The Journey in Kansai

Preface

After working for many years, I’ve hardly ever truly relaxed or taken time off to travel. I originally planned to leave in early December, but since my birthday was approaching, I decided to delay the trip a bit to add a sense of ritual and make “celebrating my birthday” more interesting. The Kansai region of Japan isn’t far from Shanghai, but this was my first time traveling abroad, so I was quite excited. I did some homework in advance to avoid being completely lost upon arrival.

buff: This article is based on my personal experience and feelings; it’s not universally applicable. Please don’t nitpick 😅. Love and peace.

Currently, the exchange rate between JPY and CNY is about 20:1, which is slightly worse than a few months ago.

While doing my trip planning, I came across many unfamiliar terms. I’ve listed them here for easier understanding:

Some things worth knowing:

• In Japan, the steering wheel is on the right side, so vehicles drive on the left. That means both people and cars keep left. The same goes for staircases, although in Osaka, some places (like train station stairs) follow a right-up, left-down rule.
• Some buses board from the back, some from the front. When getting off, if there’s a fare box at the door, you’ll need to tap your card (you’ll only be charged once). If you don’t have a card or exact change, you’ll need to overpay with coins (just like in China – if you don’t have a ¥1 coin, you’ll use a ¥5 or ¥10).
• There are almost no public trash cans on the streets. If you see a vending machine, chances are there will be a trash bin nearby.
• Not all ATMs support international withdrawals.
• Most public spaces (tourist spots, malls) prohibit smoking. Hotels offer smoking and non-smoking rooms, so specify your preference when booking or checking in.
• While visiting attractions, watch for “No Camera” signs. If photography is not allowed, don’t take photos. Some residents also post such signs in front of their homes — respect others’ privacy.
• Many malls close by 8 PM. Convenience stores, however, are abundant and seem to operate 24/7.

Itinerary

Departure -> Kansai Airport -> Kyoto -> Nara -> Osaka -> Return

Candidate Spots

Most people visit similar places. I referred to:

【Osaka Free Travel 2023】7 Days 6 Nights in Osaka and Kyoto! Dotonbori / USJ / Kiyomizu-dera｜Transportation, Travel Passes - Klook Travel Blog

means I visited the place, means I didn’t

Osaka

• Osaka Castle Park
• Shinsaibashi
• Kuromon Market
• Dotonbori
• Umeda Sky Building
• Tsutenkaku Tower
• Universal Studios Japan
• Osaka Aquarium

Kyoto

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka
• Fushimi Inari Taisha
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
• Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
• Eikando Temple
• Tenjuan Temple
• Arashiyama

Nara

• Todai-ji
• Nara Park
• Kasuga-taisha

Preparations in Advance

🔴 Japan Visa

Check out this article

It seems that visas are now electronic (single entry). I didn’t print the visa notification PDF — just opened it on my phone at Pudong Airport during check-in and let the airline staff scan it.

🔴 Fill Out Your Itinerary on ^Visit Japan Web

Use Simplified Chinese and complete these few forms. Easy. Once you’ve filled this out, there’s no need to complete the paper immigration form on the plane.

🔴 Activate an NFC Transit Card

I use an iPhone, and I added ICOCA directly in the Wallet app. To verify whether my VISA card could top up, I tested it with a 1000 yen charge — activation succeeded, but I couldn’t top up further due to a recharge error.

So, switch to Suica. Both cards work (for transport and convenience stores), so don’t worry. I successfully added and topped up Suica on my phone using a UnionPay card (Shanghai Pudong Development Bank). It cost me 1000 yen to activate and another 1000 yen to test recharge, totaling 2000 yen, which is about 100 RMB. For the rest of my trip, I used Suica for all transactions. (The 1000 yen I initially charged on ICOCA was used to buy water and bread at a convenience store.)

