Took the train back to Kyoto Station so I could take a quick shower at Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~. I was going on overnight buses two nights in a row so showering at a public bathhouse was the only choice I had (so much for careful itinerary planning). Then again, you can't say you've been to Japan if you've never visited an onsen right?


Probably one of the cheapest onsen around Japan, Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~ only costed ￥750 (SGD $9.50) on weekdays and ￥890 (SGD $11) on weekends. Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~ was obviously minimalistic with this price, with only cubicles for you to sit down and shower and a hot bath tub. But that was enough for me to refresh myself.

After making payment at a machine, I was given two towels (the rental of the towels costed ￥750 (SGD $1.25) — I made the mistake of not bringing in my towel even though I had it in my luggage) — then I was directed to a rest area to remove my shoes. You can actually proceed straight to the onsen, seperated by gender, but the miscomunication due to the different languages led me to stupidly sit at the waiting area for quite some time before I figured I can head straight in.

Even though I knew what an onsen is and prepared myself for it, I still had a culture shock there when I saw everyone removing their clothes freely once they stepped in. Kyoto Tower Public Bathhouse ~YUU~ provided body soap, shampoo and even conditioner, but because the place caters largely to locals, everything was labelled in Japanese. I had problems telling one toiletry from the other, and figured it was too awkward to ask anyone naked, so I just tried my luck. To this day, I have no idea if I used the correct product HAHA. Ignorance is always bliss.

Most trains in Japan have rapid or local trains, with the rapid trains skipping a few stations and Kyoto's no exception. It's always a good idea to take a photo of the stations the rapid and local trains go to so you have an idea of where you are, especially if you're not familar with Japanese. In this case, both trains go to Saga-Arashiyama Station.


Somehow, I missed my station and ended up in Chiyokawa, adding on to my list of unlucky things that happened on my travels. However, I managed to cach some magnificent sights of Kyoto's quiet countryside, an aura of stillness and calmness very much oppsite of what I'm accustomed to in Singapore's everyday life.

Walking to Arashiyama Bamboo Groves from Saga-Arashiyama Station

The walk to Arashiyama Bamboo Groves took about 20 minutes, and I stopped along a roadside store of a piping hot Taiyaki in the cold winter.


Everything was written in Japanese, I had a hard time figuring out what was what, and the shopkeeper was getting impatient so I simply pointed to one Taiyaki. Don't know what flavour Taiyaki I got, but I'm guessing it's maple from the colour. Yes, I have terrible tastebuds and can't even tell the difference between beef, pork and chicken.

AEON Mall KYOTO

Address
1 Nishikujo Toriiguchicho, Minami Ward, 京都市南区 Kyoto Prefecture 601-8417, Japan

Opening Hours
10am to 9pm daily


It was the weekends so AEON Mall KYOTO was littered with families and kids.

Iconic Glico Man sign located right smack in the middle of Dotonbori. Glico Man sign first gained popularity among locals who gathered at Dotonbori to celebrate Japan's sports victories as the Glico Man resembles an athlete in a victory pose.
Dotonbori

Address 
Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0071, Japan
(Glico Man sign is located near H&M and F21, along Shinsaibashi 心斎橋)

Nearest Subway Station
Umeda Station (Midosuji, Tanimachi and Yotsubashi lines)

Opening Hours
Some shops are opened 24/7



I initially wanted to catch sunset at Dotonbori, but the weather in Osaka that day was too misty.

Osaka Castle Park (can totally imagine how beautiful the park will be during cherry blossom season!)

Osaka Castle Park

Address
1-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 540-0002, Japan

Nearest Subway Station
Tanimachi Yonchome Station (Tanimachi Subway Line and Chuo Subway Line)
Approximately ¥240 without one day pass

Opening Hours
9am to 5pm daily

Fee
Free for Osaka Castle Park
¥600 for Osaka Castle

Got over my fear of heights for nice photos #doitforthegram

Was still a little too full from my airplane food, or I would have darted into one ramen shops along Ohatsutenjin Dori Shotengai for a piping hot bowl of ramen.

