Hi everyone! It has been a while but the past year has been supremely hectic for me, what with juggling work and my Masters dissertation (that I FINALLYYYY finished! I will blog about this when I have the time… I hope... Hahhaha) This post is about the time I went to Japan in November 2018, which is a year overdue. Can you imagine that the year 2019 is almost going to be over?! WHAT?! :O
Without further ado, let's get started! :)
Travel Date: 8 - 19 November 2018
Expenditure: Approx SGD 610 per person 2-way @ Delta Airlines (an American airline). Approx SGD 551 in total for travelling in Japan across the 3 parts of Japan that we went to.
Travelled from Changi Airport to Narita International Airport.
Without further ado, let's get started! :)
Travel Date: 8 - 19 November 2018
Expenditure: Approx SGD 610 per person 2-way @ Delta Airlines (an American airline). Approx SGD 551 in total for travelling in Japan across the 3 parts of Japan that we went to.
Travelled from Changi Airport to Narita International Airport.
Accommodations:
8 – 10 November (AH Guest House Tsuu in Odawara. Booked from Agoda.com @ SGD 179 approx. Quiet neighbourhood area and 10 mins from the nearest train station.)
10 – 11 November (Ai Hotel Yokohama. Booked from Agoda.com @SGD 89 approx)
13 – 15 November (MYSTAYS Shin-Urayasu. Booked from Agoda.com @ SGD 191. Direct shuttle bus to Disneyland Resort Station. Nearby to Disneyland and relatively cheaper.)
15 – 19 November (New Folk Guesthouse (Mt. Fuji Room). Booked from Airbnb.com @ SGD 439 approx. Located above a quiet bar and near Tokyo Dome City)
WI-FI: Used shared wi-fi from Changi Airport (Changi Recommends WiFi Rental here). WiFi is relatively stable throughout our trip except when we got to high mountainous areas and the signal becomes a bit weak. However, as we only went near Mt. Fuji (we didn’t climb but went places nearby) only for 2 days, the slightly weak signal was just a minor hassle.
Weather: Generally air-con weather around this period of time. A comfortable sweater with 1 shirt is sufficient. However, the winds can be quite strong at night and even during the mornings. It was raining when we first reached our destination but the weather was wonderful the remaining days we were at Japan.
Navigation: Using Google Maps to navigate
Travel: Train network across different areas of Japan. For Hakone, we got the Hakone Freepass but travelling across cities, we simply paid the train fare. We used the PASMO card to travel within Tokyo (can be purchased at any of the Tokyo train stations). PASMO card and SUICA card are just different company cards within Tokyo and both cards cover a majority of the train companies running within Tokyo.
Time: 1 hour later than Singapore timing (e.g. 4 pm in Singapore but 5 pm in Tokyo).
Communication: Helps if you understand a little bit of Japanese but the locals are generally open to helping out with directions as best as they can.
Weather: Generally air-con weather around this period of time. A comfortable sweater with 1 shirt is sufficient. However, the winds can be quite strong at night and even during the mornings. It was raining when we first reached our destination but the weather was wonderful the remaining days we were at Japan.
Navigation: Using Google Maps to navigate
Travel: Train network across different areas of Japan. For Hakone, we got the Hakone Freepass but travelling across cities, we simply paid the train fare. We used the PASMO card to travel within Tokyo (can be purchased at any of the Tokyo train stations). PASMO card and SUICA card are just different company cards within Tokyo and both cards cover a majority of the train companies running within Tokyo.
Time: 1 hour later than Singapore timing (e.g. 4 pm in Singapore but 5 pm in Tokyo).
Communication: Helps if you understand a little bit of Japanese but the locals are generally open to helping out with directions as best as they can.
Our journey: Narita (Tokyo) >>> Odawara (Hakone) >>> Yokohama >>> Tokyo
*Disclaimer: This is not an official travel guide so opinions, reviews and instructions are subjected to biases, memory lapses and the occasional side-track rambling.*
We travelled from Tokyo (Shinjuku station) to Odawara.
