Category: Land of the Rising Sun – Japan

A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 7

December 1, 2025November 27, 2025 sweet surrender No Comments

Day 4, it’s time to head back to Osaka from Kyoto. We checked out of Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi, then went to Kyoto Yodobashi for shopping and lunch before taking the Limousine Bus from Kyoto Station to Osaka International Airport.

Lunch at Tsuruhashi Fugetsu in Kyoto Yodobashi

Believe it! It’s my first time having teppanyaki in Japan hahaha…

Heading to Kansai International Airport

Arrived Kansai International Airport

We reached the airport not to take a flight but to take the train to our accommodation in Osaka. Before that, we bought food from the airport. After that, we took the train to Rinku-town station, where our 3D2N accommodation was located.

Hotel Room Tour & Review

Odysis Suites Osaka Airport Hotel is a hotel that is only one stop away from Kansai International Airport. It’s very convenient if your flight is early in the morning. They have an airport shuttle included in the room. Booking is needed. However, it is very far from the city centre. Therefore, only stay here if you’re going to the airport to catch an early flight or during rush hour. It will save you time and eliminate unwanted stress to get to the airport on time and comfortably.

Dotonbori & Shinsekai

After checking into the hotel, we headed out to Dotonbori and Shinsekai for a quick visit. The journey was long, as it was far from the key attractions. Dotonbori was packed with people, while Shinsekai was the opposite.

After dinner at Shinsekai’s McDonald’s, we went back to our hotel. So tired! Called it a night early as we’re heading to Expo 2025 the next day.

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A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 6

November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 sweet surrender No Comments

Oh my goodness! I just realized I’ve not completed my April’s Japan’s trip post hahahah! Oppsss… Even Expo 2025 had concluded. Continuing from A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 5 , after Nara, we headed to Fushimi Inari.

Fushimir Inari was so packed! We didn’t spend a lot of time there. Just a short walk to the torii gates, took some photos, and we left. It’s not a place that will interest the children. Off we headed back to Kyoto for dinner.

It’s my first time having gyukatsu. Apparently, it’s Kyoto’s way of having wagyu. It’s an enjoyable dish if you’re a fan of wagyu. You can heat the wagyu to the desired doneness. Hence, it’s great for those who are not into eating bloody beef.

It was a rainy night. We went to do a quick shop, then headed back to the hotel. That’s the end of day 3 in Kyoto.

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A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 5

August 12, 2025 sweet surrender 1 Comment

It’s the third day in Kyoto. The day before, we went to Arashiyama and Nishiki Market. Another early morning start. We had bought the Kintetsu Limited Express to Nara ticket in advance for reserved seating. In fact, you can use the standard train there too without spending the extra money on the Kintetsu Limited Express ticket. The downside would be that you might not be able to get a seat, as many people are going there as well.

This is my second time in Nara. I didn’t venture this far the last time I was here. Apparently, there’s a museum here and another park here. We just took our sweet time walking around. We were greeted with “haze”. It’s the pine trees that released cloud of pollen into the air. It’s our first time seeing such a thing.

Here’s the video of the cloud of pollen released into the air. So many! It’s like sand. Our phone screens ended up with a layer of dust. It was the pollen. This is certainly an interesting experience.

After that, we went back to Higashimuki Shopping Street to look for lunch. There were queues in front of every single shop! We decided to just get fast food instead of eating at a proper sit-down restaurant. So, MOS Burger it was.

Before leaving Nara for Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, we went to get a box of persimmon leaf sushi. I bought it too the last time I was here. It’s an acquired taste as it’s quite smoky, unlike your normal sushi.

After buying the sushi, we took the train to Fushimi Inari.

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A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 4

August 1, 2025July 30, 2025 sweet surrender No Comments

After Arashiyama, we headed back to Kyoto and went to Nishiki Market. When we arrived, many shops are closing for the day. However, the crowd was still massive! It was so overwhelming and hard to move around. We quickly browsed through the market and left to look for dinner elsewhere.

We had no idea where to eat. We just walked around. We lost our way hahaha… After going round and round, we finally found the direction “home”. Along the way, we saw some eateries but weren’t sure whether we should dine there or not. Then, we continued walking. Thinking that if we really couldn’t find a place to eat, we’ll buy from the convenience store. Then, when we saw Nakau, checked out the menu and decided to dine here.

After dinner, we called it a night. It’ll be day 3 the next day and another early morning start.

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A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 3

July 24, 2025July 24, 2025 sweet surrender 2 Comments

We ended our first night in Kyoto early and woke up early the next morning. It’s day 2, 19th April.

A Ride on the Sagano Romantic Train

Our first stop was Torokko Kameoka Station to catch the Sagano Romantic Train to Arashiyama. We took a train from Kyoto Station to Torokko Kameoka Station. Sagano Romantic train is a sightseeing train in which you’ll be greeted with different kinds of views every season.

It’s a Hot Day at Arashiyama

After the train ride, we arrived at Arashiyama. We had our meals at Arashiyama. Not a proper sit-down meal as we didn’t have the luxury of time. We just bought whatever seemed interesting for the sake of filling our stomachs.

It’s my second time here. The first time was way back in summer 2018. It’s my first trip to Japan. My friends brought me here. My first cold soba was here too. I didn’t expect the weather to be so warm as if it were summer. It’s in April, it should still be spring, but the sun and heat were comparable to the summer heat in August.

What to See & Do at Randen Arashiyama Station

Strolling Along the Street

Togetsukyo Bridge & Arashiyama Monkey Park

Togetsukyo Bridge is a 155-meter bridge that was built across the Katsura River. I love the views here. We planned to visit Arashiyama Monkey Park (also known as Iwatayama Monkey Park), but we’re too late. It’s closed. We also just found out that an entrance fee was needed.

We overshot our preplanned timing. Hence, it’s a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, we won’t be in time to go back to the city to visit Nishiki Market. This will be in the next post.

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