Tokyo & Fuji DIY Travel Itinerary

Our second Japan Trip finally matched that of the Autumn season in Japan. This time, rather than traveling from Tokyo to Osaka we opted to visit Fuji area in Kawaguchiko. The previous JR pass expenses bled my wallet to death.

And because experience is the best teacher, we took an AM flight this time. The previous Japan trip we had was a nightmare upon arrival. There was a typhoon at that time and the trains got delayed and what seemed to be an hour train ride from Narita to Tokyo became a 3 hr dilemma.

Anyway, we left Manila days after a typhoon swept the Tokyo area. We were so worried we might be seeing trees with no leaves . We saw on the news that some areas were already flooded, including Saitaman prefecture where Kawagoe is! But because Japan is a resilient country we expect they'd be able to repair the damage brought by the Typhoon, and this is true.

So we arrived in Narita airport at 10AM and had to claim our pocketwifi and other tickets purchased via Klook. We were able to snatch a good deal on it and paid PHP 2700 less than its value. So better be vigilant on sales.

From Narita, we took the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno Station and hailed a cab to Candeo Hotel Ueno. where we were booked. Its a short ride actually and we could have just took the train to Uguisudani [one station away via the JR Yamanote Line ] for ¥140.  But because we have luggages and its rush hour plus a we have a friend who is waiting at the Shimbashi Station, we took the infamous expensive cab ride in Japan. The 5-min ride was around PHP900 if I'm not mistaken.

Itinerary Details:

1st Day - Half Day Odaiba 

2nd Day- DisneySea

3rd Day- Nikko

4th Day -Ueno- Asakusa

5th Day - Kawagoe

6th-7th Day - Fujikawaguchiko 

8th Day - Flight back Home

1st day: Odaiba (half Day itinerary)

 

📍 TeamLab 

From hotel to Shimbashi station, transfer to Yurikamome line and alight at Aomi station.

TeamLab - is located in Mori bldg. Palette town.

TIPS :

• Leave your bags and other stuff in the locker. You just need your camera or camera phone with you.

Note that once you enter the lab, you cannot go back to get things from your locker as the locker is outside the gallery.

• Spend 3-4 hours to visit all galleries.
• The queue could be long especially at the resonating lamps.
• Wear LIGHT colored clothes to reflect the art impressions on it. White is preferable.
• Do not wear slippers or heels as there are uneven floors.
• If you need to wear dress, please note that some rooms have mirror floors, you might need to put on some shorts.
• Get lost and have fun.

 Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People  

                               

  Forest of Resonating Lamps     

  Probably the blockbuster room as we spent more than an hour for the queue and you only have 
2-3mins inside it. So better have your cameras ready.

TIP: When in a group better to make this as your meeting spot when someone gets lost.

Crystal World

Memory of Topography

 

Black Waves 

I like this room because it resonates emotional waves and amplifies from crest to crest.

After spending time getting back and forth to the rooms, we head out to Diver City for our dinner passing over Venus Fort.

📍 Venus Fort - that Venetian-looking mall

                                

This mall even had a gallery of small cars to my son's delight!

📍 Unicorn Gundam - Diver City

Note that there are schedules for the mini show and they are posted near the Gundam.

The new Gundam that has more movements is being installed in Yokohama. So when that time comes, this Gundam here in Odaiba might be a thing in the past.

                                   For 500yen, you can buy your supercute gundam in Gashapon Machine.

📍 Aquacity for the Statue of liberty view and bridge. This is also where we bought our Disneysea tickets.

From here, you can enjoy the view walking to the park and to the train station. Board train at Daiba station to Shimbashi station and head back to your hotel.

2nd Day: Disney Sea

We arrived in Disneysea a liitle bit late as we claimed our Nikko passes for the next day's trip. The Tobu Tourist Information office (Asakusa station) opens at 720 am and since we want to catch the 630 AM limited express Train, we have to claim or Nikko passes before our trip.

From hotel to Tokyo station and then transfer to Keiyo Line and alight at Maihama Station. From here you can walk to the park or ride the Disney rail. We took the latter to save energy.

