Live and Let Live!: Japan Trip (13 to 21 Nov 2024)

13 to 21 Nov 2024 Japan Trip (Nagoya, Hakone, Tokyo)

Day 1

We took Japan Airline JL712, 8.15 am flight from Changi Airport T1, to Narita Airport, then transit to Nagoya. This took the whole day as we reached Nagoya at 8pm.

Of course, local breakfast in Changi Airport before we left.

JAL has nice in-flight meals. And the girls enjoyed their 7h freeflow screen time on the plane.

We checked in at Comfort Hotel Nagoya Meiekiminami in the night.

Day 2

Photo in front of the hotel.

Simple breakfast was provided every morning. Variety was limited but quality was acceptable.

Headed to Legoland.

Entrance of Legoland Nagoya.

Several rides in Legoland

Had lunch inside Legoland.

Miniland in Legoland which is an expansive area built with Lego bricks that meticulously recreates iconic Japanese cityscapes and landmarks in miniature, including a towering Tokyo Skytree, Nagoya Castle, Osaka's Dotonbori, and Kyoto's temples, complete with interactive buttons that activate sounds and moving parts

Water gun fights between those on the ship and on shore.

Day 3

Inuyama Castle

Nice stroll uphill from the train station to Inuyama Castle.

A photo in front of the Inuyama Castle

There was also a tourist street at the base of the Inuyama castle. Stopped at a cafe for a tanghulu snack.

Evening time, we returned to Nagoya for their famous Miso Katsu.

Day 4

Our last day in Nagoya, we decided to go to the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology.

On the way there we stopped by a mall with a park.

I told them can pick something for themselves and they spent like ages at the jewellery section.

This is why cannot ask them to take photos.

We went through the exhibits in the Toyota Museum.

Day 5

To Hakone

We took the Shinkansen from Nagoya to Odawara. Then a train to Hakone.

We checked in to our hotel, Yumoto Station Hotel MIRAHAKONE. The room was not ready so we put our luggage in the store room under the staircase and went out. We chose this hotel because it is very near the train station where we could just dump our luggage and go explore.

Just round the corner was the main street where there were lots of tourist shops.

We were queueing for kamaboko - traditional Japanese fish cakes.

We bought the Hakone freepass. From Hakone- Yumoto, we first took the Hakone Tozan bus to Motohakone to take the pirate ship because we were worried we couldn't catch it if we leave it to the last.

After we get off, we stopped for a late lunch (1.45pm) Iseya (いせや), located in Motohakone, Hakone.

Fancy ship in the background was the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise.

The ship was quite crowded but nevertheless the view was very good.

Everyone is trying to get a good view/photo of Mount Fuji. The sky was not very clear that day.

The cruise took us to Togendai where we took the Hakone Ropeway which showed us beautiful natural sights of the surrounding areas, including the bottom of the Owakudani valley and the sulfuric smoke rising from it.

We stopped at Owakudani station. The famous black eggs, known as kuro-tamago, are a legendary local delicacy found in the volcanic valley of Owakudani, They just tasted like normal eggs. The additional seasoning was the heavy H2S smell of rotten eggs in the valley.

We stayed at Owakudani station until it turned dark and the ropeway station declared the ropeway service is going to stop. If stopped, we would have to take a bus down. It was getting very very chilly and windy. We queued for quite a while and managed to take the ropeway down.

We alighted the ropeway at Sounzan and changed to the Tozan Cable Car., then the Tozan Train. The scenaries on the train is supposed to be beautiful but the sky was already dark and we couldn't see anything outside.

We returned to Hakone-Yumoto, to our hotel. Most shops were closed. We bought a dango from a small hole in the wall.

We could only buy some ready-to-eat meals from 7-11 and eat in our hotel room.

Day 6

We are going to check out and move to Tokyo today.

We woke up at 7 plus and decided to walk around Yumoto Hakone. The shops were not open yet.

There was a river behind the main street.

We stopped at a stall to buy some snacks.
Manjuya Nanohana is a famous traditional Japanese confectionery shop with multiple locations in the Odawara and Hakone regions of Japan (including a highly popular spot right outside Hakone-Yumoto Station). The shop is best known for its onsen manju (steamed buns with sweet fillings), particularly their signature "Hakone no Otsukisama" (Moon of Hakone) made with Hateruma brown sugar and Tokachi red bean paste

About 11am, we took the train from Odawara to Tokyo.

We reached Tokyo around 12 noon, checked in (dropped our luggage) at B Asakusa Hotel and headed out.

We first visited Sensō-ji. Tokyo was significantly colder than Hakone. Adelle started the "take photos of her back" thing.

Then we went to the shopping street just beside Sensō-ji. Stopped for ramen.

In the evening, we went to Shibuya.

Dinner was Yoshinoya.

The highlight of my girls' day was to return to the hotel (8pm to 10pm) to get the free donuts.

Day 7

Yomiuriland

Again, a kids' day.

The usual rides, Carousell.

Bumper cars.

There were beautiful winter light exhibition in Yomiuriland.

Day 8

Last day shopping in Tokyo

We went for some shopping around Tokyo. Near the Tokyo main station, there was a Calbee Plus + where we could buy fresh potato chips and limited edition Calbee products.

Also some shopping in the malls.

In the evening we went back to Ameya-Yokochō in Ueno, Tokyo, a bustling open-air market street famous for its discount shops, food stalls, and historic atmosphere. It was drizzling, so shopping was a bit difficult, but we managed to buy some stuff to bring home to Singapore.

We ate Dennys for dinner.

Day 9

10.55am flight from Haneda Airport back to Singapore.

Early morning we took the train to Haneda Airport. We walked to the Asakusa Station and took the Asakusa line which directly goes to Haneda Airport. It was one of the reason why we stay in Asakusa area.