Since we had a wedding, we brought large suitcases with attire needed for several events. Checking bags is an immediate expense.
HOWEVER, we saved $$$ on everything else.
Because the tourist travel time was in full swing we paid about $1,500 extra for our flights to Japan this time. Our 2023 November trip was a bargain ($1,000 rt/per person).
Hotel: in Kyoto: $90/ night for three people, in Osaka: $40/ night for 3 people.
Food: We chose to eat a restaurant meal once a day, usually Udon, Ramen, or Rice Bowl. Convenience store food filled us up otherwise.
Teas: Vending machines supplied us with black, green, and (my favorite) barley tea. Also, iced coffee was readily available.
Bread stores were everywhere. Street food was tasty and cheap. Ice cream treats were also available in vending machines in every train station.
Water was also readily available. We drank from the tap in our hotel, but it did taste a bit chlorine.
My personal favorites:
Onegari (spelling?) This is a hand held rice triangle filled with a bit of something, (salmon, tuna, egg, pickled plum) and wrapped in seaweed (nori). So satisfying! Tasty! Cheap. I make these at home now.
Barley Tea: I guess this is really Korean, but it was available everywhere. The perfect drink to re-hydrate. It just felt good to drink it, especially after walking 30 flights of stairs to the top of Osaka Castle! Cheri looked up how to make it and it doesn’t seem too hard. I intend to brew this at home this year.
Strawberry Cake: The cakes in Japan are simply luscious. Light, lightly sweetened, creamy, fruity. Pretty. Cake shops are around, so when you see a shop, get cake.
Bento: We only bought this once, at the Kyoto Station. It was satisfying, too. Nice little variety in a compact package.
Ramen: multiple ramen shops in every city. I usually went with the “basic” order, but I liked the vegetable ramen I got in Izumisano. I ordered fried chicken on the side for protein and that was SO HOT! You will burn your tongue if you aren’t careful.
Omurice: Didn’t order this this time, but it is also very satisfying. A rice omelette. I need to learn how to make this.
Okonomiyaki: vegetable pancakes, served on a hot grill at the table. Very good!
Dumplings: readily available many places, served with a sauce. Also satisfying.
Sandwiches: Got these conveniently at several places, (7/11) and they are so pretty and look like layered cake. The tomato was delicious.
None of these things were expensive. We were able to eat extremely reasonably, and healthfully.
The weather in Osake/Kyoto was HOT and HUMID! I would try to bring a bottle of water with me everywhere. I felt like I was in a Sauna perpetually. I know it can snow in this area, but the temperatures were quite warm at this time of year. We were grateful for temps in the 70’s and 80’s, but the humidity was incredible.
The climate is tropical, with palm trees and azaleas, lantana, roses (!) and many evergreens and deciduous trees. The Bay of Osaka, an ocean port, is protected, but influences the weather. Lots of rain. Everyone always had an umbrella. We got soaked.
We hung out soaked clothes in an open closet, or the shower room, with ventilation to dry them out. We did laundry at a coin laundry, very convenient, and used the gas dryers there to help get our things wearable more quickly.
If you aren’t used to Japanese bathrooms it may take a Google Translate application on your phone to be able to understand all the buttons. Keeping your body clean is on a whole different level for Japanese.
I never did use an Onsen, a communal bath. I never felt comfortable for that. Our own hotel room had lovely facilities for bathing. This must be mentioned, as it is part of the cultural experience.
Trains: Don’t be offended if people move away from you. Trains are sometimes so incredibly crowded! You hang from an overhead ring, swaying with the movement, trying to not touch anyone around you. ALWAYS wear proper deodorant. ALWAYS shower carefully. We foreigners smell different.
Eating garlic is a Japanese thing, BUT remember that it has extreme odor. Scents are both overwhelming and offensive at times. We cannot help how we naturally smell, but I always tried to go light on garlic and wear light perfume.
Snacks; You are not supposed to eat much in public, but be sure to not walk around while eating, at least. Sitting down is also frowned upon. I was always happy for a large boulder at a temple site, or an obvious bench, to rest on. When in doubt, follow the crowd, preferably someone Asian. Restaurants are everywhere, no tipping necessary, and you may stay comfortably.
In Kyoto, at a Ramen place, we went in after a group of American students and left before them. The place was tiny, so it lost revenue as the students took up space during a busy lunch hour. This was sort of embarrassing. Eat and leave during the lunch hour. Apparently the nightlife in Japan is where you socialize, not lunch. We aren’t big on nightlife, but we could hear it from our hotel room in Izumisano. It didn’t keep us from going to sleep, but it was ongoing, every night. Many places to eat close during the afternoon, but those that were open were often less busy then. We liked going to eat at those times.
Trial and Error shaped some of our comings and goings during our travels, but we never had a moment of despair. God always took care of us! Travel can be stressful as you navigate unknown places. We used Google Maps constantly. When they did not reflect the actual experience Ed made sure to take a photo and send it in to Google. Why not be helpful?
Walking everywhere, to the stations, to the subways, at the attractions, was a huge part of our trip. We took a taxi once, the airport limousine (a bus) twice. Taxis are expensive, but if you are coming to a city late (after a flight) and you have not been to your hotel yet, it is a great way to eliminate stress. When we used the taxi it was the first night, after flights from Minneapolis to Toronto, Narita Airport, then Osaka (not KIX), and the Airport bus to Kyoto. The taxi drove us just a mile or so, but with all of our luggage and pouring rain, it was a real help. The driver took us straight to the hotel. From then on we were able to travel more reasonably. Weary minds and bodies appreciated the extra help.
Perhaps in the next post I’ll write about the sites we visited and things we learned. I’m downloading my brain here!