Tokyo Day 1

October 14, 2015

On my 4^th day in Japan, I traveled from Osaka to Tokyo via the Shinkansen, or more popularly known as the ‘bullet train’. I got the JR Pass, a ride-all-you-can badge, which I can use to go anywhere in Japan via trains and buses under the Japan Railways (JR) Group. I purchased the JR pass in Manila (in Reli Tours and Travel) for ¥29,000 or Php 12,000. It’s good for seven days, which is fair enough since a one-way Shinkansen ride from Osaka to Tokyo costs about ¥15,000. I’ve always wanted to try riding a bullet train, so I guess this is worth it. And it was!

Image source: www.darkroastedblend.com

This is how the bullet train looks like inside. The seats are similar to the ones in the airplanes, although with more leg room and more comfortable. And guess what, there are no seat belts! That's how confident the Japanese are with their Shinakansen technology; zero casualties since its introduction in the 1960s!

At 300 kilometers per hour, this train is indeed as fast as a bullet. My camera struggled to capture the images, with most vertical lines becoming slant. The view of Japan’s countryside is nonetheless breathtaking to look at.

By bus, it would take around ten hours to reach Tokyo (from Osaka), but via the Shinkansen, it will only take less than three hours, cutting the travel time by as much as 70%.

We left Osaka at around 12 noon and arrived in Tokyo around 3:00 PM. We stayed at Kai Hostel, which is a really nice backpacker inn located at the Roppongi area, which is known for its vibrant nightlife and fancy lifestyle. The place is frequented by foreigners and expats and the vibe is quite similar to the Salcedo and Legazpi neighborhoods of Makati in the Philippines.

The common areas of the Kai Hostel: the living room, the lounge, and the cafeteria, which offers free breakfast, daily!

My first meal in Tokyo was from Yoshinoya, which is very different from the one in Manila. In Tokyo, it’s more like a home-cooked meal rather than a fast-food one. I had salmon and beef yakiniku. Super yummy!

Ivy and I went to Tokyo Tower first, to see the panoramic night view of the city:

Tokyo Tower was built in 1958, standing at 1,092 feet (333 meters). The elevator can take you to the observation deck at the 250^th meter, offering a breathtaking view of the city. The design was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and it’s easy to tell why. It is the tallest structure in Japan until the Tokyo Skytree beat it in 2012. Oh by the way, you have to pay ¥800 just to get to the top. It's worth it! But if you are on a tight budget, go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, which is not as high as Tokyo Tower but at least it can give you a bird's eye view of the city for free.

And then we went to Odaiba, an entertainment center built on reclaimed land similar to the Mall of Asia in Manila. We went to see the life-size Gundam, the Rainbow Bridge, Toyota Exhibit and the Statue of Liberty! Yes, they have it there! Lol.

Gundam Cafe has the most extensive collection of Gundam merchandise items. The menu also offers Gundam-inspired food, such as the Gundam Wings. Lol. Too bad, the restaurant was already closed when we got there but the shop is still open. I got to buy a Gundam model kit for a friend back home. 

The Rainbow Bridge and Japan's Statue of Liberty

Toyota Exhibit

Just before we went home at around 11 PM, we ate again at an Italian-Japanese restaurant, which I think is a bizarre yet unexpectedly perfect combination.

My mom always cooks spaghetti when I was young. And she always puts egg on top. Surprisingly, when we ordered pasta, there’s also an egg on top! Wow, my mom remembers me on my birthday, even if I'm in Japan! Lol.

Ivy and I ordered two pizzas, three-cheese and a veggie one! By the way, Ivy is also celebrating her birthday on October 15th so it's a double treat!

We also had baked mussels to complete our meal. By the way, we also had salad but we finished it before I even get to snap it. Hungry souls right there!

This is also the time when I learned something new again about Japan. When I handed over my cash to Ivy, I folded the ¥1,000 bill in front of her, and she gave me a horrified look! Little did I know that this is a big no-no in Japan! The Japanese do not like their bills to be folded, scratched or crumpled. That’s probably the reason why the Japanese bills I’ve been getting are all in mint condition.

Image source: rter.info

We went home shortly after... 

This has been a long day and tomorrow I get to see more of Tokyo.

