Now that the jetlag has finally worn off, I’m able to review our 18 days in Japan! For our second trip together (my 8th), my partner and I spent time in the 3 major cities on the Golden Route, added Kanazawa and Hiroshima, tried to see some festivals in Kamakura, had an excellent overnight in Kawaguchiko, and I made my first trip to Hakone ever!
**Mistakes were ALSO made.** That’s a recurring theme in some of my trips, quite a lot in this one! Some mistakes are easy for all tourists to make – and some of them are solely my own.
*(A note that this post will include information on the ERFS system – which is thankfully bound to be fully obsolete in the coming days. So while it won’t be particularly useful now, it was still an experience that I feel is worth including. Anything with regards to the system will be in italics.)*
**Trip Pre-amble:**
We weren’t actually thinking we’d get to Japan this year. Like almost everyone else on this subreddit, entry for 2022 seemed pretty unlikely, especially given our early September dates. When the news was announced that opening would occur for September 7th, I boggled a little. That was the day of our (pre-booked in 2021) arrival into Tokyo, and since we were departing on the 6th from the USA.. maybe.. we could do it?
I read over the information, and reached out to Japan Guide Agency to see if they would be offering ERFS for this, or if we still needed to book a full tour with them for the trip as we’d looked into possibly doing already. When they confirmed they would be issuing ERFS for standalone tourists, with only proof of itinerary required and a fee, I almost died.
Then I got into high gear. We got all the information needed, sent it off, found out it was wrong (Yes, passports needed to match the ERFS cert – at least according to our Consulate, who wouldn’t approve without), RESEND EVERYTHING, panic about the timeline (this was with 5 days left until our flight, 3 of those 5 days were a weekend & a public holiday before we were departing), cry, wonder if we should have booked Korea for a few days instead, panic, cry some more, worry all night about undoing all the bookings, more panic, and-
*DING*
Email arrived. 11 pm. Friday of a long weekend.
*ERFS Approved. Enjoy your Trip.*
*Holy sh-*
###**Part 1 – Days 1 – 6 (Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Kyoto)**
**Day 1: YYC – LAX – HND (Accommodations – [Royal Park Haneda Hotel](https://www.the-royalpark.jp/the/tokyohaneda/en/))**
This was a LONG day. We had to book a hotel out by the airport to avoid taking a cab at 3am to be on time for our flight heading to LAX. Once we made it to YYC in the morning, access to a lounge meant we were in relative comfort until our departure to LAX. The wait between flights (10 am arrival and 5 pm departure) in LAX was also buoyed by a lounge, but it was still quite a long day to be sitting and not doing much. I did some exploring of the LAX International Departures wing, and we actually went down to the gate about an hour ahead of time so we could stretch our legs and work up an appetite for the flight. If our flight had kept the original booking (it changed back in May, due to AC staffing issues), we’d have only been hanging around for about 3-4 hours. 8ish was a *stretch*. I finally understand my partner, who prefers direct flights where possible.
(The flight itself was excellent – ANA all the way for trips to/from Japan BTW – at least until I manage enough points to book JAL.)
Prior to arrival to Haneda, we were given the usual Disembarkation Cards to fill out. These ask your name, address, location of stay in Japan, any goods you’re transporting, etc. I’ve done these before over my trips, and nothing has changed from the information requested, even with the ERFS Visa entry.
When we landed, we were asked to wait until the Quarantine Officer was able to board the plane and speak to the staff. Once we deplaned, our mySOS was checked, and they handed us both blue laminated sheets of paper, which signaled to the staff our mySOS status. We were then waved down a long hallway towards the Immigration area with staff wearing masks and holding cards, pointing us in the direction of the lanes we were to use, as the mySOS “fast tracks” your paperwork check that you would undergo if you had not used the app and had your vaccination status pre-approved.
