Japan Trip 2023 Part 2: Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone & Back to Tokyo

 I'm back with part 2!! I was kind of dreading this post cause it's gonna be a longgg one... I still can't believe we did so much in just 2 weeks. So after staying in Tokyo for 4 nights, we sent our luggage beforehand so we were only travelling with carry ons, since there was a new rule that large luggage couldn't be taken on the bullet trains except for specific cars. We decided not to risk it and plus we wanted the flexibility of just going to the station and buying a ticket as opposed to reserving seats online. I remember during my last trip my friend and I actually dragged our huge luggage on the trains and it was not fun at all.

This time we also got some ekiben, and I don't know why I didn't do this the first time because it is really relaxing having a meal on the train while watching the scenery go by out the window. Even though it was pre-made, it was still pretty tasty and had a little bit of everything! Also took with us some free juice we hoarded from the hotel and filled up on water. Refilling water isn't very common where we were so we just ended up buying water from the convenience stores...

There was some confusion at the station but we managed to get shinkansen tickets from Shinagawa station in a timely manner! It was pretty packed in the beginning but started thinning out as we got further and further from Tokyo. We arrived in Shin-Osaka and had to take a connecting train to our hotel and by then it was just in time for check in. The hotel was not the greatest (the washrooms are really dated) but the view is nice and it was convenient. There was also a Daiso and a nice bakery and restaurants and a Family Mart just downstairs.

I was hungry so we grabbed a late lunch at this souffle pancake place near the hotel. It was the only pancakes we ended up having during this trip because we didn't have the stomach space or time to find a more fancy or famous one but it was pretty tasty! They had savoury food too so Fred got the chicken nanban meal set. Afterwards we headed out onto the town to explore Dotonburi/Shinsaibashisuji!

 

This area is definitely a 180 compared to the clean and glitzy streets of Ginza... dare I say, it felt kinda slummy? Lol maybe it was the hoards of tourist... who don't know that you're not supposed to walk and eat. There was garbage everywhere and the noise, bright lights and gaudy displays really reminded me of the Las Vegas strip. The night life and views by the river were gorgeous though, the atmosphere was like nothing I've ever experienced before, standing on that bridge.

A little bit further off the main road we had our dinner since it was too crowded on the main strip. Of course we had to have kushikatsu. It was so good and the vibe of the place was so nice. We washed it down with some lemon sours. We ate a lot and spent about $90 here, oops. The only bad part was the lack of toilets in this area, there was no toilet in the restaurant so I had to use a public stall around the corner. It wasn't great but I guess it could've been worse lol.

During the next few days we stayed in Osaka and almost every day we had breakfast as this bakery chain near our hotel and it was so good. The buns were freaking amazing and it makes me so sad that even the best Chinese bakeries that we have here does not even come close to the varieties of things that they served there. After breakfast we made day trips to Kyoto to check out some famous shrines. We went to the more popular ones since Fred has never been. But the first day we stayed in Osaka to check out Den Den Town... and although it was quaint, and nothing like the loud hustle and bustle of Akihabara, it also means there's a lot less selection. We both didn't really buy anything and overall it was kind of a let down. We kept walking around looking for a place to have lunch and somehow we ended up taking a stroll in Kuromon market and had some amazing tuna dons. This market was smaller but similar to the Tsukiji outer market but definitely wasn't as crowded or brimming with tourists. We couldn't resist getting some street food too of course!!

 

We also went to check out the Amerika-mura area and also Closet Child Osaka and Angelic Pretty Osaka. It was also kind of a let down, kind of like a Shibuya lite. After shopping it was getting late but we didn't have any solid plans for dinner so we went back to grab something from Shinsaibashi-suji and I got some takeout anmitsu. It was so cute and came with a little bottle of syrup!! We also got takeout of some tarts from Pablo (finally something we have back home, lol) but I didn't take any pictures.

It was raining when we went to see Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), and I remember it was raining the last time I went there too. It was crowded with loud European tourists and I don't really have fond memories of this place. We paid extra to check out this garden in a separate area and it was  really quiet and nice and it was an area I hadn't been before. I only wished it wasn't so cold and rainy though...