Tsuyunoten Shrine (Ohatsu Tenjin Shrine)

Tsuyunoten Shrine (Ohatsu Tenjin Shrine) 

Address
〒530-0057 2-5-4 Sonezaki, Kita-ku, Osaka City

Nearest Subway Station
Higashi-Umeda Station (Tanimachi line) (¥240)

Opening Hours
7am to 10pm

Fee
Free


Tsuyunoten Shrine (Ohatsu Tenjin Shrine) is a famous love shrine in Osaka, which tells a story of the forbidden love two lovers — a prostitute and ownder of a soy sauce store — who tragically committed suicide in Tsuyuno Tenjinsha.

Osaka day trip

I always wanted to visit Osaka, the capital of Osaka Prefecture and second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo. Most of my friends who went to Japan followed a Osaka – Kyoto – Tokyo travel itinerary so, call it the fear of missing out, I decided that my first stop in Japan should be Osaka. Air tickets from Taipei to Osaka was also cheaper compared to Taipei to Tokyo.


Thank god for charger ports on the bus from Taipei Main Station to Taoyuan International Airport because I had absolutely to time to charge my phone prior to boarding. Even though I was absolutely thrilled about my Japan solo travel, I was basically a zombie the entire time I travelled from Taipei Main Station to Taoyuan International Airport to Kansai International Airport because I was still intoxicated.

Imano Tokyo Hostel Review

If there's one thing Japan's infamous for, it's their high cost of living — especially in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. After scouring the internet for hostels in Tokyo, I finally found Imano Tokyo Hostel through booking.com, and paid SGD $83 for two nights there. Other than being within my budget, Imano Tokyo Hostel fit all three strict criteria I set for any accommodation during my Japan solo travel — safe, convenient, and clean.

1) Safety

This one's a no brainer. It was my first time travelling solo, and I'm a petite girl too, so I had to exercise extreme caution even on a budget in Tokyo and my safety is my utmost priority. I read through thousands of reviews online — I went from booking.com to tripadvisor, and even googled for blog reviews. So long as I spotted one bad review concerning safety, the hostel, no matter how cheap, is immediately out of my list.

Unbeknownst to many, other than being a popular shopping district, Shinjuku is also Tokyo's red light district. I almost made a deathly mistake by booking a cheap hostel located right smack in Tokyo's red light district just because the address stated Shinjuku. Thank god I caught one of the reviews expressing concerns for female solo travellers.

I first discovered Couchsurfing while editing an article on budget accommodation for my company's travel blog. Since Japan is infamous for its expensive accommodation and I'm travelling solo this time, I decided to try Couchsurfing for the first time in my first Japan destination, Osaka. After I tried Couchsurfing, a lot of my peers, most of whom are fellow avid budget travellers, asked me about my experience and I thought I could share my Couchsurfing experience on my blog.

What is Couchsurfing?

Screenshot from Couchsurfing dashboard

Couchsurfing is a website that connects travellers to locals. You can get an authentic experience in a local's home while on your travels, host travellers who are coming to your country or meet up with travellers in the city you are/will be in.

Couchsurfing is completely free, although you may wish to bring a souvenir or two from your country as a gift, and people are doing it because they love travelling, meeting new people from around the world or hearing stories from different travellers. Think: hitchhiking, but for accommodation. You can find out more on Couchsurfing's About Us page.

Is Couchsurfing Safe?

It's the same with Airbnb — there are risks involved have an discerning eye when choosing your hosts or the people you're meeting and you'll do fine. Check out their Couchsurfing profiles, read their reviews, get to know them more before meeting them, and don't ever exchange personal information.

My Couchsurfing Experience (in Osaka, Japan)

About two weeks after putting up the date I'll be in Osaka, I had 4 hosts offering to host me in their city, all of which could speak English and had decent amount of reviews on their Couchsurfing profile.