*Disclaimer: This is not an official travel guide so opinions, reviews and instructions are subjected to biases, memory lapses and the occasional side-track rambling.*
O D A W A R A , H A K O N E
PLACES WE WENT & WHAT WE ATE THERE:
1. Hakone Museum of Art & Hakone Gora Park
We actually discovered this place by accident after we did a check-in at our accoms. This was the first few days when we arrived and it was raining and cold.
Autumn period is the best! Cold but not too cold! And the red and yellow hues all around!
Boyfie (Now husband) takes the best photos on his camera. ;DDD
Getting here:
To be honest, I cannot quite recall how we got here. It would be good to ask the Hakone-Yumoto Station Service Counter staff or any other train station staff where it is convenient. Alternatively, you can access this website here for more information.
Opening hours:
930 am - 430 pm daily (Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time).
May close at 4 pm at certain periods of the year. Check website above to see details.
Closed on Thursdays and other national/ public holidays.
Advice:
Entrance fee per person is 900 yen per adult.
Free entry if you have the Hakone Freepass.
Honestly, the Museum isn't really particularly unique but the autumn foilage at Hakone Gora Park is. The hues of red and yellow of the Autumn trees were illuminated when the evening sun rays touch them as the sun sets. We went there in the evening and I believe it is the best and most breathtaking sight. There weren't many people around by then and yet, the sunset together with the autumn foilage was so beautiful. Definitely worth a visit at sunset when the place was about to close!
To be honest, I cannot quite recall how we got here. It would be good to ask the Hakone-Yumoto Station Service Counter staff or any other train station staff where it is convenient. Alternatively, you can access this website here for more information.
Opening hours:
930 am - 430 pm daily (Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time).
May close at 4 pm at certain periods of the year. Check website above to see details.
Closed on Thursdays and other national/ public holidays.
Advice:
Entrance fee per person is 900 yen per adult.
Free entry if you have the Hakone Freepass.
Honestly, the Museum isn't really particularly unique but the autumn foilage at Hakone Gora Park is. The hues of red and yellow of the Autumn trees were illuminated when the evening sun rays touch them as the sun sets. We went there in the evening and I believe it is the best and most breathtaking sight. There weren't many people around by then and yet, the sunset together with the autumn foilage was so beautiful. Definitely worth a visit at sunset when the place was about to close!
2. Hakone Yuryo Onsen
A really affordable and lovely place for some private Onsen. Almost everyone knows that Hakone is well-known for its wonderful Onsen facilities everywhere!!
Getting here:
Free shuttle bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
Bus interval is every 10 to 15 minutes. Bus ride is about 3 to 5 minutes.
Opening hours:
10 am - 9 pm on weekdays
10 am - 10 pm on weekends
Advice:
There are private and public baths. We chose the private open-air bath for 2 persons (4300 Yen per room for 1 hour. Extensions of blocks of 30 mins is chargeable).
Amenities such as towels, bathing items such as shower caps, soap and shampoo are provided.
There is a room attached to the private open-air bath for us to change and hide from the cold winds ><
Yukata rental is 100 Yen each.
Good to book beforehand as we didn't had any prior booking and had to wait for our timeslot. Fortunately, we were hungry so we ate at their restaurant while waiting.
The entire experience was very soothing and private! Highly recommended as it is affordable and convenient!
For more information, check their website here.
3. Hakone Ropeway and Owakudani
We visited Owakudani the next day. Owakudani is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs everywhere. When we reached Owakudani, the smell of sulphur is immediately apparent and very intense. But the sight was astounding (see images below)! We took the Ropeway to view the valley and when on the Ropeway we can actually see a little bit of Mount Fuji at a far distance.
No photos were taken of that view though, because it was very faint and there were a lot of fog/ mist when we went up. As seen from the map above, you can see Mount Fuji from the gondola. But based on my experience, it really depends on the weather to be able to see Mount Fuji when travelling in the gondola.
