A pre-wedding Honeymoon? (21 days around Asia)

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 6 (Part 2):

After finishing the champagne we decided it was time for lunch number 1 so we headed to the dining room. En route I enquired about the possibility of a complimentary massage however the next availability was not for 4 hours, well after our flight departed. I had heard that this service was becoming more difficult to utilise, even on standard 3 or so hour visits, and this interaction obviously confirmed that.

Dining room seating, however, was not an issue and we were immediately at a table with menus in had and more drinks on the way!






I started with a glass of the rose champagne and my fiance had an aperol spritz which I'm pleased to report was more than up to her standards. We then ordered a bunch of different things to shared and enjoyed all of them!




We started with the caprese salad and spicy dumplings (from the Mott 32 collab menu) for starters. While the caprese isn't really my thing it received very positive feedback. The dumplings were unreal and we ended up ordering more - highly recommend. (We also didnt order the beef from this menu but did hear very good things from the tables on either side of us).



We followed those up with more dumplings and the garlic prawns. It was quite good to see how high quality the Pier food remains when it comes to both western and eastern options.



Finally we split a wonton noodle soup and wagyu burger for mains. Both delicious although not the best burger I've had in a lounge, that title stays with Emirates for now.

After finishing the above and another round of drinks we decided to decamp and head towards our gate and a new development in the CX lounge netwrok, that being the deck in its new first class offering.

Obviously those who have been to the pier before will understand this but a word of warning to those who don't... This is a LONG walk. The people moving trains only move in one direction on the departures side so it turns into several hundred metre (if not 1km+) walk back towards the terminal entrance to arrive at the precinct housing the QF lounge and the CX deck (as well as the wing where most JAL and QF flights depart from).

On our way we got our first glimpse of our 777 for todays ride.



At this stage our walk to the deck also took us past our gate so I stopped by to ask about the F seats. They said they had no note on our reservation regarding it but would make one now. They did mention the same as the check in agent about them being held for JAL diamond members but they didn't rule out the possibility that as OW Emerald I would be given priority if they were not full, something the check in agent said made no difference... I also had more faith that a note made by the actual JAL staff would be made, unlike at check in where it seemed to be lip service.

Despite all this and knowing the realities of air travel we were still resigned (though nonetheless content) to being in an Apex suite for this flight. Better than economy, don't get me wrong, just not the experience we were anticipating.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 6 (Part 3):

We arrived at the very far end of the terminal and headed up the escalator to The Deck. For those familiar with the QF lounge this is located right behind the exit/entry further away from the terminal entrance.

The lounge design is consistent with all of the Studio Ilse designed counterparts. The staff were friendly and the space is actually much larger than I anticipated. As you enter there is a seating area with a more cosy indoor feel, as well as the dining room to the left, while on the right is the bar which occupies its own room (along with some self serve coffee machines and pastries/quiches). Directly in front is the cold drinks and chilled buffet section.






While there isn't a whole heap in the way of hot buffet items, the noodle bar is still a central staple of this lounge with its assortment of soups and dumplings. We took a seat out on the terrace, while we awaited some dumplings. Here we were also presented with a menu as below, and there was another menu in the lounge for their iteration of the Mott 32 collab.




The dumplings, particularly the pan fried chive ones, were among the best we've had in a lounge. They were once again washed down with some more champagne.




As boarding was due to commence we decided it was time to make the short walk down the gate.

For those interested in utilising this lounge I think there are 2 examples where it makes sense. That is, if you don't have the time to head to the pier, and aren't eligible (as we weren't) for the temporary Bridge First section then I would head here, which makes sense as the Wing undergoes renovation. The other scenario is as we did where you have time for the Pier but prefer to wait a little closer to your gate.

Now the bigger question is whether I'd take this over the QF lounge and the answer is probably no... I think the QF lounge is a better space with on par, if not better dining, and certainly more options at the buffet. The only thing it's missing is champagne (for plats at least).

