It's had been 4 months to my Europe & UK trip. After I came back, I had already started lookin for some flight deals which can take me to new destination never before. And guess what!! It was Japan & Taiwan :) :)
I got 14,000 one way ticket to Osaka through Air Asia. Like I have mentioned in my previous blog. Don't research for flights landing to the big capital cities of the country. If I would have landed up in Tokyo from Bengaluru. It would ve been bomb-ed price!
From Japan to cover Taiwan. I had booked flight from my last destination of Japan - Tokyo to Taipei for Rs 5000 and Taiwan to India for Rs 11,000!
Japan is know for it's Shinkansen bullet trains which runs at 320 km per hour which tempted me to cover lot of places in less number of days that I had. The shinkansen bullet trains are super expensive to travel and every foreigner that visits to Japan prefers to get Japan Rail Pass known as JR PASS... If you are heading to Japan, please please don't think twice but go for JR Pass. It's way cheaper when you actually count the number of places you ve covered by bullet trains.
For more details www.jrpass.com
There are passes for 7,15,21 days. I had opted for 7 day pass worth Rs 17,000.
Important:
1. You cannot buy this pass in Japan.
2. You will have to buy the pass online and get it deliver at your residential address in India ONLY.
3. The one that will be delivered to you is not a real JR Pass. It's a receipt/voucher which you need to get it exchange with real JR PASS once you land JAPAN.
4. Japanese cannot buy this pass. It's is only for International travellers with international passport.
Now you have 7 day pass worth Rs 17,000 and of course you don't have to rest but cover as many as possible in Japan. Otherwise this pass is NOT WORTH IT.
And that's how I landed up exploring regions of Kansai, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Toyota, Mount Fuji & Tokyo!!!
I had my train map and the JR PASS now I was all set to spend my money on Japanese cuisine. I was damn excited to see so unique culture in my life for the first time :) :)
First sight to Japan, which I personally have felt it -
1. Cleanliness at it's top notch through out Japan
2. Japanese Trains are among the world's most punctual: their average delay is just18 seconds.
3. Square Watermelons are grown by japanese farmers for easier stack and store.
4. In Japan, 90% of mobile phones are waterproof because youngsters use them even in the shower.. It's trueeeeeee! Like really true! Japanese are phone obsessed.
5. Japan has 5.52 million vending machines. Everywhere!!! Yes because they also have toilet paper vending machines.
6. Around 24 billion pairs of chopsticks are used in Japan each year. It was so hard for me to eat with Chopsticks being a first timer.
7. Most streets in Japan have no name. #truethat.
8. In Japan, Burger King has an all-black burger. Damnnn Yes I saw that! It look little weird at the first sight.
9. Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is the world’s largest fish market, and the majority of fish in the world go through here - the day I went, it was close due to some reasons :( :(
10. Old population everywhere. In a way this was little bit boring trip due to unseen younger population.
11. Tokyo is the second most expensive city in the world to live in. Japan as a country itself is considered to be expensive country of the world. It's shit true. My one time meal use to cost me somewhere 500-600 Indian Rupees - that too basic food! But I did not complain about anything on a compensation of my free homestays with locals everywhere :) :)
12. Kansai airport is situated on artificial island. And it's looks damn cool from the flight.
13. Japan has fascination with Toilets. And It can be a challenge for foreign travellers. Famous for heated toilet seats, and even those fake flushing noise buttons, rinse & dry functions. As soon as I used the first Japanese toilet at Kansia. I was like woewww. They are hi - tech cutting edge technology toilets. They are so damn clean.
14. Animated Japanese films and television shows account for 60% of the world's animation-based entertainment. You will believe after looking at Tokyo Album!
So till now I have spent 30,000(Travel) + 17000(JR Pass) = Rs 47,000 to cover 2 countries!
Only food and local transportation of Taiwan excluded. I wanted to finish this trip in 50,000! But I knew it wouldn't be possible if I include one of the MOST expensive country of the world. And I ended up spending 57,000 for everything! (Including food, shopping, my travel artifacts etc for 2 countries)!!
Not bad yeah? No?
xxx Happy Reading! :)