Getting here:
Take the gondola from Sounzan Station (Hakone Ropeway)
Opening hours:
9 am - 415 pm OR 5 pm (depending on weather conditions)
Advice:
Free if you have the Hakone Freepass.
Interval of every 3 mins.
Total wait time when we were queuing was about 30 minutes as it was very crowded.
Can be quite cold and windy since we are heading up the mountain so do remember to bring an extra shirt/ jacket/ scarf to keep yourself warm.
Apart from these places, we also went to Gotemba Premium Outlets to check out the brands there and do a bit of shopping. We bought GAP sweaters/ pullovers that we wore when we went to Tokyo Disneyland (you will see it in my other post when I post about Tokyo real soon!). The travelling time to get from Sounzan train station to there is about an hour or more. Because Gotemba is up north and we took quite a bit of time to travel there, we didn't manage to visit the more popular places like Hakone-jinja Shrine, which is the Shrine that is super well-known for its IG-worthy photo angles and also, try the black eggs there. The Shrine is all the way down south. Hence, I do highly recommend that you pick one or the other or plan the trips on separate days because while the train networks are super accessible and well-connected, it still takes at least 45 minutes to travel from one destination to another.
What is the Hakone Freepass?
Purchasing from Odawara train station is cheaper. We purchased the 2-day pass for 4000 Yen per adult. For us, it was enough because we only had certain places we wish to go. If you wish to conquer everything, I would recommend the 3 -day pass. This Hakone Freepass allows you to take any line (bus or train) shown in the map above. It is super worth it, considering you really need to do a lot of travelling. Walking from one destination to another is nearly impossible, especially if you wish to conquer more places at Hakone.
Getting here:
A really affordable and lovely place for some private Onsen. Almost everyone knows that Hakone is well-known for its wonderful Onsen facilities everywhere!!
Private open-air for 2 persons.
We ordered some food before waiting for our time slot. This was filling and yummy!
Free shuttle bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
Bus interval is every 10 to 15 minutes. Bus ride is about 3 to 5 minutes.
Opening hours:
10 am - 9 pm on weekdays
10 am - 10 pm on weekends
Advice:
There are private and public baths. We chose the private open-air bath for 2 persons (4300 Yen per room for 1 hour. Extensions of blocks of 30 mins is chargeable).
Amenities such as towels, bathing items such as shower caps, soap and shampoo are provided.
There is a room attached to the private open-air bath for us to change and hide from the cold winds ><
Yukata rental is 100 Yen each.
Good to book beforehand as we didn't had any prior booking and had to wait for our timeslot. Fortunately, we were hungry so we ate at their restaurant while waiting.
The entire experience was very soothing and private! Highly recommended as it is affordable and convenient!
For more information, check their website here.
3. Hakone Ropeway and Owakudani
We visited Owakudani the next day. Owakudani is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs everywhere. When we reached Owakudani, the smell of sulphur is immediately apparent and very intense. But the sight was astounding (see images below)! We took the Ropeway to view the valley and when on the Ropeway we can actually see a little bit of Mount Fuji at a far distance.
The gondola that we took!
Yummy Owakudani curry rice with pork cutlet for lunch! :P
Take the gondola from Sounzan Station (Hakone Ropeway)
Opening hours:
9 am - 415 pm OR 5 pm (depending on weather conditions)
Advice:
Free if you have the Hakone Freepass.
Interval of every 3 mins.
Total wait time when we were queuing was about 30 minutes as it was very crowded.
Can be quite cold and windy since we are heading up the mountain so do remember to bring an extra shirt/ jacket/ scarf to keep yourself warm.
