Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara are all within one hour of each other via train, and a trip to Kansai International Airport wouldn't be complete without visiting any of these neighbouring cities. For this trip we will be going to Arashiyama, Kyoto via the Hankyu-Arashiyama Line. This will cost us JPY 610.00 or Php 244.00 per person, and an hour of travel time. (See the itinerary below)
Please don't forget that in our Day One and Day Two articles, we explain that our conversion rate is JPY 1.00 is equal to PHP 0.40.
Namba/Nippombashi to Arashiyama, Kyoto
Nippombashi Station (Osaka) to Hankyu-Arashiyama Station (Kyoto) JPY 610.00 or Php 244.00
Nippombashi station is a ten (10) minute walk from namba station or you can choose to travel via train via the Sen-Nichimae Line for an extra JPY 180.00. Either way the Hankyu line is pretty distinct from the exterior and interior looks of the trains.
The Hankyu Line Train that will get us to Kyoto from the heart of Osaka!
The ride to Arashiyama will take over an hour and the view will vary from the busy metropolis to the simple suburbs. It is a wonderful experience to see nothing but buildings transition to rice patties, then to the mountains.
Along the way, you will see the culture of the Japanese who live far from the main city where they work or study because of the high real estate costs but are able to get to the city within an hour of commuting because of the vast transportation infrastructure.
Students and Workers from the suburbs commuting to Kyoto!
At the end of train ride, we arrive at Hankyu-Arashiyama station. Most of our destinations for Arashiyama are walking distance to each other so we'll be saving a lot from transportation fees.
The end of the line! Hankyu-Arashiyama Station
Walking along Arashiyama
Arashiyama is famous for the Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-Ji Temple and the bridge along Katsura River which happens to be a couple of minutes away from Hankyu-Arashiyama station. As you make your way to the bridge, the number of tourists is also increasing as almost everything spot along the way is picturesque. It's one of the places where in if you take a bad photo, it is definitely the photographer's fault because almost everything here is pristine.
The beautiful Katsura River!
The water is clear, the air is fresh, and the smell is pleasant. Your very presence in this place is in itself, reinvigorating. In fact, I will just leave the following pictures to your own interpretation as the experience itself is beyond words.
This is beside the bridge entrance facing the Hankyu-Arashiyama Line: 'Serenity'.
I never want to burn bridges this beautiful.
Before we could cross the bridge on the picture above this sentence, we met a beautiful young Japanese lady wearing the traditional costume, the Yukata. She was kind enough to let us take a picture with her and after the fact, she even thanked us. Beauty and humility is truly an attractive trait.
Beauty and humility is very attractive.
We've crossed the bridge and turned left. We saw what looked like a man drawn carriage with an old couple having a wonderful time. It was interesting because I thought this could only be found in China. I love it when I'm proven wrong.
Behind them is a restaurant with the view beautiful view of the river and mountain side!
Little ways down the road is where those carriages came from!
A few blocks later is one of the branches of % Arabica! The brand is famous for their blends and latte art! I discovered them via instagram and decided to add them to my itinerary because they were along the way!
Great coffee + Great view = Great Memories
That view from this side is amazing. I can't stress that enough!
His hand movements while making the latte art was too fast that most of my shots came out blurry!
The coffee was amazing. I really have to stress the difference in the milk they use. It tempers the flavors instead of subduing them. Their signature blend is interesting because the fruity flavor that I normally do not like is soft, distinct but not appalling. I like it. This just cost JPY 400.00
up-close and personal with the straw fence
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove!
After we had our coffee break while enjoying the serenity of the river and mountainside at % Arabica, continued to walk up stream to the entrance of the Bamboo grove. We encountered a couple in their traditional costumes. My mother being the consistent one, asked the lovely couple for a picture.
A lovely couple in Japanese Traditional Costume!
After the entrance, we noticed the gradual increase of straw fences and the bamboos. It was a spine chilling experience because the reason why I came here is because the bamboo grove was one of the settings in the Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin) the movie. I was all giddy as I drew closer and closer to the heart of the grove. Lo and behold at the view!