We did manage to find shelter to enjoy some green tea ice cream and dango to refuel.

We then headed to Arashiyama to see the bamboo groves and had a bite at the Rilakkuma cafe. The wait was around 45 minutes and it was very late afternoon. The restaurant and gift shop was so adorable!! Definitely a must visit. The food was also really good. I forgot to take a picture of mine but we both ordered a noodle meat set and I ordered an extra parfait at the end. It was almost too cute to eat! I really thought I'd be eating more parfaits on this trip but the both times I did, they ended up being from theme restaurants.

This whole street where the restaurant was located in Arashiyama was so nice and peaceful to walk around around this time, late evening, and great for getting souvenirs. We were able to check out most of the stores before they closed for the night. 

The next day we headed to Kyoto to check out Nishiki market, and this was by far one of my favourite markets. It seems like even locals within Japan come here as well, not just only overseas tourists, whereas the Tsukiji outer market was mostly tourists from outside Japan. There were a lot of really quaint souvenir shops and so many food stalls. It was so hard not to just eat everything in sight! I would come back again if I could, just to get souvenirs here. Also Kyoto is the best place to get anything matcha and this shop had the best, most concentrated matcha gelato ever. The strong bitter yet creamy sweet matcha flavor was so unbelievably good. Also walking around Nishiki market, it lead to another shopping district with thrift stores. And man... the thrift stores in Japan are something else?? Especially this chain called Little Trip to Heaven... the cutest vintage clothes. 

They also had a bunch of parfaits I regret not trying because they also looked really good. We got some matcha warabimochi to go and we finished it off at the hotel over the next couple of days, it was truly such a treat and we can't get those kinds of sweets in Toronto at all. Not even Tsujiri's matcha desserts could compare to this.

We also had the best fresh taiyaki - with butter. As if taiyaki can get any better... well apparently yes, it can, just add a slab of butter and eat it as it slowly melts in the piping hot cake with red bean filling! For lunch we went to Hi Genki, a katsu sandwich we had marked down after watching an ASMR Youtube video, but sadly it was just ok. The toast was so crunchy, RIP to the roof of your mouth... and for some reason this place was filled with nothing but young couples? Popular date spot I guess? 

We also went to Kiyomizudera somewhat early, before the crowds got too bad. Luckily the weather cleared up and we were able to get some nice photos. We grabbed some souvenirs along the street that lead up to Kiyomizu, and decided to have lunch at Saryo before heading to Fushimi Inari. The wait was long (about an hour) but was worth it in the end because they had a lot of unique traditional desserts here. Also my first time having broccoli tempura... it was delicious!

We went to Fushimi Inari and it's probably one of my favourite shrines out of the ones I've been to in Kyoto. Last time I went it was really hot and I couldn't make it up the mountain, I think we were about half way when we wanted to call it quits and I had to ask for the exit lol. This time I was determined to make the hike (on the heaviest day of my period, no less) but it was actually not as bad as I thought and we did it in about 2 hours. It started to rain again but the gates and the canopy of trees above provided some protection. It got less and less busy the further up you go, so one benefit of doing the hike is that you will get good photos without anyone in your shot! I don't know how to explain it but there's this eerie feeling being so close to nature, it's as if the forest is alive. Thankfully there are rest/break areas along the trail to stop and fuel up before continuing. When we made it to the top the view was amazing. By that point it was thunder and raining more heavily so we quickly descended and made our way back to the hotel.

 

We also stopped by a small local shrine called Okazaki shrine, which is full of rabbits and is said to bring luck for fertility or those wishing to have a smooth birth. Me and Fred want to have kids eventually in the near future so of course I prayed for good luck and took home some cute little bunny figures with fortunes inside. There was no English on the fortunes since this isn't a foreigner friendly shrine but we tried to Google-translate it to the best of our ability... It's a really cute shrine with rabbit statues everywhere so if you are looking for a quiet, tranquil place to check out away from the hustle and bustle of the more famous shrines, this is a nice one to visit.