Buy ^HARUKA Train Ticket from Kansai Airport to Osaka

Download the ^Klook app. After registering and logging in, go to the homepage: Transport -> Airport trains & buses -> Japan -> JR Haruka Kansai Airport to Kyoto/Osaka/Tennoji Express Ticket. Select your departure date and starting station, buy your ticket, and retrieve a QR code for printing your physical ticket and boarding. If you simply tap in using an ICOCA or Suica, a conductor will approach you to charge a fare adjustment — it’ll cost you an extra 50–60 RMB.

🔴 Buy a SIM Card

Roaming data was not an option (Google Maps wouldn’t work), but I did activate international roaming via the China Unicom app — it allows me to receive SMS for free, which was handy for verification codes. I didn’t consider a physical SIM due to the hassle and risk of losing my card, so I only looked into eSIMs. After checking ^esimdb, these were my options:

1. Airalo
   I bought this one — 30 days, 10GB for 💲6. (Some users mentioned it’s 4G but delivers over 100 Mbps. Based on my experience, that’s accurate — signal was strong and stable with no dropouts.)
   👉Speed Test Screenshot👈
   One more thing — their customer service is excellent!
   If you’d like, use my referral code LYNAN1476 — both you and I will get 💲3 off.

2. Holafly

3. kkday

🔴 Prepare a Reasonable Amount of Yen in Cash

I didn’t prepare ahead of time and only withdrew after landing. But I don’t recommend doing what I did 😅.
One thing to note: Japan’s ATMs are quite old-fashioned. They don’t support contactless withdrawal (like Apple Pay). Also, withdrawals usually dispense only 10,000 yen bills.
You’ll find ATMs inside most convenience stores.

🔴 Buy Travel Insurance

I purchased the Overseas Travel Plan (Asia Upgrade) via the “WeSure” platform. The premium was 147 RMB. It covers personal accident, trip delay, luggage delay, loss of belongings, etc.

Other Suggested Items for Packing

1. Disposable bath bags
2. Disposable face towels
3. Tissue paper (Japanese tissue is extremely thin)
4. Slippers
5. Your own toothbrush and toothpaste

Of course, you can buy all of these in Japan, but if you arrive late, you may just want to rest and not head out. Since it was my first time visiting Japan and I was unfamiliar with the environment, I packed extra just in case.

Detailed Itinerary

⚠️ Image-heavy content warning
Most of the images in the article are straight out of the camera. Videos can be viewed in 4K resolution via the Bilibili app.

Day 1 Shanghai -> Osaka

Departed at 9 a.m., took a rideshare to Pudong Airport T2. Checked in, went through security, and took the airport train to the departure hall. Flight was delayed by an hour. After a 2-hour flight, we arrived at Kansai Airport. It was a smooth flight today. I picked a great seat — spacious legroom and a clean, scratch-free window. Just before landing, the sunset was stunning. 🌅

After landing, collected luggage, fingerprinted, scanned the QR code for immigration, then exited and took the shuttle bus to Terminal 1. The bus announcements were in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. After getting off the bus and taking the elevator, the JR entrance was right there. Use the white machine beside the entrance to scan your QR code and get your ticket. After getting the ticket, go through the far-right manual gate (for people with disabilities) for inspection — the gate doesn’t accept or recognize the printed QR receipt 😄. Inside, there’s a Hello Kitty train and a staff member nearby — you can confirm with them if it’s the right train. If it is, they’ll tell you which car to board. Once the train departs, a staff member will check tickets. If you’re in the correct car, they’ll just stamp it. If you’re in the wrong car or entered using an IC card instead of a HARUKA ticket ^HARUKA, you’ll need to pay the fare difference.
^HARUKA: The scenery along the way is said to be quite nice, but it was dark, so I couldn’t see anything.
The white machine prints a voucher that lets you board but can’t be inserted into the ticket gate; the green machine prints a ticket you can insert.

After arriving at JR Kyoto Station, I exited from the west exit and walked to the hotel using Google Maps. On the way, I passed a 7-11. Tried to withdraw cash using my China Merchants Bank VISA credit card and OCBC VISA debit card, but both failed. At FamilyMart, the withdrawal worked fine. I withdrew 20,000 yen (about 1,000 RMB), bought a small bread roll, and asked the cashier via a translator app to break it into smaller denominations. He kindly gave me 3 × ¥500, 4 × ¥100, and a handful of ¥10 and ¥1 coins. Nice 😄.
Just exchange for ¥500 and ¥100 coins — smaller ones are barely used.