Nothing else like it
The increased density of bamboo plants does two things: 1. It creates an oxygen rich atmosphere that relaxes your whole body, and 2. It blocks the majority of the sunlight creating a cool and soothing atmosphere where the temperature is lower than the area outside of the grove. It's one thing to see it in pictures, it is totally a different thing to experience. It overloads the senses with serenity that I want to go back whenever I want to get away from all the hustle and bustle of city life. The Japanese have a wonderful treasure here.
This is Zen
Tenryu-Ji Temple
As we reach the other end of the bamboo grove is the entrance to the Tenryu-Ji temple which is considered to be one of the more beautiful temples in Japan! An entrance fee of JPY 700.00 yen per person is paid at the entrance.
After purchasing your ticket and going through the turnstile, you are greeted by lush gardens that all feel strategically placed. You see sand, gravel, cement, wood and plants all coming together to give that calming zen atmosphere. You will then find a small creek that crawling up on the side of the walkway towards the main building.
A view of the garden and the pond from the main temple building
As you reach the main building, you will be greeted by the majesty of the huge temple building and the even more majestic view of the pond, the garden and the mountains. It just took breathe away even though there were so many people.
We stayed here for a while to relax and enjoy the calmness of the place. We then proceeded to follow the path that lead us to the main entrance and leave the temple grounds.
The path towards the temple
It was such a shame that the trees were only beginning to turn when we came. It would have been more beautiful if we had arrived a week after. It just goes to show how timeless the beauty of Japan is. We decided to head on to the Saga-Arashiyama Kyoto Station to have lunch.
Saga-Arashiyama Station and the Kimono Forest
Saga-Arashiyama Station
It is a couple of blocks away from Tenryu-Ji temple and it is famous for its bamboo inspired interiors and the Kimono forest. The Kimono Forest is made of kimono fabric have been rolled up and made into columns that line the path towards the station. Each column is embodied with different japanese inspired designs like foxes, sakura blossoms and the like.
Up-close with the different Kimono fabric designs!
We then decided to sit down and have a bowl of Udon which costs JPY 800.00 per bowl. We each ordered our own preferred flavors. After that, we saw this interesting ice cream cone that we had to try because of the unique way it was twirled. We got two cones with each cone costing JPY 500.00. (So JPY 1000.00 divided by five people, equals to JPY 200.00 per person)
The Cremia ice cream cone at JPY 500 each! Was it worth it?
The ice cream itself was different because the vanilla flavor was slightly stronger but deeper awhile the consistency was thicker and slightly less heavier giving it a more refined experience. The cone on the other hand is made like those rectangular milk biscuits with curved edges from my childhood. The refined vanilla ice cream clashes wonderfully with the strong milky flavor of the cone. It was wonderful, probably something the ladies who love deserts would have every now and then. I for one won't have it again. I found the price much in the premium side.
The giant 'Torii' or gate is the first to greet you at the main entrance along the busy street
Fushimi Inari Taisha
After our lunch at Saga-Arashiyama station, we went through several blocks into the kyoto neighbourhood to get to nearest JR (Japan Rail) station to get back to grand Kyoto station and then transfer to the train that will lead us to Fushimi Inari Taisha which is right in front of the Inari Station. The total cost of the ride was JPY 240.00 per person.
When we arrived at Inari station, it was pretty busy. Local tourists, students and foreign tourists all came in unison filling the small station quickly. As we got out of the station we were greeted by the huge Torii or gate at the entrance.
She's dancing her heart away
Fushimi Inari Taisha is famous for the huge number of vermillion torii/gates that are next to each other. In reality that is just the secondary entrance. The whole place encompasses the mountain behind it. It would take half a day to get there.
The busier street that leads to Fushimi Inari Taisha
It is insanely packed with tourists. In fact I was lucky enough to get moments where there were barely any one to obstruct the above picture. It was worth it though. My family however chose not to do the half-day trek to the mountain where the main shrine is.
