10 day Japan adventure - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima

[JoshuaL1997]

Yes. This happened for us in Kyoto from Osaka but we didn't correct it as We didn't realise as the gate had opened but strangely. We then caught a local train at Kyoto to get to hotel. When he tried to exit the local train he couldn't. Spoke to the transit person who wasn't the least helpful as it was a JR train exit but it was her attitude about it. So we had to pay for the 'failed' trip to local station, then pay to go back to Kyoto station, get help again which was done immediately then pay to return on the local train.

Yes I had this in Kyoto also, ended up buying a day pass to get around as I had to go back to the main station to get the issue fixed. Very odd but I guess a side effect of not one company owning all the systems.

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Tokyo, where to stay and what do to pt 1

Tokyo is a massive city, in fact its the largest city in the world by population. This means theres plenty of choices of where to stay at over 4000 Hotels. The easiest way I found to picture Tokyo is by breaking it down into "neighbourhoods", some of the most well known include Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Akihabara and Asakusa but theres also some less known names worth checking out. I found the below map by Tara O'Reilly really helpful to picture this:



Each "neighbourhood" offers something a little different, Akihabara is famous for being nerd central with lots of gaming shops but if your looking for great nightlife, Shinjuku and Shibuya should be on your list. If you're looking for affordable but well connected spots then Asakusa is the place to stay, which is also where I ended up staying.

For me Asakusa was a good mixture of things, there was a bit of culture with the nearby Senso-Ji temple, shopping areas just west of the temple, lots of cafe's and restaurants, two metro lines connecting seamlessly to the airport and the rest of Tokyo. But most importantly of all, I managed to get a hotel for roughly $80-90 a night which was neat and clean and right next to a subway entrance.

APA Hotel 285 Asakusa Ekimae

When coming to Japan you will find APA hotels are almost as common as 7/11 convenience stores. Its a large chain that operates over 350 hotels across the country focused on business clients at affordable prices.

Theres a couple elephants in the room with APA as I later discovered including controversies arounds its owners far right politics and cost cutting during construction leaving some 30% of their hotels allegedly not earthquake secure. So take that into consideration when making a booking.



Hotel 285 is one of several APA hotels in the neighbourhood, I liked this location as it was right next to an entrance to the Asakusa subway line which connects you to the airport as well as Shinagawa station where Shinkansen services depart from. For those with luggage, the elevator entrance to the station is conveniently right across the road.



I booked a single room which featured a double bed, desk and chair, bathroom and a large TV screen but not much else. It had a very good aircon system which was needed in the heat as well as a frosted window.



I paid $250 for three nights here via Booking.com and would say it was good value, I ended up spending little time in my room other than sleeping and a daily cool down between all the activities.

The hotel was neat and clean and I was able to check in two hours early for an additional $20 paid on the day. APA does cost cut so you won't have your room made up everyday but simply a bag of towels delivered to your room each day but this didn't bother me very much.

What to do in Tokyo
As said Tokyo is massive and the to do list is equally overwhelming, you could spend a week here easy. Theres lots of choice and some very well known activities. People with kids (or adults who still identify as kids) will have Disneyland and Universal Studios on their list while others will have the Studio Gibli museum on their list or the outer fish markets.

Almost all of the above as I mentioned in my tips post require some form of advance ticket purchase and are in hot demand. For instance two weeks out the tickets to the Studio Gibli museum were sold out.

Knowing I only had three days I focused on a few things including checking out cultural sites, doing some shopping, going to TeamLab Tokyo and eating my way through the countless restaurants across the city.

Meiji Jingu & Harajuku

The shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken is located in a large forest bordering Harajuku with the entrance being right by Harajuku station. The parks opening hours differ year round but its commonly open from sunrise to sunset with admission being free. At the entrances of the first you will find large Torii Gates and along the pathways you find various other attractions including the yearly sake barrel offering to the shrine and a number of french wine barrels which are a gift from France and serve as a cultural connector between the two countries.



This was my first stop in Tokyo after arriving and worked well as it was nice and quiet early in the morning, locals use the park to go for walks and runs but also to pray at the shrine. Its very peaceful and serene, at the northern end of the park there is an area covered in grass where you can sit and relax, have a picnic or sunbathe, but a park officer will tell you off for undressing as I witnessed while I was there.



You can also seek your fortune at the shrine and purchase amulets or omamori from 9am onwards, this is also roughly the time that the tours start to arrive which had the sudden effect of making this location far less calm and serene.



