Category: Land of the Rising Sun – Japan

A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 2

July 7, 2025July 7, 2025 sweet surrender No Comments

After a long commute and going around Kyoto, it’s time to check into our hotel first at Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi. However, since we arrived early, we couldn’t go into our rooms yet. We left our luggage at the hotel. Then, we went for lunch and visited some tourist attractions.

Quick Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi Tour

Check Out a List of Hotel Keihan Near Kyoto Station

Lunch at AEON Mall Kyoto

First stop was AEON Mall (1 Nishikujo Toriiguchicho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8417, Japan). We didn’t visit the mall. We just went there to recharge for a bit after a very long commute. Seriously! I was so tired. I felt like the surroundings were having tremors. It was me! -.-” Anyway, we went there for lunch and to use the toilet before heading to Gion (祇園), Kyoto’s most famous geisha district.

Just Walked Around Gion (祇園)

We took a bus to Gion. It’s my first time going on a public bus in Japan hehehe… When we arrived Gion, we’re greeted with so many human beings! HAHAHAHAH! It’s peak hour for the tourists to come out to play. If you don’t want to be in the crowd, do come here early in the morning.

That’s the end of day 1 in Kyoto. Flat from all the commuting…

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A Trip to Kyoto (17-24 Apr) – Part 1

June 28, 2025June 28, 2025 sweet surrender 1 Comment

It’s our first family trip to Japan. We flew to Osaka and spent most of our time in Kyoto. We started our journey early in the morning of 17th April from home to Kuching International Airport and flew to Kuala Lumpur International Airport with Malaysia Airlines for transit. Not for transit to Osaka, but to Ho Chi Minh, then to Osaka with Vietnam Airlines.

If we’re to take Malaysia Airlines or Air Asia, we would arrive on the same day. However, due to the expensive flight fares of our national/local airlines, we opted for a cheaper option with a longer time to reach Osaka. We only arrived in Osaka on the morning of 18th April.

Why Vietnam Airlines?

We bought Vietnam Airlines tickets to Osaka because it’s so much cheaper, as it happened to be on offer. It’s an average of less than RM1500 per pax for a return trip (KUL-SGN-KIX). There were 8 of us, 6 adults and 2 children. The cost would be quite high if we were to fly with our national/local airlines. It was between RM2300-3000 per pax because of peak season. Even Air Asia was more expensive than Malaysia Airlines after adding all the add-ons.

However, we bought Malaysia Airlines return tickets for Kuching-Kuala Lumpur. I redeemed my flight miles and topped up with cash. Aside from that, we had to stay a night in an airport hotel when we returned. Actually, we didn’t have to, but we’re just playing it safe in case there’s any delay with the flight back from Osaka to Kuala Lumpur and we miss our connecting flight to Kuching. Furthermore, there was no codeshare among them and flight tickets were booked separately.

We came in from 3 different locations and gathered at KLIA. Four drove from Ipoh to KLIA; one from Singapore to KLIA; and three from Kuching to KLIA. Even with that, the total average of our flight ticket and accommodation was less than RM2K per pax. Still a lot cheaper than flying with our national/local airlines. The only downside was the long travel time. We only got into our hotel room in Kyoto after 30 hours plus of commuting. Exhausting, but it’s OK.

Experience with Vietnam Airlines

Arrived in Osaka & Kyoto

Stay tuned for part 2.

Anyway, I’ve updated my trip until day 2 on my Instagram, you can check it out there.

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14 Useful Tips for EXPO 2025 Casual Visitors

May 7, 2025May 7, 2025 sweet surrender No Comments

Have you been to Expo 2025? Or are you planning to go there soon? I had posted about how to buy the Expo 2025 entrance ticket. This time, I’m going to share some tips on how to maximize your visit as a casual visitor like me. I only had a day to spare for this event. I’m glad I had the opportunity to go there. It’s likely a once in a lifetime visit for me.

Before you go…

1. Buy the ticket in advance. The earlier the better. Best to go on weekdays. Cheaper ticket & less (still large!) crowds. Read more in this post https://irenelaw.com/expo-2025-osaka-ticket/

Get your tickets here…

Get the earliest entrance ticket. We wanted 9am but it was sold out. The second best is 10am. Might need to queue for 1 hour outdoor (sun/rain) to get in depending on how early you arrive. We arrived on time but got in at 11am.

2. Study the map, plan your route. Use it as a guide. Book/reserve accordingly. If failed, there’s still plenty to see. A blessing in disguise as you are more flexible to wander around. Just walk-in to any pavilion with short/moving queue. My list actually required at least 4 days to complete Pick a few in each zone & see how it goes on actual day. Be flexible.

3. Screen capture/print the ticket out as backup. There’s free WiFi at the entrance but still best to have it offline.

4. Download the app as guide https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/visitorsapp/ . It is useful for real-time navigation.