Meat wrapped onigiri for JPY 600.00 (Rice Balls, I know they aren't round, I was confused as well)
We then decided to leave the shrine grounds through the other street full of food stalls. It was rather complete with different japanese staples like okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), onigiri (rice balls), red bean ice cream, crab sticks and the like. There were commercial establishments full of souvenirs for you to revel on like japanese toys, utensils and wardrobe. It was quite something to see all that in a short amount of time.
These fishes serve as the cones for the red bean ice cream!
We weren't able to get some of the red bean ice cream because there was no one to attend to our order. It was an interesting find though!
Vermillion is inspired by the color of the Torii/Gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha
After going through the street we headed to the direction of the Inari station. Along the way I passed by Vermillion Coffee. The name is inspired by the vermillion colors of the Torii/gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha.
The Latte from Vermillion Costs JPY 400.00!
The coffee itself was smooth with all the right notes that will leave you with that satisfied 'ahh!' after each sip!
Even the support columns are painted vermillion!
After that we bought our ticket at the station to go back to the Kyoto station where we took a glimpse of the Kyoto Tower and the hotel below it. This ticket cost us JPY 140.00 per person.
Kyoto Tower!
We then headed back to the station to buy tickets that would lead us back to Osaka station in Umeda. The trip will take us thirty minutes and it cost us JPY 560.00 per person.
One of the views from our train ride from Kyoto station to Osaka station
After we got off at Osaka station in Umeda, we did the same as in the first day when we came from the Umeda sky building. We needed to ride the Midosuji line back to Namba, where our apartment was. This costs JPY 240.00 per person. We were still full from all the snacks from Fushimi Inari Taisha so our mother decided to cook some left over grocery ingredients she bought the day before. She was able to make sauteed noodles with seasoned tomatoes and onions. It was light but left us satisfied none the less. It was a tiring day full of walking but I think the most fruitful of our trip so far.
Budget Breakdown (Per Person)
Note: Conversion Rate = PHP 0.40 = JPY 1.
Japanese Visa Processing: Php 950.00 (Reli Tours)
Airline Tickets (MNL to KIX & KIX to MNL): Php 10,000++
AirBnB (Lodging for five nights): Php 7000,00++
NAIA Terminal Fee: Php 1650.00
Subtotal: Php 19,600.00 Per Person
Day One Subtotal: Php 3660.00 Day Two Subtotal: Php 816.00 Day Three Expenses:
Nippombashi station to Arashiyama Train: JPY 610.00 = Php 244.00
% Arabica Latte = JPY 400.00 = Php 160.00
Tenryu-Ji Entrance Fee = JPY 700.00 = Php 280.00
Udon Bowl Saga-Arashiyama Station = JPY 800 = Php 320.00
Cremia Ice Cream (We shared two cones, one cone = JPY 500.00) = JPY 250.00 = Php 100.00
Saga-Arashiyama Station to Inari Station = JPY 240.00 = Php 96.00
Meat Wrapped Onigiri = JPY 600.00 = Php 240.00
Vermillion Latte = JPY 400.00 = Php 160.00
Inari Station to Kyoto Station = JPY 140.00 = Php 56.00
Kyoto Station to Osaka Station = JPY 560.00 = Php 224.00
Umeda station to Namba Station = JPY 240.00 = Php 96.00 Day Three Subtotal: JPY 4940.00 = Php 1976.00
Total Trip Expenses So Far: Php 26,052.00 Per Person
Money Left: Php 18,948 = JPY 47,370 Per Person
We stayed at Osaka for five days and I will be writing the rest within the next few days. I will place the link below as they come available.
Earlier this year a certain budget airline had a sale for their flights from Manila to Osaka. So me and my family took the opportunity and booked our flight to coincide with the early November holidays.
Two years before this writing, we went to Tokyo and Hakone on tour. Our budget at the time was $2300.00 per person (At the time this was $ 6900.00). What I realised from the trip is that Japan is so advanced combined with its consistency with its transportation and information infrastructure that you can practically come back with yourself, your money and your smartphone with internet via pocket Wifi and get around on your own.