First day impressions: all the staff I encountered were very polite 🫡. Took a bath and rested at the hotel.

Day 2 Kyoto

To avoid the crowd, I got up early — at 6:40 a.m., freshened up and went to the hotel’s first floor for breakfast. After eating, I used my phone for navigation and took a bus. At 7:15 a.m., I arrived at the Kiyomizu-michi bus stop. Walked a bit and reached Kiyomizu-dera at 7:25 a.m. Entry fee: ¥400.

Kiyomizu-dera — most of the autumn leaves had already fallen.
Kiyomizu StageKiyomizu Stage

After a full walk-through, I left Kiyomizu-dera at 8:20 a.m. and headed back toward Sannenzaka. At 8:30 I reached Yasaka Pagoda, then turned back toward Ninenzaka. At 8:45 I arrived at Kōdai-ji Temple — it was closed for maintenance.

Went downhill along a tree-lined path, passed Entoku-in Temple, and reached Yasaka Shrine at 9:15 a.m. Continued along Shijo Street to Kamogawa River, around 9:50 a.m.

Kamogawa RiverKamogawa River

My inner voice when I saw the Kamogawa: “That’s it?” Felt just like a small river in a county town back home 😂.

At 10 a.m., I arrived at Ichiran Ramen. You order from a machine first, then wait to be seated (no wait around 10 a.m.). I ordered the standard ramen with all default settings — rich and creamy flavor. One bowl costs ¥960, about 48 RMB.

Rested a bit after eating, then took the subway to Fushimi Inari Taisha (hiking time!).

The mountain was full of torii gates — even if you miss them at the base, there are tons more up the hill.

You get a nice view over Kyoto from halfway up.

Took several shots and stitched them into a panorama.

Kept walking.

Thankfully it was daytime — if it were any darker, it’d be a little scary. Lots of crows were cawing loudly.

A plump piggy catA plump piggy cat

And more maple leaves 🍁

After finishing the hike, my legs were done for — went back to the hotel to rest.

Day 3 Kyoto

Headed to Jonangu Shrine in the morning.

Waiting for the busWaiting for the bus

Arrived.

This was the first time in days that I saw such lush red maples.

So beautifulSo beautiful

The moment a leaf fallsThe moment a leaf falls

Just a note — the ladle stations like this one are used to wash hands (for purification), not for drinking.

After visiting, I navigated to Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion).

It also featured some traditional garden landscapes.

After leaving Ginkaku-ji, I walked to Eikando Temple (about 2 km).
You have to take off your shoes to enter the halls. After walking so much all day, walking barefoot on wooden floors made the soles of my feet ache a bit 😓.

After leaving Eikando, I visited Tenjuan Temple.

CoverCover

I wandered a bit up the road in front of Tenjuan — some gardens here are open to the public for free.

For example, this one:

Day 4 Kyoto

The temperature dropped today—freezing cold 🥶. I chose to visit Arashiyama today because it had been cloudy and rainy the past couple of days, and I figured the scenery would be better on a sunny day, so I checked the weather forecast and picked today.

Self-checkout at the hotel. Then I went to Lawson to buy some gum and get some change (actually, as long as you have 1000 yen bills, you’re good—most places can give change). When I pulled out my wallet, the cashier girl caught a glimpse of my ID and smiled, saying, “WeChat Pay and Alipay are accepted too.” I replied, “I’m actually just getting some coins, thank you.”

Luggage storage machines are incredibly convenient.
The touchscreen supports multiple languages, and here are the steps to use it:

1. Find an empty locker and place your luggage inside.
2. Pull down the latch and make sure it’s securely locked.
3. Go back to the screen and confirm that the green-highlighted locker is the one you used.
4. If yes, tap the green square on the screen, swipe your IC card, and payment will go through.
5. The machine will then print out a small receipt—done!

