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We just got back from Japan more than two weeks ago for a holiday. Japan is a beautiful country. Its people, heritage, and culture. Not to forget its food!

My trip to Japan before this was seven years ago. Since then, Japan was always on my radar as the travel destination and I knew we would go back again some time in the future.

If you can recall, J and K were not part of the trip. We were there just the two of us: my wife and I. You can read about the trip here.

Even after the recent visit, I still love Japan. I don’t deny the fact that I will pay the Land of the Rising Sun another visit soon.

For the recent trip to Osaka and Kyoto, we took J and K along. It was their first trip to Japan and they loved it to the bits. It’s an eye-opening experience for them and Japan is a good place for children to learn about good manners and being considerate to others.

This trip is different from our trip 7 years ago as this trip was self-tour. We moved around on our own and without a guide.

If you are asking, “How could that possible?” then read on.

At first I was skeptical too about moving around in a country that her people don’t speak English. But after I came back from the trip, I can tell you confidently that it is possible.

Based on our real life experience, I want to share with you how we did it, traveling in a foreign land where language is a problem, where culture is so much different from ours.

Let me warn you this article is really really long (it took me 2 weeks to finish and one of the longest I’ve ever written).

For ease of reading, I have divided it into a 3-article series:

Part 1: Tips and Tricks for Planning a Trip to Japan

Part 2: What to Do, Eat, and See in Osaka

Part 3: What to Do, Eat, and See in Kyoto

Note: This is the first part of a 3-part series of Family Trip to Japan: Travel Tips and Guide to Osaka and Kyoto

There are four main things of a trip to a foreign country: air tickets, accommodation, itinerary, and transport.

This is how we planned our Osaka and Kyoto trip.

Air Tickets

How this trip came about was when my wife leisurely browsed the Internet and saw some cheap tickets to Japan were on sale. Without much hesitation, tickets were purchased after deciding the length of stay. This also coincided with one-week school holiday.

The trip started 28 August and ended 3 September. We reached Japan at 11 pm and left Japan at 10 pm on the last day.

Unlike seven years ago, for Malaysian citizens, no visa is required to travel to Japan at the time of writing. This removes a lot of headache for travellers as visa application was very stringent then.

Accommodation

Once tickets were secured, the next item to check off from the to-do list was accommodation. We decided to stay in two cities for the purpose of convenience and time-saving.

We divided the stay equally between Osaka and Kyoto: 3 nights each. For the first time, we used Airbnb as staying in a hotel in Japan for four could be very costly. So we looked for affordable apartments that could accommodate all of us without breaking the bank.

Legally, Airbnb is not approved by the Japanese government. The landlords of the properties must have hotel permit in order to rent out their properties. But in most cases, those listed on Airbnb don’t. However, there are many Japanese landlords operating on Airbnb and if you follow the house rules, you won’t run into any trouble during your stay. (For example, the Japanese neighborhood doesn’t like noisy occupants after 8 pm; you need to segregate the trash, etc.)

Hey, look at us, we made it. So it’s quite safe to use Airbnb for your stay in Japan.

If you are still not convinced, you can stay in a hotel or hostel if cost is your concern.

Our accommodation cost about RM450 a night on average for four. The costs are dependent on location, size, and type of property. Check out the ratings on Airbnb. Read the reviews and fine print thoroughly before booking an accommodation. Better still, write to the owner and ask questions. See how fast he replies and the way he replies. All this will help you in determining whether you should go ahead with the accommodation.

Itinerary

This is not an easy task. There are so many places to visit, things to do and see in such a short time. The trick is how to cramp so many things in so few days.

Do you want a cover-as-much-as-you-can trip or a leisurely one?

Seven years back, we didn’t really travel much in Osaka and Kyoto as we kind of rushed through the cities. So we planned to visit more places this time.

It’s important to do your homework before reaching Japan. We had three months to do so. Besides doing research on the Internet, we also asked some friends who had been to Japan for some traveling advice.

As it turned out, online information on Japan is extensive and consistent. It’s highly reliable and up-to-date. It’s convenient though you feel confusing sometimes.

Find out the places of interest of the city you want to visit. Have an idea where to go on a particular day. 4-6 spots are ideal depending on your child’s stamina.

Don’t be greedy. Leave some space for short breaks and unplanned activities if they ever turn up.

Depending on where you go, you might need to pre-order entrance tickets (especially popular spots like Universal Studios Japan. More about this later) or passes (bus or subway) before hand. This saves time and makes your trip more manageable.

I felt overwhelmed when doing the itinerary planning. Because I was not familiar with where those places are located and how far they are from each other. But once you get the hang of it, you can do better.

Thanks to my wife. Most of the itinerary planning was done by her.

Insider tip: Travel by location. Visit places of the same locality together, on the same day. This not only saves time but also money and energy. This is what we did. As you read about where we went later in the post, you will realise we followed this maxim throughout our stay in Japan.