So I challenged myself to go back to this wonderful country for five days with only a $1000 (Php 45,000) per person as a budget. Yes, Including lodging and airline tickets. Impossible? No, timing and location are everything.
Manila Sunrise
Airline Tickets
The airline tickets we got were a deal! The cheap tickets to Osaka started at $130.00 (Php 6000) for a one-way flight with the return adding another $130.00. This totalled the whole airline ticket fare at $260.00 (Php 12,000) per person. We booked our tickets during a sale period, and got our tickets for around $220.00 (Php 10,000) for both to MANILA to OSAKA and OSAKA to MANILA. There is of course a huge trade-off of patience. We booked the flights in May while our trip was in November.
This is our airline's Invoice where we were billed for all five passengers!
Lodging
After purchasing tickets, we booked our airline tickets, we proceeded with lodging. We took the risk, and we tried AirBnB. This was the first time we tried it and put our faith on the reputation of how honorable the Japanese are. We found an apartment that is located in the 'Namba' area. Namba is one of the best places to stay because it is several blocks away from these hotspots: Doutonbori, Shinsaibashi, Denden town and neighbourhood market.
The best tip I have for you is to pick an apartment near a station and a market. The station because you can get to any place in Osaka via trains and a little walk while the market enables you to have a complete meal for as low as JPY 500 per person should you decide to cook, and as low as JPY 650 for pre-prepared meals like sushi or rice meal sets.
EUR 663 was around Php 36,000.00 when it was charged to my credit card last May 2015
We got an apartment that starts at a little over Php 5000.00 per night plus Airbnb's processing fee multiplied by five nights totalled to a little over Php 35,000.00. That is a deal! The more affordable hotel rooms in Japan are not that big and are usually charged per head/person. I tried googling rooms as of this writing and found a hotel near my apartment that starts at $ 130.00 per night (Php 6000.00) and from the looks of the pictures, it is pretty bare bones and the quality isn't that far off.
With the AirBnB apartment, we have amenities for cooking like pans and stoves, for dining like plates, bowls and utensils, for laundry like a washing machine, hangers and soap, and for sleeping like futons, beds, pillows and thick blankets. All of that for roughly the same price as a bare bones hotel room. The X-factor is that it feels homey and that we picked an apartment with traditional wooden sliding doors with traditional tatami floors.
Lucky enough to sit just behind our Plane's wings!
NAIA to KIX
On the day of our trip, we get to the Airport three hours early and checked ourselves in. We paid the usual NAIA terminal fee of Php 1650 per person and went to Immigration. After that we went to our airline's gate. We waited for an hour and we started boarding and soon we were in the air.
Three hours later the captain greeted us, and told us that we were at our final descent to Kanzai International Airport (KIX). An hour later we were forming our lines at Immigration. After that we picked up our bags, and arrived at the main wing.
We didn't have an inflight meal so we decided to eat at one of the restaurants in the airport. We found a medium size establishment that specialises on 'Katsus' or Chops. We each had the Big Katsu Set that that a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of japanese rice, a generous serving of finely chopped cabbage, a plate of assorted vegetable and seafood tempura, a serving of potato salad and a plate of assorted Katsus (Pork, Chicken, Fish). This was actually quite a luxurious lunch worth JPY 1500 each.
We were starving and we wanted to have a little celebration for our arrival. A total of JPY 7500 for lunch is actually quite a lot but don't worry, whatever remains is just enough for the remaining four days. Please note that as of this writing the conversion of PHP to JPY is PHP 0.40 = JPY 1.
This is where the Rapid Train bound for Namba is!
KIX to Apartment
After our late lunch we went straight for the Train station in front of the Main Wing of the airport. Our apartment is in the Namba area so we were in luck because there is a Limited Rapid Train that travels from the Airport to Tengachaya station. Tengachaya station is three stations away from our apartment. When we got to Tengachaya we transfered to the Sakaisuji Line (Brown Line). After three stations we arrived at Nipponbashi (Pronounced as Nippombashi) station. Nipponbashi is a five minute walk to Namba Station.