As I exited the park I made by may to Harajuku which is well known for its animal cafes and Japanese street fashion, you'll also find Takeshita street here. I sat in a Starbucks while I waited for stores to open and the place to come alive. Here you will also find Uniqlo's T-shirt printing studio where you can have your own specialised t-shirt prints made.



Takeshita st is famous for many things and in my opinion is somewhat over rated, my highlight was finding this capsule machine store. You will find these machines all over Japan where you throw 300-500 yen into the machine to be surprised with a small plastic souvenir. I may have spent a few too many yen here. Woops



Following this I enjoyed lunch at Gyukatsu Motomura which is a chain here in Japan serving fried beef steak which you cook to completion at your table with many sides. This dish and drink cost me about 2600 Yen or about $30 which I thought was good value for the quantity of food.

Senso-Ji Temple and Markets

Located in Asakusa this temple is Tokyos oldest taking back to the year 628. While the temple can be accessed from several ways most commonly you'll find your self walking through the shopping street called Nakamise, here you will find permanent markets open from about 10am-5pm selling all things a tourist may or may not need. Many restaurants also spill out on either side of this street, at the end you will find a primary school on the left and the temple dead ahead.



A great place to read your fortune, buy omamori or attend a festival if one happens to be on at the time your visiting. Senso-ji remains one of the most visited religious sites in the world and similar to the Meiji shrine many come to pray to and worship the goddess this shrine was built for.



The complex is fairly busy even by Tokyo's standards but I found it calms down after about 7-8pm and in summer you can enjoy the sunset here with a drink from a vending machine or a few desert snacks from the markets.



As Asakusa is a hive of activity so you will find many great eateries here, I enjoyed what turned out to be another Japanese chain called "Yakiniku Like" where they serve Japanese BBQ for you to cook at your station similar to Korean BBQ. You can pick your cuts of meat and various sides and drinks. Again 2800 yen gets you several meat options, rice, edamame, lettuce and a drink.

10/10 would recommend.

Part two of Tokyo activities incoming....

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Tokyo what to do, part 2

If you like coffee you will have a good time in Tokyo especially around Asakusa. Tokyo is filled with great coffee roasters and coffee shops, you could spend several days on a cafe crawl so long as you start around 10am and expect to finish around 6pm as those are the operating hours of most cafe's. It seems standard for cafe's to serve a selection of coffee hot and iced and some sweet treats, I didn't find very many that served hot cafe food like at home.



For those who are looking for something that opens a little earlier (8am) and serves a hot breakfast I can recommend Fuglen in Asakusa, a Norwegian inspired cafe serving coffee, pastries and a selection of sweet and savoury waffle dishes. In the evening you can also enjoy a coughtail or two as the cafe is open till 9pm weeknights and on the weekend till 11pm.

If you enjoy all things chocolate I can highly recommend stopping by Dandelion Chocolate Factory and Cafe in Kuramea and check out their factory before having a hot or iced chocolate and a little sweet treat, they also serve a great iced cold brew.



Also in Kuramea (which is quickly becoming a trendy cafe spot) I found Coffee Nova which has a large coffee bean selection from across the globe and serve a unique coffee jelly with ice cream which is a great cool down treat on a hot summers day. The cafe is just down the road of the insta famous Kuramea shrine which while rather understated featured several stunning cherry trees which often are some of the first to blossom in the spring season across Tokyo.



While I was here in June, the blossoms had of course already gone but its still a nice spot to check out and see the statue of a dog who supposedly prayed to become human and eventually did. I forgot to take a photo but you can see the below photo from Kaori Square Feet's blog.



What you'll find across Asakusa and surrounding neighbourhoods is that the best spots are often down a narrow street, away from all the hustle and bustle, in fact this is really common across Japan. Down a random road I walked to find a postoffice I found Kaya Asakusa - Kimono and Pottery.



A cute little shop with even cuter owners selling a variety of pottery including vintage tea sets and a whole range of traditional Japanese clothing including some very affordable secondhand Kimonos. The owners talked me through the clothing, how its worn and the methods of fabrication, they explained that the word Kimono simply refers to the long robe with wide sleeves which you would wear with a belt (obi), they had several on sale with cotton pieces being cheaper than traditional silk ones. Also for sale were Haori, which you are more likely to see people wear in more modern clothing, this is the wide sleeved shorter jacket you wear over a Kimono in colder months.

Not that I had this on my shopping list but I ended up picking up a stunning pre-loved cotton Kimono for 1100 Yen which I now swish around my house with reminding all who see that I've recently been to Japan.



