DAY 2 is allotted for Tokyo Disneysea alone. Even though we plan on maximizing our stay there, we woke up late. Oh no! To maximize your stay at the park and if you intend to ride at least 5 attractions - you have got to be there before it opens. Especially if you don't have a fast pass. Expect to wait 30-80 minutes per ride.

Here's our timetable at Disneysea.

10AM - Photo op

View from the Disney Railway

There was a short queue for photo op in this area. We're so glad we passed by at the right time.

There was a marching band as well.

Along  Mediterranean Harbor

10:30AM - 11:30AM Tower of Terror (Must Ride 10/10)

11:30AM - 1:40PM Stroll/Lunch/Photo Ops

1:40PM - 2:30PM Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull  (Must Ride 10/10)

2:30PM - 3:30PM Raging Spirits Rollercoaster  (Must Ride 9/10)
                               Just 9, because it was too quick. 




3:30PM - 4:30PM Sinbad's Storybook Voyage (7/10)

4:40PM - 6:00PM Journey to the Center of the Earth (Must Ride 10/10)

6:30PM - 6:45PM Mermaid Lagoon Theater Musical Show (7/10) 
Rated at 7, because I just wished they have the show in English. We did not understand everything. Even the songs, we can't sing along at Ariel's "Part of your World". 

8PM - Fantasmic Show and Fireworks Display (9/10)

So in my post, JAPAN 9 Days Itinerary: Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka, I shared with you our skeletal itinerary in Japan.

In this post, let's break it down a bit.

Starting with TOKYO.

We flew via Cebu Pacific via 5J 5054 departing Manila 5:20AM. That meant, we were at the airport as early as 2:30AM. Since Cebu Pacific is considered a low cost carrier/budget airline, travel tax of Php 1,620 is not included in the airline ticket we purchased. So before checking in at the Cebu Pacific counter, make sure you already paid the travel tax at their designated counter. Also, good news! To save you the hassle in queuing, Travel Tax payment can be done online.

Cebu Pacific landed on time at Narita Airport at 10:30AM. Once we were done with immigration and baggage pick up, we hurriedly looked for the HIS counter to pick up our rented Pocket Wifi. We rented it out via KLOOK.

We went down and looked for the JR counter selling NEX Tickets one way to Shinjuku station.

Before entering the NEX line, we stopped and purchase our SUICA cards. We did not purchase JR pass for our trip. We only used Suica, Hakone 2 Day Pass, 1 way Shinkansen Odawara-Kyoto and Icoca for our 9 day trip.

We got on our NEX Train at 12:23PM. Yep, it almost took us 2 hours to finally get out of the airport. So take it into consideration in planning your 1st day itinerary. Don't overdo it. 1st day will mostly be spent on traveling, getting all your tickets and eating!



If we have chosen our accommodation in TOKYO central or UENO area, KEISEI Skyliner is definitely the best choice. KEISEI is much cheaper than NEX, plus they have a promotion that gives you 1 day Tokyo Metro Pass. However our AirBnb is located in Shinjuku, and we want to have a direct train trip and skip lugging around our big luggage. Remember that not all stations have escalators and elevators, either way you really have to carry your heavy luggage down and up the stairs.

Upon arriving at Shinjuku Station, we wanted to buy our Hakone 2 day pass already but the counter we chanced upon only sells "on the day" passes. So we just looked for the subway line to our AirBnb.

For more info, about our AirBnb in Tokyo. Check this out https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12978549

We arrived early for our 3PM check in time. The cleaner is not yet finished but he allowed us to leave our luggage in the room. We spotted a nice restaurant in the area so we went for late lunch first. By 3PM, we came back and settled.

Having not enough sleep and tired , we decided to take some rest before heading out at 4PM.

Our first stop when we headed out, SHIBUYA!

What can you see in Shibuya. Of course, HACHIKO! There were not many people when we arrived, so taking a photo with the statue and the cute Neko was not a challenge.



Shibuya at night.



My sister wanted to see some cosplayers at Harajuku. So from Shibuya, we took the subway to Omotesando, then walked our way to Harajuku area.

Disappointed that there were no sightings of cosplayers (we were there on a weekday), and the area is definitely not for budget shoppers like us, we came back to Shibuya - stroll around and ate Ramen for dinner at Ichiran. We came early, around 6PM so there was not queue at that time. But when we came out (maybe after an hour), there was a long queue from the basement floor up to the streets. Oh my! The ramen at Ichiran is perfect! You should give it a try.

Full and satisfied with our dinner. We called it a night. We could've strolled some more in the Shinjuku area but we were all tired and sleepy.

I downloaded lots of mobile apps for our travel in Japan. But to be honest, I only get to use about 5 of them when we were in Japan.

Before arriving to Japan
1. AIRBNB
We booked our Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka accommodations through this app

2. AGODA
We booked our Hakone accommodation through this app/website.

3. KLOOK
This is where we got and booked our Pocket Wifi, Disneysea and Universal Studio tickets. No need to queue at the park. Just print your e-ticket or show the confirmation/barcode via your mobile phone.

When in Japan
1. TOKYO SUBWAY
This app really helped us navigating our way the complicated subway of Japan

2. GOOGLE MAPS/JAPAN TRAVEL
When we had to use the railway, JR lines and the buses. Japan Travel app is helpful. But most of the time, we used the Google Maps.

3. WEATHER APP
You really have to check the weather daily. Then you can plan your outfits before storming the streets of Japan. You don't want to be out in a hot weather dressed in full thermal wear.

4. HYPERDIA
Subways, Railways, Buses and Shinkansens route and timings. Hypedia is very helpful. We used it mostly to confirm if google maps gave us the best route. Because it is web based and not an app, we seldom used it. But it is very helpful.

