Around nine months prior to our first international family excursion to a country where the primary language was not English, I didn’t think it was the right time to go due to the big expense and planning time required. In hindsight, I’m glad that we went for it!
Below are some links to more details, including resources:
My Story
I have always wanted to visit Japan for its beauty and food, but never planned for it primarily due to the cost. However, my husband suggested a trip there because our younger son did not have the opportunity to go on a culminating trip for his language immersion program in the 8th grade, like his brother did. Coincidentally, our 25th wedding anniversary was coming up as well, which was another great reason to splurge!
For all the multi-day family trips prior to this one, I did most of the research and planning. However, my older son did a lot of it this time, including learning common Japanese phrases.
Highlights
The sections below include the significant parts of our experience.
International Flight
During the summer of 2023, my son was already researching airlines. What he suggested was a budget airline, which I had never heard of. The tickets at that time were about half the price of a major airline. When fares were available for purchase for a Spring 2024 flight, my husband had convinced me to go with the low-cost carrier.
ZIPAIR
I had made reservations in December of 2023 for our flights to and from Tokyo with ZIPAIR, which is a part of Japan Airlines. For four people, each with a standard seat and value package that included advance seat selection, a meal, and check-in baggage allowance for 30kg, the total charge was almost $3,600 with taxes and fees.
A few hours after our dinner on the outbound flight, we were hungry and thirsty, so we ordered some drinks and a bowl of instant ramen with the free wi-fi. Here’s one of the items:
Layover
Due to an unexpected change, we had one day to meet our tour group in Osaka instead of Tokyo. The reason for the switch is noted further below.
Foreign Currency
After passing Customs at Narita International Airport Terminal 1, the first thing we did was find a Seven Bank ATM to get some Japanese Yen. For my husband, younger son, and me, I withdrew 30,000 yen (approximately 200 USD) since we were planning to use our credit cards and get more cash as needed, while my older son took care of his own withdrawal. The process was simple enough because we had an option to conduct the transaction in English.
Meal
The other thing that we had to do before settling in for the night was eat dinner. Since we were going to stay overnight in Terminal 2, we found a 7-Eleven on the fourth floor where we bought bread, rice balls, ramen, and drinks. The food and drinks were decent, but the location was surely convenient!
Lodging
Because we had a flight the next morning to Osaka, staying the night around the airport made the most sense.
9h nine hours Narita Airport
What we had booked was a capsule hotel connected to Terminal 2, which came out to $145 for all of us. Since there were different sections for men and women, I had to separate from my family after checking into 9h nine hours and picking up complimentary toiletries, a robe, and slippers. Once in the women’s area, I saw that the layout was in the following order: lockers, sinks/toilet rooms, shower rooms, and sleeping pods.
As for sleeping, despite the area being quiet, I didn’t get much sleep before having to wake up around 4 am to prepare for the flight to Osaka.
All in all, I found this hotel clean, efficient, and convenient.
Domestic Flight
The month before the trip, I did a quick online search and found that we could get to Osaka Kansai Airport via plane, train, bus, night bus or car, but seeing that there were flights that were faster and cheaper than the other alternatives, we opted for that. With two airlines that had early departure times, I selected Peach, the one with slightly better online reviews for a total of $160 for four tickets.
When it came to the actual experience, it wasn’t fancy, but was pleasant. More importantly, we reached our destination inexpensively.
Local Travel
The original plan was for us to travel from Tokyo to Osaka with the tour group, but get ourselves back to Tokyo and stay overnight before flying home the next day. However, about two months prior to our departure for Japan, we were informed that the tour that we booked was going to be canceled because it did not meet the group size minimum requirement. Based on the available options, the new tour that we selected would start in Osaka and make its way to Tokyo in four fewer days than the initial schedule.
Organized Tour
Along with the international flight, my older son also shopped around for tours in the summer of 2023. Based on the sights that we wanted to see, he managed to find one that was on sale!