However if walking down random roads is not really your thing I have other options for you, including another Insta favourite: teamLab Planets Tokyo!



teamLab is an art collective which has been around Tokyo since 1998, in 2018 the group opened the immersive art space in Koto City east of Ginza. Divided into four areas the site is meant to "immerse their entire bodies in the bast artworks", traversing one of the four sections barefoot while contributing to the art in another this big shed in the middle of no where has taken the internet by storm. Many of the exhibits are very social media friendly and adult and kids alike get to be in the art rather than just look at it.



Accessible via public transport it took a few changes of subway and monorail lines to get there, alternatively there is also a bus from Ginza for an extra fee. You have to book tickets in advance and I recommend you do so you can pick a time slot that works for you. Tickets for adults cost between 3800 and 4400 yen depending on time of day. I also recommend you wear shorts (not skirts as theres a room with mirrored floors) and shoes you can easily take off.



The whole activity took me about 2 hours but getting there and a back took another hour and a half so its a fairly solid half day activity. On the way back I also stopped by the famous Shibuya Scramble and surrounding shopping precinct which I have to say is far less impressive during the day. You can find lots of restaurants here but its all a bit overwhelming, I ended up enjoying a bowl of Ramen at Japans largest Ramen chain Ichiran which was very reasonably priced at 1100 yen.



After this I collected my JR pass at Shibuya Station (which is manic FYI) and headed back to the hotel to have a siesta, not before walking past the famous Hachiko statue which had a line roughly 50 people long to take a photo with the dog famous for waiting for his owner at Shibuya station even after her death. Theres a great movie about this story called "Hachi: a dogs tale" in case you need to release your tear ducts.



On my last night I also checked out Akihabara on the hunt for some unique Nintendo 3DS games for my partner at home. Akihabara is the neighbourhood with the inner tech nerd in mind with its central shopping street called Akihabara Electric Town. I was very overwhelmed by it all hence the stock photo but I have to say again like Shibuya this place is picture perfect in the evening, this is despite many of the shops you want to check out closing fairly early between 7-8pm.



Theres loads of electronics shops here such as the famous Camera shop but also stores that sell endless console games including many sought after Japanese exclusive Nintendo games. My pro tip when looking at games, ensure they aren't region locked aka a console from Aus can play the game. This is another place where the google translate app comes in handy as all the merchandise on offer was in Japanese (who'd have thought). I also stopped into a Don Quijote store (nothing to do with the similarly named novel) which is a chain of cheap nick nack stores that sell souvenirs as well as snacks and lots of skin care. I purchased the below fantastically cute samurai corgi tote to carry my purchases, you have to lean into the cutesy animal character obsession the Japanese have.



I also spend a few hours on my last day in Tokyo on the hunt for some ceramics and must admit didn't have very much luck finding things I liked. While theres loads of shops selling ceramics I found much of the styles are what I'd consider a bit old fashioned, things I'd expect in my grandma's kitchen. I did find a couple lovely things at a store in Asakusa called Yamakichi, they had many reasonably priced items but most of the store lent to the expensive side of things. This is also where I heard an american couple ask the shop keeper if he had "more Japanese things, you know with the characters"...

Another store thats mentioned a lot online which I travelled to Ginza for is Takumi but the selection was small and not really my style and again fairly expensive. But that also applied to all of Ginza which seems to be the home of all the big expensive brands.



That sums up my activities across three days in Tokyo, while you could fill a week easily in this city I found three days was a great taste before I needed to escape the crazy a little and head south to Kyoto which was far more my pace and vibe.

 

[Lat34]

That sums up my activities across three days in Tokyo, while you could fill a week easily in this city I found three days was a great taste before I needed to escape the crazy a little and head south to Kyoto which was far more my pace and vibe.

This is such terrific info for Tokyo/ Japan newbies and well presented in easy-to-digest chunks.
Now looking forward to Kyoto.
Thanks so much!

 

[NZflygirl]

Agree re Suica card. Most people do it the wrong way around. Add the transit card first. Then download the app. That’s the right order. Language is never an issue then.

You don’t even really need to download the app at all if you downloaded the transit card.

But the app is handy if you’re going to buy bullet train tickets online via smartex as the app displays your Suica ID which you use to add to your bullet train ticket and then you can tap through the gates to board a bullet train - again without going near a ticket machine.

I downloaded the tourist Suica which said it was only useful for the Tohoku, Hokouriku and Joetsu lines (Have only just recently read that in the last 2 minutes). I used the Tokkaido line though. I did download the local Suica app. Haven't looked at it and only just noted now it's in Japanese. I haven't needed it.