Nankai-Namba Limited Rapid Train from KIX to Tengachaya Station
After arriving at Nipponbashi station we walked to our apartment which was a couple of blocks a way. Do not worry if you are carrying those big stroller bags. All public transportation terminals and stations have sufficient and operational elevators to accommodate you. In fact, if you have a stroller, you are a priority for Elevator use.
A photo posted by What Neil Writes About (@whatneilwritesabout) on
Our host, Alex gave us two options to get the apartment key: 1. We drop by the place that he worked and meet him personally for the key or 2. He leaves the key at the mail box for us to pick-up. We chose the latter for we were in a hurry.
Umeda Business District
Our next stop is the Umeda business district which is one of the busiest stations in Osaka, and it is near the Pokemon Center, Umeda Sky Building and Forget Me Not Coffee. We usea the Midosuji Line (Red Line) to get there. Umeda station is four stations away and costs JPY 240 per person.
As you get off the Elevator to the 13th Floor you are greeted by a giant Pokeball!
Pokemon Center
The Pokemon Center is at the 13th floor Daimaru Umeda building which is conveniently located near the station where we get off. We let our inner kids go wild and got our Blastoise and Venusaur plush toys. Yes, Charizard (Lizardon) was sold out. We were a little disappointed.
A worm's eye view of the Umeda Sky Building!
Umeda Sky Building
Night fell and it was time to visit the Umeda Sky Building. What is special about it is its hanging garden observatory. For JPY 700 per person (Php 280) gives you a 360 degree view of Osaka. In the evening the view is breathe taking. See some of my pictures of this below.
After nearly an hour of relaxing at the beautiful view, we stepped into the elevator and marveled at the view from the glass elevator as we descended to street level. One of my goals for this trip is to have a cup of specialty coffee each day of my trip, and Forget me not coffee was conveniently a couple of blocks away.
Forget Me Not Coffee & Dinner
That Coffee was amazing! It was unbelievably smooth! Normally I take little sips off my cup but with Forget Me Not's cup I was chugging it in like water! Moreover, the coffee had a kick that immediately reinvigorated me with every chug!
Unbelievably smooth with a kick that made me never to forget this Latte!
After having coffee we felt that we were hungry, and decided to have dinner at this Ramen place in Umeda station. A bowl of their classic Ramen starts at JPY 700.00 (Php 280). We ordered four bowls because my mother and my sister felt they couldn't finish one because they were still full from the Katsu set earlier. My family prefer water when dining outside and since they serve a pitcher of water per table. We gladly drank from it for free. This totalled to a dinner costing JPY 2800.00 (Php 1120.00).
For JPY 700.00 this is a steal!
After dinner we bought a box of the locally famous Manneken Waffles for our breakfast tomorrow. It contained 10 waffles for JPY 1200.00 (Php 480.00) We got lucky because most of the waffles were sold out and we just barely filled up the box.
On our way back to Umeda Station from Forget Me Not!
Umeda to Apartment
The waffle stand is a couple of minutes away from the Midosuji Line (the one we took to get to Umeda from the Apartment) which is our ride back to our apartment for another JPY 240.00 yen per person. This will roughly take you 15 to 20 minute commute. Not bad right? Their infrastructure is a thing to be hold. I really wish it would make it here in the Philippines!
Budget Breakdown (Per Person)
Note: Conversion Rate = PHP 0.40 = JPY 1.
Japanese Visa Processing: Php 950.00 (Reli Tours)
Airline Tickets (MNL to KIX & KIX to MNL): Php 10,000++
AirBnB (Lodging for five nights): Php 7000,00++
NAIA Terminal Fee: Php 1650.00
Subtotal: Php 19,600.00 Per Person
Day One Expenses
KIX to Apartment Train: JPY 1670.00 = Php 668.00
Apartment Station to Umeda Station: JPY 240.00 = Php 96.00
Pokemon Center Plushies: JPY 4000.00 = Php 1600.00