Apart from these places, we also went to Gotemba Premium Outlets to check out the brands there and do a bit of shopping. We bought GAP sweaters/ pullovers that we wore when we went to Tokyo Disneyland (you will see it in my other post when I post about Tokyo real soon!). The travelling time to get from Sounzan train station to there is about an hour or more. Because Gotemba is up north and we took quite a bit of time to travel there, we didn't manage to visit the more popular places like Hakone-jinja Shrine, which is the Shrine that is super well-known for its IG-worthy photo angles and also, try the black eggs there. The Shrine is all the way down south. Hence, I do highly recommend that you pick one or the other or plan the trips on separate days because while the train networks are super accessible and well-connected, it still takes at least 45 minutes to travel from one destination to another.
^Screenshot of the insta-worthy Hakone-jinja Shrine that we didn't manage to visit then. We didn't regret it though, the place was heard to be highly populated and you have to queue to take pictures and we decided we weren't up for it then.
As you can see, the map itself shows all the network lines. Hakone is really well-connected but the travelling time from one major destination to another can be quite long and tiring. So do be prepared. The Shrine and Gotemba Outlet were in totally opposite directions and it about 3 hours if you wish to traverse from the north to down south or vice versa. I would say you can only choose one or the other to travel in a day.
What is the Hakone Freepass?
Y O K O H A M A
PLACES WE WENT & WHAT WE ATE THERE:
1. CUPNOODLES MUSEUM @ Yokohama
Chill vibes at Yokohama en route to the Museum. This was my favourite city the entire trip as it was sunny and yet, air-condition weather as well. Super ideal and lovely weather! :D
Entrance of museum.
There are a few exhibits on display that they call "Creative Thinking Boxes". In these six boxes, they denote Momofuku's (the founder of instant noodles) creative process. This is known as Creative Thinking Box 6: Never give up
Instant Noodles History Cube with instant noodles as the background wallpaper.
Momofuku's Work Shed.
The Momofuku Ando Story (a part of it)
This is Creative Thinking Box 4: Look at things from every angle.
This is Creative Thinking Box 5: Don't just go with the status quo.
We had fun with the angles! The floor was sloped to create this illusion. We got a person outside to take a photo of us appearing on the screen outside of the box.
The My CUPNOODLES Factory on Level 3 was packed on the weekends but the queue to get seat to decorate our cup noodles moved relatively quickly.
Can you guess which one is mine and which one is his?
We get to choose our ingredients after decorating our cups!
If you managed to guess in the above image which cup design belong to each of us - a 100 points! :DD
We had our cup noodles vacuum-packed. You have to DIY the packing at the packing counter though. Expiry date is about 1 month from the day that the cup noodles was packed, I believe. Vacuum-packed is optional though. We vacuum packed but deflated them when we packed them into our luggage as the package itself was bulky.
My boyfiee (now Husband) takes really good photos! I'm in love <3 This was taken on one of the higher levels of the museum where there was a balcony overlooking the harbour.
Getting here:
8-minute walk from the Minatomirai Line Minatomirai Station OR
8-minute walk from the Minatomiri Line Bashamichi Station OR
12-minute walk from the JR/Shieichikatetsu Sakuragicho Station
Opening hours:
9 am - 6 pm (last admission is at 5 pm)
Closed on Tuesdays, pubic and year end/ new year holidays.
Advice:
500 Yen per entry for adult.
We went in the morning and spent the entire morning to noon and had a light lunch there at the Noodles Bazaar: World Noodles Road (no actual photos taken. Funny, I am still trying to recall why I didn't have any photos taken of my food at that time and I guess it could be because I was mad hungry then and hence, didn't take any photos).
Getting here:
8-minute walk from the Minatomiri Line Bashamichi Station OR
12-minute walk from the JR/Shieichikatetsu Sakuragicho Station
Opening hours:
9 am - 6 pm (last admission is at 5 pm)
Closed on Tuesdays, pubic and year end/ new year holidays.
Advice:
500 Yen per entry for adult.
We went in the morning and spent the entire morning to noon and had a light lunch there at the Noodles Bazaar: World Noodles Road (no actual photos taken. Funny, I am still trying to recall why I didn't have any photos taken of my food at that time and I guess it could be because I was mad hungry then and hence, didn't take any photos).