Booking Shinkansen via Klook and using the QR code seems easiest. Just make sure you choose the right date, the right stops, the right train etc. No need to visit any ticket machine or office. Just scan and done. I linked my Welcome Suica card to the smart ex website previously. Thought I could just scan my Suica card but didn't work likely due to it being the Tokkaido line. Then bought via the smart ex website thinking it would then allow me to just use my tourist Suica card but had to go to ticket machine to get a physical ticket to then use through the departure gates.

I could use a translation app over the local Suica app but can't tell if there are limitiations on which lines you can use like the welcome tourist Suica card. I'll need to do some checking on the local Suica card differences but I haven't needed so far.

 

[Deno]

Thank you @JoshuaL1997, fantastic info, so helpful. Heading there next month, so your trip report is much appreciated.

 

[rbjhan]

Ah I love Yakiniku Like!

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Pardon the interruption, where were we? Oh right.... Of to Kyoto

While Tokyo was fun and interesting, I was very much looking forward to making the trip south to calmer Kyoto onboard the Shinkansen Takaido line and explore what the Kansai region of Japan had to offer.

The fastest and most convenient way to get to Kyoto from Tokyo is via Shinkansen, even the Hikari train that stops a few times gets to Kyoto in under 3 hours. Flying is also an option but its more expensive and between having to arrive early at an airport and all that faff actually takes longer all together.

Shinagawa station was the closest Shinkansen station to my hotel so I made my way there via the metro which was not as challenging as I thought with two suitcases. At Shinagawa and in fact most stations will find that Shinkansen platforms are seperate to other JR trains on dedicated platforms. After you go through the ticket gates you will find a small number of food outlets selling mainly to go Bento Boxes and Japanese sweet treats (my lunch choice below, a pork katsu sando with mustard yum). I was surprised not to see a 7/11 or a Lawson here or at other Shin stations. You will also notice in summer its very hot here so I don't recommend you arrive very early as there is no where cool to stand.



Shinkansen services are frequent and trains don't ordinarily stop for a very long time, trains are also very long. Most trains have 16 cars with some usually dedicated to non reserved seats but most being reserved cars. Its a good idea to make your way down the platform to the relevantly marked area to enter your car, this will be listed on your seat reservation. In my case I booked the last row in car 16 so I had a fair walk down the platform.



For those with luggage, you can fit small and medium suitcases in the rack above the seats however extra large cases need to be stores behind the last row of seats and will only be available if you booked those seats in advance.

While the Shinkansen is an engineering marvel the train cars are rather boring, seats are laid out in a 2-3 layout and are very narrow. Going south you should sit on the right side to see mount Fuji on a good day.

Upon arriving in Kyoto I made my way from the Shinkansen tracks to the subway, my hotel was right by Karasuma Oike station on the Karasuma line.

My hotel
Hotel Gimmond Kyoto

I stayed at the 3 star Hotel Gimmond Kyoto about 5 minutes walk from the subway station entrance at Karasuma Oike station. The hotel was very affordable at $90 a night for a double room with single occupancy, the rate didn't include breakfast.



The hotel is on the older side but very typical of Japan its maintained really well and very clean. The room was slightly bigger than my APA hotel in Tokyo and featured a closet, desk area with TV and mini fridge, double bed and of course a bathroom with shower tub. The aircon was great and could be controlled from a small panel next to the bed, as this is an older place it remains on when you leave the room so be sure to turn it off when you leave for the day.



The front desk was staffed 24/7 which it needs to be as they wont allow you to remove your key from the building. When leaving, you drop it off at the front desk and upon returning you show a little card with your room details to collect your key. This system works but I have to say it feels a little unnecessary.

The hotel features two restaurants, one Italian and classic Japanese. The Italian restaurant is also open for breakfast but I didn't eat there instead favoured a small french bakery down the road called Pauls (more on that later).

Things to do in Kyoto

River walk and Kyoto handicraft centre
Kyoto is a stunning city, I started my time off with what I can only describe as a romantic stroll for one down the Kyoto River. At one point in the river when the tide is low enough there are stepping stones across the river, many people relaxed here dipping their feet in the refreshing river water and just enjoying the setting. I joined in and sat here for a little while, Kyoto sure felt different compared to Tokyo. Continuing on the other side of the river I eventually made my way back to civilisation and wondered until I found the Kyoto Handicraft Centre.



These two stores (west and east) are next to one another and are a great place to go in the search of some lovely handmade souvenirs that are a bit more special than your average touristy market. While the first store (west) features art and swords at eye watering prices the second store (east) across several levels has plenty to find at reasonable prices.