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 6 (Part 4):

During the short walk from the lounge we noticed that boarding was already well underway. However before we even got to the front of the line a JAL staff member pulled us aside with some very welcome news. We were told there was 2 no shows and handed 2 new boarding passes for seats 1D and 1G! We profusely thanked the senior JAL staff member who had made this possible and cheerfully headed through the biometric scanners to board.





Once on board I was stoked! This was way better than the sky suite 3 initially booked, let alone that apex suites nonsense. (It may be clear by now that I do not like those seats...)

Once settled we were offered champagne or water as a PDB while we checked out the menus to make our selections. We both ended up going with the Japanese option.



A surprisingly short taxi and prompt departure meant we were in the air a couple minutes after leaving the gate. Japanese airlines tend to leave the seatbelt sign on a little longer than most in our experience but it wasn't long before it was off and another glass of champagne and some nuts was offered.



I got up to stretch my legs and check out the restroom. It certainly wasn't suites sized but the forward F toilet was much larger than your standard offering, and equipped with the all important bidet.



About 35 minutes into the flight lunch was served. Given the sector length, and remembering that despite the seats this was for all intents and purposes business class, everything came on 1 tray.



It was also quite tasty with the halibut and prawns the standouts, as well as a very hearty miso soup. After lunch I reclined to watch some episodes of DIRT, a huckberry series (primarily made for youtube) that I highly recommend if you have even a passing interest in snowboarding, surfing or cuisine. I enjoyed that with some umeshu and ice cream.



The rest of the flight passed without much incident and before long we were making our descent into Tokyo.

 

[elanshin]

Nice trip report. We're doing something similar as a pre-honeymoon trip in November to Europe. Might burn those Accor suite night upgrades and points and hilton points on the trip.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 6 (Part 5):

After arriving and deplaning we headed off towards immigration. Having already completed the Visit Japan Web procedures it was a very quick QR code, passport and fingerprint scan and we were through part 1. After this it was an in-person passport check and then we were through to baggage claim within about 10 minutes which is some kind of record for Haneda!

Priority bags were quickly out and having done our customs declaration on the app as well we were free and clear into Japan not 30 minutes after arriving at the gate. The next step was to head all the way back up to the departures level to find our mobile wifi collection point, and then exchange some cash. We found the wifi easily and set off for a currency changer. This proved a little more difficult as the first place we approached no longer took HKD. Eventually we found another one, sorted some cash, topped up our Suica/Pasmo and made our way back down to Keikyu line station.




It wasn't long before an unfortunately already crowded train arrived and we hopped on with our luggage and tried to find enough space. I think one of the only downsides of this line (and the monorail) is that often those with the most luggage board at T3, however the train is already quite full from T1 and T2.

About 30 minutes later we arrived at Shinagawa where about 2/3 of the train also departed. We waited until most of the crowd cleared before we attempted to navigate our way out of the station. Fortunately the Keikyu line is on the Takanawa side where we needed to be so it didn't take too much effort.



I had booked us in at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa for 3 reasons. The view, the location and the price. Unfortunately the location was a double edged sword. While it's close to Shinagawa station and certainly a pretty easy walk with no luggage, our arrival was a different story. Google maps had us taking all sorts of weird and wonderful routes which involved far too many stairs and hills for the amount of luggage we had. Eventually we found our way to the huge hotel entrance and lobby area after about 15 minutes of swearing and sweating.

Now the value and the view can't really be denied. In a hotel market like Tokyo anything under $300 (Let alone $250) a night for a 3/4 star western style hotel is decent value and especially with a view like the below...




The rooms cleanliness and bed comfort was of some concern but we ultimately got over it. I will say it was definitely the worst hotel of the trip based on the room alone but we were pretty spoiled with most places so it was a high bar.

After dumping our luggage and throwing on some deoderant we headed back down towards Shinagawa station, finding a much easier path there than we had been shown by google, and eventually stumbled upon a late night ramen spot. The english menu was limited and I should've asked for the Japanese but we were exhausted and hungry so just ended up with 2 tonkotsu ramen and some gyoza.



