Osaka & Kyoto, Japan

[theflygirl]

^Depends on which plan you'll get. The most basic is the studio plan which consists of 6 studio shots and 10mins free time to use your own camera. They're very strict with this. My total plan cost me almost JPY20,000 cos I got the wig/real hair combo and a couple more additional shots.

My entire Kyoto trip I coordinated via email with The Westin Osaka concierge. Everything was laid out for me before I arrived in Japan. Upon check in, they handed me my day's schedule and rates.

[projectgora]

@sis meimei I saw one online which I think is super sulit na. Meron silang promo ngayon from February 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014 you can check it out here: http://www.maiko-henshin.com/en/

Special Campaign to Celebrate Completion of New Head Shop
The regular price of 35,000 yen is
specially priced at 14,900 yen
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (reception closes)
Makeup
Kimono fitting (select a kimono of your choice)
4 studio shots/li>
40 outdoor shots
20-minute rickshaw ride
20-minute stroll
14 page photo album consisting of 14 photos selected from all the shots (same-day turnaround)
CD-R including all shots

kung meron pa to in April ito na lang iaavail namin

[theflygirl]

^That's the studio I went to. Medyo tricky lang sya hanapin cos aside from the train ride, you need to take the city bus and do some walking along the narrow paths.

Their promo is only until December because they just opened their new head studio. Hence, the special rates. It's a small house/office. Nakakaloko lang sa photos. But it's a new, 3-storey Japanese house type structure.

They'll provide you with everything, lockers, toiletries to wash up afterwards, etc.

[luscious_peach]

^sis luscious_peach
for Osaka, our 2 nights accommodation cost 13,800 JYP or 5934 PHP (for 2 pax)
we stayed at Toyoko Inn Senba Higashi.

Not bad sis. I assume a PHP10,000 budget for 4 nights accommodation would suffice then. Thanks. Will save up for this trip!

[projectgora]

@ sis theflygirl ah bakit ang mahal nung sayo? tapos parang konti lang yung kasama sa package? hindi siguro naka promo. Sana mag ka promo sila ulit by April. Ang mahal kasi pag hindi promo eh.

[unwantedP]

san makakabili ng Sanyo Area Pass?  Plan namin kunin yun 4 days (for Days 2, 3, 4, 5).

Here's the summary of our IT:
Day 1. Kansai Airport to Shin-Osaka
Day 2. Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima and Miyajimaguchi
Day 3. Hiroshima -> Himeji -> Shinsaibashi
Day 4. Shinsaibashi -> Kyoto -> Shinsaibashi
Day 5. Shinsaibashi -> Kyoto -> Shinsaibashi
Day 6. Shinsaibashi
Day 7. Shinsaibashi

covered kaya lahat to pati JR Sanyo Line and Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line? Or yun may "Shinkansen" lang?

Day 2:
SHIN-OSAKA - HIROSHIMA: SHINKANSEN NOZOMI 95
HIROSHIMA - MIYAJIMAGUCHI: JR Sanyo Line

Day 3:
HIROSHIMA - HIMEJI: SHINKANSEN MIZUHO 604
HIMEJI - SHINSAIBASHI: SHINKANSEN HIKARI 476, Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line (SHIN-OSAKA)

Day 4 and 5:
SHINSAIBASHI - KYOTO: Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line, SHINKANSEN NOZOMI 108
KYOTO - SHINSAIBASHI: SHINKANSEN HIKARI 529, Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line

[theflygirl]

@ sis theflygirl ah bakit ang mahal nung sayo? tapos parang konti lang yung kasama sa package? hindi siguro naka promo. Sana mag ka promo sila ulit by April. Ang mahal kasi pag hindi promo eh.

Cos I didn't get the basic plan. I just mentioned it in my previous post para magkaidea dito yung travellers ng base plan. I modified and added shots and options pa that I wanted, plus I don't want the rickshaw ride. Neither do I want to walk outside. First of all, I wouldn't want to be surrounded by tourists, (being one myself! haha). I found some poor, unfortunate souls who were, on my way out. As in dinumog. Eh, I had only a few hours in Kyoto. Second, it's ok to walk on a level area with those wooden sandals, but mind you, they're stony paths all over Ninenzaka. Although, I was given some time outside the studio, I already had a few stares from tourists, and I am not comfortable with all the hoopla. And yes, the maiko transformation experience is known to be quite expensive but there are lesser known studios around Kyoto which offer cheaper plans.

