Summary of My 8D7N Kansai, Japan (2013) Travelogues & Travel Expenses For RM2,850 Per Pax

Here is the compilation for all the posts relating to my trip to Kansai Region, Japan where we cover Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himeji and Kyoto for 8 days and 7 nights. Plus, by end of this post, I also share on how much I spent throughout my trip.

Day 1: 10th October 2013

Flew with Malaysia Airlines for RM797 (all-inclusive) and it's direct route from Kota Kinabalu to Kansai International Airport (KIX)

From KIX, we took Haruka Limited Express using ICOCA & Haruka card to Shin-Osaka station.

"ICOCA is an IC card convenient for JR, subway, private railway, buses and shopping in the Kansai Area and other places worth 2,000 yen (500 yen refundable deposit plus 1,500 yen worth in train and bus fares) wheres as Haruka is a discounted ticket for Kansai-Airport Express to access from KIX to Osaka, Kyoto or Kobe area (either a round-trip of a one way ticket)."

Price for ICOCA & Haruka:

Round-trip type = 4,060 yen

One-way type = 3,030 yen

Stay: Hotel Consort Osaka

Direction: Exit 2 of Subway Midosuji Line Nishinakajima-Minamigata station and the hotel on the left side.

 
How To Get Shinsaibashi and Dontobori:
From Shin-Osaka station, we took Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line to Shinsaibashi Station by using the ICOCA card we bought earlier. The fare is 240 yen.

Day 2: 11th October 2013
Kofukuji Temple & Nara Park 

How To Get To Kofukuji Temple:
Kofukuji Temple is five minutes walk from Kintetsu Nara Station (using Kintetsu Rail Pass), or 20 minutes walk from JR Nara Station. Can also be reached from JR Nara Station by clockwise running loop bus number 2 or any of the buses bound for Kasuga Taisha (7 minutes, 190 yen). Get off at Kencho-mae bus stop.

Day 3: 12th October 2013
Universal Studios Osaka

How To Get To Universal Studios Japan:

There are several direct trains per hour and many more connections require a simple transfer at Nishikujo Station before reaching Universal City Station on the JR Yumesaki Line. Upon reaching Universal City Station, five minute walk to the entrance gate of the Universal Studios Japan. 

Admission Fee: 6,980 for adult and 4,880 for children 

Opening Hours: 10 am to 8 pm on low season and 9 am to 9 pm during peak season


Stay: Remm Shin-Osaka Hotel
Direction: Central Ticket Gate of JR Shin-Osaka Shinkansen line

Day 4: 13th October 2013

Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden

How To Get To Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden:

From JR Himeji station, it takes 15-20 minutes walk from the Central Exit down the broad Otemae-dori street.

Admission Fee: Himeji Castle (1,000 yen)
                             Kokoen Garden (300 yen)
                             Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden (1,040 yen)
Opening Hours: 9 am until 5 pm

Kitano-cho of Kobe

How To Get To Kobe:

Kobe is located 20 minutes away from Osaka, 50 minutes from Kyoto and 40 minutes from Himeji with JR trains. Apart from JR West Kansai Area Pass or Kansai Thru Pass, another alternative passed you can opt is Hankyu Tourist Pass (1 Day Pass for 700 yen and depart from Osaka Umeda) or Hanshin Tourist Pass (1 Day Pass for 500 yen and depart from Osaka Umeda/Namba). These passes are available in Kansai Tourist Information Center Kansai International Airport.

Day 5: 14th October 2013
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

How To Get To Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan:

Nearest station is Osakako Station on the Chuo subway line. From the station, it requires 5-10 minutes walk to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Out from the station, look for the huge Tempozan Ferris Wheel as Kaiyun located next to it. 
Admission Fee: 2,300 yen (I would recommend to buy Osaka Kaiyu Ticket)
Opening Hours: 10 am to 8 pm

We bought the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket, a combination of Aquarium Kaiyukan admission and Osaka Subway One Day Pass which sold at 2,550 yen. In the case of purchase separately, the admission fee for Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan alone is 2,300 yen and Osaka Subway One Day Pass cost 600 yen, which indicates we save at least by 350 yen for a pax by purchasing the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket. 