The ramen was passable but absolutely nothing to write home about. After devouring it we headed back to our hotel, stopping in at the 7/11 on the lower ground floor for some dessert before a much needed shower and straight to bed!

 

[elanshin]

I had booked us in at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa for 3 reasons. The view, the location and the price. Unfortunately the location was a double edged sword. While it's close to Shinagawa station and certainly a pretty easy walk with no luggage, our arrival was a different story. Google maps had us taking all sorts of weird and wonderful routes which involved far too many stairs and hills for the amount of luggage we had. Eventually we found our way to the huge hotel entrance and lobby area after about 15 minutes of swearing and sweating.

This might feel strange and it took me a while to get used to, but often with luggage taxi's are great for this even on a short distance.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

This might feel strange and it took me a while to get used to, but often with luggage taxi's are great for this even on a short distance.

Nope, not strange at all! We've done it before and if I knew how steep the hill was I would have used one! (In fact we ended up just taking a taxi back to Haneda to depart Tokyo as for $30 it was easier than the hassle of the train).

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 7 (Part 1):

Our trip coincided with the start of Tsuyu, the Japanese rainy season, and it certainly showed on our first full day in Japan. The vista of Tokyo from the previous evening was replaced with thick, low grey clouds and a lot of rain.

Undeterred we set off to first explore a bit of the hotel. The land size of the hotel is HUGE for Tokyo, about 8 hectares. There are are 4 separate but associated hotels occupying the single space being the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo (a more upmarket Autograph Collection associated property) and Hanakoro (a luxury Ryokan). While we didn't get to see everything we did enjoy wandering the central gardens that link most of the buildings, despite the weather not cooperating.



Next stop was 7/11 for a caffeine hit and some calories. Satisfied, and with borrowed umbrellas in hand we walked back down the road to Shinagawa to jump on the Yamanote line to Shinjuku. It had been years since I had been there so I was excited to head back, hoping the rain would deter some of the horror crowds we had heard about.

After jumping off the train the sweet scent of fresh waffles, a surprisingly common thing in Japanese stations, permeated the air so we decided to indulge. Next it was out into the rain to criss cross between shops we wanted to look at before ultimately making it to Kabukicho and Centre Gai.





Were we heading here to see Godzilla? Hell no, we were here for this...



A perfect meal for this dreary Tokyo day, and a favourite of mine if you've read any of my previous Japanese trip reports! Over lunch we pondered our next move as the rain was not easing. Deciding an indoor activity was best we looked up where the closest Round One Stadium was for some bowling. Next thing we were on a train to Ikebukuro!

After arriving it was a short wet walk to Round One where we checked in and watched passionate otaku perfecting their craft on their video games of choice.



After a couple of games of bowling and a drink each we left Round One with no real plan. On our way back to the station I spotted a Hub, definitely a gaijin choice in bars but one I expected would be able to deliver a half decent Guinness given the weather!



We had a couple of these before heading back to Ikebukuro station, back on the Yamanote line and back towards Shinagawa, but not before being sidetracked by more delicious sweet smells and indulging in some baked cheese tarts.




Finally back on the platform and heading somewhat in the direction of home...

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 7 (Part 2):

Picking up from the last part we decided to have a couple more drinks and stopped off at Ebisu in search of another bar. We ended up at Muse which was a cool spot for a few more drinks out of the rain.



After spending a fair while here we realised it was close to dinner time so hopped on the Yamanote line one last time for the day finally arriving at Shinagawa after the sun had set. Given that we knew dining options were pretty limited on the Takanawa side we headed to the opposite Konan exit in search of an Izakaya.

Not far from the station was Shinagawa Shoten. A good number of salarymen seated inside joyfully slamming down ice cold beer and sashimi is usually a good indicator of a half decent izakaya and this place had that in droves.