Once we got to the desk, they asked for our mySOS app again, and we had to login to the eVISA system to show the Visas were valid. There is a small countdown clock in the corner that runs for 15 minutes and the Visa cannot be screenshot or it won’t count as proof. Haneda has free wifi, so they were patient while I logged in to show my eVisa, and then my partner’s. Once we were both checked over, they waved us onto the actual booth, where the usual scan of passport, and photo/fingerprints were taken. Once that was complete, we were moved along to the luggage area to grab our bags and go through the final check before being allowed to enter Japan for the first time in over 2 years. This whole process took less than 30 minutes for us.
We checked into the Royal Park Haneda Hotel, and just passed out. It had been well over 24 hours from our departure, and we were both completely wiped. The hotel room was lovely, staff were excellent – checked our passports and mySOS at the desk – and it was a much needed night’s sleep after a long trip.
**ERFS Note:** *When we were in the lounge, I spoke to one of the staff about our boarding passes, as we’d only been given passes TO LAX when departing our origin airport, and not from LAX to Haneda in Tokyo. She called an ANA rep to come up and chat with us about it, and because of the visa we’d been issued, turns out check in had to take place IN LAX instead of in Canada at the ANA Desk. Thankfully, the ANA Rep was able to take our passports, Visa numbers from the eVisa system, checked our mySOS status, and our previous boarding passes issued by Air Canada and get us our proper entry passes into Japan via ANA. We could have also done this at the desk in advance, if necessary, but if I didn’t know that it probably would have been a bit of a nerve wracking wait, on what was already a bit of a nerve wracking flight out.*
**Day 2 – Tokyo (Accommodations – [9h Capsule Hotel Hamamatsucho](https://ninehours.co.jp/hamamatsucho))**
The next morning was unforgiving, weather-wise. I had forgotten what the Japanese summers are really like with the heat and humidity, and trying to move our bags from the hotel to the capsule we’d be staying in for the night (my partner has always wanted to try a capsule hotel and *JGA approved the location in advance – all of our other spots were also solo rooms or bookings*), while walking in the heat and humidity was *punishing.* I had made the BIG mistake of bringing a light coat, and I was ready to toss it in the trash by the time we got to Hamamatsucho Station.
**Spoiler: The heat we faced on this trip actually got worse, and it has completely put me off from wanting to travel to Japan in the June – October range ever again. Late Fall/Winter/Spring or bust!**
Since we were still acclimatizing, we beelined for the nearest Family Mart after locking up our bags and downed the first (of MANY) Pocari Sweat. It was still early-ish, so we headed over to Tsukiji for some fresh sushi and atmosphere, and then onwards to Ueno Station for a coffee and a walk in the park. I had initially had this trip planned to a tee, but after we’d begun to think that it wasn’t going to happen, the plans actually got literally thrown in the garbage – so using the first day to just chill in the light rain and wander to see the city was much appreciated. We managed to make stops at **Kappabashi, Asakusa**, and did some slow wandering in **Okachimachi/Ameyokocho**. We were heading out to Kanazawa the next day, so a stop at the Ueno Station JR Office to buy tickets for the train ride out was done before we stopped for dinner at a little izakaya prior to our check-in at the Capsule Hotel.
Nine Hours Capsule Hotel was intriguing! We had a nice view of Tokyo Tower from the top-level lounge, and the quiet in the common areas and the sleeping areas was really nice. I had developed a bit of a heat/jet-lag headache at that point, so being able to go to a quiet and dark capsule to curl up and sleep the pain away was really lovely. The shower areas as well as the capsule floors are separated by gender, and the only real complaint I have is that it would be nice to have more airflow in the capsule itself as it did get a bit stuffy in there overnight.
**Day 3 – Kanazawa (Accommodations – [Ryokan Murataya](http://www.murataya-ryokan.com/eng/))**
Next morning, we were up and gone early. Check out was smooth, as the hotel had kept our luggage on the main floor, with only overnight bags locked up in our lockers for the stay. My partner hadn’t slept as well as I had, apparently someone had been snoring in the capsule next to him and while they are cozy and dark, they’re just not quite soundproof enough!