Day 6: 15th October 2013

We took JR train from Shin-Osaka station heading Kyoto Station using the ICOCA card we bought on the first day. As it was too early to check-in into our hotel, we went to Arashiyama which is popular for fascinating bamboo forest as well as Fushimi Inari Shrine which well-known for its astonish and exceptional sight of more than 10,000 small and vibrant orange torii gates that arch a long walking path up to the hill.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

How To Get To Arashiyama:

The nearest station to Arashiyama is JR Saga-Arashiyama and one way ride from Kyoto Station takes 15 minutes only under JR Sagano line. 

Fushimi Inari Shrine 

How To Get To Fushimi Inari Shrine:
From Kyoto Station, take train to JR Inari station along the JR Nara line


Stay: Best Western Kyoto

Direction: Take Kyoto City Bus and stop in front of Mina Shopping Mall. Walk through the small alley and the hotel located behind it.

Day 7: 16th October 2013

Except for Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari Shrine, I personally think the best ideal to travel around Kyoto is by taking Kyoto City Bus which cost 500 yen for a day pass. This pass can be bought at the main Kyoto Bus Information Center in front of Kyoto Station.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) 

How To Get To Kinkaku-ji:
Take Kyoto City Bus #101 and 205 from Kyoto Bus Station to the Kinkaku-ji Michi bus stop.
Admission Fee: 400 yen
Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)

How To Get To Ginkaku-ji:

Take Kyoto City Bus #5, 7 and 100 from Kyoto Bus Station to the Ginkaku-ji Michi bus stop. It takes 10 minutes walk from the bus stop.

Admission Fee: 500 yen

Opening Hours: Open daily 8.30am to 5pm

Day 8: 17th October 2013
Goodbye Kansai Region & My Shopping Haul

From Kawaramachi-dori where we stayed, we hopped on Kyoto City Bus to Kyoto Station and from there, boarded on Haruka Limited Express directly to the airport. The train ride takes approximately of 80 minutes.

And the following are the details of travel expenses for two paxes (both mommy and I) spent throughout the 8 days and 7 nights trip in Kansai Region, Japan, excluding the amount we spent on shopping haul:

PARTICULARS	NOTE	AMOUNT
		Yen	RM
Air Fare KK-Osaka(Kansai)-KK via MAS Accommodation Hotel Consort Osaka (2 nights) Remm Shin-Osaka (3 nights) Best Western Kyoto (2 nights) Transportation ICOCA & Haruka Card Add: Top-up ICOCA JR Kansai Area 3 Days Pass Kobe City Loop Bus Osaka Kaiyukan Ticket Kyoto City Bus for 2 Days Admission Fees Universal Studios Osaka Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden Kinkaku-ji Ginkaku-ji Foods & Beverages Foods and beverages	1 2 2 2 3	- - 33,400 - 8,000 1,000 10,000 1,000 5,100 2,000 13,200 1,120 800 1,000 22,246	1,594 377 1,050 631 251 31 314 31 160 63 415 35 25 31 699
		TOTAL:	5,707

(The exchange rate by the time I changed 100 yen = RM3.145)

NOTE:

1. It's absolutely a great steal seeing that all inclusive including 30kg luggage allowance, in-flight meals and entertainment. Unfortunately, this direct route has been ceased permanently.
2. Refer my post on Accommodation in Osaka & Kyoto 
3. Refer my post on Oishii Everywhere in Japan

Averagely, we spent roughly around RM2,800 for a pax, including airfare, hotels, transportation, food as well as admission fee to Universal Studios Osaka and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. For this time around, I didn't share how much I spent on my shopping haul but to be frank, we spent a lot on omiyage (souvenirs) especially on confectioneries and snack such as Kit Kat and Tokyo Banana.  

Transportation wise, there is a myriad of tickets and rail passes are available for the tourists in order to save money. To know more about these, you can refer here Rail Passes for the Kansai Region. As for the exact train timetable, route and fare from starting point to the end, refer to Hyperdia. 

Foodie Friday: Oishii Everywhere In Japan

Sushi! Bento! Donburi! Ramen! Udon! 

It's never ending list when comes to food in Japan.

It's quite pathetic that both mommy and I can't have the utterly fresh sashimi, Japanese well-known delicacy consisting of raw meat and fish sliced due to our common weak stomach, but that ain't gonna stop us from indulgence ourselves with the rest of scrumptious and delicious Japanese cuisines. 

#1: Our dinner on first night arrived: Tori Katsu Don - Obviously my favourite

#2: Mom's order - Spaghetti with meat

#3: Lunch in Nara Park. Bought from a random supermarket 

#4: Inari & Maki Sushi - Again, my favourite sushi!

