To say that I miss Japan is a massive understatement, because Japan is my dream home where everything around me feels right, and finally we are back!
It has been a month since we flew to Osaka with the Trinidads, which consist of Ken's best friend Jay and his wife, Gene 🫰 Going to Japan on August feels like heading towards Hell's underbelly because it's the hottest season... Oops 🥹 but heck, whether we're dying of heat or freezing to death I'll go to Japan any day that I can!
Anyway, I'll be sharing some of the photos during our flight/first night, and the actual first full day in Japan and sprinkled in some commentary hahaha 👏
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| My motto is, "maiwan na LAHAT wag lang retainers ko" |
Our flight is at 1:55 p.m., but given how unreliable Ninoy Aquino airport is (and considering the recent horror stories with immigration officers) we decided to go to the airport at 8:00 a.m. and be one of the first ones to check-in our luggages. Thankfully we did not experience any hiccups during check-in and even during the immigration line. Since Ken and I are not yet married we have to be interviewed separately by the immigration officer, and just like the check-in we did not experience any problems or odd questions.
I remember just being asked if this is our first time traveling together, and when are we going to return to the Philippines. I suppose it helped that I had a few stamps in my passport to validate that I travel often and don't overstay in other countries 🫰 but yeah, I would still suggest bringing additional documents like certificate of employment, your company I.D., your high school yearbook, a physical copy of your plane and hotel bookings and other documents to help justify that you're off to a vacation.
Also I just want to share how hellish our flight was, not because we experienced turbulence but because of the chorus of children crying simultaneously for the whole 4 hour flight! You see, Cebu Pacific doesn't have any in-flight entertainment so I kinda get it that the kids are bored to death, but hey it wouldn't have hurt if they downloaded Cocomelon on the parents' phone, brought a book or a toy to keep the kids busy instead of letting their kid kick my seat behind 🥹 Kudos to the cabin crew tho, they tried to pacify the child by offering chocolates and other treats that's the parents' job, but they just let their kids be sighhh 😑
Behind the scenes from this train photo is the 30 minutes spent in the airport train station where we tried to figure out if the JR passes we bought will work on the airport transit (it's a no), and basically how are we going to our hotel. Eventually we arrived in our hotels, dropped off our bags, went to the nearest grocery store to buy bread and other snacks, and have a hearty dinner at the nearest Sukiya🤣
Now the fun begins! Our agenda for the day is to go to Kobe for Kobe beef and Nara to feed the deers. Sounds simple, right?
An alleyway packed with interesting restaurants and shops became the perfect background for taking vids. You see, Ken wanted to beef up his directorial reel so he offered to make a Pre-Nup kind of video, and while doing it I was his assistant- I wasn't a good assistant to be honest 🥹😆
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| AAAAHHH we're back! |
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| I miss you already 🩷 |
THE NEXT DAY
Haha... no. I don't know why but Ken and I find the Osaka railway more confusing compared to Tokyo's that's why we ended up riding a wrong train, and had multiple hiccups in finding the right platforms.
But eventually we have reached Kobe! It was an hour train ride from Osaka Umeda station, and during the train ride we got to see some of the majestic countryside as we reach Kobe. Supposedly we were headed to have some quick snaps at Kitano Ijinkan which looks like a small European town, but in account of arriving later than intended and having a tight schedule (and our reservation for Kobe beef is strictly at 12 noon) we had to skip it because if we still push for a quick trip there an hour won't suffice since to reach it we'll need to walk a bit from the train station.
Since we were in a bit of a time limbo where if we head straight to the restaurant already we'll be too early and there might not be any places to hang-out, we decided to drop by one station before our intended station for a quick check + photos.
We looked ridiculously kawaii in this picture 😂 Good thing the boys joined in the fun, look how pretty they are!
Eventually we headed to Meriken Hatoba which serves sumptuous Kobe beef meals! Prior to going here I ensured to book a reservation via their Facebook page a week before our trip, considering that most sought-after restaurants and sights in Japan requires reservations.
The first time I had Kobe beef was during our trip 3 years ago where we had it in skewers, it was yummy but the one we had in Meriken Hatoba is glorious! Each of us ordered a set meal which includes rice, some side veggies, a soup, the Kobe beef, and a complimentary drink of either a shot of whiskey or grape juice. Ken and I opted for the whiskey as we believe it's 5 o'clock somewhere and we have to join in the fun, and the whiskey did not disappoint! I'm not particularly sure about the name, but I think it was Suntory Hibiki and it was smooth 👌 I kinda regret not taking home a bottle and start spiraling as a full-pledge alcoholic.
Going back to the food, it was lovely! Disclaimer I am no expert nor a person of fine taste, but the meal was glorious! The Kobe beef was grilled perfectly, very soft but not to the point that it disintegrates quickly in every bite, and of course they do let you choose how it's done but also sharing chef's recommendation. They also provided a side of seasoned salt just in case you prefer to sprinkle it a la salt bae on your own. As for the ambience it's pretty nice cozy even since the restaurant can accommodate around 10 people max, and the staff are very accommodating and are well adept in serving people of different nationalities, so if you don't speak Japanese aside from arigatou and sumimasen it's alright 👌
Overall, the ¥6,000-7,000 bill per person is worth it 👌 I recommend people to check it out and place a reservation HERE!
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| Gawa mue beh? |
When I say August was the hottest time in Japan, I wasn't exaggerating in fact it was scorching! I had to buy one of those cooling wet wipes just so I don't overheat and pass out! With such heat it's so hard to go around and explore that we ended up spending way more time inside stores with air conditioner and a café-yes, right after having a hearty meal because to cool down is a necessity! Much like most of Japanese cities, Kobe also has their own arcade malls full of mom and pop shops mixed with popular stores like Daiso and Matsumoto Yamamoto. One of the places I love checking out are the vintage stores that are well-curated with fancy clothes like the white dress above but unfortunately tend to be on the pricier side.
Since we have spent way more time indoors it left us with no time to go to Nara hahaha! When we got back to Osaka we were able to go to the tourism office and they don't recommend us going since at 5:00 p.m. it's already late. They mentioned that the deers have probably gone home by then leaving us np one to feed biscuits too LOL! I guess Nara will be part of our itinerary for our next visit on a cooler season instead hahaha!
With nowhere else to go, we ended up exploring the Hep Five mall at the Osaka Umeda station instead, and inside were a couple of interesting stores mixed with well-loved ones. The Disney store in Umeda Hep Five is glorious as ever, but I did not let it lure me into buying stuff I don't need-yep even the cute Disney make-up items that were on sale! I was this🤏 close into buying a Disney Story Doll but backed off when realized that they don't have a Merida one.
We capped off this day with a little side trip to the toy store, which I did not enjoy because they were only selling gunplas and robots- I ain't into that life hahaha 😂
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| Special participation of our luggage and Ken's sneakers hahaha! |
That's it pancit for our flight and first full day in Japan! Aside from having fun, I also had a blistered foot and raked in 19,000+ steps 👌
Love Always,
Nicole
