The Classic Yufuin No Mori sightseeing train pass through the farmlands and mountains at a slower pace.

The main street in Yufuin is called Yunotsubo Kaido. It’s a charming, pedestrian-friendly road known for its shops, restaurants, and scenic views of Mount Yufu.

Tenso Shrine is probably the most visited shrine in Yufuin. It is located on the banks of Lake Kinrinko, a very popular scenic spot in Yufuin.

The village is inspired by the Cotswolds region of England, famous for its ancient stone houses, with a distinctive honey-yellow colour.

Of all cities I’ve visited in Japan, Nagasaki is probably the most straight forward with what it has. In fact, the city’s main mode of transportation (Street car) is designed in a relatively simple North-South Line, making it manageable and easy to navigate for tourists.

Nagasaki is located northwest of Fukuoka, around 1.5 hours by train, usually with a stop/change train at Saga City. It’s set on a large natural harbor, with buildings on the terraces of surrounding hills. It is synonymous with hard times during World War II, after suffering an nuclear attack in August 1945, after Hiroshima. The event is memorialized at the city’s Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. 

This overlooking view above shows the part of Nagasaki that was previously bombed, Nagasaki Peace Park and Hypocenter Park. These locations offer a vantage point to reflect on the atomic bombing and its aftermath.

In Nagasaki, Ground Zero, the point directly below where the atomic bomb detonated, is marked by a black stone monolith in Peace Park. The park also features a hypocenter monument and remnants from nearby locations like the Shotokuji Temple. The area, now a place for reflection, includes cherry blossom trees and other greenery, symbolizing Nagasaki’s resilience and the hope for peace. 

A day trip from Fukuoka would be enough to see the highlights of Nagasaki. Read Fukuoka blog here.

I mentioned a lot of times on my recent Japan-trip blogs re the JR Pass I purchased, that gave me access to unlimited train rides between major cities in Japan. During my trip, I was able to visit Kyoto, Himeji, Hiroshima and Sapporo, with Tokyo as my port of entry (via Cebu Pacific direct flight from Cebu City). Yes, medyo mahal ang pass, but I think I was able to maximise my purchase to the fullest. To give a better picture, here are some points to know.

Ano vah itong JR Pass?

• The Japan Rail Pass is an unlimited transpo-pass for overseas visitors, valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by the JR Group in Japan (with very few exceptions).
• JR Pass is mainly used for Inter-city train travel, but is also accepted on certain local (city) train, some buses and ferry transfer. Basta JR Group na company, game na!
• Train transfer from Tokyo city center to Narita Airport is also included with the pass.
• The popular and highly expensive high speed 320km/h Inter-city bullet trains of Japan is also included with the pass, except for “Nozomi” and “Mizuho” bullet trains.
• Pass is available in 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days (of course, iba-iba din presyo nyan).
• There are two types of JR Pass: ordinary and green car (first class). Kaya umasta nang naaayon sa biniling pass. lol, joke! The difference? di ko alam bes! di ako pumasok sa first class.
• JR Pass is available for foreign tourists only and is not available for Japan residents. As such, you have to purchase the JR Pass ONLINE, Days prior to your trip to Japan.
• The Rail Pass is designed to stimulate travel and tourism throughout the country.
• For Reference, here are the places I visited, using my pass. Saya, diba?

Where to Buy? 

• As mentioned earlier, JR Pass should be purchased online prior to the trip. Most blogs usually recommend purchasing online through Klook, as they are the cheapest daw, at around 13,500 Php (ordinary pass) + Shipment fee. I tried to contact Klook but found out that you have to buy at least 10 days prior to the trip. That did not work for me.
• Discovery Tours, the most popular Japan Visa processing agency in the Ph, also offers JR Pass. However, they require you to secure a visa first before buying.
• I purchased mine via the main JR Pass website (click here to check) for around 14,500 Php (ordinary pass) with shipment na yan Fed Express from London,UK. I purchased this 5 days prior to my flight.
• I purchased the pass that is valid nationwide. But there are other “Region-specific pass” available, say Kansai-Only Pass, at a lower cost. Contact the agency nalang for recommendations.