*Prior to getting our ERFS approved, we had actually been intending to spend our first full day in Takayama, but once I realized that we had already ordered our Pocket Wifi for delivery to the airport (and the airport post office is only open 9 am to 5pm right now) it became clear we’d have to spend our first day in Tokyo in order to pick it up at Haneda Airport.* As a result, we arrived in Kanazawa later than we’d originally intended to but a quick email to the Ryokan sorted out our delay, and we were able to move our check-in to closer to the end of the day. Taking advantage of the luggage lockers at Kanazawa Station was our saving grace here, as we originally had intended to go to the ryokan to drop off our bags, but it wasn’t an option by the time we arrived.
Since it was our first time in Kanazawa, I had intended to get quite a lot done in the day, but those plans were for a trip that departed from Takayama – so being short a few hours already meant we’d had to hustle.
Our first stop was the [**Oyama Shrine**](https://visitkanazawa.jp/en/attractions/detail_50021.html), across from Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en. It ended up being a great first stop, as the shrine has tucked away one of the nicest little gardens, with a pond and water feature. It was a quieter, rainy day thanks to a typhoon blowing past, so we got to see the soft green of the trees and plants, along with the stunning Dutch-style entry gate. If you get to go, check out the beautiful wood work underneath the entrance! I started my omiyage shopping there, with a cute little bell charm for myself, and a health blessing omiyage for my grandmother. There was also a small cat-head shaped bell charm I couldn’t leave behind!
After a bit of a persistent drizzle, we moved on to the [**Kanazawa Castle**](http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kanazawajou/e/) and the [**Gyokuseninmaru Garden**](http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kanazawajou/e/gyokusen-in/), which I completely fell in love with. The staff at the tea house speak some english, and one of the older gentleman there gave us a gift of two “flying” paper cranes – folded similarly to regular cranes, these do not have the tail folded up, and when you grasp the bottom of the crane and gently pull the “tail” the crane flaps its wings!
The heavy rain began a few minutes after we left the tea house, and though we tried to wait it out there was no escaping the intensity, so we ended up running up to the Kanazawa Castle site and getting tickets to explore the interior and dry off while we did so. The reconstruction is really interesting, and there are quite a few models of what the site looked like, how they plan to reconstruct it, as well as samples of how the joinery is made & exhibits of the items found at the site while they prepare it for the reconstruction.
After the rain (finally) stopped, we made our way over to [**Kenroku-en**](http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kenrokuen/e/), which has been on my bucket list forever. The garden was as gorgeous as I’d heard, and WAY bigger than I realized. We did not get the chance to see everything there while we were in the garden proper – and I missed my chance to buy some souvenirs at the shop by the Garden entrance. I did, however, take the chance to visit the wonderfully preserved [**Seisonkaku Villa**](http://www.seisonkaku.com/en/), built for Lord Maeda’s mother & I did not skip the opportunity to try the gold leaf ice cream either – which was much appreciated in the heat.
Unfortunately, we were already pushing it by the time we left Kenroku-en, and we missed out on a stopover at the **Omicho Market**, and instead had to settle for a few nibbles of some skewers before checking in at the Ryokan. With our appetites in full force, we asked the staff for a recommendation for a place to eat that was nearby. They gave us the name of a nearby sushi-ya that had a husband and wife staff, who spoke great english, as well as some VERY friendly and chatty locals. We had an excellent evening, and they gave us a fun tidbit of information about the ryokan we were staying at – they were the first ryokan in Kanazawa to accept foreigners as guests in the area! The restaurant was lively and cozy, the food was excellent, and we left 100% sure that we would be back to Kanazawa for our next trip – and probably for a minimum of 2 nights stay, for sure.
After grabbing some hangover remedy for the next morning, it was back to the room for the night – after a hot shower and a bath in the classic style in-floor bath. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in our yukata, and watching TV before passing out for the night.