TIP: Save this spot for the afternoon when all the others are busy with their rides. There is not much competition in this fountain at this time of day. Besides, the afternoon light is nicer than the broad daylight.

TIP: Get fast passes. The line to some attractions are a bit long so we only managed to experience a few. If you arrive early, head first to your favorite attraction and get a fast pass if there is already a long queue.

TIP: The trains inside the park will take you to another part of the park. So is the steamboat.. So if you don't want to walk, you can take this option. Note that there are also others who don't want to walk and lines could sometimes be long. 

It is not a bad idea to walk as you will be able to see the attractions along the way. If waiting time for either the train or the steamboat is 30-40mins, you might consider walking. The VIEW will not disappoint you. anyway.

Above picture is the best spot for sunset. You have a view of the lake, the boats, and a lighthouse. I did spot ducks on water as well.

                                              

                                                  Disney sea ice cream taste like popsicle...😂😂

                                                                 Buy at your own risk.

Best spot in viewing the afternoon fluvial show is atop that tower. Just check for the schedule before heading out to the tower to avoid unnecessary waiting time.

3rd day : Nikko

This is our 2nd time in Nikko. Reason we want to go back is we really like the place. Also I have to get back to Lake Chuzenji as I missed it in the first try.

Nikko is 2 hours from Asakusa. We took the 630 AM limited express train from Asakusa to tobu-Nikko station and arrived 820 AM.

We have our Nikko All pass area already so we just lined up at the bus stop in front of the train station.

Our first stop is Ryuzu falls and it's a 45min drive from the train station. You need to line up for the bus bound to Yumoto onsen and not Chuzenji.. As Chuzenji bus will just take you to the chuzenji area. (We actually made this mistake and the driver dropped us off at the 2nd bus stop and waited for the right bus.

Outside the Tobu-Nikko station. Note that a few mins from this spot is the JR-Nikko Station. That one was where we alighted the first visit because we used our JR pass for Nikko.

                                       

We started our tour from the top going downtown to avoid worrying about not making to the train station on time for the return trip.

So, first destination is Ryuzu falls.

📍 Ryuzu Falls

Ryutonotaki Bus Stop No. 37

Ryuzu falls is a 45min drive from the train station. You need to line up for the bus bound to Yumoto Onsen (Bus stop 2A)and not Chuzenji onsen. Chuzenji Bus will take you up to the chuzenji area only( Bus stop 26). We actually made this mistake and the driver dropped us off at the next bus station.

The name Ryuzu meaning dragon's head came from the large rock at the basin splitting the water into two streams.

Before going to Nikko we already know that Ryuzu and Kegon (other falls in the itinerary) is already past peak according to Autumn reports. This means no autumn colors.

Vantage point for the Falls is behind the little shops so don't be shy to get inside to get the view. We missed this in our first visit.

For more of the view of the waterfalls, head outside the store and just go up. You will be able to see a flight of stairs. It will take you to a viewing spot, 

Next stop is Chuzenji Onsen and the next bus arrives in 30mins so we killed the time by taking photos.

                                             

TIP: Before heading to the tourist spot.  Take a picture of the bus stop opposite from where you alighted so you'll be able to budget your time well.

📍 Kegon Falls (Chuzenji Bus stop no. 26)

                 This falls is bigger than Ryuzu Falls and is 318 ft in height and 23 ft in width.

For a fee, you can view the falls in all its glory. You need to go down the elevator and pay. We opted the free one where you can see it from the observation deck and capture a bird's eye view.

It looks prettier in peak season for autumn.. see photo from my first Japan trip.

We took our lunch here (picture above) at a small resto being serviced by an old couple. Food is nice and we have already eaten here before. The place is just across the bus stop.

📍 Lake chuzenji (Chuzenji Bus stop no. 26)

Same bus stop as the Kegon falls. We just have to walk 2 to 3mins from the restaurant. There is a nice torii gate and an amazing view of the lake. On cold weather like this, you can also try chilling the hour at a coffee shop just across this street.

Took the bus to downtown Nikko for our next stop. It was 30+mins ride.

📍 Toshogu Shrine (Nishisando Iriguchi Bus stop No. 9)

We just went uphill and reached the pagoda of the Toshogu Shrine.

Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868.

I missed this place the first time we were here because we don't to pay the entrance fee.. 😂 And to stop us from wondering what is inside, we took the bait on the 2nd time.. If you are into architecture you'd enjoy going inside. The Shrine is lavishly decorated with gold leaves (so I read) And the resting place where the Shogun was laid was cast in a mixture of bronze, silver and gold. It was never opened since he was interred there.

Pic taken is for going back to the entrance gate.. It's as steep as the stairs going to Chureito Pagoda in Fuji area.

📍 Futarasan Shrine

Upon exiting the Toshogu Shrine area make a right turn for this nearby shrine. I like this one as it's free. And has a charm on its own.. Go down the stairs to the other Torii gate and find yourself in the highway on your way to the next stop.

📍 Shinkyo Bridge (Bus stop No. 7)

Located one kilometer from the shrine grounds, the Shinkyo Bridge also belongs to Futarasan Shrine.

We just followed the highway going downtown and took the underpass near bus stop 8 and went left for Shinkyo Bridge. The other way, is for the kanmangafuchi Abyss. The Abyss is way nearer Bus stop 11 for Tamozawa imperial villa. But just in case you have time and you get to see this underpass, you might want to take this route to kanmangafuchi.

There are other bus stops worth visiting if you have the time.. You might want to check first before making a stop.

Below are other pictures taken in Nikko:

4th Day - Ueno-Asakusa

This is supposed to be Kawagoe Day but decided to switch it with Ueno/Asakusa instead. We called it Chill day because we just want to do our shopping and do a relaxed itinerary.

We stayed in Candeo Hotel in Uguisudani which is a station away from Ueno. You can actually walk from Uguisudani to Ueno but since it's cold and we don't feel like consuming our energy in the morning we still took the train to Ueno.

📍 Don Quijote

Went to Don Quijote in Ueno as it is the nearest branch from where we were staying. Exited at Ueno Park from train station and decided to take a peek at Ueno Park.

The lotus were in poor condition and there's not much to see so we scratched it off to our list.

Bought chocolates and some goodies in Donki.

I Highly recommend buying the ff:

Alfort @78 yen each
Ghana @98yen each

KitKat is expensive here at around 298 Yen. You can buy cheaper ones in Ameyoko Market at a 100+yen.

 📍ABAB

Before heading to our next stop, we left the shopped goodies in the locker area in the train station. One locker for 700 yen.

We headed to Abab for the 100 dollar store and bought more pasalubong.. Dolls are way cheaper here than in Donki but Akihibara store in Airport sells them, and other stuffs at much lower price. Ref magnets in the airport is just 330 yen while the one I bought in Fuji is 440 yen.

Neck warmer is just 300 yen. I bought one for Xander and regretted not buying one for me because it was really nice. It's not bulky like the scarf.

We also tried breakfast buffet in Abab. For 1320 yen you can eat all you want for salads, cakes, pasta, curry rice for 90mins.

After that we went to Magazines store for the Anello bags and headed back to the train station and rented another locker.

Took a train from Ueno to Asakusa and exited near the Sensoji temple.

 📍AMEYOKOCHO MARKET

From the train station exit, we turn right to Ameyokocho Market for cheap finds. The Kitkat packs are cheaper here than in Donki or in the Airport. 

My son bought candies at the famous Shimura shop.  Shimura Candy Shop, is a shop in Ameyoko famous for selling chocolate with Tataki-uri performance.  The guy from the store fills your plastic with any chocolate or candies his hand can grab to. And you'll get to pay 1000won. It was fun as we were chanting "more, more!!" to encourage the guy to stuff more candies.

 📍 SENSOJI TEMPLE

This is just the main gate. Behind that giant lantern is more people...

My friend went here at night and there is not much of a crowd. So if you prefer to stroll with less crowd, then you might opt to choose that option.

Yes! Just when you thought passing the gate is heaven, well it isn't the case. Here you will walk to an alley with stores on both sides, plus more people to bump into. Well, I did enjoy brushing through them and walking in to some stores just to find souvenirs, pasalubongs or anything that catches my eye. Unfortunately, for a budget traveler like me, your eyes mostly catch those with cheaper tags..hahaha.