Anyway, here's a picture of the booklet with the menu selection.
We had the Tom Yum Goong from Thailand which was not very spicy. The Malaysia Laksa did not taste very much like the laksa that we have here but I am not surprised. Personally, I think it is very difficult to get the Laksa flavour right in foreign countries. The Cold Ramen from Korea was, however, surprisingly underwhelming. I would think it is ramen regardless so the taste of cold ramen wouldn't be too far off from what I have tasted before in S. Korea but it tasted weird. So.. overall, good to order just out of curiosity. They also serve as half-size servings (small bowls) at 300 Yen, which is good for those of us who wish to try multiple dishes from the different countries.
There are also other places within the museum that we didn't manage to go. One of them is the Chicken Ramen Factory which requires reservations and are only reserved for children in elementary schools. The CUPNOODLES Park looked interesting with slides but again, it is catered to children. Therefore, I can say the museum can be done in a half a day.
Personally, it really doesn't matter whether you wish to go on a weekday or a weekend as even on a weekend, it wasn't too packed as you are still able to get a photo at the History Cube where the cup noodles/ ramen wall is (the photo shown above). The queue to decorate cup noodles was long but moved quickly as well.
Booklet + Entrance ticket! :DD
Lastly, do remember to drop by their Museum Shop at Level 1 to bring back some instant cup noodles and snacks with the yellow duck as their signature trademark brand. I particularly LOVEEEE the cup noodles curry flavour and seafood with milk flavour. Those flavours can be found in 7-11 outlets around as well but I highly recommend getting snacks with the yellow duck on the front as I don't think you can get them anywhere else apart from the museum.
2. ShinYokohama Ramen Museum
Taste test of the different kinds of ramen soup!
We learnt about the different kinds of ramen soup and I think I prefer the cloudy white soup. They explained the history of different types of ramen soup and which parts of Japan did these soup types originate from. It was definitely cool to know the differences!
The way this place works is that before you enter the restaurant, you order on this look-alike "vending machine" and the machine will print out the tickets. You pass the tickets to the staff and they will tear the ticket. The noodles is then served. As you can see, we ordered 2 bowls and each bowl costs 620 yen.
A few minutes walk from the CUPNOODLES Museum (navigate via Google Maps)
Opening hours:
11 am - 10 pm
Closed on pubic and year end/ new year holidays.
Advice:
310 Yen per entry for adults (not inclusive of meals).
My advice is to eat a little bit at the CUPNOODLES Museum and then have a late lunch/ early dinner at this ramen museum after having a walk around their exhibits.
It opens and closes later and serves mainly adults since there is also a bar in the middle of the museum.
Free WIFI is available there.
For more information, check their website here.
After a day of activities, we took our packed luggage from Ai Hotel (Yokohama) and travelled to Tokyo.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post! Feel free to post a comment to enquire about certain details and information (accuracy not guaranteed though heh).
Link to my Travel Diary Part II (Tokyo) is here. Do check it out as well!! :DD
xx
Loves,
Nices
Opening hours:
11 am - 10 pm
Closed on pubic and year end/ new year holidays.
Advice:
310 Yen per entry for adults (not inclusive of meals).
My advice is to eat a little bit at the CUPNOODLES Museum and then have a late lunch/ early dinner at this ramen museum after having a walk around their exhibits.
It opens and closes later and serves mainly adults since there is also a bar in the middle of the museum.
Free WIFI is available there.
For more information, check their website here.
After a day of activities, we took our packed luggage from Ai Hotel (Yokohama) and travelled to Tokyo.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post! Feel free to post a comment to enquire about certain details and information (accuracy not guaranteed though heh).
Link to my Travel Diary Part II (Tokyo) is here. Do check it out as well!! :DD
xx
Loves,
Nices
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