Tokyo, Japan: 5-9 Days Itineraries

       In Tokyo, I used a 3 days Subway Visitor Card to move around. I do not need a card using the 4th day because as I've stated below, it is possible to walk everywhere. On the 5th day, you can either use a Suica or ICOCA card or metro-only card, or if you are here for 3 more days, buy another subway card. In my humble opinion, the Subway Visitor Card is more useful for first-time visitors than the other IC cards because we tend to get lost in a new city. This card granted me unlimited use of the Tokyo Subway for 72 hours, so it doesn't matter how many times I ended up exiting the wrong station!  

       Other than that, always stay connected! If your Airbnb doesn't provide you with a 4G pocket wifi, rent one and pick up at the Airport (HERE). Honestly, it is not even that expensive and it is definitely worth every penny.

Kyoto, Japan: a 5 Days Itinerary (Kyoto, Nara, Uji)

       Every visitors to Japan whether first timers or repeating guests would put Kyoto in their itinerary. I mean who wouldn’t wanna explore Kyoto again and again? Although most of the time people visit Kyoto for 2 days at most, I actually think it deserves more time. I based myself in Kyoto for 5 days altogether, 1 day dedicated to Nara, and another 4 days visiting every site of Kyoto: East, West, North, and South. 

Kyushu, Japan Itinerary: Visiting the Hells of Beppu in 1 Day

       “Go to hell!” Such a strong expression used often to curse someone… Little did I know, it could be a well wish that one day you'll have the opportunity to visit Beppu!

Kyushu Itinerary: 1 day in Takachiho

       Takachiho is a town in Nishiusuki District Northern Miyazaki, known as the "land of Japanese Mythology”. It is made famous by the legend of the Sun Goddess who hid in the cave to protest against her brother’s (Susano'o) violence. Takachiho is also mentioned in many other legends, for example, the story of god Ninigi descending from heaven.

My 7 Days Itinerary with a Japan Rail Pass

Since I am spending 6 days in Tokyo, another 5 in Kyoto and 3 days in Osaka (using an Osaka Amazing Pass), it doesn’t make sense for me to activate my Japan Rail Pass any earlier. Hence, I only activated my Japan Rail Pass 2 weeks into my round Japan Trip and it worked exactly like this:

Read also: 2 Days in Osaka with an Osaka Amazing Pass

Japan Rail Pass- Everything You Need to Know

       There is a reason why JR pass is designed exclusively for foreign tourists on a short-term visit (max 90 days). If you are looking forward to seeing as much of Japan as you can in an affordable, convenient manner, JR pass is your best bet, thanks to the biggest rail provider (70% of all rail network) in the country, the Japan Rail (known simply as “JR"). There are a lot of passes under the JR company for example country wide pass, regional pass and more, which were introduced earlier HERE.

How to Buy a JR Pass (A Step By Step Guide)

Decided to buy a JR Pass for your trip to Japan? Congratulations, that's a brilliant move. Now, off to the big questions: WHEN? WHERE? HOW?

Buy a JR Pass HERE

 Exclusive discount for my dear readers: add the promo code KLOOKMHF to get RM15 off!

JR Pass- Is It Worth It?

       I’ve tested the JR Ordinary Pass over a period of 7 days trying out various modes of transportations nationwide. During my travels, my new Japanese friends all looked at my pass with awe follow with a sigh,

"only foreigners get all these great discounts". 

I was like HOW is this possible!? Then I found out that Japan citizens are only eligible to buy these passes if only they are living abroad for more than 10 years.

Kyoto other than shrines and temples? Hozugawa River Boat Ride!

       When it came to my 5th day in Kyoto, I was done with shrines and temples. Then I heard about Hozugawa Kudari (a riverboat ride) in the west end of town... Who knew Kyoto can also be a premier spot to enjoy nature? Since Arashiyama (the landing dock) is on my bucket list, I decided that I could add that to my itinerary.

Osaka: a 2-days itinerary with an Osaka Amazing Pass

       Osaka is one of the most important port city in Japan and since that it is the cheapest city to fly into from South East Asia countries via AirAsia, I am not surprised by the fact that there are more Malaysians in Osaka than in Tokyo. In fact, in certain touristy places, I nearly thought I was back in Malaysia (I am not exaggerating). The point is, Osaka is on the rise (if not already on top of the list) to be the top 1 vacation hot spot among Malaysians, so let’s talk Osaka!

       Recently, I’ve been to the Kansai area for 9 days with my family. We’ve spent 3 days in Osaka and used an Osaka Amazing Pass for 2 days. In this post, I’ll share my exact itinerary and how to fully utilize the Pass. Here goes nothing!