This is what it feels like with people rushing bothways, and me at the center. Up ahead is the Sensoji Temple but we did not even get inside as there are more people.

We took a left to where the pagoda is, took pictures and ate takoyaki and yakiniku at the food stalls.

Takoyaki ala Sensoji

Isn't she lovely? That architecture of beautiful symmetry.

Headed back to the alleyway and turn left for the Asakusa River sunset view.

Asakusa Skyline with that famous beer logo on top of the black building. Do not ask me what that is.

Tokyo Skytree

The train station is just a minute walk from this vantage point so it's a good endpoint for the day. As for us, we head to Shibuya to meet some friends but ended up exhausted from all the day's shopping aside from the stress you get when you get to experience the throng of people in Shibuya. 

5th Day - Kawagoe

The most important day of my life came and I'm going to celebrate it in Japan. This has been scrapped on its supposed schedule but we pushed through with this in the end and made it as our 5th day adventure. When we made our itinerary, we made sure we have options for unforeseen circumstances.

Kawagoe is a Japanese city northwest of Tokyo. It's located in Saitama prefecture. An Edo-period castle town, it’s known for its old clay warehouses and merchant homes, called Kurazukuri. Oh how I love the place from the first time I saw it on the net. 

Kawagoe is 30mins away from Ikebukuro station on the Tobo Tojo Line. At the Ikebukuro station, we purchased the Kawagoe Discount Premium Pass. I think we bought the premium pass thinking we could ride the bus but my cousin who is in Japan met us and we got a ride.

Kawagoe Discount Premium Pass : Adult 970 yen Child 490 yen

For more info, please visit : https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/ticket/kawagoe/premium.html

From Kawagoe Station, we rode a bus (TOBU KOEDO Loop Bus) at bus stop 3  and alighted at our first destination Kitain Temple-Mae.

📍 Kitain Temple

We probably spent more than 2 hours in this place and even missed out on the 500 Rakans. Rakans are the statues of the disciples of Buddha, each with its own facial expression. 

There's also a pagoda you can see before the museum.

                      We explored the grounds to the left of the Kitain temple and Voila! Found some spots which are not touristy.

Natural flare.

Semba Toshogu Shrine

This shrine is related to the shrine in Nikko. This is a Toshogu shrine built within the Kitain temple. An artificial hill was made by 2,000 followers before building the main shrine and a worship hall. This was the Semba Toshogu Shrine. The original Kitain temple and the Semba Toshogu Shrine was burned down during the Great Fire of Kawagoe. The buildings we see now were just rebuilds.

The "Torii" Gateway at the entrance to the Semba Toshogu Shrine

View from the museum.

Caught a Japanese girl walking through the museum in her cute OOTD.

Relaxing view and a "do it or else" pose.

Garden of the Museum. 

 While waiting for my cousin, we pass the time by eating. This is the most expensive kamote (sweet potato) I ever tasted. Price 300 yen. 

Total time spent: 2hours

Entrance fee : 400 yen (Adult), 400 yen (Child) (Entrance fee is for the Museum but it's worth it)

At Lunch time, we ate at a restaurant near the Renkeiji temple. My cousin paid for it as a birthday treat to me!!!

📍 RenKeiji Temple

Total time spent: 30mins

Entrance fee : FREE

📍 Warehouse District

📍 Toki No Kane (Bell of Time)

This tower is an exact replica of the 17th-century original and continues its role as the symbol of Kawagoe and also notifies citizens of the hour four times a day.

Visions of the Past.

📍 Starbucks (Edo Style)

And the two punks at the door are actually my friends who intentionally posed even if I was shouting shoo shoo.

📍 Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley)

My cousin bought it for him. It was soft and not too sweet. This bread lasted for days and even got to Cavite.

There are lots of food being sold at this alley, and got us full till the night. We did not eat dinner.

The last stop should have been the Hikawa Shrine but it was a bit far from the area. After running through grass fields and felt like an endless loop of turns. we finally arrived at the shrine only to find out it is already closed.

So we just head back to the train station and called it a day. I had fun with Kawagoe, more so because I love old, vintage places.