Travel To Japan on COVID Pandemic

The year 2020. It was already COVID pandemic season when we started our travel to Japan but we had no idea it will eventually lead to a lockdown. I am glad we made this trip before traveling has become a death-defying stunt. This is an eight-day DIY trip with my friends whom I have shared a lot of crazy travel experiences. We went during the winter season to see snow for the first time. Almost everyone is wearing masks and all the stores run out of disposable masks. Although, I think they wear masks to protect their nose from the cold weather and to keep warm.

These are the things we did before the trip:

• Booked a promo fare flight at Jetstar, Manila to Narita.
• Used Klook to purchase JRPass, Universal Studios Japan, Teamlab Borderless, and Pocket Wifi for your Japan travel.
• Booked for hotels via booking.com:
  • Imano Ginza Hostel, Tokyo
  • Ark Hostel, Osaka
  • Kinugawa-Onsen Park Cottage, Tochigi
• Downloaded Whatsapp, Google Translate App, and Maps.Me
• Purchased Japanese Yen from the local bank and additional US$100 emergency fund
• Called our banks to advise about our travel so that they will not block our purchases abroad.
• Shopping for Winter Clothes.
• Print our Hotel addresses. We post or clip it on our bags and luggage just in case the bags get lost while in travel, the finder can contact the hotel or send it over to the hotel.
• We would regularly check the temperature forecast in Japan so that we would know how much winter clothes should we wear.
• I pin-dropped on the google map all the exact locations that we are supposed to visit. I saved it and send it over to my friends we can all have a synchronized guide map.
• Finally, we secured the exact locations of the train routes, train station, and station exits making sure we are able to maximize the use of JRPass.

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DAY 1: Tokyo

Upon arriving at Narita Airport Terminal 3, we started searching for the JR East Office to exchange our JR Voucher to JR Pass. The office is at Terminal 2 therefore we had to walk 300 meters with our rolling luggage. After claiming our passes, we immediately took the Narita Express using our JRpasses. We forgot to pick up our pocket wifi from the airport. That is how our Japan 8-day travel starts!

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• Narita Airport – Imano Hostel. Check-in time was 2 pm but we arrived at 11 am hence so left our luggage at the hotel then started our tour.
• Imano Hostel – Shibuya
  • Mega Don Quijote
  • Hachiko Statue
  • Lunch at Yoshinoya
• Tokyo Tower Observatory
• Shibuya – Imano Hostel
  • Stopped over at 7/11 Shintomicho to buy breakfast for tomorrow

DAY 2: Mt Fuji

We left our hotel at 6 am in order to catch the earliest train. Our target arrival at Mt Fuji is before 10 am because Mt. Fuji may not be visible in the afternoon. We were lucky that it was a really clear day.

• Imano Hostel – Mt. Fuji
  • bought the Mt. Fuji all-day bus pass to take us to several viewing spots
  • Lunch at Mt. Fuji nearby restaurant
• Mt Fuji – Hostel
  • Bought a bus ticket at Kawaguchiko Station for the route going to Shibuya. The time travel is 2 hours.
  • Bought dinner from 7/11 – you will be amazed at how delicious their food is.

DAY 3: Universal Studios Japan

We checked-out from our hotel around 5 am to catch the earliest Shinkansen at 6 am.

• Imano Hostel – Ark Hostel
  • check-in and leave our luggage at the Hostel
• Ark Hostel – Universal Studios
  • Lunch at Universal studios
• Universal Studios – Ark Hostel
• Ark Hostel – Yodobashi
  • Tax-free Shopping at Yodobashi Mall
  • Dinner at Yoshinoya
• Yodobashi – Ark Hostel

DAY 4: Kyoto

Osaka to Kyoto, Japan is just 1 hr travel away by regular train but since we have our JRPass, we took the Shinkansen which took us only 15 minutes to reach Kyoto. What took us a long time was finding the Kyoto Tourist Information Center. We need to get the bus map, train map, and train schedules because we can’t seem to find it online. JRPass is not valid for the Kyoto city bus however, it is valid for Kyoto Local trains.

