We spent our last day in Osaka at Universal Studios Japan (USJ). Despite having explored already some parts of USJ the previous day (see related post here), AJ and I still went there early. We had a quick breakfast at a McDonald's restaurant we found just outside USJ, before starting our day there. The early morning crowd was kinda thick already - even at 9:00 a.m. I am ... READ MORE
Exploring Kyoto + Osaka, the DIY Way (Day 4)
Our last 2 days in Osaka were spent as follows: Day 4 (Monday): Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Universal Studios Japan (3:00 p.m. onwards) Day 5: (Tuesday) Universal Studios Japan (whole day) Some budget tips for Universal Studios Japan: I am a big Harry Potter fan and habang nag-iipon pa ako ng pamasahe for London and for the Harry Potter Studio Tour, I ... READ MORE
Exploring Kyoto + Osaka, the DIY Way (Day 3)
After 2 full days in Kyoto (with side trip to Nara), we are now ready and excited to explore our home base, Osaka! Since AJ and I are both history buffs, we dedicated our 1st day to learn about Osaka's history. And the best way to do that is to tour Osaka Castle! Touring the castle grounds alone would already take the whole morning, with approximately 60,000 square meters ... READ MORE
Exploring Kyoto + Osaka, the DIY Way (Day 2)
Day 2 of our trip to Japan last November involved another long commute by train, this time from Osaka to Nara. We left our AirBnB hostel at 6:00 a.m., and was at Shin-Ōmiya Station a little after 7 a.m. We had breakfast at one of the few open cafes inside the station. The clue to our destination that morning is in our latte art: Our plan was to spend half-day in Nara ... READ MORE
Exploring Kyoto + Osaka, the DIY Way (Day 0)
Konnichiwa! Just got back from a 6-day R&R trip to Japan, this time to explore its Kansai region - the cultural and historical heart of Japan. We focused our trip on the 2 core cities of the region: Kyoto and Osaka, with a half-day side trip to Nara, another core city more popularly known for its roaming, docile deer! You could say that I fell madly in love with Japan ... READ MORE
