Japan Spring Time 2015: Day 3

Day 3 is our last day in Osaka. This day is devoted to visiting the city's famous sights.
First on this day is Osaka Castle and its castle grounds.

8:30 AM

Leave Osaka Hana Hostel Check-out Leave baggage

9:00 AM

ETA Osaka Castle Osaka Castle (Tanimachiyonchome/Tanimachi-4-Chome Sta.)

From Tanimachiyonchome Station, take Exit 1-B. Turn left after the exit and walk straight. Use Google maps for navigation if you have your pocket wifi. You can also ask the locals for directions and they'll be more than happy to help you out. :)

NHK Station?

Entrance to Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle

Outside the castle

We didn't go inside the Osaka Castle anymore. According to some reviews over at Tripadvisor, they said the castle in Kyoto is more worth it to visit.

11:00 AM	Leave Osaka Castle
	ETD Shitenno-ji

We took some pictures outside the castle grounds, some pictures in the park. We walked back to Tanimachiyonchome Station and took a subway train to Tennoji Staion.

11:30 AM

Tennoji Sta.

We ate our lunch at the station and then proceeded to Shitenno-ji Temple. It's just a short 10-15 min. walk to the temple. Again, I relied on Google Maps. :) Google Maps and Hyperdia will be your best friend in Japan. :)

12:30 PM

ETD Umeda Sky Building

We went back to the station and then off to our last destination in Osaka, Umeda Sky Building.
The building is accessible via Umeda(Subway) Station. It's a good 15-min walk from the station.

Rooftop, rainy, windy..

View from below

View inside the observatory

3:00 PM

ETD Osaka Hana Hostel

4:00 PM

ETA Osaka Hana Hostel

We already checked-out of the hostel that morning. We left our luggage in their storage room so that we can still go around the city.

Before we left here is a picture of us with one of the friendly staff of Osaka Hana Hostel :)

Rightmost pic, one of the most friendliest staff at Osaka Hana :)

5:15 PM	ETD Kyoto
	1. Go to SHINSAIBASHI Station. 2. Take Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line bound for UMEDA(SUBWAY). 3. Transfer from UMEDA(SUBWAY) to OSAKA Station. 4. Buy tickets to Kyoto.

JR Osaka Station

Once you reach OSAKA Station, go to the JR Ticket Office to buy the JR Special Rapid Service to Kyoto. This was the cheapest train I could get and no reserved seats. I think it was around 40-45 min to Kyoto. Then, I bought our Shinkansen Tickets to Tokyo just in case.  I bought the reserved seats so I could sit on the left side and hopefully see Mt. Fuji on the way to Tokyo. Sadly, it rained when we were going to Tokyo so wasn't able to see it. :(

 Go to the JR Kyoto Ticket Office, it's on the ground floor of the station.

Kyoto Station

We checked-in at Econo-Inn around 6:30PM as it was evening when we arrived in Kyoto. Takes some time getting used to the surroundings and navigating a new city. Here is the link for Econo-Inn Kyoto. The website was right, Econo-Inn was just about 15-min walk from the Kyoto Station. *sigh*

We had dinner somewhere in Kyoto's Gion district, well the main street in Kyoto where the restaurants are located. To get there: Ride the subway from Kiyomizugojo Station and get off at Gojo Station.

It was around 9:00 PM when we got back to the hotel. Day 3 was exhausting because we had to travel with our luggage, up and down the stairs...but well worth it :)

Expenses:
Food - I don't have the breakdown
Shitennoji Entrance - Y900 (3 persons)
Hotel to Osaka Castle - Y720 (3 persons)
Osaka to Tennoji - Y540 (3 persons)
Tennoji to Umeda - 740 (3 persons)
Umeda Sky Building Entrance - Y2400 (3 persons)
Umeda to Hostel - Y720 (3 persons)
Gion to Hostel (RT) - Y900 (3 persons)
Econo-Inn - Y50,010 (That's 4 nights for 3 persons)
Shinkansen Nozomi Train - Y42, 330 (3 persons)

Est. Total: Y99260 excluding food

Japan Spring Time 2015: Day 1

First trip in Japan with my family and first family vacation for 2015. The trip took a lot of planning and research just to fit Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo in about 11 days.