What to bring or not to bring?

5. IC card is good enough for cashless payments. I forgot to take photo of the recharge machines It’s small, not obvious. You’ll find them in shops, at the corner, near the entrance. No English on the machine but shouldn’t be hard to figure out. Bring enough cash to reload your card.

6. Bring your bottle to refill water. Many water stations. They will scan your water bottle at the entrance for illegal substance. Bags and body will be scanned too.

7. Outside food is allowed. Plenty of food outlets inside. The prices are reasonable. Don’t worry. Don’t just set the budget for entrance tickets and transportation but budget for food too! You can bring your own food though to save some money. You’ll definitely need to allocate at least 10000yen/pax if you want to eat along the way depending on where, what, and the frequency you want to eat

8. Extendable tripod is not allowed. Umbrella is OK. Bring raincoat if you want. A cap/hat is convenient. Check the weather. We’re blessed with clear weather. It started to rain when we left. The next day was a wet day. We had left Osaka. Phew…

How to get there?

9. The expo is easily accessible via public transport. Shuttle bus has fixed time (west gate). The subway (east gate) has flexible timing. I recommend the latter.

Where to start?

10. There are many souvenir shops/kiosks around. Don’t waste too much time in the official shop. However, do buy the passport at the shop upon entry if you want to get stamps at each location. I didn’t buy any souvenirs, not cheap nothing fancied me too.

11. Start your visit from the information office (if you arrive at east gate) so that you don’t mess up the sequence (we did but got it rectified). It was overwhelming at first! Chill, deep breath, and follow your planned route with the help of the visitor app/guide.

12. You can access the award-winning Grand Ring of Expo 2025 anytime you’re there. There is no need to walk throughout the ring. It’s too long! About 2km! Unless you have time to spare. Just go up one escalator and down at the next one.

13. Toilets are everywhere and each has its own building design in the event ground of Expo 2025.

14. There’s a transfer (e-Mover) from east gate to west gate and vice versa. It costs 400yen per pax (children too) by Osaka Metro. Our initial plan was to take it from west gate back to east gate but later decided to just walked back going through the Forest & Tranquility Zone. It’s actually not too far away as there were plenty to see and it made your walk felt shorter.

Hope these tips helps. Thanks for reading this far.

More updates…

Lastly, feel free to check out more photos of Expo 2025 on my Instagram or Facebook. I’ll be updating more photos there.

Going Places, Land of the Rising Sun - Japan, Public Events

Buy EXPO 2025 Osaka One-Day Ticket | Easy & Quick Guide

April 15, 2025June 28, 2025 sweet surrender 1 Comment

EXPO 2025 is happening now in Osaka, Japan until 13 October 2025. I had been looking up and down on how and where to buy the tickets for weeks but could not figure out how. I was confused by the early bird rates and the registrations. They also have different types of tickets which confused me as well. Furthermore, There are so much information (so many pages to read) that made me confused even more. Information overloaded it was! I actually gave up going.

However, on the 13th April, we decided to go there when we travel to Osaka. Since already there, might as well go. The entrance fee is within our budget. People plan for it, we did not, we just happen to be there. Furthermore, this might be the first and last expo we get to visit in our life. Unfortunately, I missed the early bird rates (last day was 12th April! A saving of 1000yen per pax!). I only understood how it’s done after found it on Klook and from EXPO Quick. Let’s dive into it…

Ticket Prices
Steps to Buy Admission Tickets
Where to Buy Tickets?
Have physical copy as backup!

Ticket Prices

The following is the prices of one-day ticket which most casual expo goers will likely be buying. There are many types of tickets available to suit your needs. Going on a weekday is much cheaper. By the way, children three years old and below will get free entrance. Also, there might be price changes on certain period such as peak season or holiday season. Hence it is important to know when you’ll be going.

You can CHECK OUT all the ticket types & prices on the official website.

Steps to Buy Admission Tickets

I’m sure quite many are as confused as me. I thought that you can go any day once you bought the ticket. Then, I saw there is a need to do booking for admission, visiting pavilions, and more. Oh my! So troublesome! So confusing! Furthermore, I did not have a specific date and time that time when I first look at the information. I was even more confused.

Step-by-Step Guide to Purchase EXPO 2025 tickets — Source: expo2025.or.jp

Having a date and time confirmed before you book is a MUST!

*Unless you’re are getting the multiple-entry pass.

Firstly, you have to create an ExpoID on the official website then follow the instructions in there to purchase the tickets.
_{If you buy from a third-party platform such as Klook, you need to go to the official website to create an ExpoID and register your ticket after that.}

Secondly, with the ExpoID, you will be able to book to visit pavilions, shows, and more with it. Don’t worry, not all exhibits/activities there required booking. There are many free-to-enter exhibitions if you just want to be there free and easy.