Stunning Tours
I made half the deposit in August 2023 for the 15 Days Japan Panoramic tour with Stunning Tours and the remaining half in January 2024. After modifying our tour unexpectedly to the 11 Days Splendid Japan, we received a refund in April 2024 for the cost difference between the packages. What we ended up with was similar to the 10 Days Splendid Japan, but with an extra free day in Tokyo and optional tours for an additional cost in Kyoto and Tokyo, for about $7,000.
Overall, I had a good experience before the trip with the staff at Stunning Tours and during the tour itself.
Our first encounter with the tour after arriving in Japan was when our tour guide met us at the airport and escorted us to our first hotel. It was a nice surprise because she came all the way to Terminal 2 at Osaka Kansai Airport, where the low cost carriers operated, instead of having us navigate to the general meeting place in Terminal 1.
The tour was well-organized with great selections on local attractions and hotels. It was set up well for us as we were able to explore the tour stops independently each time the bus driver dropped us off. In addition, we enjoyed the breakfast at all the hotels, though we skipped out on most of the days in the Tokyo hotel, so we could try out food at the nearby eateries.
Lodging
Ours rooms were clean, compact, pleasantly decorated, and had nice views.
Meals
The tour package included breakfast at each hotel and my favorite one was from the Hotel Osaka Castle, which included both Western and Asian selections.
Transportation
The ride along our route from Osaka to Tokyo was smooth thanks to the polite bus driver.
Sightseeing
My favorite tour stops were Fushimi Inari Shrine (for the bamboo forest), Tsumagoi Village, and Lake Yamanaka.
DIY (Do It Yourself) Itinerary
The last piece of the trip planning was for the free days on and after our tour. Since there were more details required for this portion, my older son and I both worked on this, while my husband and younger son provided some suggestions.
We decided to purchase tickets in advance for certain attractions, but kept a list of other places that we could fit in during the trip. This method worked out well because we had the flexibility to modify a day’s schedule when someone needed some unplanned rest time. (My older son, the translator and navigator, was the only person who kept going with little downtime.)
Meals
For quick meals and snacks, we often shopped at convenience stores, which were abundantly found throughout our journey. Here’s one of my favorite items from Lawson:
While waiting for part of the tour group to complete their Kyoto Half- Day Optional Tour, we ate at multiple places at the Kyoto Station, one of which was Country House Eikokuya. Yum!
Lastly, the restaurant that we went to twice for its quality and value was Kura Sushi in Tokyo. Imagine paying only $65 for 51 plates from a sushi restaurant! The same place in our home city would’ve costed us more than 3x the amount, in addition to tip.
Transportation
Since our first time using public transportation was in Osaka, we purchased ICOCA prepaid cards at the Temmabashi Station and topped them up when the cards were low throughout our stay in Japan. Not only were they useful for trains, subways, and buses, we were able to use them at convenience stores as well.
In addition, we purchased the Osaka e-Pass+ Osaka Metro pass 1-day pass for our full free day in Osaka, before leaving home.
Overall, the train and subway stations were safe, convenient, and easy to navigate. However, getting on the correct bus sometimes took some trial and error.
Sightseeing
Of all the places that we visited without the tour group, I preferred the ones in Tokyo. Below are some examples:
Lodging
Since the hotel included in the tour package for Tokyo was on the eastern side of the city, my older son suggested that we stay at Shinagawa Prince Hotel after the tour ended. This hotel was conveniently located on the western part of Tokyo, closer to many of the places that we wanted to see, but ran us $1,500 for two rooms for four nights.
Since our trip required a lot of walking, especially in Osaka and Tokyo, my ankles and feet had little time to recover from swelling. To prevent the same situation again, I will try the following before I visit Japan next time:
Continuous Improvement
- Gradually increase my walking distance to 10 miles in a day.
Going on the trip to Japan this year has taught me the following that I’d like to share with my previous self:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- Public restrooms in Japan are clean!
What will you do next?
Next Step for You
- Plan a trip to Japan?
- Share a tip from your travels in Japan?
- Ask a question or leave a note in the Comment box below about this post?
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