1st day may seem so far from Day 11 but trust me the days went by so quickly....

Date/Time	Activity
Day 1: 3/30/2015	Osaka
6:55 AM	ETD Osaka
11:55 AM	ETA Osaka
	Buy ICOCA Card
	Buy Kanku Chikatoku Ticket

We arrived around 12PM at Kansai Airport. We exchanged all of our money at the airport to save us the hassle of looking for a FOREX. I also bought Yen in advance in Manila. You can get good rates at some of the local banks.

Gateway to Osaka

Go up the second floor of the airport to get to the Kansai-airport Station. We bought the Kanku Chika Tokku Kippu which basically is an express ticket to our hostel, Osaka Hana Hostel. You can check it out and the location is pretty good as it is close to the Shinsaibashi Station.

I forgot to buy the ICOCA card at the station and you could only get it at JR Stations only. So during our time in Osaka I just bought tickets. Sure, it is bothersome to buy tickets every time but what can you do...plus I get to study the subway map while buying the tickets. :) 

Anyway, after exchanging our money we decided to go straight to our hostel. I was supposed to pick up my pocket wifi at the airport but they told me since it was peak season, they'll just deliver it to my hostel. I guess they were swamped with a lot of orders. After checking into our hostel, we decided to rest for a while and then do some research about Osaka. My pocket wifi arrived around 3PM.

 Speaking of pocket wifi, I got mine at Japan Wireless. Check out their site for the different plans that will suit your needs. Or you can always get one at the airport as well.

With my pocket wifi, I can commute my way around Osaka using the site Hyperdia. It's a very useful and easy website that you can use to know which trains and stations to get to your destination.You just enter your departure and arrival station, together with the time you want to leave. It is important to enter the time you are leaving because there are express trains and local trains. You might miss your station if you take the express trains. And believe me the trains there are on time.

12:30 PM	ETD Osaka Hana Hostel
2:00 PM	ETA Osaka Hana Hostel
3:30 PM	Late lunch at Kuromon Ichiba then walk to Den-den town (gundams)
	Tour Minami(Namba) on foot and then the below places               Dotonbori (Ebisu Brige, Glico Man)
	Dinner: Dotonbori area
	Tour Shinsaibashi shopping arcade

We had our late lunch at Kuromon Ichiba Market. Go to Nippombashi Station and take Exit 10. The entrance to the market will be on the left after you exit. Entrance is beside a pet shop.

One of the alleys of Kuromon Ichiba

Fresh tuna

Fresh assorted sashimi

A lobster

After lunch I had to go to Den-Den town to Joshin Superkids Land. From the main street (after you exit Nippombashi Station exit 10), turn left then walk straight and Joshin Superkids Land will be on your right. I just had to buy loads of GW figures...sweet!!! Discounts for purchases more than Y12,000 since it is tax-free for foreigners and another discount for Visa Card holders.

From Nippombashi we went to Namba Station to go Dotonbori, Namba and the famous Glico Man.
This is where we had our dinner. Bought some takoyaki and Kobe beef on the street.

The famous Glico Man

Ebisu Bridge

Ebisu Bridge

Crab!!!

Takoyaki

Kobe Beef

Dotonbori Area

Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade

It was almost 9:00 PM when we decided to walk back to our hostel. Cross Ebisu Bridge and you will see the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade. It's a covered row of shops ranging from somewhat low-end to high-end shopping (well high-end for me).

We just walked through the arcade and used GPS to go back to Osaka Hana Hostel, as it was only a walking distance to the Arcade.

Next up Day 2 :)

Expenses:
Food:  I don't have the actual breakdown of food expenses
Osaka Hana Hostel (2 nights) - Y24,600
Towels (3 pcs) - Y210
Commute via subway: Hostel to Kuromon Ichiba - Y540 (3 ppl)
                                     Kuromon Ichiba to Namba - Y540 (3 ppl)
Pocket Wifi: Y6,250

Est. Total:  Y32,140 excluding food