Lastly, be sure to go to EXPO 2025 on the day and time you had booked. You don’t want to burn your ticket for sure!

Where to Buy Tickets?

I have compiled a few ways you can buy the ticket either online or offline. The following is what I know for your reference. There are other platforms selling it as well. Google it and you’ll likely find them. However, do take extra precaution to make sure the platform is legit.

1. Klook

Buy from Klook – EXPO 2025 Osaka E-Ticket (this link will link you to the page directly). One-day ticket and multiple entry ticket are available.

If you have Klook account and have some Klook Cash to spare, you might want to use this platform to buy your tickets. It is easy to understand and very straight forward. However, do note that you need to register an ExpoID on EXPO’s official website after you purchase the ticket from here. So, it’s a double-job but you can enjoy some discounts that you’re entitled to on the platform.

You can book it from the website or on the app. If you are booking for the first time on the app, you might want to try to apply this code “BetterOnApp2” to get 5% off on your first booking on mobile app (Terms & Conditions applies).

The ticket works the same as the Official Digital Ticket from the official website. If you don’t want to buy from a third-party, then buy it from the official website.

2. Official Website (ExpoID required)

This is the Official Digital Ticket which was launched since the ticket started to go on sale. You can enjoy the full benefits that come with this ticket type. The link to get the ticket is here https://ticket.expo2025.or.jp/en/ . You get to make changes to the date and time of your visit. At least it is more flexible. Also, booking to visit some pavilions and events can be done using this ticket.

However, proper planning is needed as booking/lottery has time frame that you need to take note. They are not all the same. You also need to plan your route and timing in the Expo too as you need to get to your booking on time. The place is huge!

If you’re a casual visitor, just want to be free and easy when you’re there, then check out the next type of ticket.

3. Official Website – “EXPO Quick” Easy Tickets (No ExpoID required)

I did not see this before 13th April. It was only introduced on midnight (00:00) on 13th April 2025. No wonder…

This is the easiest to understand but you must have a fixed date and time to buy this type of ticket. There is no need to register for an ExpoID. You cannot do any booking/lottery application without an ExpoID. Therefore, it is suitable for those who got no plan to visit any specific pavilions or activities. You can only visit the general areas but fret not! Plenty of free-to-enter ones to visit.

Since you will only have a day here. You want to be able to cover as much as you can and be flexible.

One thing though… The price is the same as the normal ticket. It’s not cheaper. It’s really up to you which one you want to get. If you want to have the flexibility of making changes, then get the normal one else just settle for this will do.

4. Convenience Stores & Travel Agencies

You can also buy the printed tickets/vouchers at the convenience stores or travel agencies in Osaka instead of online. There might be some extra charges that they might charge. Your ticket might be slightly more expensive but this really depends on their policy.

You can find in-store terminals in major convenience store such as 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson, and Mini Stop in Japan. However, only Japanese language available in the terminal.

For vouchers bought from both convenience stores and travel agencies, you must exchange the vouchers for tickets with a QR code at the Ticket Exchange Office in front of the gates.

After entering, you can use your ticket with a QR code at the same-day registration terminals at the Expo site to make reservations for on-site events and pavilions.

You can register an ExpoID too to enjoy the booking and lottery benefits.

Have physical copy as backup!

Even though everything is digital, it’s recommended to have a copy of the QR code be it a screen capture or printed QR code in case there is issue with your phone or connection issues when you want to get your admission tickets.

By the way, it’s a cashless event. If you only have cash, you’ll need to get a prepaid card at the venue so that you can spend there.

I hope this post helps to clear your confusion on how to buy the ticket for EXPO 2025 Osaka. Thank you for reading till the end 😉

Going Places, Land of the Rising Sun - Japan, Public Events

Manhole Covers in Kansai Region

January 17, 2020January 13, 2020 sweet surrender No Comments

The manhole covers in Japan is always very fascinating. it’s not just manhole covers but it’s art! They have different designs for different places. Estimated, there are about 6000 designs all over Japan.

I managed to took photos of some when I was at Kansai region in August 2019. I got Osaka, Ikeda, Wakayama, Kobe, and Nara. Too bad, I didn’t take any at Shiga and Kyoto, I forgot! Anyway, here are what I managed to take:

Next time, when you’re in Japan, don’t forget to take a look at the ground. You’ll find many interesting designs on the manhole cover in which each has its own representation of the location uniqueness.

Going Places, Land of the Rising Sun - Japan

[…] a long commute and going around Kyoto, it’s time to check into our hotel first at Hotel Keihan Kyoto…

[…] you been to Expo 2025? Or are you planning to go there soon? I had posted about how to…

Thank you sweet surrender for the advice. Yes I probably will arrange to return the pack to the seller..

Best to ask the seller about it. If you are not happy with the answer, just ask for return and…

I just bought a tube via Shopee for my wife and apparently there’s no expiry date printed in the tube.…