**Day 4 – Kyoto (Accommodation – [K’s Villa Takasegawa-tei](https://www.ksvilla.jp/takasegawa-e/))**
Our tickets to depart for Kyoto the next day were for 9:30am from Kanazawa Station. After a wonderful breakfast provided by the Ryokan – and one more dip in the bath – we were out the door and off for Kyoto. **Our plans after arrival included places like Kiyomizudera, Sannenzaka, Gion and Pontocho for dinner, as well as a walk along the Kamo river at night. (If you know, you know.)**
It wasn’t until we boarded the train and got settled that I thought to check my phone. It had dinged a few times overnight, and I hadn’t had the chance after breakfast to check emails or messages from family. (I’m in the habit of leaving my phone on 24/7 during vacation only – back home, if you have a problem after 10 pm that’s between you and God.)
So imagine what it’s like to be sitting in your seats, settling in with your train snacks and the lovely view from Kanazawa to Kyoto, only to see an email titled:
>**Japan eVISA [Notice of visa expiration]**
*>Thank you for applying for Japan eVISA.*
*>Your visa receipt number 1000xxxxxxxxxx has expired.*
*>If you wish to visit Japan in the future, please apply for a new visa.*
*>Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact our overseas establishment.*
*>â–¡â–¡â–¡ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan â–¡â–¡â–¡*
*> â–¡â–¡â–¡ Japan eVISA â–¡â–¡â–¡*
Fucking *what*.
(Did our ERFS get revoked? Why? JGA didn’t email us to say anything. Were we actually declined approval to be here once the itinerary was reviewed? Should we have actually gone to Korea instead? Does this mean our trip is already over? We just got here…)
*In between frantically emailing JGA and the Consulate back home, we quietly discussed the likelihood that we would be cancelling the rest of our trip and hightailing it back to Tokyo to re-route our flights to Canada. JGA got back to us immediately, and advised as far as they could see on their end, the Visa was still in force for both of us, but urged us to contact our Consulate right away to confirm.*
With the time difference, we still had 5 hours to get ahold of someone in Calgary before they closed for the day, and I have never wanted a train to break speed laws more in my entire life than I did just then. Our arrival to Kyoto around noon was laced with panic. We practically ran over to the Hostel Office to pick up our keys and explain to the staff the situation, because it certainly LOOKED like our visa had just been cancelled – as well as the rest of our trip. I told them we’d need to call the Consulate right away to chat about the email we’d received, and they offered us a spot in their office to phone them.
*We phoned the Consulate first, and initially they told us they can’t handle any Visa inquiries after the Visa has been issued. Then they asked us instead to call the 24 hour Visa Information Hotline for Overseas Visitors instead (1-888-984-2291, in case you ever find yourself in a similar predicament), since they would be able to review and confirm any changes to our status. We called the Hotline and after a few minutes on hold, my partner explained the email to the rep and asked for clarification on the “expiry” term in the email. The rep spent a few minutes reviewing extra documentation (the stamps in our passports say October for departure, for example, and we confirmed we has just arrived in Kyoto after being in the country for 3 days), and they explained that **”Visa Expiration” means that the one-time entry granted by the visa has expired because we have successfully entered the country.** If the ERFS System was to continue, we would need to apply for a NEW visa to enter again – and that’s all that the email means.*
… Phew.
After that adrenaline boost, we moved our bags to the home we’d rented, turned the A/C on full blast, and just laid on the tatami to regroup for a bit. Kyoto was already proving to be hotter than both Tokyo and Kanazawa had been, and coupled with the panic that we’d have to book it back to Tokyo and cancel all our other bookings, flights, and stays (and lose all that money too..) I was already feeling exhausted and in need of a nap.
But! We were in Kyoto! For the first time in a few years! And there were so many places I had planned to see, or see again, so we had to get ourselves together, get our shoes on, head out and-
Oh FUCK. The HEAT.
It was 32 degrees the day we arrived, and the humidity made it feel closer to 35. Walking outside in the midday sun felt like being smashed in the face with a brick wall of heat. We got as far as the main road, about 2 blocks from the place we were staying, before we had to go into the nearby supermarket and buy bottles of water to cool down and hydrate with.