I picket up a handmade lacquered spinning top which now lives next to our lacquered lady with egg shells from our trip to Saigon and a lovely traditional wood work Yosegi box. In total I spent about $190AUD on both items.





Temples, Shrines, Palaces and the Kyoto tower

Kyoto is the old capital of Japan and with that comes a whole list of temples, shrines, castles and cultural icons to visit which Instagram is obsessed with. In my few days here I made time for the Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine, Kinkaku-ji temple and the Kyoto imperial palace and gardens.

I had set my self an unnecessary and stupid goal of hiking to the top of Mount Inari which the famous Inari shrine is named after. The internet rightly encourages you to get to the shrine early to avoid crowds so I made by way to the shrine around 7am and found it nice and quiet. The shrine its self though isn't what attracts people but the seemingly endless orange Tori gates following the treck to the top of the mountains.



The hike is described as moderate and short with some stairs, in June however I heavily disagree with this description. 45 minutes into the hike and in fear of having a shrine built for me at my final resting place on the mountain, I decided to give up and make my way back to the base of the mountain in search of some air-conditioning. You of course don't have to hike the mountain to see the gates but if you are keen to hike I'd encourage you to do so on a day with lower humidity and temp.

On a seperate day I took the bus to Kinkaku-Ji, the famous golden pavilion overlooking a large pond and forest. Unlike the Inari shrine this is a venue where you have to pay an entry fee of 500 yen per person. You follow a one way path around the pond and up a small hill so you get many different perspectives of the view. The opening hours are 9am-5pm with gates closing at 4:30pm and I got here around 4pm in the hopes to have fewer people to compete with and less glaring sun.



This is a location where lots of tour buses stop so it can be very busy and not at all zen like. I didn't have to compete with too many people but there were a number of school tours and a few tourists buses still there. While the pavilion and grounds are stunning the copious amount of people and lack of other things to do mean I probably only spent about 30 or so minutes here.

You can also spot some very large koi fish in the pond, I recommend wearing polarised sunglasses, its makes them easier to spot in the murky water. On my way out I stopped in the gift shop and purchased a slice of frozen pineapple on a stick, which was a great treat!



I did also stop into the imperial palace and gardens but completely failed to take any photos. Its a nice place to wonder but not as impressive as what I had pictured but that was the architecture of the era. You can do tours here in Japanese and English but I just walked and took in the site. Entry is free and it would be a stunning place in autumn with all the beautiful trees, note the site is closed on Mondays.

Nidec Kyoto tower

If you want to get a good view of the whole city you should check out the Nidec Kyoto tower observation deck. 100 meters above the ground this is the highest viewing platform in the city and you can see several key sites from here. Admission is 900 yen and can be purchased online or at a booth on the ground level of the shopping centre in the tower.



Once you have your ticket you are directed to the 11th floor where the dedicated platform elevators are located. Once you have made it to the top you will find a small and slightly aged 360 observation deck with free stationary binoculars dotted across the place to zoom in on the view.



Its a small space and you can't help but notice the tower has seen better days butt hen again as someone who is afraid of heights maybe I was just looking for excuses to get back in that elevator. The view at sunset here is stunning and despite my fears I would recommend it.

Theres lots more to do and see in Kyoto and should I find an opportunity to visit again I would take more time out to explore this city.

The next post is all about coffee and food...

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Lets talk food and coffee in Kyoto

To be honest as pretty as Kyoto is, its the food that I miss the most since coming back. So below are some of my recommendations for you to check out:



Firstly you'll be glad to hear that Kyoto's coffee shops open much earlier than Tokyo's, one of those shops is Paul's french bakery in Masuyacho near my hotel which serves up amazing baked goods, hot or cold chocolate and coffee. Their specialty are Cannele which the bakery serves up fresh three times a day (the first lot are at 9:30am) but they also make excellent savoury sandwiches and hot or cold chocolates that are to die for. The coffee is mid tier but drinkable.



If you are looking for a hipster coffee shop that also serves soft serve check out Goodman Roaster, featuring several relaxing lounge chairs and great vibes as they say. This is a great stop to have a coffee and a treat on a hot day.



For something less traditional check out what I can best describe as a hole in the wall with a view of a carpark called Weekenders Coffee Tominokoji. The little cafe is easily missed is its at the back of a small carpark hidden behind some foliage, large enough for a coffee machine and two outdoor seats you are encouraged to sit beneath the foliage and drink your coffee from a ceramic mug/cup rather than take it away. Coffee is excellent and the experience is one you should have. Open from 7:30am-6pm.