Took the train from Kyoto Station to Kameoka, where the Arashiyama Romantic Train starts.
After arriving at Kameoka Station, there were signs at the exit showing how to get to the Torokko train station. You can search the English name of the station on your map app. I ran into two Taiwanese travelers right after exiting—they couldn’t input the Japanese characters for the station. I told them, “Use English,” and it was like a lightbulb went off (I had the same realization the day before).

Outside Arashiyama Romantic Train StationOutside Arashiyama Romantic Train Station

After reaching the train station, I found out the earliest departure today was 10:30 AM. I had arrived way too early (was hoping for the 9:30 train). So I waited an hour at the station. I didn’t book tickets in advance because arriving early meant I could get one on the spot. When buying tickets, you can ask the staff, “May I take a river-side seat?” If available, they’ll pick a good seat for you.

Train’s ready to go!
PlatformPlatform

There were people on boats in the river.

And others fishing.

The river-side views really are the best!

Accidentally captured the reflection in the water—it didn’t take away from the beauty at all.

I got off at the second-to-last stop (Arashiyama Station). My first stop was Jojakko-ji Temple. (A lot of people head to the bamboo grove first.)

Nice weather—feels like an anime sceneNice weather—feels like an anime scene

After that, I also visited the bamboo grove.

When the wind rustles through, the bamboo makes a soft whispering sound—very soothing.

Next, I went to Okochi Sanso Garden. The ticket costs 1000 yen and includes a serving of matcha.
Gorgeous weatherGorgeous weather

Warmed up first with a cup of matcha.

Finished my tea, time to explore.

Followed this sign.

Myokian Temple—another peaceful, private moment. Sat here for quite a while, very healing.

The information hall was a bit spooky.

After exiting Okochi Sanso, I walked along the river.

Then I visited Tenryu-ji Temple.

Came back out to the riverside again.

Togetsukyo BridgeTogetsukyo Bridge

Time to head to Nara—first take the JR train to Kyoto Station, pick up luggage, then continue on to Nara.

Day 5 Nara

The main purpose of this Nara trip was to see the deer. The temperature dropped again today—it was freezing cold 🥶.

The hotel I booked was right upstairs next to the JR station without even needing to exit the station. Super close, haha.

The view from the room after checking in was also beautiful.

View from the Hotel NikkoView from the Hotel Nikko

Got up at 8 the next morning, had breakfast, and took a bus to Tōdai-ji first.

Deer spotted!

The small forest next to Tōdai-ji had a sign warning about wild boars, haha.

A fawn in the woods, such a touching moment between mother and child.

Lick lickLick lick

Finally arrived at Tōdai-ji.

The Great Buddha really is huge—just the head is several stories tall.

Leaving Tōdai-ji.

This gate and its pillars are also supersizedThis gate and its pillars are also supersized

Walked to Nara Park. I think the park had a barnyard smell (deer droppings)… is that okay to say?

Haha.

The bald hill in the back must be Mount Wakakusa.

Next stop: Kasuga Taisha Shrine.

Huge treeHuge tree

Day 6 Osaka, Uji

Went out in the morning and it seemed like there was a house fire at a FamilyMart. A crowd had gathered to watch.

Headed to Osaka Castle Park.

Didn’t feel like there was much to see, so I quickly hopped on a train to Uji.

At Uji Station—it had that industrial (run-down) vibe.

Walked across Uji Bridge.

Zoned out while sitting on this bench.

Uji River

For lunch, I had a bowl of matcha noodles—really liked it. It didn’t have that overly thick or cloying flavor.

Saw the word “通学” (commuting to school), which gave off a bit of a nostalgic vibe—used to be a commuting student myself, haha.

Spaced out and drank some matcha at the Uji Matcha Museum.

Day 7 Osaka

In the morning, I went to Tsutenkaku.
I saw it as soon as I exited the subway station.

