I had fun shopping in Osaka last year (especially at Japanese drugstore), and so I thought of getting something for myself again this year in Tokyo. During my last trip, I bought a number of Japanese makeup and skincare products. Now you’ll notice how Tita I’ve become with all the different muscle patches and relaxation products I bought! (Lol).

I think I bought a more useful batch of of items this time. Some items, I believe I can use more frequently. Some are hard to find… and another one I bought because of an emergency situation (we’ll get to that part). Ok, let’s begin!

Aside from street food, one of the items in my to-do list is to try locally-sold bottled and canned drinks in Tokyo. From reading other blogs and watching YouTube videos, I’ve learned that Japan is known to have a wide range of ready-to-drink beverages, as well as limited-edition juice and carbonated drinks. In addition, they also have fruity, carbonated concoctions with low alcohol content (known as Chu-hai) which are popular with young adults.

As you can see, I kept all the empty containers after trying them all so I can put my thoughts into them. The products I’m going to feature here do not cost more than ¥160. I believe they’re much cheaper at the grocery, but since I was always on the go, I bought these drinks at convenience stores near our hotel and vending machines at train stations.

So without further ado, here are 7 Japanese drinks you might see when you visit Tokyo.

I booked airport transfers with Klook for the first time during my recent visit to Japan. Because the two local travel companies that we know do not offer transfers if you don’t book at least one tour activity with them, I looked for reputable and legitimate online booking sites for this service. Luckily, I was able to find the service that I need with Klook.

What are the benefits of getting an airport transfer? First, it’s very convenient. We just need to ride the van and sit comfortably until we reach Narita Airport. Second, we had an early morning flight, thus local trains aren’t in operation yet by the time we leave the hotel. Third, having an airport transfer was actually more cost-efficient for us, since we’re traveling in a group of 6. And finally, it’s expected that we’ll be carrying HEAVY and additional luggage due to shopping. I can’t imagine dragging two pieces of luggage at a time as we catch the local train and N’EX bound for Narita.

So how was the booking process and the entire journey? Here’s how.

Ichiran is a popular Japanese ramen shop which originated from Fukuoka in 1960. What started as a small stall flourished into a ramen chain with 65 locations in Japan and branches found in Taipei, Hong Kong, as well as in Brooklyn, New York. In Dotonbori, the Ichiran branch is open for 24 hours.

Ichiran serves tonkotsu ramen, a pork bone based soup broth. Tonkotsu ramen is made by boiling pork bone and other ingredients for several hours to get its rich taste. It was initially prepared as an affordable food served to fish market workers in Fukuoka. In Japan, Ichiran and Ippudo (yes, the one in Manila) are the most popular ramen chains that serve this type of ramen.

Since it was my first time to visit Ichiran, I'll give you my honest, first impression on their well-loved ramen.

Tokyo used to be a luxury destination for travelers. Though it’s still one of the world’s most expensive cities, flights and accommodation have become more affordable over the years. Initially, my mother wanted to book the hotel where we first stayed at in 2012, but with a price of Php 11,000 per night, we knew it was too much, considering we will be mostly out and about during the day.

That’s when Hotel Grand Fresa Akasaka came into view. A 2014 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice, the hotel is part of Sotetsu Fresa Inn’s chain of hotels which are popular for business and leisure travelers. My husband and I already stayed at their Nihombashi-Kayabacho branch in 2015, so I was looking for available rooms at that hotel once more. However, the said branch was fully booked for our travel dates. When I saw their Akasaka branch and the rates were less than half of Php 11,000, I immediately booked three rooms for our stay.

If you’re looking for affordable hotel rooms in Tokyo within the city center, let me give you an overview of our stay at Hotel Grand Fresa Akasaka.

Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort is a popular winter destination for tourists who want to ski or snowboard because of its convenient location. Being the only snow resort in Japan with its own bullet train station, you can hop on the train in Tokyo and be at the resort in as short as 77 minutes.

When you’re going to this snow resort, the main and most convenient transportation you need to ride is the Shinkansen (bullet train), particularly Joetsu, which goes directly to Gala Yuzawa station. Not only is it convenient but it’s also stress-free. With that said, let me guide how to reach Gala from your starting point: Tokyo station.