[vhanya]

Flygirl, how's your transfers from Westin Osaka to the train station? Is it far? I'm thinking if I'll book Westin or Hilton (which is just across the station)

[theflygirl]

^Location-wise, nearer to the center ang Hilton, but I found Westin a quiet respite from all the hustle and bustle pero malapit lang din naman. Walking distance din pero manageable. Plus, it's right beside Umeda Sky. Yung Hilton naman, sa shopping centers mas malapit, which is everywhere you look naman in Umeda.

As for the hotel shuttle, very frequent naman ang trips. Every 15-20mins. Easy to locate din outside the sakurabashi exit of JR Osaka Station. Sunod2x ang lines ng hotel shuttle buses outside the exit. First yung sa Westin.

[vhanya]

I'm traveling kasi with mom and dad? I have no prob with walking haha!

Big diff fun kasi sa prices. Hilton is $350/night din 😫

[marose17]

Just got back from my trip.  Kyoto is so pretty!  Stayed at Royal Park Hotel which is ideally situated between downtown Kyoto and the Pontocho. Restos, shops, bus stops and cab stops are within walking distance.  And there is a boulangerie downstairs that offers the most delicious breads and pastries.  I love Kyoto.   My most favorite places are the Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kinkakuji Temple, Arashiyama (not just the bamboo forest, the riverside and regular forest are so green and breathtaking) and Maruyama-koen Park.  We got a bit lost in Gion but we did not mind.  It was a pleasant walk nonetheless.  My kids enjoyed Kiyomizudera and the Sannen-Zaka and Ninen-Zaka streets.   We only went to Osaka for USJ.  No regrets.  We can do Osaka next time.  But we will still make Kyoto our base.

The leaves are starting to change color although we saw the most vibrant fall colors in the Mount Fuji-Lake Kawaguchi-Hakone area, not in Kyoto.

[sacred cow]

ok ba na magovernight bus agad kami to Osaka, 11:20 kasi dating namin sa Narita on July 9.

We'll be in Japan from July 9-16, and gusto mag Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka

So far here's my bird's eye view ng IT

7/9
Arrive in Tokyo
Overnight Tokyo

7/10
Tour Tokyo
Overnight bus to Kyoto

7/11
Kyoto

7/12
Kyoto
Overnight Kyoto

7/13
Train Kyoto to Osaka (diretso sa USJ)
Overnight Osaka

7/14
Osaka
Overnight Osaka to Tokyo

7/15
Odaiba
Satou's steakhouse in Kichijoji, kelangan kong balikan yun
Overnight Tokyo

7/16
Narita Airport to catch 12nn flight back to Phil.

comments and suggestions?

[minnie99]

Trying to back read! I'm really determined to go to Japan. I love Japan, I have been fascinated by it (sa history subjects, sa mga nilalaro ko sa PS2, lol).

Based on what I've read, this is what I've concluded (please do correct me if I'm wrong):

Length of stay:
3 days in Osaka - including 1 whole day in USJ
3 days going around Kyoto + Nara

So, siguro 6D6N should be enough? Haven't checked the flights kasi, basta minimum 6 whole days of touring, is that enough?

Where to stay: Osaka for the whole trip vs. Kyoto then lipat sa Osaka (which is more economical?)

JRPass: I'm sorry kung nahihirapan pa rin akong intindihin: so, are there bullet trains from Osaka to Kyoto and vice-versa? If I plan to go to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, should I get the JR Pass?

Lastly, if I want to do a side-trip to Hiroshima, particularly just to visit Okunoshima hehe (sorry if medyo off-topic, but still on-topic since I will be staying around Osaka/Kyoto, hehe), is adding ONE DAY to my original itinerary (Osaka/Kyoto/Nara) enough?

Thank you mga sis! I really want to be able to visit Japan someday.