Another gem is Stumptown coffee roasters, located inside/beside the Ace hotel Kyoto lobby. Open from 7am-7pm its a great place to grab a coffee and even a treat and most importantly its in walking distance to my hotel and just above the entrance to the metro.



I'm not ashamed to admit I like eating, and you are spoiled for choice in Kyoto so selecting just a few places to visit was a challenge.

To start of with the fancy: Sugari. A modern Ramen shop in a traditional setting. From the outside you can barely tell its a restaurant, upon entering you order and pay for your meal off a screen in a dimly lit waiting area. Once ready you will be collected and led upstairs to the one long table where about 20 people could fit, I sat at the end and got a nice view out of the large window.



Tonight there were maybe 8 of us here. The menu is traditionally limited, ramen or dipping ramen are on offer. Having never had dipping ramen I chose this along with a chilled oolong tea for a grand total of $30.



Served quickly and enjoyed slowly is the atmosphere here. The dipping sauce was a mix between a stew and a curry, flavourful and packing a punch. Noodles were cold and the sauce was piping hot, what ever sauce was left over you could eat with a small bowl of rice which was provided. Highly recommend this experience.

The unorthodox choice: Pizza Marita. A small shop in a side lane to Kyotos famous Nishiki market street serves up excellent pizza and arancini for very affordable prices. Sitting at the bar I watched our Japanese pizzaiolo make me a cheese-less tomato pizza and a beef arancini for $15, iced tea was included in the price. I know what you must be thinking, Pizza in Japan? Seriously?. Yeah seriously, its amazing and a nice break from rice and noodles. Cash only.



Here I also found what I can only describe as the most accurate instruction manual for eating Pizza, in case you needed it.



The surprising choice: Kyakuten Manten. A small restaurant above some shops serving up Ramen, Katsu Curry and yummy dumplings with plenty of beer to keep you occupied while watching a game of Japanese Baseball on the big screen (someone was winning and someone else wasn't, thats about as much as I understood). I say surprising because it didn't exactly look very promising but that was all forgiven when I saw the open kitchen and fridges full of cold beer glasses.





Very affordable, wholesome food in a calm setting which is something rather rare in the big city.

The faithful choice: Gyoza Ohsho. A chain restaurant across Japan that serves up an array of Japanese Chinese dishes with their extra garlic gyoza being the star of the show. I know it probably feels wrong as a tourist to eat at a chain restaurant but I found my self to be the only westerner here on more than one occasion so if the locals like it, it has to be good.



The Gyoza, fried chicken and Yakisoba are all great ways to hit your salt and msg cravings add Asahi super dry on tap and you have pure heaven, well for me anyway. Its a great place to go after a long day of wondering when you just want to sit and eat comfort foods. The local restaurant near my hotel was frequently busy with a waiting list but eating alone meant I never had to wait long.

Pro-tip write your name down on the wait list, the number of people and circle where you'd like to sit (google translate will help) otherwise you'll be waiting for a while.

Snack on the go mentions

I did do a few day trips from Kyoto and always loved picking up a little snack for the train ride, my favourites included:

The margarine and maple syrup pancakes from 7/11, everything everyone said online about these is correct!



A Starbucks danish sausage roll thingy, savoury delight!



7/11 Convenience store pizza bread thingy, yes I was judged by my instagram followers, no I do not care as this was very good.



And last but not least, ice cream waffle anyone?

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Ah I love Yakiniku Like!

I dont know why no one in Oz has picked up this concept, honestly enjoyed it way too much!

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Thank you @JoshuaL1997, fantastic info, so helpful. Heading there next month, so your trip report is much appreciated.

Oh glad to hear, I hope your trip goes well. Pack a fan lol!

 

[rbjhan]

I dont know why no one in Oz has picked up this concept, honestly enjoyed it way too much!

I think, at least partially, the problem is we as a society is a lot less introverted. Places like this and Ichiran targeting solo diners might even be a little off putting to some...at least some of my coworkers did not like that idea of seats all facing walls so you avoid eye contact with people....

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Turns out I never ended up finishing my trip report after coming home... apologies.

To finish off I'll make two final posts, one of my airport hotel in Tokyo and then my ANA flight review of my trip home. So let's start off with the Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Haneda:

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Haneda
Standard double room - airport view
$150 per night

So firstly I should explain why I needed this hotel to begin with. As I had an overnight flight on my way to Japan, I wanted to have a day flight on my way home which in hindsight I would not recommend for several reason (more on that later). As I was staying in Kyoto and my flight was departing Haneda at 8:30am I chose to have an overnight at an airport hotel at Haneda.



