Perspective - 日本の旅行

For this 10 days 8 nights trip to Japan's Hokkaido and Tokyo, we spent approximately an average of 244,000 yen per person. This amount is inclusive of everything: air ticket, accomodation, transportation, food, and miscellanous. I find it quite reasonable, considering that the food we take was generally scrumptious and the transportation is usually by trains, subways, and also domestic flights.

The weather forecast in Japan is generally VERY accurate. If it was forecasted to rain the next day, it definitely rained the next day. As such, we were very dependent on the weather forecast to plan our itinerary for the following day. Temperature forecasts are also very useful to help decide how thick our clothes should be. However, it is found to be wise to keep a cardigan close just in case the cold breeze comes blowing.

Public transportation in Japan is incredibly organized, systematic, punctual and above all, efficient. I absolutely love the JR trains and subway systems. Different lines served different regions, thus you can get around everywhere easily. There are different types of trains: from local (普通) to rapid express (快速) to limited express(特急). Thus, you can choose to speed through all the intermediate stations if you want to reach the other end of the line fast. And I must say, the public transport in Japan is PUNCTUAL. The trains or buses arrive right on the dot and depart exactly on time too. Thus, you can always conveniently plan ahead of time. Although some busy stations can be quite confusing with so many train lines intersecting, it is very systematic once you know how to move about. From the designated platforms, to the systematically categorized train cars and seats, to the well-planned exits at every stations, I have come to enjoy taking the public transportation in Japan because it is made so convenient. My only complaint is that it is very expensive :P

Food is quite expensive in Japan, especially in Tokyo. I mean like, really expensive for my budget. A set meal of lunch/dinner can cost at least 2,000 yen in certain food outlets. However, the konbini(s) here live up their name (konbini = convenient stores). They sell all the essentials (something like your 7-eleven, but there are more stuff sold), and especially the BENTO. Bento(s) from the convenient stores are really life savers in several scenarios: (i) food is expensive and you want to save some money. (ii) there's no decent restaurants or food stalls in the remote area you are standing. (iii) when you are so terribly hungry you can't walk another step. Apart from food, the konbini is our ultimate provider of mizu (plain water), ocha (Japanese green tea is a must all the time), moisturising cream (the cold weather can really crack your delicate skin - yes, mine's all cracked and callused), and batteries for your camera =D. There are a great variety of konbini chains in Japan; amongst the more popular ones I've seen are Seico, am/pm, Lawson, and of course, 7-eleven.

Travelling light is highly recommended if you have plans to move around often. I'm pretty glad we decided to travel light (i.e. one backpack + one carry on per person) as it was much much more convenient this way when taking the public transportations. It would be dreadful to have to lug heavy and bulky luggages up and down the trains and subways, and then dragging them horizontally and vertically across the stations (believe me, you'd be deadbeat if you had a large suitcase because transferring from one line to another may require a great deal of walking). Furthermore, if you have to travel at peak hours, you would need to prepare to face the unbelievable throng of people inside and outside the trains. Massive massive number of people. I find it quite convenient to pack light because we easily found coin laundries in each of the stop we made. Some coin laundries can be pretty expensive, but generally it costs about 300 yen to wash and another 300 yen to dry.

Travelling to Japan at this time (late spring-early summer) is probably one of the best times. During the entire trip, I felt as if I'd experienced an entire year in Japan: from snow-capped mountains to blooming sakura, and gentle spring breeze to light summer showers. From Hokkaido to Tokyo, I've seen the untouched wilderness and bustling metropolitan city cramped with high rise. The weather is not too cold, but not too hot: thus, it is a perfect cool weather for sightseeing in light wear.



Mankai sakura trees at Temiya Park in Otaru, Hokkaido.

The Japanese are generally very helpful and friendly people. Although my ability to converse in Japanese is super fundamental, we can still get around relatively easily as they are very willing and patient to help us out. However, for regions that are located in the outskirts of cities, most do not understand English and basic Japanese would be quite necessary to communicate effectively. However, I had alot of fun attempting to communicate in Japanese with the Japanese community. Thank you LJ81 Japanese Level2, you saved my life out there in Hokkaido >_<

In order to truly experience Japan and be immersed in their culture, I am all for self-travelling. Travelling with tour groups is relatively more rigid and 'packaged' - you won't be able to really experience the quirks of travelling in the JR trains and chikatetsu (subways), observe the nature and lifestyles of the Japanese up close, discover the different types of local food outlets and their unique features, or walk parallel to and interact intimately with the local community. It is much more fun to discover Japan, rather than be shown to; and it is far more flexible and pleasurable to travel at our own pace. Probably because my previous trips to China with tour groups had not been exactly pleasant, rather, they felt very hectic. Although probably many more tourist spots would be covered by the tour groups, I totally enjoyed moving around at my own intiative and time.

In a nutshell, I thoroughly enjoyed my one week in Japan. 本当にとても楽しかったですよ。絶対にまた今度日本へもう一度旅行にいきます。 I will definitely plan for the next one in near future. This time, I'd like to try to Kusatsu onsen in Gunma and breath the scent of lavender in Furano.

So if you would excuse me, I'm now off to scheme how to earn 300,000 yen for the next Japan trip.

PS: I will be posting a more detailed account at a later date ;)

～みはる～