We eventually made our way to **Kiyomizudera** by bus so we could get as close as possible without walking in the heat much. I forgot how long that uphill walk among the shops is, but it was a blessing that they all were open because there were more cooling detours to take on the way up. I invested in a UV umbrella as well to help keep the direct sun off, and it helped through most of the trip.
Kiyomizudera was BUSY as well. Lots of folks out and about visiting the newly renovated deck, and getting their blessing from the waterfalls below. We showed up at the very early edge of sundown, and got some lovely shots of the building itself just as the sky was changing to that blue-yellow-peach mix. It’s good to see Kyoto busy, especially after reports that places are suffering, and closing down.
From Kiyomizudera, we made our way to **Sannenzaka** and **Ninenzaka** on the way to **Kodai-ji,** but unfortunately we didn’t make it to Kodai-ji before they closed for the day. A bit defeated, we agreed to head back home, knock out some showers to take off at least 1 layer of sweat, and head over to Gion and Pontocho for dinner and a night walk. I wanted to get souvenirs on Shijo Street as well while we still had room in our baggage as well – I had heard Japan’s economy was in trouble, and me and my credit card were here to help!
Leaving after the sun went down, sadly, didn’t help the heat much at all. It was still 32 degrees when we headed out for dinner at about 6pm, but I had wanted to do some souvenir shopping before we ate anyway as the heat really tends to kill my appetite while I’m in Japan. We went to **Shijo Street** first from our river walk towards Pontocho, and I was actually quite surprised to see most of the shops either already closed for the day, or in the process of shutting down already. I was positive that most places stayed open until 9pm before, until my partner pointed out that this was a likely side effect of COVID control that was still in place. This pattern continued through most of our trip in Kyoto – essentially most of the retail stores are closing earlier in places like Shijo Street and the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Shopping Streets as well – so if souvenirs are your thing, you’ll want to get to those places early, or set aside a day to do so instead.
We moved along to dinner at a restaurant in **Pontocho** instead, and grabbed a bottle of Sake on the way home to enjoy at the house, where we tucked into our usual routine of posting photos, editing video, and watching Japanese TV in our pajamas before bed. The sake was awful, but that’s what happens when you stop at the supermarket and buy the “Four Dollarest Bottle Of Sake” they have. Mistakes were made, hangovers were had.
**Day 5 – Kyoto (Accommodation – [K’s Villa Takasegawa-tei](https://www.ksvilla.jp/takasegawa-e/))**
The great thing about waking up in a traditional house in Kyoto with a hangover is when the house has a kitchen – and when your partner is a Chef, you don’t need to go out in all your headachy glory for food. Man, that sake was AWFUL.
Today’s goals were to visit Nishiki Market and Arashiyama to soak in some of that lovely mountain scenery, as well as head to some areas I hadn’t been to before, namely the Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street. I had read about the Randen Line to Arashiyama from the city center, and thought it would be a great way to see parts of the city and experience the locally beloved trainline for ourselves. Again the heat was with us, so my trusty umbrella came along to help combat some of that direct sun exposure, although at this point it was a bit like spitting on a wildfire in terms of temp control.
After breakfast, and some more hangover remedy for me, we made our way to [**Nishiki Market**](https://japancheapo.com/entertainment/nishiki-market-kyoto/), and did some more snacking while we had the appetite to do so. I grabbed some Bubu Arare from a local vendor, since I love making ochazuke at home – but for some reason the Ajishima brand Wakame Chazuke shakers are continually out of stock in Canada these days. Easy to find the wakame, but the arare are rare. (See what I did there?)
We moved onto the [**Randen Line**](https://www.kyotostation.com/the-keifuku-randen-tram-line/), which has some quaint scenery through the city and out to Arashiyama. I’ve heard its at its best during cherry blossom season when the trees are blooming, and the nighttime illuminations happen along the line as you travel to and from Arashiyama – I’ll have to check that out on a future trip.
After arriving, we stopped for cold soba at [**Iwawo**](https://www.kyoto-iwawo.co.jp/) near the station, which was refreshing and satisfying as the heat had begun to really set in at this point. We were headed to a high of 35 degrees, and in Arashiyama, the humidity was due to make it feel closer to 38 or 39 degrees outside. Yikes.