My aunts haven’t seen snow yet. And they haven’t been to Japan either. While I’ve experienced snow during the first days of winter in Nami Island or in the middle of summer at Mount Titlis (Summer?! I know, right?), I haven’t seen proper, thick snow. So when I booked our flights to Tokyo, I made sure it was going to be a winter vacation.

Being my family’s exclusive “travel agent”, I looked for ski or snow resorts that we can go to for just one day coming from Tokyo. There were convenient group tours on coaches, but they just didn't tickle my fancy. With determination and never ending quest of building our itinerary, I stumbled upon Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort.

Many budget airlines and international flag carriers arrive in Tokyo via Narita Airport. Although Haneda Airport is much closer to central Tokyo, flights that arrive in Narita are much cheaper (especially promo fares). After a “long” flight (depending on where you come from), your next aim is to get to your Tokyo accommodation the fastest way possible.

That’s when Narita Express (N’EX) comes into the picture. It’s no surprise that trains in Japan are one of the country’s pride and glory. When it comes to efficient train transportation, N’EX definitely sets an example. As I boarded the N’EX train for the first time, I found noteworthy pros and cons during my trip which I think will help you decide when taking a transport to Tokyo.

I never thought of the importance of the JR passes until I needed one. In my recent travel to Japan, the highlight of our vacation was the one-day trip to Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort from Tokyo. I’ve researched instructions on how to get to the snow resort, Shinkansen fares, and asked on TripAdvisor for transportation recommendation, until the members suggest I take the JR TOKYO Wide Pass.

JR-EAST (East Japan Railway Company) is Japan’s biggest passenger railway company and they offer various discount passes for tourists coming to Japan. They have the JR EAST Pass for Nagano, Niigata area (¥18,000 for adults, valid for 5 days) and another one for Tohoku area (¥20,000 for adults, valid for 5 days). Both passes are very convenient and cost-effective to use when traveling outside of Tokyo. Since we only have 4 full days to spare (and only decided to go out of Tokyo for the snow resort), we opted to purchase the TOKYO Wide Pass, which is only valid for 3 days.

I went back to Japan recently and it was my second time arriving at Narita Airport. The first one was way back in 2012 and we got to Tokyo via airport transfers. The second time I was in Tokyo in 2015, my husband and I landed at Haneda Airport (which I still prefer) as it’s already in the city and the travel time to our hotel at Nihonbashi/Ningyocho was just about 30 minutes.

This year, we arrived again at Narita (Terminal 2) but we had to figure out how to travel to Tokyo on our own. We didn’t book any tours, not even a service that will pick us up at the airport. But that’s the beauty of traveling. You get to discover ways on how to get to your destination by researching, asking questions, and reading maps.

There are many ways on how to get to Tokyo from Narita Airport. In this post, I’ll be teaching you and giving you tips on what to ride, where to buy tickets at the airport, and what to do before leaving Narita.

When I was away from home in college, instant ramen is my go-to snack. When I travel abroad outside of North and Southeast Asia, I bring 4 to 6 cups with me, especially on countries where I’m not familiar with their food. When I’m sick and have no appetite, I prefer to eat noodles over rice. Consuming instant ramen has its pros and cons, but sometimes you just can’t resist the umami goodness an instant noodle brings!

The first time I went to Genroku Sushi was with my husband during our trip to Osaka last April. Also known as Genrokuzushi, this is the first ever kaitenzushi in the world – which means conveyor belt sushi restaurant. We already have several of these sushi train restaurants back home, but I waited to try the first and genuine kaitenzushi in Japan.

We stepped into Genroku Sushi Sennichimae branch at 2:45 PM for our (very) late lunch. At that time, we had no idea whatsoever that this was Osaka’s most popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Thankfully, the Sennichimae branch had available seats for us, although I wished we were seated in front of the itamae (sushi chefs) so we can see how they skillfully make sushi.

If there’s another shopping haven in the world you need to see, it’s got to be Osaka. From apparel, drugstore products, to food items you can only find in Japan, it’s right at the center of Osaka. Before flying to Japan last April 5, I listed down all the things I wanted to shop for. Majority of these were makeup and skincare since I love to hoard try different products, especially those raved about by beauty bloggers and YouTube content creators. 

* Read further down below for 2017 updates
With all the available flights to Japan coming from the Philippines, visiting the Land of the Rising Sun is no longer far-fetched. Still, you need to secure a tourist visa if you’re a Filipino traveler with a Philippine passport.