JAPAN
8 - 17 April
- Beautiful Lookout Point at Amanohashidate
- Fabulous coastal drive along Japan Sea
- Interesting Sand Dunes in Tottori
- Good hike to see Sanbutsuji Shrine
- Izumo Taisha, one of the most important shrines in Japan
- Unesco listed Iwani Ginzan Silver Mine
- Beautiful Lookout Point at Amanohashidate
- Fabulous coastal drive along Japan Sea
- Interesting Sand Dunes in Tottori
- Good hike to see Sanbutsuji Shrine
- Izumo Taisha, one of the most important shrines in Japan
- Unesco listed Iwani Ginzan Silver Mine
Map of our roadtrip: Osaka - Nara - Fukuchiyama-Shi - Kyotango - Miyazu- Kami - Iwami - Tottori Sand Dunes - Misasa- Kurayoshi- Daisen - Sakaiminato - Izumo - Iwami Ginzan - Okayama - Himeiji - Osaka
|
Day 1
We flew Scoot from Singapore direct to Kansai Airport (SGD458.86 for two), which took about 6 hours 15 mins direct flight and arrived at Kansai Airport at around 520pm local time. Upon clearing the custom, we headed to the car rental company (Times Car) to pick up our rental car. We rented a Nissan Note for 42,750 yen (S$521.35) plus full insurance coverage S$171.49 for 9 days through EasyRentCars app, but was given a Mazda Demio. Collected the car at 6pm and drove the non toll road to Osaka city to buy a cream cake at Mon Cher (1,296 yen) then for dinner at 一鶴, 2,782 yen. Arrived at about 745pm. Carpark fee 800 yen for an hour. Drove to Nara and overnight at Nara Royal Hotel. along the way, we stopped by to a Sakura Blossom Park. Our hotel has natural onsen bath and free carpark. Onsen open 6-8am, and noon to midnight. Entry is half hour before closing. Rented Wi-Fi router from Changi Recommend for SGD36.50 for 9 days. |
|
Day 2
After breakfast and checking out, we drove to the Cherry Blossom viewing area just beside the hotel to enjoy the full blooms and thereafter drove to ザめしや平城京店 for lunch (about 3,000 yen). After lunch, we head off to the tea plantation area, Wazuka. Here there’s also lots of cherry blossom in full blooms and we enjoyed some sweets here before driving to our final Cherry Blossom stop やすらぎの道 at Ujitawara-Cho. |
|
Day 3
After breakfast and checked out at 10am. Rainy day and hence decided to skip the outdoor attractions and went shopping instead. First stop is Seria followed by Aeon Mall in Fukuchiyama before driving to Daiso and supermarket in Maruzu City. Our only tourist attractions for the day was the Sakura path and the old shopping district I. Maruzu before we drove to our apartment in Kyotanga where we stayed at New Marutaso Ryokan (8,640 yen). Strawberry 1,000 yen, Mochi 168 yen, Lunch Oden 500 yen |
|
Day 4
Onsen in the morning and had the breakfast we bought last night (300 yen) in the ryokan before driving to nearby beach (琴引浜) for some photos. Next stop was Hanare lake (not very interesting), before we drove to Ama-no-Hashidate where we took the chairlift (800 yen each for return) up to the lookout point. Car park fee was 700 yen for full day parking. After the lookout point, we had seafood lunch at 美加茂 (2500 yen). A short stroll in Ama-no-Hashidate and Chion-ji Temple for some photos and droning before we drove towards our hotel in Kami. Along the way, we stopped at Ine for more photo shoots. Arrived at our accommodation in Kami in the evening and after onsen, we drove out for yakiniku wagyu beer dinner at 平和 (4,600 yen); On the way we bought some bento 740 and things from Lawson 970. Stayed at Minshuku Tsukasa for 9,900 yen a night. |
|
Day 5
Costal drive from Kami to Iwai and to Tottori sand dune. Along the way stopped at a few lookout points and cape. We stayed in Misasa, which is one of the popular onsen towns in Tottori, Petrol 5145 yen, Yummy lunch at Iwami 3250, Accommodation- Meijiso for 12.180 yen (includes 300 yen for onsen tax), Coffee break 1090, Bread 280 & jam 650. |
|
Day 6
Had breakfast in Hotel and check out at 1030am. Stroll around the onsen town (Misasa) and bought a lunch box 540 yen. After that we drove 7km to Sanbutsuji to visit the Temples. Entrance fee 800 yen each and took us 1.5 hours of hiking & photo taking to reach the last Temple. The way down took us only 0.5 hours. Had our bento lunch here. Next stop was ancient ruin castle, which is 600m hike up (30 mins) and 500m down (20 mins). From there we drove to Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses and had Mochi Shabu dinner at SeisuiAn (2,160 yen) and bought Mochi cake 3,600. Off to hotel in Daisen area where we stayed at Royal Hotel Daisen for 11,840 yen. Bought some bread & chocolate along the way (560 yen). |
|
Day 7
More onsen in the morning before having breakfast in our room. Checked out hotel at 11am and drove to Daisen Ranch Milk. Lunch at Daisen Ranch Milk 5,100 yen and bought some milk & rice cake for 2,500 yen. Thereafter drove to Daisen Temple. Entrance fee 300 yen. Bought bread 1,000 here. We set off from Daisen to Izumo at around 5pm. Along the way, we detour to Cầu Eshima Ohashi (Japan’s steepest bridge) and arrived Izumo at around 725pm. Dinner at Izumo 10,000. Free stay at Izumo in Patrick’s Airbnb. |
|
Day 8
After breakfast in the apartment, we set off to Izumo Taisha, one of the most important shrines in Japan and spend about 1.5 hours here. Then we headed for lunch at a healthy bento restaurant and had two bento set (paid by Patrick, about 1,200 yen). After lunch, we drove about 30 mins to the gorge. We left the gorge at around 3pm and went on separate way from here. Drove 1.5 hours to Iwani Ginzan Silver Mines, which was declared unesco site in 2007. It’s a huge area and we left the place at around 6pm+ towards Okayama. Had ramen in our apartment in Okayama. Accommodation 7,560 yen including 1,000 yen parking fee. |
|
Day 9
Breakfast in apartment and set off at 9am to the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter. We spend about 1:5 hours here before driving to AEON in Okayama for some last minute shopping and packing. Left AEON at 230pm and had sushi for lunch at converyor belt sushi. From here, we set off to Himeiji (about 2.5 hours drive). Arrived at Himeji Castle at around 630pm for some photos and drone and went for dinner at Hiirahi 4,300 yen. From Himeji, we drove straight to our hotel in Osaka (2.5 hours) Cityroute Hotel (5,348 yen, car park 1,900) |
|
Dau 10
Breakfast in the hotel and checked out at around 8am. First stop was Mashima Lilies Garden to see the blue flowers, which is about 30 mins drive from our hotel. Spend about an hour here for photos. Next was the kitchenware Street, 30 mins away, where Jean loaded up some kitchenware. Bought our lunch at Kuromon Inchiba Market (3,400 yen). Finally, headed to the Kansai airport (1 hr 15 mins drive) and retuned the car at 220pm. Pumped petrol along the way (2,670 yen) and took the 4pm flight back to Singapore. Toll at the bridge to airport 920 yen. |
TRIP PHOTOS - JAPAN