15-May - Arrival Tokyo

WOOT! The long-awaited vacation has arrived! We were so busy with our daily routines and lots of things need to be settled before we off to JAPAN!! Plan has messed up since the quake and tsunami happened and everything in pending due to the unstable circumstances. And also the trip planning has been put aside due to the heavy workload after Chinese New Year couple months ago. Well, take some times for us to figure out the Visa application and those tedious procedures. Anyway, you can walk in to the Japanese Embassy with no charges on the application. But we chose to submit the visa application via travel agency due to inconvenient of embassy and our working hours. Travel agency charges us RM30 each for the application. Okay, basically for the application, you need to have at least Rm6,000 in your personal bank accounts and list out the itinerary in Japan, flight itinerary, and so forth.

JR PASS

After did a lots of survey and research, we purchased JR Pass before go to Japan. Basically for this JR pass, you couldn’t purchase inside Japan, this pass mainly sell to the foreigner or tourist. So, we managed to get the ticket from a travel agency which is opposite my office. 7 days pass with unlimited rides cost about RM1,100 (28,700Yen). Bare in mind, this is just an exchange-order; therefore you need to activate the pass at the information counter at the listed train station. As per our plan, we will only use the pass to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto which is already cost RM500+ each way. So we need to plan our itinerary wisely in order to fully utilize the pass.

Our departure time supposed to be 12.45pm but due to the usual and norm for Air Asia, they reschedule it to 2.45pm. But this time at least they did inform early and depart punctually! Oh yea, to be highlighted, proud of the trip is we got the air ticket which is only cost RM290 for two-ways, include taxes. With the insurance coverage and baggage 20kgs each way, total up only RM400 per pax. Isn’t it sound ridiculous for the air ticket which is only within RM500??! HAHAHA Yes, I felt so as well. I couldn’t believe when the time I bought the air ticket!

KUL – HND – House Ikebukuro

It takes about 8hours from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to Tokyo Haneda International Airport. Well, 8hours in the flight ain’t slow and bored at all, because my ji-mui Tommy Yeoh making noise all the way from Malaysia to Japan. We played cards on the plane, the game is something similar as Monopoly and it is nice to play frankly speaking. Arrived Haneda airport at about 11pm and the examination at the custom clearance is so strict and almost checking one-by-one. So far, all of us are safe, except Tommy Yeoh maybe due to his ugly beard and huge body size. HAHA. Asked some information at the concierge, we got the Suica (so-called Touch & Go) at the machine and catch the last train to the town. For the initial payment for the card is 2,000Yen with 500Yen for deposit and 1,500Yen balance for use. We booked the same accommodation at Ikebukuro area. For this Suica, you can use it wherever it has PASMO or Suica logo, and you also can use it at any restaurant, convenient shop or public transport. And it is valid for 10years period, so you can choose to keep the card for memory or refund the balance & deposit before you left Japan. We stayed at House Ikebukuro which is located at the heart of the Ikebukuro station, so we need to take the monorail at the Haneda airport to Hamamatshucho station which is takes about 13 minutes / 470Yen. And then change to another line JR Yamanote (basically Japanese called it as Green circle line) to Ikebukuro station, which is takes about 30minutes. Please take note, usually international flight will be arriving at Japan in the late night, so some people rather to save the money and overnight at airport.

House Ikebukuro, whereby the owner is a Taiwanese lady, and most of the time we deal with her assistance – Mrs. Chen, a very friendly woman. We booked the hotel with entitle 30% discount which is only cost us about 4,200Yen (RM155). We are going to stay here for 5 nights. Ok, from the airport to the hostel, we arrived at hostel at about 12am. We are really starving and grab a quick dinner/supper opposite our hostel – 松屋. Tommy fell in love with their Curry rice immediately! No doubt, the taste and food variety really so tempting and tantalizing! Okay, rest well and re-charge for tomorrow’s plan! Good night, Japan, with love and peace.