#5: Ramen in Kobe

#6: Onirigi for breakfast 

#7: Udon in Arashiyama for 700 yen (approx. to RM21)

#8: Matcha ice-cream for 300 yen (approx. to RM12)

#9: Once in a while McD, a comfort food for traveller 

#10: Fresh sandwiches for breakfast at a random cafe nearby Nishiki Market 

#11: Three layers ice-cream nearby Ginkakuji Temple of Kyoto 

#12: Yakitori but I dislike cause it's actually chicken fat instead

#13: Coco Ichiban - My mom loves this so much. 

The total damages we spent on food throughout our 8D7N in Japan is roughly around RM700 for two. Most of the times, both mommy and I ordered and shared a set of meal instead of ordering two. Of course, you can do so provided you intend for takeaway but in the case of dining in a restaurant or eatery, it's best to order at least a meal for each person. Another thing that I noticed from my recent trip to Tokyo, it's kind rude to have your food while walking about. It's is advisable to finish your food at one point before making a move. 

Japan (2013): Accommodation in Osaka & Kyoto

I think I mentioned quite a few times that I travel in flashpacking style, instead of backpacking. It's actually almost similar trail to the backpacker, but as a flashpacker I tend to have more flexible and with little bit extra of budget looking forward to travel in slightly luxurious. Instead of staying in hostel and dormitories, most of the times I prefer to splurge myself staying in trendy and chic boutique hotels.

And because I travel with my mom for this trip to Japan, hence finding a comfortable and great location would be my main priority. We stayed in three different hotels throughout our trip there, 2 hotels in Osaka and the final one in Kyoto. Bear in mind as all of these hotels we stayed are indeed located in great and excellent location especially so near to train station and bus stop, thus the price is relatively higher. 

Brief Details of the Hotels I Booked

1) Hotel Consort Osaka

Address: 1-12-7 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku

I booked this hotel for the first two nights in Osaka cause my initial plan is to go Tokyo but when I decided to cancel my Tokyo plan and continue stay here, unfortunately no more rooms available. Overall, this is one of the cheapest hotels I came across in Osaka which charge less than RM200 per night and for its absolutely fantastic location, it's exactly icing on the cake. Even my mom recommended this hotel to her friends and relatives.

Room Rate: RM188.51 per night for a twin bed room without breakfast. Booked through Agoda.

Location: Nishinakajima-Minamigata (Midosuji Line) and Minakigata (Hankyu-Kyoto Line) stations are literally just outside the hotel. Besides that, the hotel is surrounding with supermarkets, restaurants, eateries, drug stores and Lawson convenience store.

Facilities: Free WiFi access, Air-Conditioning Room attached with Private Bathroom, Mini Bar with coffee and tea making

Advantages: Cheap, affordable and most importantly this hotel is so near to train stations. 

Drawback: Weak WiFi, Facing difficulty to communicate with the staff although they're being helpful and friendly.

Direction: Exit 2 of Subway Midosuji Line Nishinakajima-Minamigata station and the hotel on the left side.

2) Remm Shin-Osaka Hotel

This is one and only hotel I made reservation with them through email directly. No deposit or up-front fee required and we paid in Yen upon check-in. As I desperately need to stay significantly near to the train stations especially Shin-Osaka to be specific, hence this is my last resort seeing that I cancelled my plan to Tokyo last minute. It's utterly expensive but if taking into the consideration of the comfort and location we experienced, I guess it's pretty worth. 

Room Rate: 8,000 yen on Monday; 13,700 yen on Saturday; and 11,700 yen on Sunday. Averagely it's like RM350 per night. 

Location: Adjacent to Shin-Osaka Station and Tokaido Shinkansen, other JR lines and Subway Midosuji station. 

Facilities: Free WiFi access, Air-Conditioning Room attached with Private Bathroom, Drinking Waters, Air Purifier System and Massage Chair (I only found out on second night that the chair I was sitting is also a massage chair) 

Advantages: Love the massage chair, the bathroom for its slightly bigger size and chic design as well as the rain-style shower. Another plus point for its great and excellent location. 

Drawback: The room was compact and smaller than the first hotel I stayed and it's absolutely pricey. 

