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Japan and Taiwan Travel Guide: 7 Days in Tokyo, Kyoto, Yakushima, & Nagano

1/8/2018

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Milk Tea, Sushi, and Giant Robots. That is what you think of when you think of Taiwan and Japan right? Well this past Christmas break, we broke those stereotypes (well except the milk tea one) in our amazing Taiwan and Japan trip! Check out our itinerary below for things to do, places to eat, and tips for travel.

Taiwan

​Day 1: Alishan
  • Take the 1.5 hour train ride from Taipei to Chiayi
  • See rolling hills and tea terraces on the Alishan Forest Railway
  • Try the famous bento box lunch at Fenqihu Station
  • Explore the endless forests of Sacred Tree
  • Slurp on $4 beef noodle soup at 曾媽牛肉麵
Day 2: Travel
  • Wake up early to watch the sunrise at Chusan
  • Take the 5 hour train ride to Hualien
​Day 3: Hualien
  • Hire a driver to take you to Taroko Gorge
  • Watch water cascade down the Eternal Spring Shrine
  • Walk through caves and (hopefully not) falling rocks at Swallow Cliff
  • Hike the twists and turns of the rocky cliffside at Shakadang Trail
  • Enjoy the beautiful coastline at Qingshui Cliff
​Day 4: Taipei
  • Take the 2 hour train ride back to to Taipei
  • Explore the old Santorini-like city of Jiufen
  • See the water fall over the hills of Golden Waterfall
  • Explore shops and stalls of the Gongguan Night Market
  • Sip on milk tea with black sugar boba at Chensanding 陳三鼎
Day 5: Taipei
  • Eat pancake rolls for breakfast at Full Want
  • See Taipei 101 by hiking up the (many) stairs of Elephant Mountain
  • Appreciate the sweeping views as you ride the Maokong Gondola​
  • ​Explore the famous Shilin Night Market
  • Enjoy bubble tea at Jenjudang 珍煮丹

Japan

​Day 6: Travel
  • Take the 6 hour train ride from Tokyo to Kagoshima-Chuo
  • Ride the 2.5 hour ferry from Kagoshima Port to Anbo Port
  • Stay in the homey Cottage Morinokakage
  • Soak in the outdoor oceanside pools of Hirauchu Onsen at low tide
Day 7: Yakushima
  • Hike the overgrown Shiratani Unsuikyo Forest which inspired Princess Mononoke
  • Drive around the island to see Yaku deer and macaques
Day 8: tRAVEL
  • Take the 5 hour train ride to Kyoto
  • Stop for takoyaki at Osaka Station
dAY 9: kYOTO
  • Wake up early to avoid the crowds at Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • See the endless red gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • Feed cookies to deer at Nara Deer Park
  • Enjoy the best katsu in Kyoto Station at Katsukura
dAY 10: nAGANO
  • Take the 5 hour train ride to Nagano
  • Catch the Nagaden bus to Snow Monkey Park
  • Hike 1.2 miles through the snow to the Snow Monkey Park
  • Enjoy a traditional Japanese course meal at Korakukan Jigokudani
  • Soak in a mountainside onsen with snow monkeys at the ryokan
dAY 11: tRAVEL
  • Enjoy a traditional Japanese breakfast at Korakukan Jigokudani
  • Take the 2 hour train ride to Tokyo
  • See ancient temples and traditional architecture at Yanaka
dAY 12: toKYO
  • Drive 2.5 hours to the magical Shiraito Falls
  • See the famous Mt. Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi
  • Be mindblown at the detailed handwork of animated films at the Ghibli Museum
  • Slurp on ramen at Mutekiya​ ​​

Taiwan

AT THE AIRPORT:
  • Buy a Chunghwa SIM Card (cash only) with credit for voice and unlimited data.
  • Exchange/withdraw a good amount of cash. Many places do not accept card.
  • Use the vending machine to buy an Easycard and load up money into it. The deposit and remaining balance can be refunded when you return to the airport station.
  • Take the metro to Taipei Main Station (new route does not show up on Google Maps).
  • If you take any busses, be sure to swipe on AND off. If you forget, your Easycard will be locked and you can only unlock it at the station where you left.
​
DAY 1: ALISHAN, TAIWAN
  • Take the 1.5 hour train ride from Taipei to Chiayi
  • See rolling hills and tea terraces on the Alishan Forest Railway
  • Try the famous bento box lunch at Fenqihu Station
  • Explore the endless forests of Sacred Tree
  • Slurp on $4 beef noodle soup at 曾媽牛肉