I arrived too early, so I went to grab a hot drink. There was no Starbucks nearby, but there was a McDonald’s, so I went in for a coffee and waited for Tsutenkaku to open.

After going up, I spaced out for a while. The view was really great, but the wind was strong.

For lunch, I had Sukiyaki at a small shop. There weren’t many seats, so I waited in line for 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was my first time trying raw egg, and it was delicious.

In the afternoon, I went to the aquarium.

A fish, looks a little lonely.

Cute sealCute seal

The aquarium had seats, another great place to space out while watching the fish “fly” in the water.
I spent about 2 hours there, then went out for a hot drink at Starbucks.
I then walked along the seafront corridor to the Ferris wheel. The ride was fantastic! Only 45 RMB for 15 minutes, super amazing!

Day 8 Osaka -> Shanghai

The last day was mostly spent shopping.

I passed by the Glico billboard several times.

I had curry rice at “Shikika.” It was too salty, and there was way too much sauce; I couldn’t get used to it.

In the afternoon, I rested at Starbucks for quite a while. In the evening, I went to Ichiryu Ramen and chose a lighter flavor this time, which was more to my taste.

I bought some snacks and some strange items at a drugstore, spending 9000 yen, which came to 8000 yen after tax.

At 6 PM, I headed to JR Osaka Station (Umeda Station) to take the HARUKA train to Kansai Airport, ready to head home.

After I started the check-in process, I entered the airline reservation number provided by Fliggy into the self-service kiosk, but it said the number couldn’t be found. I tried another machine, but got the same result. So, I went to the check-in counter to explain the situation, and the staff helped me find another reservation number using my passport, and assisted with check-in and luggage check.

I arrived home in the middle of the night, and the journey came to an end.

Expenses

Other Plans

Buy an iPhone

In Japan, foreign tourists can buy an iPhone tax-free at the following physical stores:

1. Yodobashi Camera（ヨドバシカメラ）
2. Bic Camera（ビックカメラ）
3. EDION（エディオン）
4. Yamada Denki（ヤマダ電機）Only contract phones, no SIM-Free models sold
5. Sofmap（ソフマップ）Only second-hand phones, no second-hand 15 Pro models
6. Apple Store（アップルストア）Cannot be tax-free

I ended up buying it at EDION, where the cashier was a young guy who spoke Chinese, and the purchase was completed smoothly. 😄

Some Impressions

• This was my first time traveling abroad, and I could feel the presence of people from different countries living, working, and traveling in the city.
• Whenever I had any questions and asked staff for help, I received great answers. I’m thankful for their kindness and politeness.
• Japan’s public transportation system is intricate, and at first, it felt a bit confusing, but once I figured it out, I realized it’s convenient, with frequent, punctual, and comfortable services.
• The way Japanese people dress is neat, not necessarily fashionable, but very professional.
• Everything is so clean, not just the tourist areas. I noticed locals take good care of their fences and plants as well.
• The whole travel experience felt very free, moving at my own pace, walking, stopping, and just daydreaming everywhere. It was very peaceful.
• In one day, I felt like I couldn’t visit too many places—my feet got tired 😅. I usually visited two places each day, and my step count was over 20,000 steps!
• Even though the maple leaf season had ended, I was still really satisfied with the sights of the places I visited.

At the convenience store, I met cashiers from several countries, and I could also hear people speaking different languages on the streets. Most importantly, everyone seemed happy, which was awesome! Happiness is contagious, haha.

Any Issues Encountered

Other than a small check-in issue on the way back, everything was super smooth 😄

Q&A

Q: Did you travel alone?
A: Yes. I tried to invite some friends but found no one as free as I am to travel anytime. Haha.

Q: Is it possible to go without knowing the language?
A: I don’t know Japanese at all. I learned three phrases: “Sumimasen” (Excuse me), “Arigato gozaimasu” (Thank you), and “Konnichiwa” (Hello). Most of the time, I used English or translation apps. The self-service machines (e.g., lockers, ticket machines) all offer four languages: Chinese, Japanese, English, and Korean, which is very convenient.