Points to Remember after buying:

• Better purchase JR Pass earlier nalang, if sure ka na din naman with your visa approval. Na stress ako dun sa 5 days prior.
• Note that these agencies won’t be shipping you the actual JR Pass Booklet. Instead, they will be sending you a certificate/voucher, which you will have to exchange for the actual booklet by the time you arrive in Japan (sa airport or any major train station).
• Upon exchange, the pass does not immediately take effect. You can choose a later date that is more favourable with your travel program, like what I did. I arrived in Tokyo via Cebu Pacific and spent 3 days there. On my fourth day, I travelled to Kyoto, and that is when I activated my 7 days pass.
• Mag install kayo ng Hyperdia – Japan’s Official Travel App. I was very dependent on this for the train schedules and specific stops.
• Despite having the JR Pass, it is recommended that you still have to pass by the ticketing booth to get a reservation for inter-city travel. Meaning, may privilege ka to secure a designated seat, parang airplane. Reservation is very quick to do. And as per my experience, nakakapag-english yung mga staff assigned for this. For local trains within the city, no need to reserve.

Do I really need the JR Pass in my life?

Case to case. If you are going to Japan to just visit 1 or 2 major cities that are close to each other, say Tokyo and Nagoya, then No! It will not be sulit. JR Pass would be perfect only if you intend to visit multiple cities within 7 days (or 14 or 21, depending on which pass you availed).

I arrived in Tokyo and spent 3 days there. On my fourth day, I travelled to Kyoto, which was Day 1 of my pass. and within 7 days, I was able to visit Kyoto, Himeji and Hiroshima in the south, then gave one day to travel up north to Sapporo,Hokkaido. I spent 10 days total in Japan and I was able to maximise my JR Pass to the fullest. Here is a chart showing my usage with equivalent fares if I did not have the pass.Bes as you can see, my travels in total was worth 56,966.40 Php. Compared to the price of my 7 days pass at 14,500 Php. Sulit diba?

Here is my Route map for reference:

Though again, this backpacking style is not for everybody. I did a lot of train rides within seven days. It could be tiring for some, but that is how I intended my travel to be. I wanted to really exhaust my pass and see more. Train rides are fun anyways, especially travelling across the countryside of Japan and see red autumn landscape of Tokyo transform into the snow white covered mountains and flatlands of Hokkaido.

Madami din naman airplanes between cities which are definitely faster and are fairly priced. But airports are quite malayo tologoh and katamad to go through airport check ins. I find the train transfers more convenient and flexible. City center to city center na eh.

So there you go mga mumsh, I hope i was able to explain the core essence and value of JR pass in our lives as travel enthusiasts. Travelling across Japan countryside by high speed bullet train has always been a dream of mine,and  I am glad I was able to tick it off my list this year. =)

For “places to see” reference, check out these links:

TOKYO THREE DAYS ITINERARY FOR THE WEEKENDERS

ONE DAY TOUR AROUND THE HERITAGE SITES OF KYOTO

HIMEJI AND HIROSHIMA EASY SIDE TRIP

JOSEMANUEL GOES TO SAPPORO

For Visa Application Guideline, click HERE.

Japan never runs out of sights and experiences for any eager tourists to enjoy. I had several best times in Tokyo and Kyoto, but the days spent in Hokkaido were no doubt the highlight of my recent 10 days trip to Japan.

Hokkaido is Japan’s northernmost prefecture, with Sapporo as its most popular City. I went there mainly to see the city’s annual White Illumination Festival. However, the stars have favourably aligned, as I was just right in time for the first snowfall in Sapporo City. And here are the highlights of my 2 days stay to this snow covered wonderland.

My port of entry was Tokyo-Narita via Cebu Pacific direct flight from Cebu City (Click here for ticket bookings). Sapporo is 8 hours total by bullet train from Tokyo, with an easy one stop/transfer at Hakodate. A bit time consuming, but I kinda liked the experience of travelling across the countryside of Japan, and see the landscape turn from Tokyo’s red Autumn to snow covered mountains and flatlands of Hokkaido. The cost of bullet train ride was around 26,000 Yen (12,000 Php) per way. But it is included with the JR Pass so basically, sobrang nakamura ako for this leg of the trip. I will discuss more of the JR pass on the next post.

Here are some of the highlights on my DIY Day tour around Sapporo.

Day 1: Odori Park. Odori Park is located in the heart of Sapporo where the city’s main events take place. This park is popular for the christmas market and ice sculptures-snow festival that runs in February, during the peak of winter. During my visit,however, the White Illumination festival opened, and the most beautiful light installations were free for all tourists to enjoy. The park also has a very pretty night market. A bit gloomy when I visited, as the first snowfall is already expected to appear that day.

How to get there: A vast underground mall,around 6-8 blocks long,connects Sapporo Main Station to Odori Park. It also connects several landmarks and train stops within the vicinity. Quite a long and interesting walk. I swear! Entrance to the park is free for all. The Sapporo TV Tower is also located in Odori Park.