1. A couple in their mid-fifties
2. A small family of three
3. A man in his twenties
4. A man in his thirties

Now I would prefer staying with the couple or the small family — pretty self explanatory — unfortunately their houses were out of central Osaka. As someone setting foot in Osaka for the first time, I didn't want to deviate too far from the city, especially when I only had a day in Osaka.

My second choice was the guy in his twenties because, I presume, we would have more conversation topics since we don't have much of an age gap. Unfortunately, he didn't have an extra room to offer me and I wasn't too comfortable with sharing a room with a guy I don't know.

I went with the man in his thirties in the end because he had the most amount of positive reviews on his Couchsurfing profile (50+ of them) and his place was 10 minutes away from Nishi-Umeda, which was pretty near to transfer stations like Hommachi, Shinsaibashi and Namba Station.

Messages sent on Couchsurfing's website

After a few message exchanges on Couchsurfing, we exchanged numbers to continue the conversation on WhatsApp, where we set a meeting time and place. That was pretty much the end of our communication till the day of my flight where my Couchsurfing host sent me a message to confirm our meeting.

The journey from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to our meeting place near his apartment at Nishi-Umeda Station took a little longer than expected because I was confused about getting out of Osaka's airport, had to purchase my Osaka Municipal Subway card, figure out the stations and lug my >20kg up and down Osaka's merciless stairs.

My Couchsurfing host was forgiving about my tardiness even though I was thoroughly embarrassed because I was already asking for a huge favour by staying in his place! He brought me to his apartment, gave me instructions how to get in, showed me my room and his place, taught me what every button is for and which buttons to avoid because we know Japanese toilets and bathrooms are insanely complicated.

What not to do before a 7am flight: drink till 3am

After I was done unpacking / repacking my luggage, it was about 2pm. My Couchsurfing host sent me to the door and we agreed on a meeting time at night. I started exploring Osaka, and returned to my Couchsurfing host's apartment at our agreed timing, about 9pm.

I actually went to the wrong apartment because a lot of Osaka's buildings look similar and had to trouble my Couchsurfing host to put on his winter wear so he could look for me outside *face palms*

I didn't have the opportunity to interact much with my Couchsurfing host because I only had one night in Osaka and I spent the most of my day out exploring Osaka but I'm glad my first experience with Couchsurfing was a positive one. I have to admit I was a little scared given my petite frame and the fact that I was travelling solo for the first time but my host was funny, warm, polite and accommodating.

After wandering through Osaka for a day

Couchsurfing Tips

• Always have a backup plan in case your host decides to back out because they are not obligated to be responsible for your accommodation plans.
• Some female solo travellers choose to only meet up / host / stay with other female couchsurfers
• Don't be afraid to reject someone you're not comfortable with meeting / hosting
• I felt really bad that I didn't have time to talk to my Couchsurfing host, so I think it'll be great if you can buy a gift for your host in case you don't have time to chit-chat. At least your Couchsurfing host has a piece of your country to remember you by!
• Take photos of your Couchsurfing host's apartment in case you get lost like me

  Lastly and most importantly,

• Be alert at all times and listen to your sixth sense.

All in all, Couchsurfing is definitely a great alternative for budget travellers as long as you're careful and selective of who you meet :) Here's to staying safe while travelling solo!

(This blog post is based on my true opinion from my personal experience, and is in no way sponsored.)

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Japan Solo Travel (January 2017)

Tokyo Summary and Getting Around Tokyo | Tokyo Imano Hostel Review | Tokyo Pokemon Centre & Shibuya Crossing | Tokyo Lockers and Shinjuku Gyoen Garden | Tokyo Harajuku (Shopping, Food, Daiso) | Tokyo bills Omotesando (Tokyu Plaza)

Hakone One Day Itinerary | Hakone Tozan Railway and Cable Car | Seeing Mt Fuji at Owakudani | Hakone Ropeway and Sightseeing Cruise | Trekking to see Hakone Shrine and Mt Fuji

9 Hours Narita Capsule Hotel Review | Tokyo Narita Airport