December 2022 trip report

Just finished up my second trip to Japan. This time I took my brothers who have never been out of the USA with me so it was a fun half of the family trip. Will write out just my general thoughts on the trip and how I felt about some things.

**PICTURES** https://imgur.com/a/4b8ZjBv

I can answer any specific questions or general thoughts on stuff if any one wants to ask!

Flew out of IAD on ANA Biz. Business class is always fun, especially when the flight was 14.5 hours! Although even in business class it’s still a 14 hour flight. Got the Japan meal and it was imo okay. Nothing mind blowing but fun to sample some traditional Japanese foods. Landed at HND and had my VJW paper work printed out and not on my phone. Showed the hoard of honestly probably 50+ people asking to see them and they handed me a sheet. After that no one ever asked to see them or even scan a QR code. Passed through immigration no problem in about 35 min. After immigration and you have your bags they have 2 methods of declarations, paper form or the QR code on VJW if you did the VJW there are kiosk you scan your QR code conform what you put down it takes a picture of you and then you can go through the “electronic declarations” where it uses face recognition verify you and you just walk on by. Landed at like 10:30 and by the time I got through customs and all the train lines were done by the time I got out around 11:30PM. Used a taxi to get to Hyatt Regency Tokyo (right next to Metropolitan observation deck in west Shinjuku to give you an idea) and it was about 10,500 yen to about $80 USD. Somewhat expensive but honestly it’s a 35-40 min ride into Tokyo and honestly if you take any Uber in the USA the prices aren’t even that much different. Now the exchange rate does help make it bearable but imo taxis aren’t that much more expensive than any ubers in a USA city/large suburb.

TOKYO
Overall Tokyo is still such a fun city and even this being my second time its always exciting to visit. Visited the usual places. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara etc. Shibuya crossing was fun and always a fun thing to do with newbies to Japan to see the scale of it. Also did Shibuya Sky and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Especially at nights, The views at night are insane and well worth the 2k yen price. (why I love japan example 1 is the empire state building in the USA observation deck prices are $44 for the 86th floor and $77 for 106th floor.) Being outside on a high building is awesome, do note that it can get cold/windy especially in winter time so dress appropriately. Shibuya is also always super crowded so just be aware it can get crazy in that area.

Akihabra- We all watch anime but not like super weebs or anything, We just like a good story and interesting concepts. Went into a few anime shops stores so search around and the prices aren’t bad just depends what you’re looking for. Obviously the more high quality the item/figure you want the more expensive it will be, but Japan will definitely be the cheapest place for any anime figures or merch for the most part. We did play a bunch of UFO machines/claw machines as we had a good bit of money to burn and they’re always fun to play. Won a few plushies and figures and was always exciting winning something, but you can easily burn tons of yen at these so if you have a tight budget set your limits before you start playing.

Went to teamlab planets my second time and my brothers first time and everyone had a blast. Such a really cool thing to do and if you aren’t sure what this is look it up on YT easier to watch a video than for me to explain it. For 3200 yen its a fun time in Tokyo for a unique concept.
For hotels we stayed at Hyatt Regency Tokyo for 3 nights then 2 nights at the Andaz. The HRT is a great use of hyatt points/certs at only 15k a night it’s a great hotel for the value. People say it’s outdated maybe the lobby but the rooms to me aren’t that bad looking and are quite spacious. The andaz ik isn’t in everyone’s budget but highly recommended if you got the points or cash. The views are amazing from this hotel although not as good as it used to be as the surroundings of the hotel has been built up as well so the view isn’t as good as it used to be, but damn is it still good. For my Hyatt nerds I used a GOH booking here for 3 adults and we all got free breakfast which was amazing. The food was all good and fresh as well as high quality. The best was probably the Japanese melons, not sure if these were the SUPER expensive kinds but imo if you went into a grocery store looking for the same quality easily 1,000 yen or more per melon and I ate a ton of slices of these. ADR was around $1.2k a night when I was there but again used points.

Overall Tokyo was just walking around, seeing random shit then going to the next place. We did see sensoji temple and Meji shrine/temple. We did take our time with each area and just generally walked around Tokyo hot spots seeing each different area.

SAFETY: Only ran into the typical african touts in Harajuku on Takeshita street peddling fake goods sheets. One guy was kind of pushy when we said nah and kept walking. He still kept trying to get us to turn around and talk to him. We kept walking and he went back to try for more tourists. In general for Tokyo newbies, if an African guy is trying to sell you something or have you go somewhere? Ignore EVERYTHING he says. They are the biggest scammers out there so stay away and keep moving.

