Kansai 2017
KANSAI REGION— home to many cultural and historical sites.
We visited Japan again but only stayed in the Kansai Region. So instead of buying the JR Pass again we just opted to buy the Kansai Thru Pass for 3 days which you can use non consecutively.
The pass lets you ride the subways, private railways and buses in Kansai area but excludes JR trains. It was priced at 4,000 yen for a 2 day ticket and 5,200 yen for a 3 day ticket. Using the Kansai Thru Pass we were able to visit Himeji Castle, and travel to Kyoto and Nara.
On our second day we visited Kyoto’s Nishiki Market which is a narrow, five block long shopping street with lots of shops and restaurants. We ate a lot of fresh seafoods here including Oysters! We also sampled the soymilk doughnuts here and they are so delicious! When you visit Kyoto, don’t forget to try Unagi or Eel because it’s one of their delicacies. Quality matcha is also available in Kyoto.
Silken Tofu and Uji Matcha Ice Cream
On the way to Fushimi Inari Shrine I spotted this Kyozuan Ice Cream Shop that sells Silken Tofu Ice Cream!!! It was my first time to try and I super loved it!!!! It’s even made from organic soy beans. I ordered the Tofu and Uji matcha combination. Must try! 🌟
In Kyoto, we visited Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in 2 different days.
On our fourth day we visited Nara and Kyoto again.
Since we have the Kansai Thru Pass, we visited the Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture. It took us 2 hours to reach Himeji through train and it was definitely worth it but the problem was there were a lot of people visiting the castle and the queue was quite long. If you have a lot of time to spare you must definitely visit the castle because unlike Osaka Castle this castle is legit and it has truly survived the test of time. It’s even called the “Miracle Castle” because it has survived bombings and other unfortunate events. *Don’t expect the castle to have artifacts or furnitures inside.
We went to Osaka Castle for some Cherry Blossom Sightings.
Don’t forget to visit the Umeda Sky Building, it is a futuristic looking building with great views on top. *There is an entrance fee to visit the Observatory.
Athough it’s definitely okay to splurge on expensive restaurants especially when you are in Japan… You will be surprised by the quality of food even in just small restaurants here. They definitely take their food very seriously.
Japan is definitely a country you’d love to visit over and over again because of their culture, food, the endless sights to see, the efficiency of their transportation, and the shopping. Hehe ♥️
