at a stall in Chinatown. It was okay. It will definitely taste better, I think, if you purchase the more premium cuts at a more expensive price.
• We returned back to Osaka, tired from our walking expedition, to meet our friend and have dinner at Moja Curry located at the JR Shin-Osaka Station (level 1 of their food hall). They also have branches at Shinsaibashi in Osaka, another one in Kobe, and a fourth branch at Himeji! They used 20 different spices to create the PERFECT and the BEST Japanese curry ever. Try their pork or chicken curry, then add green onions and an egg topping! (Thanks so much to this blog for recommending Moja Curry!)
• We then had drinks afterwards with a friend. 

Dotonburi's Side Streets

Here's the first part of our 12-day itinerary to help you plan for your future travels in Japan! This part covers our 2-day tour of Osaka.

For general tips and details on budget, essentials, and train tickets, click here.

Must-dos and must-sees are highlighted in yellow below.

DAY 1, Saturday: Arrival

• Arrived at Nagoya at around 8:30 PM (We were supposed to arrive at the Osaka Airport, but it was unfortunately closed due to the recent typhoon.)
• Answered a lot of detailed questions from the Japanese immigration officer (they were very detailed and specific with their questions regarding our itinerary, our Airbnb, what particular castles will we be visiting, etc.)
• Rushed to claim the pocket WiFi we booked from KKDAY (within the airport grounds)
• Rushed to board the Meitetsu Train Line to Nagoya Station (we literally ran to be able to catch it!)
• Rode the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Shin-Osaka
• Rode the subway to reach our Airbnb located in the Temmabashi area (the last available midnight train!!!)
• We made it to our Airbnb by around 12:30 AM or 1:00 AM.
• By 1:30 AM, we were finally able to drink water and eat our dinner. Thanks to 7 Eleven.

TIP: In your itinerary's time study, consider an extra 15 to 30 minutes learning how to buy a ticket/finding your way to the proper train/getting lost in general, especially if it's your first time in Japan.

DAY 2, Sunday: Osaka Tour (Osaka Amazing 2 Day Pass)

• Rested in the morning
• Late breakfast at Family Mart. I love their Famima coffee!
• Picked up our Osaka Amazing 2 Day Pass (Klook) and Kansai Thru Pass (Klook) at the Japan Holiday Travel OCAT Tourist Information Center at the JR Namba Station (Note: You can claim these passes at the Osaka Airport, upon your arrival for your convenience. The Osaka Airport was closed though when we traveled to Japan, so we had to pick it up at the JR Namba Station instead.)
• Osaka Castle and Nishinomaru Garden (If you're not visiting Himeji Castle, then Osaka Castle will do!)
• Tried onigiri at 7 Eleven on the way to Dotonburi. Super yummy.
• Hozenji Temple at the Dotonburi Area
• Dotonburi/Shinsaibashi Area (A very lively place to eat and shop!!! However, if you have 11 more days to spend in Japan, control your spending habits.)
• Dotonburi River/Bridge (Got a good view of the river and a photo with with the iconic Glica billboard. Cruises along the river are also available, if you have time to spare.)
• Suddenly saw a stall of Pablo's and tried their cheesecake. Legit!
• If you can find Uncle Rikuro, please try their jiggly cheesecakes as well. Sadly, we weren't able to try this.
• Walked to Kyabetuyaki to try kyabetsu-yaki, a cousin of the okonomiyaki. It's a five-minute walk from the Nankai-Namba Station, or about 15 minutes from the busy Dotonburi area. It's one of Osaka's very delicious and filling street food for only 240 JPY (they're more expensive now; before, they only cost 140 JPY). We found out about this stall through this blog. Check out their blog for more information!
• Visited the grocery. Bought beer to stock in our Airbnb (hello Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin) and took home some mouthwatering grocery sushi. A friend told us that grocery sushi is good stuff in Japan.

Happiness at the Osaka Castle

View of Osaka from the Osaka Castle

Hozenji Temple at the Dotonburi area

Dotonburi

Dotonburi Bridge/River

Kyabetsu-yaki

Grocery sushi

Japanese beer and drinks. Stock up instead of drinking outside every night to be able to save some cash.

Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka

Konichiwa! We've been to Japan just recently and we stayed there for 12 days or 2 weeks. It was early to mid-September, the end of summer.

We mainly stayed in the Kansai Region, specifically in Osaka and Kyoto. We also did different day trips in Himeji, Kobe, and Nara from Osaka. We were also able to visit Nagoya, a city located in the Chubu Region.

It was definitely a good 2 weeks in Japan. We were so scared to spend in our first days, knowing that we'll be there for 2 more weeks. But through careful planning and by balancing everything out, we made it (with savings from our pocket money!) while enjoying every bit of our stay!!!

Below are smart travel tips and a summary of our itinerary to help you plan your trip. If you have anything to ask, feel free to comment below and I'll try my best to answer.

The more detailed itineraries shall be completed soon. (Note: Done with Osaka, Himeji, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto, and Nagoya! See bottom part of the page for the links.)