Day 1 & 2 - Osaka + USJ + Kyoto | • mighty feisty •

(They always want this weird-ass pose when we travel i'm not sure why)

So if you've been following my Instagram, you'd know I just returned from a rather happening Japan trip! 7 of us (bubs, our friends and me) decided on a whim last year that we should go on a sakura trip in Tokyo, initially it was just 4.. then it became 6... and the final number chalked up to 9!! But more on that later and will probably blog about things to take note of if you're thinking of doing a group trip!

(Wish we were on a 12midnight flight instead. We took a 6 am flight out and ETA was 1pm-ish at Narita)

So, we decided on 12 days (not enough for me, at all) and of course, we bought the air tickets without planning much initially. It was $660 for ANA so it was quite a good deal! Though I'll prefer SQ over ANA that's for sure...

(To inconsiderate travelers....)

We decided to do Osaka (1.5 days), Kyoto (4.5 days) and Tokyo (6 days) which was really quite hectic to be honest but more on that next time.

(I really hate my friends..... and boyfriend)

We took a rather long train ride from Narita to Osaka and finally cabbed to our apartment (affordable because shared) cause we didn't wanna miss out dinner and the sights of Dotonburi! It's really important to know prior to your trip, how's the itinerary going to be! Landing at Kansai instead of Narita could save us a chunkful of time actually!

(Met this cutie when we made a pit-stop at Tokyo Station!)

Like every Japan trip, I'll always opt for AirBnB rather than a hotel ($$$) and we found one that could accommodate us 7 for a night at only $20 bucks a person!

(Still a tad crowded for 7 of us but its for a night only anyway)

(None of us needed the couch since there's 4 queen size beds!)

(You can look for Hachi's listing here: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/17613595 and it's not far off from Namba Station!)

We quickly dropped our bags and made our way to Dotonburi for dinner! It was a pretty quick walk from the apartment, took us about 15-20 mins! Weather can be still quite cold during early April, especially at night so bring enough clothes!

(WE HERE!)

Didn't expect the Glico man to be so huge! The main streets were packed with restaurants and shops galore, and tourists all trying to get a shot of the famous neon signboard. I spotted Ichiran from not far off the bridge but the queue was too insane for us hungry wolves.

(We settled for some random ramen and of course TAKOPACHI!)

(My favorite traveling partner)

(The other couple for this trip, Anthony and Catherine 💗)

(One of the 3 stags, Brandon and photo-bombers)

I can't say review much on Osaka cause we were practically there just for Dotonburi and + USJ on the second day but it looks pretty much the same as Tokyo's city life (though I think things are slightly cheaper here) but I'll definitely come back for the castle, suburbs trips and more!

(Day 1 Instagram video!)

DAY 2

We woke up bright and early to check out, and proceed to Universal Studio Japan! And yes, because we are moving off to our apartment in Kyoto in the evening, we had to lug our luggages to USJ but fret not! Lockers are aplenty there but can be quite costly, it was about 1400 yen for the biggest compartment. Alternatively, they can also store it for you at their service center if yours cant fit (at 1400 yen as well).

(Luggages are not so bad when you have help and lotsa kisses)

(Thanks to Bubsie handling our big luggages, I could guide and lead the group without worries)

(Love 'em train rides)

Getting to Universal Studios is pretty quick from Namba to Universal City Station! We were equipped with JR Passes so everything was pretty smooth. Took us less than 30 mins to get to USJ's station and a short walk in to the theme park! Along the way in, you'll find souvenir shops, restaurants and lotsa Universal related stuffs hyping you up before the main attraction!

(See, I told you. I don't know why)

(Bubs can't get enough of Glico)

Thanks to Changi Recommends, we didn't really need to queue long to proceed into the theme park so I strongly urge (like my previous post!) for those going to Japan and thinking of visiting theme parks like this, GET YOUR TICKETS FIRST! And if you're not good at queuing, please top it up with an express pass. Japanese people are wonderful and super patient when it comes to queuing so you'll definitely see snaking queues when you go for the normal passes route!

(They caught Princess Fiona! With lipstick in her teeth no less...)

(Don't leave without a good #OOTD with these gorgeous buildings)

(They were so vintage and pretty!)

(😇)

The park itself is INTENSE and HUGE. We were struggling with the cold and hunger (food yucky and expensive), recommended to pack some light bites in your bags before you go in! We bought the standard express passes so roller coaster rides were not inclusive, which was a disappointment for the guys cause the queue was a whooping 4 hours wait!

💣!!GET.EXPRESS.PASS!!💣

(Minion's park weren't ready when we were there! But it is now!!! 😭)

(Alvin bought a $6 hello kitty bao......... that tastes.. meh)

(But of course, highlight of the park!)

(The castle was MAGNIFICENT!)

(Ready to go to Hogwarts?)

(😍😍😍)

The Harry Potter attraction was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! Even though I'm not that big of a fan, the whole entire area was so magical! There were snow covered rooftops, a beautiful lake beside hogwarts, super enchanting buildings that look just like the ones in the movie!

The Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey ride was SUPER FUN! Inbuilt with one of the latest technology and recently upgraded, it's a ride you can't miss! Thank god we had the express passes for this particular ride, we waited less than 10 minutes!

(Look at 'em minion headbands on the girl)

(Bubs taking it all in.... together with a sulky boy)

(Robes are yours at $60ish!)

(Or super expensive brooms that doesn't take you flying?)

(The most powerful wand should be... the elder wand?)

(Told myself not to buy stuffs like these.... though I really wanted to buy some hedwigs home...)

(Supposedly really popular butter beer that's just.... soda)

Theme park was not bad overall, food and queues were a put off but I guess everyone knows that. Some of the rides and themed buildings were rather similar to our USS. Avoid Backdraft, JAWS and Terminator rides at all cost. Kinda miss out the Attack of the Titans area due to time restraint and we were just too exhausted touring the gigantic park (LOTSA WALKING). All in all, like I mentioned, get the express passes, go for the rest of the rides and take tones of pictures!

(YAY USJ CHECKED!)

(USJ's Instagram video!)

It was about 6-ish when we completed most of the attractions and decided to head to Kyoto! From Universal City Station, I brought guys to Shin-Osaka Station (instead of Osaka Station) for a quicker traveling time to reach Kyoto Station but requires slightly more transfers!

(You have seen Train to Busan... have you seen Train to Kyoto...?)

Upon reaching Kyoto, we took a cab ride to our apartment which was about 20 mins away. Please book your accommodations early if you're thinking of visiting Japan during Spring! When we wanted to book in Nov-Dec, most of the good airbnbs/hotels/ryokans were already sold out! In the end, we settled for a really awesome apartment albeit slightly further from main accessible bus stops and metros.

(AND IT WAS AMAZINGGGGG 😲😲😲)

(2 storey terrace house and a roof top area!)

(Fully equipped kitchen and washing area)

We were all BLOWN AWAY by the house! Even myself!!! when I booked the house I told myself not to bring up my hopes as it's always smaller IRL but when I arrived, I was flooredddddd.

It looked exactly like the pictures provided on booking.com! We were all pretty excited to have this place as our home for the 3 nights in Kyoto! At about $80 a night, I'd say this is really worth it even though it might not be too accessible! (*gives pat on own shoulder*)