Everything was really good, particularly the salmon sashimi which we ended up re-ordering. After overstuffing ourselves on food and a few lemon sours and Kirins we paid our modest bill, well under $100 for all that and 3 rounds of drinks, before marching back towards Shinagawa Station.



We cut back through to the Takanawa side and wandered around the other Prince hotels precinct (Shinagawa Prince) before visiting their 7/11 for dessert and finally returning to our room about 10 hours after leaving.

 

[JackMiles]

well under $100 for all that and 3 rounds of drinks,

Wow! So cheap! And all looks so delicious.

 

[Seat0B]

Nice trip report. We're doing something similar as a pre-honeymoon trip in November to Europe. Might burn those Accor suite night upgrades and points and hilton points on the trip.

Congratulations @elanshin

 

[drron]

We’ve eaten there as we stayed a few times at the Westin. Ebisu was my favourite station with the Third Man theme being it’s tune for arriving trains.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 8 (Part 1):

Fortunately our 2nd day in Tokyo started with far better weather so we decided to head a little further out from the city. I am fairly into surfing and surf culture as you can likely tell from previous TRs, and have recently started watching a few Japanese train vloggers as well. This inspired me to want to head towards Shonan to potentially catch up with a surf shop owner I had met nearly 10 years ago, and ride a unique monorail as well as the Enoden.



Once again fuelled up on 7/11 we headed down to Shinagawa to jump straight on the Tokkaido line bound for Fujisawa. At this stage we also stumbled across a revelation in the world of Onigiri and that is the NewDays Fried Chicken and Mayonnaise Onigiri. Really only found in train platforms but a must try in our books.



40 or so minutes later we arrived at Fujisawa and had a brief stretch of the legs and visited another Family Mart for some more fried chicken, this time famichiki on their trademark sugary bun with tartare sauce.

We found the entrance to the Enoden and lined up with the hundreds of other tourists making the most of the weather to hop on one of these historic trains.



We were a bit sandwiched for the few stops to Shonankogaikoen where we disembarked and set off on foot to visit Dead Kooks Shonan.



En route we stumbled across this very important sign...



The shop is only a couple of hundred metres from the station and when we walked in Eiji, the owner, was behind the counter and amazed to see me. It was pretty cool after 10 years he remembered me so we spent the next few minutes catching up while I checked out all the amazing boards he had in store.



Unfortunately no surfing for us today, though that wasn't far off. After saying our mata nes we headed back towards the station and ultimately down to the beach.




Given that this was a random Tuesday I couldn't believe how busy it was in the water and on the beach. And this isn't anywhere near midsummer yet when the beach is covered with not only people but also temporary activity centres and restaurants, the bones of which you can see above. It truly made me greatful to live where we do and never have to deal with crowds like this on a regular basis (outside of maybe Palm Beach around Christmas).

We walked along the beach towards Enoshima Island. Having previously been there and being a bit underwhelmed we decided against crossing the bridge to it and instead turned back towards our next mode of transport. We wandered up Subana dori past all the shops to get to Shonan-Enoshima station. This is the terminus for Shonans famous hanging monorail.

Our plan of action was to find a cheap Kaitensushi place nearby and we had located a Hamasushi that would allow us a ride on the monorail then a short walk to eat.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 8 (Part 2):

The monorail was super unique, albeit a little more unstable than your usual, ride. We were on it for about 15 minutes to Shonan Fukasawa. Once we got off we took a few more photos as it departed, and then as we walked under it.



It was a fun experience and if you like quirky Japanese trains you can certainly have a worse day out than heading to the Shonan area, jumping on the Enoden, and then riding the Shonan Monorail.

About 15 minutes later we made it to our intended Hamasushi and devoured what would cost $60+ worth in Aus for the princely sum of 2400yen... Over lunch we pondered our next moves as the temperature rose into the 30s. Not so keen on the walk back to the monorail we decided we would grab a bus.