Onwards we went to Saga-Toriimoto Street, via the Bamboo Paths – both a blessing and a curse. The shade and cooler air in the groves were wonderful, but it just made the sunny spots more intense when we got to them. We actually stopped halfway on the walk to Saga-Toriimoto in order to down a few bottles of water before going onwards.
After we arrived, I was sad to see that quite a lot of the shops seemed to be closed – some permanently as I saw a few shops that had “For Lease/For Rent” signs in the windows. One or two that were open had signs requesting visitors to ring a bell, or text a phone number for service (possibly for pickups or deliveries, I wasn’t sure), which was a bit of a bummer. Again, it seems like a sizable chunk of Kyoto is still operating under shorter shop hours due to COVID restrictions – I am hoping these are going to be lifted by the time the borders reopen later this month.
So, in order to make our long and hot walk not entirely a waste, we stopped in at [**Adashino Nenbutsu-ji**](http://www.nenbutsuji.jp/), a graveyard and shrine for the people buried there. There is a bamboo path here as well, smaller, and leading to a seperate gravesite on top of the hill, which is silent and beautiful all at the same time.
After spending some time there, we headed back down Saga-Toriimoto with the intention of going back to the city center and having another snack and partaking in some air conditioning and shopping. I was beginning to notice that my shoes, while normally quote comfortable on my 10k walks back home, were not holding up past 15k, and I was getting more foot and leg cramps as we went. This coupled with the heat would unfortunately spell the end of my ability this trip to fit in more than 3 places in a day, and for a city like Kyoto, it was heartbreaking.
Again, we headed home after our stop in the city center for a round of showers and cool downs. **Eventually, we walked over to Gion, not expecting to see it as incredibly quiet and empty as we did. We specifically waited until later in the evening to go, in hopes we would maybe spot a Maiko or Geisha on their rounds, but the silence in the area was deafening. I’m not sure if teahouses as well are mostly closed (possibly, as so few lanterns were lit in the area during our walk) or if we went too late in the evening (9 pm has historically not been a quiet hour for Gion on my past trips), but the area was dead like COIVD was still a problem. This could still be the case after the borders open, so just be aware during your trip that an evening visit to Gion may have less to “see” than previous trips or reports have alluded to.**
**Day 6 – Kyoto (Accommodation – [K’s Villa Takasegawa-tei](https://www.ksvilla.jp/takasegawa-e/))**
Another great breakfast – sans hangover this time – and we were out the door for [**Daitoku-ji.**](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3910.html) This is one of my must-see temple complexes in Kyoto as it houses my favourite temple in Japan – **Koto-In**. It was under renovation on my last trip in 2019, and I was so excited to get out there and show my partner the area, since it’s so quiet, calm and cool. We arrived early to take advantage of the lack of tourists in the complex, and after a long and draining walk (my feet are really punishing me now, thanks to the quality of my shoes and the cobblestones), we made our way to the front gate.
[Which was closed due to the pandemic with no set reopening date.](https://medium.com/masas-design-reviews/kyoto-travel-guide-koto-in-zen-temple-5e1a2fe6cc0e#:~:text=NOTE%3A%20Since%202020%2C%20Koto%2D,public%20due%20to%20the%20pandemic.)
(**Apparently it reopened post-renovation in 2019, and then closed up due to the pandemic. Probably one of the biggest disappointments of my trip – and a good time to note that no matter where you plan on going, ensure you check opening times and dates as some places are still closed due to COVID, or may have shortened business hours which would limit your ability to visit on the days you have available.**)
So, we took the time and my disappointment, to the rest of the sub-temple complex and instead visited the [**Daisen-in**](https://daisen-in.net/syokai.htm) temple, which was cozy and yet expansive with a lovely garden which told a story of life, death, and the Universe. The staff speak some english, and you can also have tea and sweets in a separate room (with A/C!) for a small fee aside from the entry cost. I bought some scented sachets there, as well as another omikuji, this time for my Mom.
