Japan 2024 Trip: From Fukuoka to Osaka

Here is the summary of our 2024 Japan trip in one post.  We spent 12 days 11 nights in total in Japan for this trip.  We mostly stayed in Kyushu Island as well as Osaka and some Hyogo prefecture.  I will conclude them in day-by-day itinerary below.  Then, if you require more information, you can click on each link that will take you to a blog where more information is given.  Hope it is something that you are after.  Enjoy reading, pals...

By the way, our trip was pretty laid back and no rush because we went with my parents who are in their 70's and one teenager also one toddler.  What a great combination of ages!!  Therefore, I needed to find something in the middle and tried to please everyone.  So, here is our 11 days trip that maybe only doing half of the other people would normally do.  Still, happy reading all...

Day 1: Just arrived in Yufuin then had a beef sukiyaki dinner in Yawaragi No Sato Yadoya Ryokan

Day 2: Whole day spent in Yufuin town

Day 3: Visited Hell Valley and stayed in Beppu for 2 nights

Day 4: Went to see Japanese macaques at Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden

Day 5: Ate at Ichiran ramen and snacks food at Yatai stalls as we stayed in Fukuoka for 4 nights

Day 6: Visited Dazaifu and Anpanman Children's Museum

Day 7: Spent time in Nagasaki and Yatai for second round

Day 8: Paid our respect at Nanzoin Temple

Day 9: From Fukuoka to Osaka and had an okonomiyaki dinner in Dotonburi 

Day 10: Strolled around Kyoto

Day 11: Brief stopped in Himeji and enjoyed teppanyaki Kobe beef at Steakland restaurant

Day 12: Universal Studio Japan and flew back home

From Hakata International Airport to Yufuin by bus

Part 1: Click here

Room in Yawaragi-No-Sato Yadoya

Part 2: Click here

Japanese hot pot "Sukiyaki" of the beef and raw egg "Ranou"

Part 3: Click here

Breakfast room in the ryokan

Part 4: Click here

Owl's Forest

Part 5: Click here

Onsen in Yawaragi-No-Sato Yadoya Ryokan

Part 6: Click here

Steam cooking at Jigokumushi Kobo

Part 7: click here

Nishitetsu Resort Inn, Beppu

Part 8: click here

Takasakiyama Monkey Park, Oita

Part 9: click here

Sushi from Kura sushi

Part 10: click here

Hotel Wing International Hakata

Part 11: click here

Ichiran ramen

Part 12: click here

Dazaifu Tenmangu

Part 13: click here

Fukuoka Anpanman Children's Museum

Part 14: click here

Nakasu Yatai Food Stalls

Part 15: click here

Meganebashi Bridge

Part 16: click here

Nanzoin Temple

Part 17: click here

JR Hakata Station

Part 18: click here

On the way to Osaka

Part 19: click here

Dotonbori

Part 20: click here

Shoyu ramen from Kadoya Shokudo

Part 21: click here

Old town Kyoto

Part 22: click here

Himeji Castle

Part 23: click here

Teppanyaki at Steakland Restaurant

Part 24: click here

Strawberry pancake sandwich from Mario cafe

Part 25: click here

Airport transfer booked through Klook

Part 26: click here

Thank you all for reading and Octie Appetie...

Japan 2024 Trip Part 22: A Day Trip in Kyoto

Previously:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 21: Sachifuya Cafe and Kadoya Shokudo, Osaka

Kyoto is an old classic town in Japan that has a special place in my heart.  Last few years ago, we went and stayed there for two nights.  But for this trip, we only do a one-day trip due to limited time that we have.  I just wanted to show my parent how beautiful this city is.  But I highly highly recommend people to stay overnight or two or even more.  There are many many things to do and see.  Visiting temples and shrines, attending tea ceremony while appreciating their traditional culture, embracing the nature along that Philosopher's path, sampling plenty of delicious food and snacks, or even just strolling around the city would be so romantic.

However, we were rushing around this time trying to fit as much as we could in one day.  We only got to visit Kiyomizudera, walk down the slope, and grab something delicious from Nishiki market.  My post won't be much helpful for the insight of Kyoto but you can always visit my old post about Kyoto back in 2014 for more details around this charming city.  Otherwise, for whoever has only short time here like me, this would give you some ideas of what can be done in a day, especially in this beautiful bright day like we had that day.