Back at the hotel, I got to spend my birthday eve with these fellow backpackers, whom I just met at the lounge. They were all fun to be with. We drank beer, played music and talked about our travels and our respective countries of origin. From left: me, James from Australia, Viviane from Switzerland (who gave me Swiss chocolates, thank you, btw!), this guy from Belgium (I forgot his name, sorry) and Niall from Ireland.

This is one of the perks of staying at a hostel (as compared to Airbnb) because you get to meet exciting people from all over the world, with each one having a fantastic story to tell.

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How to get a Japan tourist visa?

Ohayo Gozaimasu! (means “Good morning”) 

I think that’s the appropriate opening line for this blog post. After all, Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun.

Tokyo and Osaka, the top two biggest cities in Japan, are just around four hours away from Manila. Budget airlines such as Jetstar and Cebu Pacific made it easier for regular folks, such as young professionals and millennials to consider Japan as a tourist destination (well, aside from the perennial destinations such as Hong Kong and Singapore—which are equally expensive places to travel to).

I went to Japan in October 2015 to celebrate my birthday and to see the beautiful cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. I got a really good seat sale with Cebu Pacific, paying only P8,500 (all in) for a round trip ticket to Osaka! (instead of the regular airfares that range from P18,000 to P25,000).

Nara, Japan

Okay, so here’s the step-by-step process of the Japan visa application:

1.  Print the application form and fill it up.

2.  Attach your most recent 2x2 colored photo.

3.  Fill up your itinerary form.

4. Request for a Certificate of Employment/ Enrollment from your company/ school

5. Request for a BIR Income Tax Return form (ITR or Form 2316) from your company

6. Request for a birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office). You can request online here (add marriage contract if married).

7.  Request for a bank certificate from your bank (a show money of P70,000 for a one week stay is good enough; I heard that P50,000 for a three or four-day stay is also good enough)

8. Print your supporting documents such as hotel bookings, flight itinerary (but if you don’t have one yet, it’s okay; some people wait for their visa before booking flights and hotels).

9. Submit all these forms together with your passport to Reli Tours and Travel. Click here to view their branches. Pay the P950 visa application fee.

10.  After three days, you will receive your passport back, hopefully with your Japan visa.

Please take note that you cannot apply directly to the Japanese Embassy in Manila. There are only five accredited travel agencies in the Philippines which can process your Japan visa. Reli Tours offer the most affordable one. I’ve tried their services twice with much success. 

For my first application last year, I got a single-entry visa valid for three months (15 days maximum stay per entry). This year, I reapplied and got a multiple-entry visa good for five years (30 days maximum stay per entry). Hello, Tokyo Olympics 2020!!!

So there. Japan travel made easy. Practice saying “Konnichiwa” (hello), “Arigato” (thank you) and “Ikura desu ka?”(how much?) already!

For more details on where to go and where to stay in Japan, click here.

Sample itinerary:

Universal Studios, Harry Potter World!

Day 3: Universal Studios Japan

I've been to the Universal Studios in Hollywood, California twice when I was a little boy, so I already have an idea of how Universal Studios Japan (USJ) would look like since some of its rides can also be found in the US. Stepping into this huge theme park took me into a trip down memory lane. I felt like a kid again, and if not for the Japanese-speaking people, I would have thought I was in California.

At the famous "Universal" globe

At the entrance of USJ

We bought our USJ tickets in the train station in Kyoto for about ¥7,200 (Php 2,865 or $60) but take note: there's an express ticket worth ¥10,000 ($85) which, if I'm not mistaken, will allow you to get 'express' entrance to five major rides and three minor rides without falling in line. We went on a Tuesday but the queues were still very long. I did not know this so unfortunately for us we have to fall in line, and this took some time off our trip, so I suggest that you get the express ticket to maximize your one-day stay at USJ and ride as many rides as you can.

Just before you enter the USJ gates, you will pass trough an array of restaurants, souvenir shops, snack bars and hotels

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

This is probably one of the main reasons that pushed me to go to Japan, to see Harry Potter World at USJ! I started reading books because of Harry Potter. I read all books from Book 1 to 7 and watched all the movies. I even line up during the first screenings of all the movies. I also play the video games in my PSP. My favorite book and movie is Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. There were just so many new characters and the Triwizard Tournament made both the book and the movie very exciting to read and watch.