Also we couldn't visit Osaka without having some okonomiyaki and we went to two different chain restaurants! It was truly an interesting experience and of course having it made fresh in front of your eyes is great.

Also I didn't wanna mention this Taiwanese brunch place we went to in Kyoto... it was horrible and but of course very foreigner friendly (are all mediocre/bad food establishments the only foreigner friendly ones?!) For some stupid reason while vacationing in Japan, I wanted fucking brunch. Like wtf was I thinking, right? Serves me right for getting avocado toast with not even fresh avocadoes... I mean, I should have known, right?? Anyway we didn't really put much thought into this, so my bad. But at least the tiramisu latte was really good? (For a $7 latte it better be good, RIP)

We sent our luggage back to Tokyo for the last leg of our trip (I was so worried the hotel would fuck it up since they didn't seem like they had their shit together) but it went smoothly! This time at Shin-Osaka station, there was a huge area full of food stalls at the station serving fresh ekiben. So this time we got some fresh ones for the ride to Hakone. It was tasty despite it being cold! I will totally miss eating meals on train rides... We had to take a specific train to get to our ryokan in Hakone (thank god Fred looked it up beforehand) and we made it there without much trouble. The bus ride there was cool though, going through the mountains, reminded me a bit of Banff. 

We were suddenly surrounded by nature and we had to cross this bridge to get to our ryokan (Yama no Chaya - thank you Reddit!). It was tucked away from the main streets and was a short bus ride and short walk uphill (no sidewalks so cars were rushing by) but we finally made it! I think they heard us coming and the staff rushed out to help us inside. 

We got fresh warm towels, a sweet and some tea. We still had time before dinner so we decided to check out the room and have a dip in our private onsen. The facilities were so clean and the view out the window was amazing. One side was under construction but it wasn't actively being worked on. Also one of the screen doors fell in the middle of the night but we put it back.. It was nice sitting on the patio and sipping drinks.

All amenities were included but we ended up not using most of them because we were only staying 1 night. I did use the Dyson hair dryer though! And the toilets had the seat warming function like the one in our hotel in Ginza, a feature I definitely miss! Unfortunately I was on my period so I wasn't able to fully enjoy the onsen, only to dip my feet in. We didn't have a chance to check out the public baths but that's okay since we purposely booked a room with a private bath because we didn't want to bathe with strangers... and all of them were fully booked by the time we arrived anyway.

After a while, our room was quickly set up for the special kaiseki dinner and there were so many things I don't even remember what we ate but it was all amazing and I really enjoyed everything!! They even brought a late night snack of inari sushi and set up our room for bed time.

The futons were so damn comfy I fell asleep on them almost right away! And also after the dinner I was stuffed!

Imagine waking up to this!! We got breakfast as well and it was also delicious and soo filling. I had never experience such a fancy breakfast before in my life. The courses just kept on coming and everything was so tasty.

We were going to take the bus back to the station but they were so kind to see us off and drop us at the station. It was definitely a nice gesture. We really wanted to try a traditional ryokan stay with a kaiseki meal and everything and this place was great. They cater to foreigners and is definitely on the pricier side but at the same time, they're also quite homely and not pretentious at all. Even though our stay was short they made us feel very at home and our hostess genuinely seemed to enjoy chatting with us. The only downside is the location, you need to take a bus (which was a bit tricky on our way there since the bus was FULL of foreigners and their huge luggage took up nearly half the bus - good thing we got off early). It was pricey but in my opinion, definitely worth every penny. I'll be treasuring this memory forever.

We walked around the main shopping street for souvenirs and also got some souvenirs at the train station. If there is a next time, maybe we would arrive a bit earlier so we could explore the area a bit more. We made our way back to Tokyo - to Yokohama to be exact to see the Gundam statue because we figured going this route would save us some travel time since it's a bit out of the way from central Tokyo. We made use of some coin lockers at Yokohama station (thank god for coin lockers!!?)