Hakone: After Tokyo we went to Hakone. Took the Romance car with a Hakone Pass as well. Easy enough to get there on the Romance car. Just be aware that the top part above your head will not accommodate a larger suitcase. Mine is only 24 inches and still didn’t fit up there. Smaller carry-on sizes I think should fit up there no problem. We put ours in the seats if front of us and thankfully no one ever took those seats during all the stops, so it wasn’t a huge hassle. Got to our hotel/hostel Emblem Flow Hakone. Second time staying here and always a good solid hotel for what else is in the area (Gora) I will say though the hotel will blow you up about food like dinner and breakfast. I did the breakfast back in 2019 for what ever they were charging then and honestly was not impressed for the cost. There’s a family mart not far from the station/hotel that has food as well, but who knows maybe it’s better now. Same with dinner they kept sending me emails about pre reserving dinner as hakone restaurants close early (which MOST do) but there’s a solid Gyoza place 5 min walk from the hotel which was open til 8PM so do some research before you commit to a dinner if you stay here. The hotel for what it is is perfect to go see all of Hakone. We did the typical Hakone route and everything was amazing. (didn’t do it in 2019 as it was a bad time to go as a lot of lines/railways were closed due to a typhoon that year) Owakudani black eggs were really good as well as the black fried curry bread they have in the cafe at the top of the mountain. Got lucky and it was a really clear day as Fuji was showing right into the distance. Honestly it was so clear that Fuji just looked fake as it was pretty close. See my album at the end for pics of the trip. The rope way and boat were also fun as well and overall just a fun area to be. 1 day was enough to do it all and see everything but if you really wanna soak in the hot springs and relax 2 days is the perfect amount.

KYOTO

After Hakone we headed to Kyoto. Stayed at the Park Hyatt and woah boy you better have some deep pockets to stay here. I booked this hotel before the category change as well so only used 70k points for 2 nights, The average rate for me dates which was 24-26 of December was $4,200 a NIGHT. Christmas probably inflated those somewhat but average rates outside a major holiday run about $1.2k to $1.5k a night. But oh my god this hotel was perfect. The room was gorgeous and the decor was amazing. Also probably the few places you can get an “elevated” view in gion as there is a height restriction but they like blasted out the Mountain to make it fit. The service and hotel staff were all very nice and just everything about the property is TOP CLASS. Wonderful hotel and definitely deserves the PH title.

Now for Kyoto part. Went and saw Yasaka Shrine on the way back to the hotel one night and it had just previously rained. Gorgeous pictures of a wet ground and lit up shrine/temple. Got some great pics here but still an amazing shrine. Honestly I’d recommend this place for night than during the day. It’s extremely lit up and well lit with security guards in the shrine. If you want some cools pics definitely recommend night. It was also dead I think it was my group and maybe 10 other people thats it and it was probably maybe 9:30PM or 10 not too late. Since the PH is in the gion district we explored this area a good bit but mainly at night or early moring cus oh boy does it get crowded. Again at night Gion district is DEAD. still lit up mostly and feels totally safe. So if you want your gion pics with no tourists come at night.

Although there are a good bit of good looking restaurants on this street so probably nice to walk around during the day but I think Gion is or can be high dollar and very formal restaurants so plan accordingly if you find something. Also did Fushimi Inari again and still love the place. Hiked all the way to the top and the crowds definitely thin out as you go up. Also there are a good bit of side trails around Fushimi so it’s also really fun to explore. One last bit is I finally had Wagyu at Mouriya Gion in Kyoto. First time having Kobe beef went with the 14,000 yen option for lunch got the A5 Kobe beed Fillet and wow it truly is very fatty beef that is just really soft in your mouth. But at the end of the day it still tasted like steak and I was like I’ve had good ribeyes come close to it as well. It’s definitely something I’d say go experience for your self as EVERYONE TALKS about it but I’d say make sure you are okay spending that much. Would I do it again? Probably yes but for a special occasion rather than just to go. Overall Kyoto is still Kyoto and it has plenty of shrines to see and do. While my area Gion wasn;t too bad the shopping streets over by Nishiki market were PACKED like to the brim of people walking. This was even before China had opened up as well. So this being my second time in Kyoto my feelings are a little bit the same that being Kyoto is really nice and fun to see everything but honestly if you aren’t doing it at the ass crack of dawn or at night you and 10,000 tourists will be. It’s crowded and will always be crowded is and always going to be so just take that into account of your plans.