Transport

At first, I was skeptical about traveling on our own in Japan. English is not commonly spoken there and I worried we might not be able to take public transport to move around due to the complicated and confusing lines of subway and train.

With that in mind, we did our planning in a very detailed manner: where to take what train, where to transfer, where to get down, and more.

For Osaka and Kyoto, subway and train are the main mode of transport. Except only one day, we used buses when we were with a Japanese friend who took us around. One interesting fact is, as I found out later when I was there, bicycles are very common in downtown Kyoto. Cyclists and pedestrians co-exist side by side.

Be warned: A lot of walking is required when traveling in Japan. Some stations are not near to tourist spots. Walking is not a choice but requirement. If you’re not used to walking the whole day, be prepared. A pair of good walking shoes and great stamina will make things easy for you. Bring along snacks and drinking water, especially if you have young children tagging along.

Insider tip: Use Google Maps to plan your transport. Enter the starting point and destination in Google Maps. You can choose either driving, subway and bus, or walking. When the choice of going around is made, Google Maps will propose a recommended route to reach your destination. Proposed route and traveling time are clearly stated. If public transport is chosen, departure and arrival time of the transport as well as the fare is displayed too. Very useful and you can’t live without it. If you have Wi-Fi while in Japan, use Google Maps to navigate and to help you walk around.

Quick Facts and Tips for Traveling to Japan

Quickfacts

Timezone: UTC+9

Currency Exchange: ¥1000 = MYR39.13

Temperature: check online for the weather and temperatures of the city you’re going to to allow you to make the necessary preparations: what to bring and what to wear.

Tips and Tricks

Take advantage of passes and buy them before hand

There are many choices of passes on the market. Pick those that are relevant to your trip and you can save on some hard earned money. Examples of passes are Osaka Amazing Pass, ICOCA/Kansai One Pass, subway pass, bus pass. If you are clear on what passes to buy, try buying online before your trip. It can save you time and hassle. A simple search on the Internet will guide you on how to go about this.

Before the trip, we bought Universal Studios Japan entrance tickets online. However, for Osaka Amazing Pass and Kansai One Pass (excellent discount on Haruka train to Kansai Airport for foreigners), we bought them when we arrived in Japan because we needed more info before buying them.

Accommodation is small, travel light
Unless you stay in a hotel, if you plan to use Airbnb like we did, affordable apartments are usually small in size (of course, unless you have the means for high end accommodation) in city areas. It’s very compact and you tend to bump into each other while moving around in the unit, literally. Therefore, travel light with fewer and smaller luggages is highly recommended. Get a property that comes with pocket wi-fi (portable wi-fi) without extra costs. This is very handy in helping you navigate around the city on foot.

Plan ahead
Plan your itinerary and how you move around, either bus, train, bicycle, or walk. Get directions before hand or if you have Internet connection, use Google Maps as your guide while you’re on the move.

Communicate with local Japanese without knowing the language
It’s not easy to speak to Japanese people (unless you know Japanese) because they are not well versed in English. To overcome this problem, get a Japanese-speaking friend to tour with you. If this is not possible, use Google Translate app. You type in your question in English, Google translates it and you show it to the person you talk to in Japanese. It works both ways: from English to Japanese and vice-versa. Or use the most basic way, show using a map/brochure.

It’s always a good idea to ask someone at the information center. We did this many times to avoid going into the wrong directions. Plus, it’s highly likely that the person behind the counter can speak a bit of English.

Have a good pair of walking shoes
As I said earlier, unlike the well-pampered Malaysians who drive even for the shortest distance, a lot of walking is required in Japan. Get a pair of comfortable walking shoes for the trip.

Useful websites for research

Transport Planning
http://www.hyperdia.com/en/
http://maps.google.com

Attractions by area
Osaka
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2157.html
http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/osaka-attractions

Kyoto
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html
https://www.discoverkyoto.com/places-go/kyoto-by-area/
http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/kyoto-sightseeing

Bonus Tip: Unique Souvenir

We got this idea from our neighbor. She’s been doing this for many years. It’s a unique way to get a souvenir from the country you are traveling to. Best of all, it’s one of a kind and it doesn’t cost a lot of money.

Are you ready?

Get this: send a postcard to yourself from overseas. Buy a postcard there and mail home. Whether you’re a stamp collector or not, it doesn’t matter. The postcard itself is already a pretty good memento of your vacation.

Note: This is the first part of a 3-part series of Family Trip to Japan: Travel Tips and Guide to Osaka and Kyoto

Quick links to the 3-part series:

Part 1: Tips and Tricks for Planning a Trip to Japan

Part 2: What to Do, Eat and See in Osaka

Part 3: What to Do, Eat, and See in Kyoto