Theres several airport hotels at Haneda for you to choose from, of course varying in price. The largest and most convenient would have to be the Royal Park Hotel however during my stay this hotel was charging about $400 per night which was more than I was happy to spend and just two stops further down the local train line was the Hotel Metropolitan which was considerably more affordable and fun as it turned out.



The hotel is in a precinct called "Haneda Innovation City", its a business park nestled to the Western side of Haneda airport with direct train link to Haneda airport from Tenkubashi station. The hotel occupies several floors of a building in this park including the roof top and has excellent runway views of runway 04/22 and Terminal 3 which is the International terminal at HND. Reception is not on the ground floor and you need to find the entrance to elevators to take you up a few floors. I would say its a bit challenging to see from the station where exactly the hotel was but trusty google maps didn't disappoint.



The hotel is very modern by western and I assume Japanese standards unlike others I've stayed in on this trip. My room featured a large double bed, a raised desk and chair along with a small lounge chair and of course a large TV screen, the size of the room felt very generous. The bathroom while large and tiled featured some traditional Japanese quirks like a tub shower, a tiny sink and a Japanese toilet.



But the best thing about this room is the view, if you are an airplane nerd I cannot recommend this room enough. My room was at the far end of the hotel corridor which meant I had brilliant views of a remote stand area and of arrivals/departure aircraft. I got an up close look of a parked Czeck Republic A319 as well as a JAL A350-1000, I believe this was the 7th and at the time newest or second newest frame to their fleet.



I may have been glued to the window for a fair while during the evening and morning rush...

The downside here is the food options, the hotel does have a Italian restaurant which looks very nice but I thought was a bit pricey for an airport hotel. Which makes sense seeing as the business park has nothing open after 5pm. So I made my way to the airport on the train to explore a little and grab a bite to eat there instead but found that to be fairly underwhelming also.



I have to say this hotel was excellent value for money in my opinion, I genuinely enjoyed my stay here, I got great sleep and I was well rested for my flight home. I also loved how creative the hotel was including the hallway carpets with this runway design!

 

[JoshuaL1997]

Now then, our way home.

NH889
Tokyo (Haneda) - Sydney (SYD - Australia)
DEP. 08:35 ARR. 19:15
B789
Seat number: 4K
Business Class


Intro
As with my flight to Japan I booked this flight with life miles so I won't go into that again just read my initial review for more info. ANA operates two flights a day to Sydney, one is always a day time flight departing at 8:30am and then an evening overnight flight. As I already had an overnight flight on my way to Japan I chose the daytime option, this is my first regret on this trip.

The issue with this day time flight is that it departs Tokyo too early, in fact its ANA's first international departure of the day meaning you really have to end your trip in Tokyo. And annoyingly it also arrived too late is Sydney for Domestic transits due to Sydney airports curfew meaning I had to have an airport hotel in Tokyo as well as Sydney on this trip. In hindsight I should have booked my trip the other way around, day time flight to Japan, night time return. You live and learn.



Check in & security at HDN terminal 2

As mentioned this is ANA's first international departure of the day out of terminal 2 at Haneda. Terminal 2 is split into domestic and international with international departures being on the floor above domestic. When I got there at 5:30am bag drop and check in stations were yet to open. It turns out that at terminal 2 check in and bag drop only opens at 5:40am. When I got there the hall was empty and machines did not work, not until the clock struck 5:40am exactly.

Everything here is automated even in business class which I think lacks that luxurious feeling of premium travel. I don't think I've ever been the first person to check in for a flight but on this day I was. Not that this was really anything to be thrilled about as security didn't open until 6:00am, meaning I got to hang around for 20 minutes.



Security and Immigration was a breeze and I made my way to the ANA business class lounge. Its at this point that I realised that there was already a significant crowd inside the terminal, most likely transiting passengers but it was really odd going from the ghost town at check in to a bustling terminal, anyway seeking shelter in the lounge is next.

Lounge

As ANA's main hub you would expect this lounge to be substantial, and it is. Its essentially one very large room with a lot of seating and some booth style seats which offer a bit more privacy in the far end of the lounge. The lounge features one buffet section with a cook to order window and a seperate live cooking station where the chef was cooking up sausages for breakfast.



The lounge is very much giving utilitarian chic, with beige, black and brown tones its neither offensive nor particularly stylish. You get the feeling here that while they thought of practical things such as charging ports at every seat and plenty of tables to put your snacks on, they didn't really think of privacy or comfort.



The food in the lounge is a little odd which seems to be an ANA theme, there is a small cold buffet and some warm items including the sausages mentioned earlier. I decided to have one last curry and rice with ginger pickles as really nothing else was tempting me.