Q: What camera equipment did you use?
A: Mainly the Sony A7CII mirrorless camera, with three lenses: SAMYANG AF35 F1.8, SAMYANG AF75 F1.8, and VILTROX AF20 F2.8. I didn’t carry a backpack; I only took a small bag, so I kept my camera in my windbreaker pocket. The Tamron 28-200mm is a great travel lens, but it doesn’t fit my need to shove the camera in my pocket, haha.

I mostly used the 35mm lens because it allowed for close-ups while cutting out unwanted background compared to a wider 20+mm lens.

Sometimes, I used my phone with the NOMO RAW app or the default camera app.

Q: How’s the environment in Osaka?
A: I think Kyoto and Nara have great air quality, with moss everywhere, which shows the environment is clean. Osaka is also good, and I didn’t feel any haze.

Q: Any things to watch out for in Japan?
A: Carry your passport with you.

Q: Did you experience any discrimination?
A: No.

Q: What payment methods are accepted?
A: Most stores, convenience stores, and restaurants accept WeChat, Alipay, VISA, MasterCard, and JCB. UnionPay cards are less commonly supported. Make sure to have a VISA card. Tickets for attractions are usually cash-only, and some small local restaurants also only accept cash.

Q: Are prices high?
A: Bottled water is about 100 yen (roughly 5 RMB), which I think is expensive. Meals at chain restaurants like Shikika or Yoshinoya can cost between 30 to 50 RMB. Overall, I’d say the prices are not low, but not unbearable either. The entrance fees to the attractions I visited were very cheap, ranging from 300 yen (about 15 RMB) to 1000 yen (about 50 RMB). The aquarium ticket cost 2700 yen (about 135 RMB), which I thought was very affordable. However, transportation in Japan is quite expensive, with buses and subways starting from about 200 yen (10+ RMB).

Q: Which navigation app did you use?
A: I used Google Maps and Apple Maps. Personally, I found Apple Maps more convenient and easier to use.

Q: Are station names hard to remember in the metro?
A: Station names usually have a code, for example, stations on the Keihan Line are coded from KH01 to KH77. Listening to the announcements, you can easily recognize the station by its code. Similarly, other train and subway lines also have station codes.

Q: Did you take taxis?
A: No. The maps estimated a 3km ride at about 2000 yen, haha, no thanks. The public transport system is so convenient that taxis are unnecessary, and it’s easier on your wallet. Also, if the driver calls you, it might be hard to communicate if you don’t speak Japanese.

Q: Why are there no people in your photos?
A: It’s the off-season, so there are fewer tourists, and I try to avoid capturing people when I take photos.

Q: Why didn’t you visit xxx restaurant or xxx hotel?
A: Are you trying to stir things up? 😅

Q: Didn’t you go to Universal Studios?
A: It was freezing 🥶, no way.

Q: Where did you book your hotels?
A: I compared prices on Booking and Meituan. Sometimes, Meituan offers cashback after check-in at some hotels, so it’s worth comparing. I also check reviews and ratings, looking at the surrounding transportation and attractions. I also use Agoda and other platforms. Since it was my first time in Japan, I chose hotels near the stations.

When booking, I prefer to choose refundable options (which are usually a bit more expensive) to avoid losing money in case plans change.

Q: Do hotels provide laundry services?
A: Not always. It may be a paid service (for example, laundry at Osaka Hommachi Smile Premium Hotel costs 300 yen per load and 100 yen for 30 minutes of drying). You can check with the hotel front desk.

Q: Is it a good time to visit at the end of December?
A: It was still around 10°C when I arrived, but it dropped to single digits by the time I left. It felt pretty cold, and the outdoor wind was strong. I wouldn’t recommend going at this time unless you’re okay with the cold. Although it’s cold, it’s not snowing yet.

Q: Did you try any local specialties?
A: I went to a sushi restaurant with good reviews on Maps, located in the Kuromon Market, where I had a 4500 yen sushi set with 10 pieces. Afterward, I realized I prefer cooked food 😄.