Kiyomizudera Temple

Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka slope

Lemon flavoured pickled cucumber 300yen/stick

Weird snack!!!  But we're even weirder whom wanting to try this.  Alright, pickled cucumber maybe common to have it with some sort of noodle or in a burger.  Hmmm... as a snack on its own, it is very unlikely.  But there were a few people holding this cucumber stick and seemed enjoying it.  That was it, I gotta try this!!!!  Turned out that this cucumber was crunchy with the right amount of sourness and slightly have that lemon fragrant in it.  It was surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable munching on this. 

Matcha and Kyoto, they are inseparable, it's like milk and cookies.  There are plenty of snacks and ice cream with Matcha or green tea flavour that you can find in Kyoto.  I had matcha ice cream many times already but this matcha flavoured baumkuchen caught my eyes.  This hundreds of layered Japanese cake was soft and not so sweet, slightly bitter but that matcha icing coated on the top was complimented the taste.  It was yummm...

Baumkuchen matcha flavour 320yen

I was so happy to be able to find this shop.  I have this place in my bucket list but as I came with old people and kids, made it harder to actually intentionally looking for all the food that I want to sample.  But when we were walking from Kiyomizudera toward Hokanji Temple, I found this Kumono shop by chance.  I was really excited.  

Kumono or cloud-shaped cake comes in two flavours only which are matcha and persimmon.  We ordered only one set of them and went for the persimmon one as it's more unusual.  For the drink that comes with it, we got a hot hojicha latte.  The cake and drink set costs 1,580yen, I think it is quite overpriced.   But the cake itself was delicious and light, very airy, it is more like a mousse cake with a small piece of sponge cake and coated with a relatively thin white chocolate.  Very clever piece of sweet here.  And they also made a great hojicha latte too.  

Kumono Kagami-mochi mousse set 1,580yen

Yasaka pagoda (Hokanji temple)

Yasaka Jinja at Gion

Kamo river

Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine

We enjoyed our time here in Kyoto on foot.  Although it took us longer moving from one place to another but it is allowed us embracing the beauty that this city has to offer.  For a late lunch, we stopped at Nishiki market.  Instead of having any proper Japanese meal, we went for the Wendy's burger.  As that limited truffle burger was calling me in.  I ordered the truffle melt beef patty set that comes with large fries and pepsi for 2,350yen.   

I used to see somewhere in internet saying that "I don't need my burger to look picture perfect, but I want my burger to look messy and the cheese is melted and sauce is runny".  Yes, and I couldn't agree more with this statement.  It is just exactly what I have in front of me and take a look inside the burger too, how much truffle paste that they gave.  Not only looks mouth-watering but it tastes even better than its look.  Without any due respect, when I travelling to a different country, fast food chain is always in my itinerary.  Because they always have a special menu that won't be available in any other places.  So, tell me Octie Appetie reader, do you eagerly trying fast food in different country while travelling too? 

Then, here we were, strolling along the popular market filled with lot of food and fresh seafood, namely Nishiki Market.  To be honest, I want to have one each of everything but of course no money la...  The most interesting one out of all was this grilled eel on stick topped with sea urchin. 

eel on skewer with sea urchin on top 1,500yen

The eel was yumm.  Sea urchin was fresh.  But were they complimented each other?   Hmmm.. I probably need to re-think it again.  having them together was kinda gave me strange sensation.  I had two bites of this and still confused, do I really like it!  But don't mind giving it a go one more time.  Or maybe the one with ikura would taste better though. 

Wagyu beef black gyoza 1,100yen and pork gyoza 880yen

Kiyomizudera

Opening hours: 06:00 - 18:00

Entry fee: 400yen

From Kyoto station:

Catch a bus number 206 or 86 and get off at Gojo-Zaka stop (about 15 minutes' bus ride plus another 12 minutes' walk) 

Or catch a taxi, it will take approximately 20 minutes (we got a big family, so we ride taxi van and it costed us 2,200yen)

Wendy's First Kitchen

Kyowari-fu, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto

Ph; +81 75 253 0325

Open: 9:00 - 21:00

Kumonocha Kiyomizu Sannenzaka

Ph: +81 75 551 5570

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 23: Himeji