The beverage selection was also fine, I had a machine made iced coffee and a glass iced barley tea to stay hydrated. Theres no manned coffee or drinks station here, its all very help yourself.



The lounge gets a 6/10 from me, nothing exciting but also nothing obviously terrible to speak about.

Boarding and layout
Honestly theres not much to say here, its a repeat of my outbound flight with the boarding process being very efficient and the plane type and cabin layout being the same also. The key difference was that we were on one of ANA's special Pokémon themed jets.



ANA currently has two Pokémon themed planes, one dreamliner and one 777 which feature a variety of Pokémon on the fuselage as well as a number of interior changes such as themed headrest covers in economy and themed cups and napkins throughout the cabins.



The dreamliner is called the Pikachu jet and therefore a stuffed Pikachu was on display while we boarded. Prior to departure a flight attendant also took Pikachu on a walk through the aircraft presumably for people to take photos with.



A welcome drink was served before the safety video was played (also Pokémon themed) and we were on our way. Again we got some great plane spotting done including of this JAL special livery 787-8 for the Kansai Expo 2025.



Meal service
Prior to departure our meal orders were taken including drink orders for after take off. Despite this being a morning flight we were served lunch after take off which I prefer and then later on in the flight we had the option of having a lighter second meal.



I ordered a coke zero and a glass of sake which was recommended. I'm not going to lie, the meal service was a bit of a confusing letdown for me. We again had the option of a Japanese or Western set menu and as I don't really eat much Seafood I chose the western option (which still included seafood) and found it all a bit weird.



Before the starter we were offered an amouse bouche which was included gizzard which was completely inedible and extremely chewy. I didn't even manage to get a photo of it before I spat it back out.



For starters we had a trio of cold appetisers including a corn and beef cheek slice, a seafood and veggie thing in savoury jelly and tomato mouse with veggies. We were also served warm bread with butter and olive oil. The corn thing and tomato mouse were edible but the jelly thing was way too fishy for me.



The main was steak with a gravy style sauce on top of onion puree, risotto and steamed veg. An odd combo that was fine to eat but I'd expect this in some sad retirement village not on a $4000 flight.

And for desert I had the cheese and pistachio mousse with a cup of green tea which was nice.



Once again during the flight you could order snack items such as ramen or a curry and rice bowl etc, I had the ramen which was lovely. On this flight it was less brothy and fresher than on the flight from Sydney.



About 90 minutes out we were asked if we wanted a second meal. I wasn't really inspired by the menu options of either carbonara or octopus and halibut so chose to have another ramen and asked for some ice cream which sadly they had run out of so I was offered fruit instead which I accepted.

All in all I think ANA tries way too hard to create a refined dining experience especially the western menu with ingredients that you'd never see in a western restaurant. I also think it's a shame that passengers don't have the option of trying something Japanese without having to eat the whole set menu as the set menus all were a tad bit adventurous. I far prefer the way SQ or even Qantas structures its dining experience where you can select from number of options to create a meal you want and would enjoy. Additionally the meals were also just very very small in size, for a 10 hour day time flight which covers at leat two normal meal times I thought the offering was a bit meagre.

Wifi and entertainment
Entertainment is key during day time flights, and ANA is a large-ish catalogue of entertainment however none of it is sorted in any way so its all out of order and challenging to navigate.

On the upside ANA does offer free WIFI onboard for business class passengers so you can at least stay connected that way but not really stream.

Arrival into Sydney
Our landing was delayed due to severe wind and rain at Sydney Airport and we spent about an hour circling before we could land. Our taxi to a gate was short and we disembarked quickly. There were a few other arrivals at this time of evening but nothing like the morning rush and both immigration and customs was very smooth and efficient. Before I knew it I was on the streets of Sydney airport in the looking for the poorly sign posted Uber pick up spot.



Overall thoughts
On balance I'm torn on ANA's business product, for what I paid I was glad to have a lie flat seat and the space as well as the ground experience and lounges. However as someone who doesn't live in Sydney I'd say the inconvenient flight times coupled with the lower standard product would push me to fly either direct in a cheaper product (Jetstar) or via Singapore in business.

I think the staff were lovely and the hard product while not flash was suitable but the strange food concept coupled with the flight times making it hard for domestic connections I'd probably not recommend this over other options. However with lifemiles this is by far the most affordable product so its worth keeping as a back up. The one big annoyance wether it be lifemiles or Velocity, ANA often only releases a single seat per flight in Business to its partners meaning traveling with a loved one is almost impossible even if you have all the miles in the world.