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 10: Kura Sushi and Activated Our JR Pass at Oita Station

Previously:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 9: Takasakiyama Monkey Park, Oita

Kura sushi was one of the restaurants to try in my bucket list.  I was so excited that I randomly found one of the branches in this Oita city, right next where Don Quijote is.  Kura Sushi is a sushi train chain that serve ranges of really good sushi yet the price is relatively cheap.  Also, every five dishes that you collect, you can get one game to play for luck to win some small toys.  Whenever, you ready, drop in the empty plates in the slot provided in each table, then a short video-like game will run and if you win, a capsule toy will come out from a dispense machine above it.  All based on luck, you don't need to play or press anything.  It was pretty fun though.

 

Here in Kura sushi, you can just pick up dishes from the conveyor belt or place orders from the screen.  There is nearly no human interaction happening here.  Even when making payment, it can be done through the machine.

Not the biggest Donki, but still we wasted nearly half-day here.  There are two-storey building and the place is packed with all things you can imagine from necessities items to food and souvenirs.  They also provide the duty-free service.  And it is very convenient that you can claim the tax straight in here without require us to do it in the airport.  Make sure you carry your passport and let the register know before you pay for your goods.  There is a certain register that you need to go to.  Once paid, they will thenn pack and seal your goods and but the down part is we are unable to use or consume those items until we leave Japan.   

Beppu Tower in daytime

Beppu Tower at night

We hired the car from Yufuin and it was time to return it in Beppu Port branch, of course we need to fill up the petrol back to full tank.  However, as we're first-timer, we didn't know how to.  But the super nice lady in the petrol station helped us.  It was really a funny moment as she speak zero English and my Japanese is like toddler level, so we used the google translator.  Unlike in Australia, here in Japan you require to put some money into the machine first, then fill in the petrol.  Because we had no idea how much the petrol cost or how many litres we needed to fill in.  Our initial thought was that we need to put an exact amount.  But you can actually put any amount and if there is extra, she will then give you change.  Unless you know how much exactly that you want to fill in, then you can put the correct amount. 

From tomorrow onward, we will be using JR train and we bought a 7-days JR PASS from back home and it needed to be activated once we arrived in Japan.  As we stayed in Beppu and the first use would be train from Beppu to Fukuoka, so I thought I might activate the ticket at Beppu Station.  I was wrong.  They can't do it there because there isn't office ticket in Beppu station and told me to go to Oita Station.  Lucky, I still have like two hours or something before the office is closed.  Oita station itself is quite a big station and we managed to try that sweet alluring smell from Manneken Waffle.  

Free charging station

You can activate your JR Pass here as well as making seat reservations for your future trip.  Make sure you have your preferred timetable ready to help the process quicker.  I used Japan Travel and Japan Transit apps since Hyperdia has terminated their service.  Between those two apps, I mainly use Japan Travel app as it is easy to navigate and provide sufficient information for train timetables except if you want to get more details, for example each train stop and platform, then you kinda need to pay for premium.  However, I don't feel it is necessary to spend on that.

Kura Sushi Oita

1137-1 Seike, Oita

Open: 7 days 11:00 - 23:00

JR Oita Station Ticket Office

Open: 07:00 - 21:00

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 11: Hotel Wing International Hakata Shinkansenguchi