Osaka
Osaka stayed here for 4 days at Conrad Osaka using 4 Hilton certs ADR was around $1,200+ a night. I am a Hilton Diamond member so breakfast and lounge was free even for 3 people. Overall this hotel was a really solid, beautiful hotel, still new and modern looking (built in 2017) and everything just seemed premium although this was the one hotel I found that while you were getting food you needed plastic gloves they gave out and a mask on. If you didn’t have these on the staff for the most part would usually ask you to put it on. The BEST part of this hotel is the views and OH MY GOD fucking amazing! The lobby view when you get off the elevator is breathtaking . When I first got off I was shocked and it’s fun to be on the elevator with new guests and hearing their reaction when those doors open to the view. This is easily the tallest tower in that region of Osaka and has ZERO obstructed views. The night views are some of the best I have ever seen. I remember reading a review on flyertalk of this hotel and this one guy said he has been in Aman hotels and above all over the world. He’s stayed at the best of the best and he said this was still his favorite view as well. So if you can stay here it’s worth it it. Or if not come here for some cocktails at night to see the views. Trust me they’re amazing. My hilton people will know that USA hilton lounges for the most part are non existent or terrible. Here the total opposite was happening. The food was good and changed every night from prime rib (maybe not but it was fucking tender) sandwhiches to japanese fried chicken as well as curry every night. As well as heineken and Sapporo beers with a mix of champagne and hard liquors. They also had amazing selections of deserts from cakes to macaroons. They also had tea time with small appetizers and deserts again, same thing at cocktail time just no alcohol mostly. Now onto the breakfast and oh my god. Honestly probably the best breakfast buffet of my life. The bakery items from danishes, croissant, paiu chocolate etc, were all AMAZING, I am a pastry snob as well as my favorite bakery items are pastries and damn there were truly the best I have ever had. The rest of the breakfast was a mix of western and asian items but the star was prime rib for breakfast and to be honest the best prime rib of my life. It was domestic Japanese beef (not sure if wagyu or what ever all it said was Domestic) probably over the course of the 4 nights I was here I probably had close to 20+ pieces I’d get 5-7 slices at breakfast every morning and honestly it was mainly the prime rib and pastries for my breakfast everything was good but these items to me were on another level.

Osaka:

Overall Osaka is generally fun. More rundown (in a good way) than Tokyo but still nice. Easy enough to get around but holy shit Namba station is a beast of a station and so crowded. Pretty cool though as it felt like there was a shopping mall in the station as it’s just so damn big. Lots of good street food all over osaka. Can’t name any but if it smells good and it’s within your budget stop by and get something. Dotonbori was packed but still a fun place to go. We went to the Osaka Aquarium which everyone always says is solid and well for the price ($17 USD when we went with exchange) it’s just okay imo. Granted I am from Atlanta and have the Georgia Aquarium as well as the Chattanooga aquarium near me which spoiled me in terms of how an aquarium should be. But my main issue with the Osaka one is you keep going down into the aquarium and so do the tanks so as you keep walking down more and more floors the same big tanks you saw at the beginning are also going down as well so by the end you’ve come across the same exhibit multiple times instead of something new. But for the price it was a great low key time killer and would definitely be back without hesitation.

Nara
Nara was probably our favorite day trip. The deer were really fun to feed and just really relaxing. We walked all over the town just finding a rice cracker vendor to buy some from feeding then walking elsewhere to buy more. But oh my god yes those deer will ram into you, bite your jacket and do whatever they can to get those rice crackers. So be aware once they know you have food they will swarm. A suggestion is to hide the crackers in a bag or pocket and pull them out as needed. As if they see a stack they will keep asking for more. We did also see Todai-ji and that is a must stop imo as that temple is HUGE. costs 600 yen to get in but damn well worth it as it’s just a wonder to look at. Highly recommend stopping there as well. So definitely add Nara to your travel itinerary.

Ending
Honestly this is my second trip to Japan and I still have plans to be back without a second question. I am already planning on returning in 2024 December. Japan is such a great place to travel to and so easy, safe, welcoming, good food, and culture. That you don’t not want to come back. So many more adventures to be had will always be a visit for me.

Feel free to ask me any questions!