After lunch we grabbed some cool drinks from a nearby Lawson as we awaited the bus. We hopped on heading towards Kotoku-In and the Great Buddha of Kamakura. The bus was quiet and the ride through suburban streets pleasant, until getting close to the temple. The place was absolutely rammed with tourists. We still hung around for a little while and got some cool photos.



We then walked down to Yuigahama beach before returning to Hase station to ride the Enoden to Kamakura JR station. This was one of the busiest trains I've ever been on and not really enjoyable at all. Fortunately after alighting at Kamakura and transferring to the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line the next train wasn't so crazy. We decided to break the journey up by stopping in Yokohama for a beer.



After departing Yokohama we returned to Shinagawa and the hotel to a nicely framed shot of the Tokyo Tower.



We quickly showered and changed to have a bit of a night out, starting with another trip on the Yamanote line to Shibuya. Our first stop was a bar a friend of mine from my time doing ski seasons in Niseko had opened called Swig. All the owners are foreigners with families in Tokyo so it was a fun couple of hours trying drinks and chatting about their lives in Tokyo juggling running a (quite successful) bar and having young kids and partners.



Finally our hunger got the better of us so we set off for some dinner. We had been given a couple of recommendations but accidentally stumbled into a different restaurant and ended up seated at a Teppan grill with an overly excited chef explaining we had to drink as it was an izakaya. No issue for us but a bit of a funny interaction as if we'd never been to one before.

(Will continue with dinner in the next part as the food deserves its own post)

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 8 (Part 3):

Toakari was absolutely an experience. We thoroughly enjoyed the super varied menu and everything was a standout.

Being seated right in front of the grill was fantastic, albeit a little warm with the Tokyo summer weather!



We were first served an Otoshi of kingfish sahsimi with daikon and yuzu kosho, easily the best Otoshi we've ever had.



Next up was seared Hokkaido scallops.



Followed by a bit of a novelty item but undoubtedly the best we've ever had, a grilled cheese sandwich fresh off the teppan...



After that we had an Osaka style seafood okonomiyaki.



And finally one of the best fried rice we've also ever eaten.



After the initial interaction the chefs really warmed to us and we chatted quite a lot. I would absolutely recommend this place if you're looking for a good quality teppanyaki experience (obviously not like what we have here or in the states) without blowing the budget.

After dinner we set back off into the warm Shibuya night in search of one more bar I had been wanting to visit.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 8 (Part 4):

We set back off west towards Shibuya station, the scramble crossing and centre gai.



The crossing was its usual mayhem and it was a bit of a pain trying to get through the hundreds of people stopping in the middle of it toi take photos/film tiktoks. Did see a cool Lambo though...




Eventually we found our way throught the crowds to a fairly non-descript building and up to the 2nd floor for Lost.



The entrance of which was behind this working bank of Gacha machines.



Despite being a bar in Shibuya, Lost is only open until 11pm with last order around 10:30pm. We arrived at 10:20 but were fortunate enough to get 2 rounds in.



The bar is owned by 2 youtubers some here are familiar with - Chris Board (Abroad in Japan) and his fiance Sharla (Sharla in Japan). It's kinda quirky to fit both of their personalities and while it was cool to visit there's definitely better bars (imo) in the vicinity.

After leaving here we returned via the scamble crossing to Shibuya station, spotting a nice R34 GTR this time.



Given it was after 11pm at this point Shibuya station was manic with people returning from nights out though fortunately the Yamanote line wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Upon return to Shinagawa we took a slightly more scenic route up to the hotel to find a Family Mart for some different dessert selections and saw some more nice cars on the way.



We called it a night after some packing as we were on the move the next day.

 

[stm1sydney]

Kombini recommendations: egg sandwich from 7-11, famichick fried chicken from Family Mart.

 

[elanshin]

Kombini recommendations: egg sandwich from 7-11, famichick fried chicken from Family Mart.

Have you tried ... Combining those?

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 9 (Part 1):

After a couple of full days in Tokyo we were again on the move, this time south back to Miyazaki. We were greeeted by a pretty stunning morning in Tokyo and with a late morning flight I got some work done while we packed up.