Direction: Central Ticket Gate of JR Shin-Osaka Shinkansen line

3) Best Western Kyoto Hotel

Staying in Kyoto for at least two nights has always being part of my plan but in dilemma when come to choose the area to stay; either nearby Kyoto Station or more liveable area such as Kawamarachi-dori but then it require back to back of taking public bus.  

Room Rate: RM315.48 per night for standard double bed room without breakfast. Booked via Agoda.

Location: Right in the center of Kawaramachi-dori surrounding with restaurants, eateries, shops and shopping malls. Nishiki Market and Teramachi Arcade are just few minutes walk. 

Facilities: Air-Conditioning Room attached with Private Bathroom

Advantages: Spacious and Artfully Japanese Style Room, Extremely Liveable Location and Fluent English Speaking & Friendly Staff

Drawback: No WiFi in the room and can only be accessed in lobby area.

Direction: Take Kyoto City Bus and stop in front of Mina Shopping Mall. Walk through the small alley and the hotel located behind it.

All in a nutshell, I'm pretty satisfied with all the above hotels and in case I'm going back again to Kansai region, I don't mind return to the same hotels provided budget is not my biggest issue.

Next Post>>> Oishii Everywhere in Japan

Japan (2013) Day 5: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Date Visited: 14th October 2013

Osaka Aquarium, which also locally known as Kaiyukan is claimed to be one of the largest aquariums in the world. This is one of my travel wishlist I wish to do and see if I happen to revisit Osaka again, and now I had finally accomplished it [Check out my old post - Things To Do & See in Osaka]. Visiting any kind of zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks and anything that relate to animals is what I always passionate about. 

We went Shin-Osaka Visitors' Information Center which situated inside Shin-Osaka station (unfortunately closed since 31 March 2014) to purchase the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket. It's combination of Aquarium Kaiyukan admission and Osaka Subway One Day Pass which sold at 2,550 yen. In the case of purchase separately, the admission fee for Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan alone is 2,300 yen and Osaka Subway One Day Pass cost 600 yen, which indicates we save at least by 350 yen for a pax by purchasing the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket. 

#1: Osaka Kaiyu Ticket (combination of Aquarium Kaiyukan admission and Osaka Subway One Day Pass) = 2,550 yen per pax

#2: Greeted by lovely and friendly mascot

The nearest station is Osakako Station on the Chuo subway line. From the station, it requires 5-10 minutes walk to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Out from the station, look for the huge Tempozan Ferris Wheel as Kaiyun located next to it.  

#3: View from Osakako Station and walk towards the huge Tempozan Ferris wheel 

#4: Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel 

#5: Overview of Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan - Such a beautiful decoration 

The tour started at 8th floor, that's the top floor and slowly making our way down through the exhibits in the spiral form. The main attraction is the largest central tank which houses thousands of sea creatures from the Pacific Ocean including whale shark, different kind of rays and more. 

#6: Whale shark 

#7: Stingray with smiling face 

#8: The happy feet are waiting to be fed

#9: Great Barrier Reef tank - One of the most colourful tanks I came across

#10: Tunnel tank

#11: The jellyfish exhibit - My favourite area 

#12: The fat ringed seal

My mom and I spent more than two hours ventured around Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan before we make a move to a shopping centre, tucked in between the aquarium and the Ferris wheel which consists a large food court, ranging from Japanese cuisines to Western meals. Then at night, my mom would like to return to Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade again for final shopping spree. Oh well, this area is well-known for cheap and delectable beauty and cosmetic products whereby local brands such as Shiseido and Hada Labo are selling utterly cheap here. 

As for our dinner, we stumbled upon a vending machine in a small alley selling scrumptious and affordable Japanese cuisines and hence, we decided to give them a try. Turned out, both of us love it and guess what, we found another outlet of this restaurant in Kansai International Airport and we had it for the second time on our last day, before leaving Japan. By the way, the name of this restaurant - Kamukura.

#13: First time learning how to use the vending machine to order food

#14: A set of meal (both ramen and don) cost 840 yen and gyoza as side dish for 200 yen

Sayonara Japan cause on the next day onward, we moved to the former capital of Japan...

How To Get To Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Nearest station is Osakako Station on the Chuo subway line. From the station, it requires 5-10 minutes walk to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Out from the station, look for the huge Tempozan Ferris Wheel as Kaiyun located next to it.  

Admission Fee: 2,300 yen
Opening Hours: 10 am to 8 pm 

Next Post >>> Day 6: From Osaka to Kyoto [Arashiyama & Fushimi Inari Shrine]