​Getting Here:
Reserve your tickets ahead of time at the THSR Online Booking website and Alishan Forest Railway website. Take the high speed rail from Taipei Main Station to Chiayi HSR Station. Go to Exit 2, then find the bus stop that is going to Chiayi. Be sure to keep your high speed rail ticket - show it to the driver to take the free shuttle bus from Chiayi HSR Station to Chiayi TRA Station. Once you get to the TRA Station, walk across the pedestrian footbridge to the Transit Center of Chiayi City. Enter through the ticket gates and walk down to the right until you see the Alishan Forest Railway Stop. The train ends at Fenqihu, where you can take a bus to Alishan Station. Note that the bus stop changes location depending on the day - on weekdays, it is at Fenqihu Terminal Station and on weekends, it is farther down the road at the parking lot 奮起湖第一停車場. The bus will stop at the Alishan Zhuan Yun Station right before the entrance of the park, where you pay the entrance fee and walk through. Once you walk to Alishan Station, purchase your tickets for Chusan sunrise for the next day. You can then head to Sacred Tree Station from there, and come back to check the Chusan departure time which will be announced at 4 PM.
Departure
Arrival
Route
6:30 AM
7:45 AM
Taipei Main Station to Chiayi HSR Station
7:55 AM
8:25 AM
Chiayi HSR Station to Chiayi TRA Station
9:00 AM
11:20 AM
Chiayi TRA Station to Fenqihu Station
12:50 PM
2:10 PM
Fenqihu Station to Alishan Zhuan Yun Station
Now That You're Here:
One thing that really surprised us was how tame the area was. With fenced walkways weaving through the forest and many warnings on not straying from the path, there wasn't much leeway to explore. With that said, the forest was absolutely beautiful, and watching faded mountains come into view as the sun rose at Chusan was a sight to behold. Just also note that it is also very crowded!
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​DAY 2: TRAVEL
  • Wake up early to watch the sunrise at Chusan
  • Take the 5 hour train ride to Hualien​
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DAY 3: HUALIEN, TAIWAN​​
  • Hire a driver to take you to Taroko Gorge
  • Watch water cascade down the Eternal Spring Shrine
  • Walk through caves and (hopefully not) falling rocks at Swallow Cliff
  • Hike the twists and turns of the rocky cliffside at Shakadang Trail
  • Enjoy the beautiful coastline at Qingshui Cliff​
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DAY 4: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • Take the 2 hour train ride back to to Taipei
  • Explore the old Santorini-like city of Jiufen
  • See the water fall over the hills of Golden Waterfall
  • Explore shops and stalls of the Gongguan Night Market
  • Sip on milk tea with black sugar boba at Chensanding 陳三鼎
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DAY 5: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • Eat pancake rolls for breakfast at Full Want
  • See Taipei 101 by hiking up the (many) stairs of Elephant Mountain
  • Appreciate the sweeping views as you ride the Maokong Gondola​
  • ​Explore the famous Shilin Night Market
  • Enjoy bubble tea at Jenjudang 珍煮丹
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Japan

AT THE AIRPORT:
  • Be sure to order your JR Pass before your trip. When you get to arrivals, walk downstairs and exchange your JR Rail Pass. You can also reserve seats for any tickets you are sure you need. Some trains require reserved seats (ex. Narita Express). Most trains have specific cars (ex. 1-3) for unreserved seats.
  • Download the Hyperdia app. While Google Maps is generally pretty accurate, Hyperdia gives you a little more information, including track number and additional fares not covered by the JR pass.
  • Buy a SIM card or mobile wifi hotspot at the airport. We originally wanted to buy the U-mobile SIM, which was the cheapest, but it had ran out so we ended up buying the So-Net SIM card. Do note that airport prices are higher than outside prices.
  • Exchange/withdraw A LOT of cash. Most places in Japan only take cash, from public transport to restaurants to even one of the hotels we stayed at.
​
DAY 6: YAKUSHIMA, JAPAN
  • Take the 6 hour train ride from Tokyo to Kagoshima-Chuo
  • Ride the 2.5 hour ferry from Kagoshima Port to Anbo Port
  • Stay in the homey Cottage Morinokakage
  • Soak in the outdoor oceanside pools of Hirauchu Onsen at low tide

​Getting Here:

Reserve your Toppy & Rocky high speed boat tickets ahead of time. While the website is only in Japanese, you can use Google Translate to see the schedule. Be sure to check whether you want to get off at Miyanoura or Anbo Port, as each boat only arrives at one port. When you are reserving your tickets online, you will have to use the Japanese version, as Google Translate will make the date selector not work. You can open two tabs to make sure you're selecting the right options.

You can also reserve your JR seats ahead of time if you wish - we ended up sitting in unreserved seats because of the holiday, but didn't have any issues. Just make sure you line up for the correct train cars! Find your route to Kagoshima-Chou station. Once you arrive, take the tram from Kagoshimaekimae Station to Izurodori Station. You can check out these instructions on how to use the tram - you'll pay a flat fee of 170 yen in cash when you exit the tram. If you don't have change, you can use the change machine in the front. It's 10 minute walk from Izuoridori Station to Toppy & Rocket Port. Once you get to the port, show your confirmation email to the ticket office and they will exchange it for your tickets. Board the ship and you're on your way!