We said goodbye to this view and despite the relative ease of our proximity to Shinagawa Station and its access to Haneda we just decided to grab a cab the whole way there. This only cost us about $30aud and left us with a bit of peace of mind, and left me with more time to work.

We arrived and were dropped right in front of the JAL First Class check in area so proceeded straight there. Within 5 minutes we were checked in and through security and straight up the escalators to the lounge. I had about 15 minutes more work to get done so powered through it here before leaving the lounge. I've previously covered the JAL Diamond Premier lounge at Haneda T1 (as have others here) and while it's quiet and provides good views it doesn't have much in the way of food.

We set off toward our gate to pick up some sandos/bentos for the flight while enjoying the apron views.



Boarding was delayed by about 5 minutes but the communication was on point as it always is in Japan. I boarded in group 1 and my partner in group 2. We had a special little E190 for todays flight celebrating Expo Osaka 2025. Boarding on the tiny bird was quick and we set off on time with a beautiful climb out of Haneda. I specifically picked right side seats for all our southbound flights and left hand seats for northbound hoping to get a glimpse (or 2) of Fuji which can be notoriously difficult. We were spoiled on this flight to say the least!




Our arrival into Miyazaki was really cool, albeit a little scary. Given the topography west of the runway any arrivals from the north onto runway 09 have to first fly south past the airport to the east then make 2 very tight, low right hand turns to line up with the runway. It was a little daunting but a cool way to come in, however I wouldn't have been wanting to do it a few days later when we departed!

Safely on the ground we collected our bags (first out once again) and headed outside to meet Yusuke from Surfers Rent a Car. These guys were awesome and through them we rented a little Kei van and 2 boards to explore for the next few days. After collecting us Yusuke drove us to his place to explain where to meet to return the cars, then handed the keys to us to meet at their board warehouse. At the board warehouse we met Ken who was a legend (and Yusukes offsider in the business) and we chatted about common friends while I made the tough choice of which 2 boards we would rent from the 60 or so he had.



Finally we were loaded up and ready to jump back into exploring a place that is quickly becoming one of our favourites in Japan. Check in wasn't until 3pm and we hadn't had much in the way of a proper meal so we went to Upper Yard, a burger/taco restaurant in Aoshima we'd eaten at on our last trip, and it did not dissapoint!



After lunch with 3pm rapidly approaching we headed to the hotel to check in. Once again we were at the Holiday Inn Miyazaki, booked entirely on IHG rewards points for 3 nights. With a bit better knowledge of the hotel I picked the same room category as last time confident we would be afforded great views which we were.





The rooms are of a good size for 2 people and there are plenty of amenities. After check in we put on a load of washing as we'd been going 8 nights now without doing so. While the washer/dryer did its thing we took full of advantage of the beaches proximity and went for a swim.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 9 (Part 2):

On our last trip to Miyazaki we had my dad with us who isn't quite as mobile as us so there were some things we missed out on. One of those was properly exploring Miyazaki City around the station area. We made a plan to enjoy a bit of a night out there catching the train from Aoshima into Miyazaki and then hoping to catch the last train back.

We left the hotel and wandered to Kodomonokuni station awaiting the old single car diesel train that rattles along these lines. The walk was pleasant around 6pm as the sun started to set and the temperature started cooling off.





And boy rattle did this thing. It was easily the loudest train we'd ever been on and sounded like it was borderline falling apart every time it rounded a bend. Fortunately we made it safely to Miyazaki station where we exited via the side of the turnstiles to hand the guard our tickets and pay for the trip, no suica here. (Well technically there is but only at limited stations).




The sunset was beautiful as we started walking west towards an area we'd seen on maps that had a fair few Izakayas and bars.



We found the Nishitachi area which is the nightlife district of Miyazaki and scoped out somewhere to eat amongst the many bars and clubs of varying levels of debauchery.