We got tickets online but there wasn't a line or anything, not a lot of people. We grabbed a bite to eat there too and spent a good two hours there to catch all the special shows and performances. It was so cute to see it move with the music and everything!! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and I would even consider going there a second time. It was amazing! 

We made our way to our hotel in Tokyo, this time we stayed near Akasaka. The reason we went back to Tokyo was because we needed to fly out of Narita anyway and needed a place with close access to a station. And also the main reason was to finish up any last minute shopping or go back and buy some stuff I had seen during our earlier stay in Tokyo near the beginning of our trip. I'd definitely plan it again like this in the future cause there's just too many shops to explore in Tokyo alone. We went to Ikebukuro to check out the giant Animate store and had some delicious omurice for lunch. The sauce and omurice were good but the free pickles stole the show. They were so delicious (and not because they were free!!)!

We walked around sunshine city and this mall was so huge we could easily spend a day here. Malls in Japan are intense, they go on for so many floors and basically there's always a floor dedicated to food with many options so you'll never grow hungry. There's food everywhere!! The pokemon displays they had here were so cute though. We played some gachapon, I missed out on the new kirby ichibankuji... and passed by the pokemon sweets cafe. Everything looked so adorable.

We also went to Shinjuku at night to look at the lights and spotted the giant godzilla. We saw the sign of Kabukicho but it was lit up blue for some special event. 

It was definitely very lively at night here. Really not for folks like us though so we left quickly after taking some pictures. 

We didn't get a chance to try as many chain restaurants as we wanted to? We didn't eat at any of the western chains, except for Krispy Kreme! And I got a donut at Mister Donut. Japanese donuts are next level, even Japanese donuts back home don't even come close!! I'll be dreaming about this donut forever...

We had gyukatsu (our second time having gyukatsu on this trip) and the wait was bad (at least an hour) and inside it was so smoky... Both times we had gyukatsu I didn't enjoy it that much, I thought it was just okay and definitely not worth the hype??

We also went back to Tokyo station to grab last minute souvenirs (but totally didn't have  to cause they sold it at the air port, oops...) but we took the opportunity to redo our first ramen blunder and eat at a vegan ramen place I had heard about from a Youtuber. We both got golden sesame ramen and despite it being vegan, it was pretty damn good, even Fred agreed.

It was time to make our way to the air port but since our flight was in the later afternoon we decided to stop at Ueno because there was a toy store I wanted to check out. It was really easy to find and on the way there we happened to pass by the Ameyoko shopping street. 

We didn't get a chance to eat much strawberries this trip (we always saw them in grocery stores and such but they were pricey and too much for us to finish in one sitting) luckily we passed by a stall selling cups of them! Easily the best strawberries I've ever had. Also note the background, there were so much duty-free drug store stuff EVERYWHERE... like the amount of duty-free everywhere was insane and was nowhere near like this 10 years ago (when I used it maybe on like 2? purchases)

The toy store in Ueno, Yamashiroya, had the largest selection of Kirby things I'd ever seen!!! Definitely a must visit if you are a Kirby fan. They had way more stuff than Kiddyland in Harajuku. It was so hard not to buy everything... but I didn't want to go too crazy since I packed all my luggage already so I only ended up getting a few small things.

And last but not least, we couldn't leave without trying Ichiran just once. We both thought it was pretty good! A decent place for ramen. There was still a line to get in and I was worried we wouldn't make it time to pick up our luggage from the station but we made it somehow...

And then after that we bought way too much shit at the airport cause I had too much cash leftover since I didn't think we'd be using credit card so much... and Fred got me some Cremia ice cream (!!) right before boarding time. It was delicious and a perfect way to end our trip :') This trip was so amazing and basically everything we've ever wanted and I finally have no regrets! I wanted so badly to redo my first trip and I just knew I would come back with someone special and it actually happened. Writing this now makes me relive some of the memories and it still feels like a dream come true. We had so much fun on this trip and it went so smoothly, I'm still kinda in shock. I just hope and wish this won't be our last trip to Japan. Thank you so much for reading if you've made it this far! That's all for this post, until next time!