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• Ark Hostel – Kyoto Station
• Kyoto – Arashiyama Bamboo Park
  • Lunch at Arashiyama nearby restaurant
• Arashiyama – Fushimi Inari
• Fushimi Inari – Yodobashi Mall
  • Shopping at Yodobashi
  • Dinner at Osaka Umeda
• Yodobashi Mall – Hostel

DAY 5: Yunishigawa Snow Festival

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Osaka to Kinugawa-Onsen is a long trip but we are willing to do anything just to experience snow. It took us 5 hours to get there. In addition to that, we had to wait 1 hour for the next express train to Kinugawa-Onsen which we spent eating our lunch at Omiya Terminal. We left Osaka at 9 am and arrived at Kinugawa-Onsen at 3 pm.

• Osaka-Hotel
  • Lunch at Omiya Station
  • Paid for JRPass fare adjustment at Kinugawa-onsen station 1,000 yen
  • check-in at Kinugawa-Onsen Park Cottage. Our hotel was just 5 minutes away from the station.
  • Buy the Nikko Heritage Tour 2-day bus Pass 2,040 Yen.
• Kunigawa-Onsen to Yunishigawa Snow Festival
  • We took the 4 pm last train and arrived at the Snow Festival at 5 pm. We only had 1 hour to enjoy the Snow because the last bus leaves at 6 pm.
  • This area is the countryside (provincial area), restaurants close early. We had no choice but to buy our dinner from the convenience store. Was this day worth all the energy and time? YES!

If you want to visit another snowy area near Tokyo, check out Shirakawa-go.

DAY 6: Edo Wonderland

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We used our Nikko Heritage tour all-day bus pass. Edo Wonderland 30 minutes away from Kinugawa-Onsen station. The entrance fee is 4,800 Yen. We had lunch at a local restaurant. By 3 pm, we head back to our hotel to get our luggage then take the 4 pm train to Tokyo. Travel time is 2 hours.

• Kinugawa-Onsen to Imano Hostel
  • We had to pay JRpass fare adjustment again for 1,000 yen.
  • Check-in at Imano Hostel
  • Dinner by 7/11

DAY 7: Odaiba, Tokyo

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This is the 7th day, therefore our JRpass expires on this day but this does not mean or Japan travel ends.

• Hostel – Teamlab Borderless
  • Lunch at Venus Fort
  • Walk to Diver City Mall to view the Giant Gundam
  • Shopping at Decks Mall. We found Daiso Inside the mall but everything else outside Daiso is expensive.
• Teamlab Borderless – Shibuya
  • Dinner at Yoshinoya

DAY 8: Mega Don Quijote

We decided to spend our last day just for chilling and shopping in Shibuya. Don Quijote Mall is popular because they have tax refund for tourists. There are selected Items qualified for this tax refund. We didn’t go elsewhere because we don’t have JRpass anymore and we need to checkout for our 6pm flight.

• Hostel – Mega Don Quijote
  • Lunch at Yoshinoya
• Shibuya – Hostel
• Hostel – Narita Aiport
  • We bought a Skyliner Ticket for the express airport train

Conclusions

• Travel in groups so that you can share the expenses.
• Snow boots are cheaper in Yodobashi Mall
• Having your own pocket wifi is very useful.
• Everything in Japan is expensive
• Never go to Universal Studios Japan or Teamlab Borderless during weekends. It’s jam-packed with tourists during weekends.
• We kept on eating at Yoshinoya and 7/11 because its the cheapest. The average cost is US$10 per meal. Other restaurants cost 15 – 20 USD.
• Japan train system is easy to figure out if you are not concerned with the price. We only had a hard time because we had to figure out a way to use our JRPass so we can save money.
• Not everything in Japan has an English translation
• Only selected places have free public wifi and not entire Japan.
• Internet research helps a lot in making a budget itinerary
• It’s true that there are a lot of items that are cheaper in Japan. Consider that tax refund on top of that.
• I highly recommend Yodobashi if you are shopping in Osaka and Don Quijote if you are shopping in Tokyo. Both have Tax Refund Cashiers.
• Yes, the price Anello and Royce are 50% less than the price in the Philippines.

It’s always better to travel with friends

Let me know in the comments below if you have questions or suggestions.