Before you can get in the Harry Potter World, you have to secure a schedule stub from a machine near the center of USJ, which will determine what time you can get inside. This is being done systematically due to the immense number of people who are visiting Hogwarts. We were scheduled at 2:30 in the afternoon. Once we were in, we have to fall in line again before we can get inside the Hogwarts Castle...

This is the entrance to the Harry Potter World. This path would lead you to Hogsmeade!

Here I posed in front of Hogsmeade, which is described in the book as the only village in Britain that is purely inhabited by wizards. It is also the place where Harry, Hermione and Ron would go out for a mug of the famous "Butterbeer".

Aha! Ollivander's Wand Shop, where Harry got his first wand! And where I got mine, too! :)

The Hogwarts Express!


Dervish & Banges


Ivy and I got sorted already! I'm Gryffindor and she's Hufflepuff! :)
(Mind you, these robes are so expensive so we just tried it on.)


But of course, before we get officially enrolled at Hogwards, we ought to have broomsticks, the Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001! :)
 
There were so many people trying it on so I just took a photo of this muggle trying to use it. How shameless of me. hehe!

Can you see these owls and the packages they should deliver?


Oh yeah, they also have this Monster Book of Monsters, a vicious textbook that bites!

Watch it move:

And now....

The breathtaking view of the life-size Hogwarts Castle!

Hogwarts and the Black Lake, where merpeople reside!



Can you remember that Hungarian Horntail dragon that chased Harry over the castle?


These are the greenhouses where Harry, Ron and Hermione took their Herbology classes! Remember those screaming Mandrake plants? Luckily for us, they were not around that time, otherwise we would have ended deaf...

After an hour of falling in line, we're finally getting inside Hogwarts!



We're all excited to get sorted!

By the Sorting Hat:


It's kind of scary inside the castle cause it was so dark. Bloody hell!

These portraits on the walls were really moving and talking...



...in Japanese though, LOL! Watch:

Ah, Professor Dumbledore's office:



Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom
Can you see Harry, Ron and Hermione?


This isn't in Jurassic World haha!

Gryffindor common room:

Okay at this point in time, we are about to enter the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey 4K3D, a ride that combines actual real-life figures like haunting dementors, deafening explosions, and sprinkling mist and 3D images that we're reenacted from the movies. I enjoyed the part where we got chased by dementors during a Quidditch match, and I could literally see the Golden Snitch and Harry is in the foreground, just before me, and as if we were actually playing Quidditch together! Whew! It was so intense. This experience was so fantastic and electrifying that for a moment I really thought I was in Harry's world, that I too was a wizard. My dreams were fulfilled. Thank you Harry Potter and Thank you J.K. Rowling for inspiring millions of children (yes, because I was still a kid when Harry Potter series first came out!) :)

To give you an idea of how the ride looked like:

(photos were grabbed from Wikipedia)

Ah after the ride, you know what I did? I grabbed all the Harry Potter items in the souvenir shop that my hands can hold onto, to the point that one of the store's staff already gave me a basket. Blimey! They were all expensive but I didn't care, I just bought all of them! This is once in a lifetime experience anyways! Panic buying? haha!

Look what I bought:

Ooops sorry, the Spider-man item was bought from the Spider-man ride! haha!
Up to this day (January 2016), I haven't eaten the chocolate frog (center) and haven't drank the powdered Butterbeer (yes, they have it!). Total cost of damage: ¥18,000++ :( whew!

Of course, the Harry Potter World experience would not be complete without this:

Butterbeer!!!!

A real one! It tastes so good and so sweet! 

I have yet to taste if the powdered version would taste the same. Who wants to try? :)

This is where we bought the butterbeer.

Enjoying my cup of butterbeer at the Castle's foreground and by the lake...

Oh yeah, Ron Weasley's car (his dad's rather)

Unfortunately, there was no Whomping Willow in the castle grounds...
I would not touch that tree anyway!

Just before we leave Harry Potter World, we dropped by the famous Zonko's Joke Shop that was put up by the Weasley twins, Fred and George.


We also dropped by the Three Broomsticks Pub, but there were so many people and the food was expensive as well!

We're going home now...
Goodbye Hogwarts :( Till we meet again...

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