[unwantedP]

^sayang JR Pass kung Osaka-Kyoto lang. 6D6N din kami, and would go to Hiroshima, so Sanyo Area Pass kunin namin Medyo confused lang ako sa inclusions ng trains din

[meimei]

^^6 nights din ang planned itinerary ko sa Japan. Regarding your question on where to be based as to cost, Osaka hotels are way cheaper than Kyoto hotels so mas makakamura ka, tapos train na lang to Kyoto.

However, i still suggest you reconsider na hindi cost basis lang, hehe. Kasi maganda na mag-spend ka din talaga ng nights sa Kyoto. I would personally do that para sulit talaga ang pangarap kong Japan trip. When i visit a place kasi, gusto ko talagang i-soak yung sarili ko, ultimo magpakalat-kalat ako sa kalye na walang direksyon, hehe, just observing what the place is really like aside dun sa tourist spots.

But aside from that, parang ang saya din na isang kembot lang nasa Pontocho or Gion ka na. Sarap tumambay sa gabi. Kaysa naman nagmamadali ka kasi iniisip mo you have to commute back to Osaka pa. So sana mag-stay ka rin sa Kyoto, hehe.

[minnie99]

Thanks mga sis.

^I will consider that! Correct, mas maganda pa rin yung magse-stay ka dun para di masyadong nagmamadali. So excited even though I haven't booked yet. Haha. Sayang yung huling piso fare ng CebuPac eh.

Dream ko pumunta ng fall or sakura season, but it's either too late (excited lang) or too early (I have a trip in January so kailangan ipon muna).

[theflygirl]

I'm traveling kasi with mom and dad? I have no prob with walking haha!

Big diff fun kasi sa prices. Hilton is $350/night din 😫

Wanted to stay at Hilton din sana kaso fully booked na the time I was searching for rooms. As for proximity to the station, better Hilton. But even if you end up with Westin, no problem with the shuttle system. Too bad nga Westin was full on my 3rd night kaya I had to transfer to New Hankyu. Di ko ma-take super small room. Standard Japanese-sized. Alone pa ako nun ha. But a great base for the airport limo, and really close to HEP, Hankyu dept store, [textspeak!] Chayamachi etc. aside from Umeda and Osaka stations.

[la_chic]

Reli tours ok naman we submitted our visa application nov.4 then we got it nov.11 YEY!! Fast naman ang processing.

Anyone here who have used Japan Rail pass? (Jrpass) worth it ba sya? Where did you purchase and how long was it delivered?

Thanks!

[unwantedP]

Reli Tours ako sa Megamall. ang bastos lang nung bakla. may patak kasi ng ulan form ko, sabi ba naman "ano to? patak ba ng ulan yan? ang dumi. ulitin mo kumuha ka ng form dun tapos dun ka na lang umupo at bumalik ka dito pag tapos na" tapos nung kinuha na niya, nahulog niya, aba dampot lang. e nadumihan na yun. ang bastos niya magsalita. tapos nung chinech bank account ko, dalawa yun eh. una niyang kinuha mas maliit. nagtaas pa ng kilay. tapos sabi ko may isa pa. ayun nanahimik. di din tinanggap yung old passport ko na may US/Canada Visa, di pala counted yun? akala ko parang 3-5days if may US visa ka. hiwalay yung wala? temporary visa lang ako plan ko pa naman bumalik for Tokyo naman.

anyhoo, nakakabili ba dito ng Sanyo/JR Pass? Parang may nabasa kasi ako sa makati sa Dusit Thai meron.

[marose17]

^ Sis, sa Discovery Tours in Salcedo Village, maayos kausap ang mga tao.  Mura pa ang visa processing fee, only Php800. That's the cheapest I found among all the accredited agencies.  And we got our visa after 3 days.

I bought our JR Pass from Universal Holidays at Dusit Thani.  Pati Mount Fuji tour doon ko din bi-nook.

^^ If you are planning to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto or vice versa, JR Pass is worth buying.  Check hyperdia for train fares and schedules and compute if the cost of the train fares will be more than or less than the cost of the JR Pass which is around Php12,000.