5. GURUNAVI/TRIP ADVISOR
Guru Navi is an app in finding the best eats in Japan. But it kept on crashing so we just used Trip Advisor in finding restaurants.

Other apps that maybe beneficial for you
1. XE.com
Currency converter. But we really did not use it. We use simple math always dividing the YEN by 2 to get the Peso equivalent. 1,000 YEN is 500 in PHP.

2. MAPS.ME
Offline maps for Japan

3. YOMIWA
Yomiwa is an easy offline way to translate Japanese with your camera. But to fully use it, you have to buy the app. The free app can only be used, in our case, ONCE!

Last October 18-26 commenced our almost 1 year long wait for our Japan trip to happen. It was November 2015 when we scored a 3,600+  airline fare MNL-NRT, KIX-MNL via Cebu Pacific. If that is some sort of jargon to you, the route we got is Manila to Narita (Tokyo), and out Kansai (Osaka) to Manila. 3,600 for Japan!! Yeah, it felt like we won the lottery that freaking moment.

Since we had a whole year to plan for our trip, we tried to squeeze in rigorous researching and planning in between our busy schedules. Uhm, erase that! I did all the planning. Yes, only me.

But it wasn't that too hard. I have Japan Guide, some blogs here and there, and Google/Google Maps. I googled everything that I wanted to know. The routes, map, weather etc. For the apps that I used, check this out. (Must have mobile apps in Japan)

FLIGHT DETAILS:
18-Oct	5J 5054	ETA 5:20AM - 10:30AM
26-Oct	5J 827	ETD 8:40PM - 11:45PM
DAY 1	ARRIVAL - TOKYO
2:30AM	Meet up at NAIA Terminal 3
3:00AM	Travel Tax Payment, Immigration
4:50AM	Boarding
5:20AM	Flight Departure
10:35AM	Flight Arrival at NARITA Airport
11:00AM	Finished Immigration, Pick up Klook Wifi
12NN	Purchase NEX train ticket & SUICA card
2PM	Arrive at AIRBNB Shinjuku Area
3PM	Late lunch at SUKIYA
5PM	Explore Omotesando, Takashita Dori, Haraujuku
6PM	Shibuya Station - Crossing - Hachiko
7:30PM	Dinner at ICHIRAN RAMEN
8:30PM	Family mart grocery for our breakfast
DAY 2	TOKYO DISNEY SEA
	Whole day Disney Sea
DAY 3	TOKYO - ASAKUSA, AKIHABARA, ODAIBA
8AM	Explore Meiji Shrine
10AM	Walk around Akihabara
12NN	Lunch
2PM	Walk around Asakusa
4PM	Explore Odaiba
8PM	Back to hotel.
DAY 4	TOKYO - HAKONE
7:00AM	Travel to Shinjuku Station
8AM	Bought Hakone 2 Day Pass at Odakyu Travel in Shinjuku Station
9:00AM	Arrival at Odawara Station
10:30AM	Arrrival at our Ryokan. Drop off Luggage.
	Gora to Sounzan
11:00AM	Owakudani
	Lunch
1:30PM	Togendai to Hakone-machi
1:50PM	Lake Ashi Boat sightseeing Tour via Pirate Ship
2:20PM	Hakone-machiko
2:50PM	Moto-Hakone to Hakone-Yumoto
3:30PM	Hakone Shrine
5:00PM	Back to Ryokan. Onsen bath. Dinner etc.
DAY 5	HAKONE - KYOTO
8AM	Breakfast
8:30AM	Check out hotel. Store luggage.
9:00AM	Gora Park
11AM	Hakone Open Air Museum
12:00PM	Lunch
1:00PM	Back to hotel to get baggage (Lots of coin lockers at Gora Park, Hakone Open Air)
2:30PM	Shinkansen to Kyoto
6:00PM	Arrive Kyoto
	Dinner
7:00PM	Check in Airbnb
DAY 6	KYOTO
7:30AM	Full day KYOTO
8AM	Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
12NN	Fushimi Inari Shrine
2PM	Kiyomizu-dera temple
4PM	Walk to Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka streets
5PM	Gion
DAY 7	NARA-OSAKA
8AM	Depart Kyoto to Nara by JR Line
9AM	Leave baggage at Nara Tourist Center
	Tour NARA (Travel to/fro by Bus)
12NN	Lunch
1:30PM	Travel to OSAKA
3PM	Check in Osaka
6PM	Sightseeing Osaka (Dotonburi, Shinsaibashi)
DAY 8	OSAKA - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
7:45AM	Express Pass
8:30AM	Universal Studios
6:30PM	Departure
DAY 9	OSAKA - FLIGHT DEPARTURE
10AM	Osaka Museum for Housing and Living
12:00PM	Kimono Rental
1:30PM	Lunch (Mcdo)
2:30PM	Osaka Castle
4PM	Back to Air Bnb
6PM	Airport - check in
9:10PM	Flight Departure

I will try my best to blog our day to day travel in Japan and leave you some tips. There are a lot of hits and miss and a lot of experiences, how we could have saved more from this travel. And how we have spent only about 60K for the 9 Days travel in Japan. 

If DIY travel is not your thing. Don't fret, Wanderstruck Travel and Tours would be very pleased to help you.

For Inquiry:
Wanderstruck Travel & Tours 
Office Address: Unit 2 #18 21st. Ave. Cubao Quezon City Philippines 1109 
Telefax (63.2) 4220785 / 9752331 / 9111735
Mobile 0917 854 3779  / 0923 533 2899 
Email: reservations@wander-struck.com
Website: www.wander-struck.com