Sapporo Clock Tower is a landmark wooden structure, located at North 1 West 2, Chūō-ku. The bell rings every hour to announce the time to the city. The clock tower was built in 1878 as a theatrical hall of the Sapporo. This landmark can also be reached via the underground walkway/mall mentioned earlier.

Entrance: 200 Yen. But a photo op outside would be good enough.

The Sapporo Beer Museum. A registered heritage site, which was previously the main factory of Sapporo Quality Beer, a popular beer brand since 1877.

How to get there : The best way to get to the beer museum is to catch the Loop 88 Factory Line bus from Odori subway station or from in front of the Seibu department store.

Entrance fee – FREE for the Museum. The tour ends at the beer garden where you can sample different types of produces for only 600 Yen ( Hokkaido-only “Classic” beer, “Sapporo Draft Beer Black Label”, “Kaitakushi Beer” )

Sapporo Government Building. Quite a charming neo-classical themed architecture with an imposing dominant red facade. The Government building is connected to the park with a mini lake where wild ducks take shelter. This place is quite a good spot to take some photos of them.

The White Illumination Festival at Odori Park. No entrance Fee. And as you can see, the snow is already starting to cover the ground the time I got there.

Other random shots during the snowy evening in Sapporo.

The cold evening is definitely a good time for some warm Noodles.

Day 2: Snowy Sapporo in the Morning. Will post a vlog about this next week. =)

Furano and Biei. Having the JR Pass privilege, I went further up northeast of Sapporo to see the town of Furano and Biei. Stayed for one night there. Temperature in Furano goes down to -7 degrees in the evening. Awow!!!

The Black Ramen in Furano is an unforgettable one. Actually lahat ng food, masarap! Meals in Sapporo, Furano and Biei ranges from 350 to 1500 Yen (200 to 750 Php). A bowl of Ramen starts at 700 Yen (350 Php)

Where I Stayed:

In Sapporo : Guesthouse Wagayado -HaLe- . Booked via Agoda. Php 1,500 per night.

In Furano : Hotel Tomar. Booked via Agoda. Php 2,100 per night.

I wasn’t able to do Mountain Skiing, as the resorts were still closed. Ka-uumpisa pa lang kasi ng winter. More reason to go back. =)

First Stop : Himeji Castle . Himeji is a city in the Kansai region of Japan, less than an hour away by bullet train from Kyoto. It’s known for the sprawling, centuries-old, white Himeji Castle, one of the few original castles from Japan’s feudal period. The top floor of the 6-story main keep offers views over the extensive castle grounds.

The castle complex as it survives today is over 400 years old and was completed in 1609. A UNESCO inscribed heritage site, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan’s three premier castles.

Getting There: 47 Minutes from Kyoto or Osaka. 5480 Yen ( Php 2.630.00) one way bullet train (or free, if you have a JR Pass).

Entrance Fee: Free to enter the castle grounds. 1000 Yen (500 Php) to enter the Castle/Museum, which I did. Will post a vlog about it next week. Castle opens 9 AM.

Once you go out of the train station, you will immediately see this view. Easy!

sword shelf

inside the Castle

Second Stop: Hiroshima City. One hour from Himeji by bullet train. A-Bomb Dome and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site of 1996.

More than seventy years have passed, yet visitors can still feel fear and the pain that has already sipped into the grounds of Hiroshima City. A great reminder that we should always uphold and protect the peace that our generation is currently enjoying. War should NEVER happen again.

Third Stop: Miyajima Island. 45 minutes from Hiroshima Train Station ( local train + 10 mins Ferry ride)  Miyajima is the home of Itsukushima Shrine . The main shrine is said to have been constructed in 593 by Saeki Kuramoto. The shrine has more than 1400 years of history, and is a registered World Heritage Site. 

Getting there: local train from Hiroshima Main Station to Miyagimaguchi station + 10 mins. ferry ride. 590 Yen(280 Php) One way , or included with the JR Pass.

Entrance Fee: None for the island and the temple grounds. 300 Yen for Itsukushima Shrine. I spent the rest of the afternoon here in Miyajima. The Island itself is very charming, with a lot of free roaming deers that you can pet and feed.

Just before sundown, at around 4, I returned to Hiroshima for some RnR and strolling around their commercial district and eat okinomiyaki.  Took the train back to Kyoto at around 7:30 PM. Arrived in Kyoto at pass 9.

Though JR Pass gives you access to any running and accredited train between cities, it is best that your route for the day must be plotted in the morning and have your tickets reserved for each intercity ride. An in-depth JR Pass article shall follow after this to better explain its advantages.