From there we also visited **Obai-in**, before hitting that noon heat wall and retreating to the downtown for a lunch stop at a beef restaurant in Teramachi, and then ice cream from a nearby Blue Seal location. I really missed the Okinawan Brown Sugar taste!
We finished up our day with a stop at Fushimi Inari – which was equally as packed as Kiyomizudera had been a few days earlier. Lots of school kids on trips, and we again stopped for snacks on the streets outside of the main shrine – this time we gave lemon shaved ice a try before going back to the house for a break before dinner. Our next day was going to involve a move to Osaka for the next 3 days, including a daytrip out to Hiroshima as well!
###**Mistakes Were Made! – First Edition**
Whew! So, for a first time tourist, there’s a lot of things you don’t learn until you start planning or actually arrive in the country. I know this well, because I’m on my 8th trip now, and wow, *do I still make mistakes!* Is this even with the knowledge I have from past trips? Yes! Have I learned my lesson? No! I will absolutely make the wrong choice, change the routine without needing to, ignore conventional wisdom (see my post on Hakone for more on that…), and overall just be dumb on every trip I take. It happens. I don’t beat myself up about it, but as my Dad says “If you can’t be a shining example, at least be a cautionary tale.”
In no specific order, here are some Mistakes Made that I hope someone else can benefit from knowing about in advance, to hopefully make their trip a bit easier.
>- **Having An 8 Hour Stopover**: Look, I like lounges. They’re nice, and we had access to the First Class Star Alliance Lounge in LAX because we’d managed to score ANA F seats for this trip. I enjoyed all the perks and amenities that came with the lounge (free showers whaaaaaaat) but I would have actually *loved* a shorter layover with more rest in Calgary before we arrived in LAX. I felt I didn’t enjoy the flight over to Japan quite as much, because I was so tired from being up early to get to the airport and I didn’t get to really appreciate the service, or the seat before and after our meal. I literally ate and passed out. I should have called Aeroplan to ask to move our flight out of Calgary to a slightly later departure time, but I was so excited to even get the seats that I was low-key worried they would refuse. Lessons learned and if I ever get F again, I won’t make the same mistake twice.
>- **I Packed A Lot Of The Wrong Clothes**: Yep, we get the question a lot – “What do I wear in Japan?”, and it’s often hard to answer because one person’s 25 and balmy, is another person’s 25 and Hell. In this case, I did not even THINK to check the weather report before we left, and I packed a lot of useless/take-up-space-in-my-luggage clothes that I should honestly have left at home. Is there a perfect wardrobe for Japan? In the summer, I’d say anything flowy or thin/light to combat the humidity and lack of airflow. I would also advise leaving your thermal leggings (???? what the hell Amy) at home. Yikes. This leads into our next mistake…
>- **We *Both* Way Overpacked, Period**: How many pairs of shorts will you need? Two at most. What about jeans? Probably 1. Shirts? Nothing more than 5. 10 pairs of socks, if you’re a sweaty foot walker. So, what did we take? Our whole closets and a French Horn. Idiots. *I* knew we were staying in areas that had access to laundry, and *I* still overpacked. Do yourself a favour and pack for 1 week, and wash your clothes between cities. Trust me on this one. It will greatly lighten the rolling bag (sorry Honey!), and will prevent you from buying an entire *other* bag to get your stuff home in once you pack every square CM in the bags you already brought with souvenirs. (… sorry Honey!!)
>- **My Comfiest Shoes Should Have Stayed Home**: Yes, wear comfy shoes because you will be doing a LOT of walking. *Do not wear your older sneakers, because they can be a bit too worn in and not able to support up to 25,000 steps a day.* Don’t be like me. Buy new shoes before your trip, *and* take a couple of weeks to break them in with thick socks before you go. Comfy shoes are a must, but proper support is imperative! By the time we finished Kyoto, I had to give myself foot rubs every morning to loosen up my muscles so I could walk the rest of the day.
See you in the [next post!](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/y0vqni/trip_report_part_2_18_days_in_september_2022/?)