Where to Stay:
We absolutely loved our stay at Cottage Morinokakage - it is the cutest little cottage that you get to yourself, and you even get a hammock with it that you can hang outside or inside! The showers are shared, but you get a bathroom in your cottage. The owner was very sweet and even upgraded our room for free. He speaks English and helped arrange our car rental ahead of time so that we were able to pick it up directly when we arrived at Anbo Port. Inside the cottage, you'll also find a comprehensive guide, including a map of places to go, restaurants with menus, and information on how to set up the wifi and heater. He even checked on what restaurants were open on New Years Day and sent us to a wonderful riverside restaurant. 5 stars for Cottage Morinokakage!

Now That You're Here:
The night we arrived in Yakushima, it was New Year's Eve so we drove out to Hirauchu Onsen, which can only be seen at low tide so check the tide charts before you go. This seaside onsen is just such a magical place - you walk down to find multiple pools just lit by moonlight. While you might think you're absolutely crazy for going out in the cold (and believe it, it was COLD), once you get in the pool you will almost feel too warm. Each pool is a different temperature, with the lower ones being a bit cooler. Once you get it and forget the cold, you're in for the most amazing experience as you watch the tides roll in and hear the ocean waves. 

As we mentioned earlier, the forests of Yakushima inspired the Miyazki film, Princess Mononoke. If you haven't seen the film, do yourself a favor and watch it online. Stop reading this blog post, watch the movie then return.  Done? Ok, so good right? The forests of this island are old, I would even say ancient. Some of the trees are thousands of years old at the best estimate of the naturalist preservation teams who keep the island wild. As we drove around the island, looking for spots to take photos, we ran into a road block of sorts. Over a dozen monkeys and a handful of deer (just like Yakul and the forest spirit monkeys from the movie!) were fighting for food in the middle of the road! We spent ten minutes slowly creeping forward, taking pictures from the car, until they cleared enough for us to move through them.

Sometimes on our trips when we spend the better part of the first day getting to our destination, we are filled with doubt if it's all worth it. This was not one of those trips. From the moment that we stepped foot on this time locked island, we knew it was so worth it. One dip in the seaside onsen, and we were sold.
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DAY 7: YAKUSHIMA, JAPAN
  • Hike the overgrown Shiratani Unsuikyo Forest which inspired Princess Mononoke
  • Drive around the island to see Yaku deer and macaques
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DAY 8: TRAVEL
  • ​Take the 5 hour train ride to Kyoto
  • Stop for takoyaki at Osaka Station
​​
DAY 9: KYOTO
  • Wake up early to avoid the crowds at Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • See the endless red gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • Feed cookies to deer at Nara Deer Park
  • Enjoy the best katsu in Kyoto Station at Katsukura
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DAY 10: NAGANO, JAPAN
  • ​Take the 5 hour train ride to Nagano
  • Catch the Nagaden bus to Snow Monkey Park
  • Hike 1.2 miles through the snow to the Snow Monkey Park
  • Enjoy a traditional Japanese course meal at Korakukan Jigokudani
  • Soak in a mountainside onsen with snow monkeys at the ryokan
Getting Here:
There are multiple routes to get to the Snow Monkey Park - check out this site for an overview of all the routes, timetables, and fares. You'll want to get to Nagano Station, where you can leave most of your luggage in the lockers overnight (you'll just pay the fee again when you take your luggage out). We took the direct Nagaden Express Bus Shiga Kogen Line from Nagano Station East Exit (look for stop 23) to the Snow Monkey Park Bus Stop. From there, just follow the signs to walk 1.2 miles to the Snow Monkey Park. Note that the trail can be icy and may have snow falling down from the trees, so dress warmly! Coming back, we took the bus from Kanbayashi Onsen (which is a little closer than the Snow Monkey Bus Stop) to Yudanaka, then the train from Yudanaka to Nagano Station. This was because the direct bus left at 8:40 AM and 10:50 AM, but we wanted to leave around 9:30 AM and didn't want to wait for the later bus.

Where to Stay:
Relax, unwind, and enjoy what could be my favorite hotel stay we have ever had. We stayed at a very traditional Japanese ryokan (inn) called Korakukan Jigokudani Ryokan, only 100 meters away from the entrance to the Snow Monkey Park. While this ryokan might be a little pricey, the experience is too amazing to miss! This charming ryokan has been run by a family for generations, and the family cooks all the meals in a traditional style for guests. When we got to dinner, we were greeted by the smell of salty grilled fish, miso soup, udon noodles, and roasted vegetables. There was sashimi and raw eggs and locusts and too many obscure small dishes to remember. What we do remember is that we barely had time to talk as our chopsticks darted around the table grabbing small bites of every different type of food. We loved the grilled fish, saying it tasted like the essence of the sea (crispy and salty), and the udon noodles (fatter and thicker than ramen or spaghetti) with mushrooms and pork belly. Even the raw egg with seaweed, soy sauce and rice was amazing. If you want a truly unique experience that is rare in japan and impossible to find in states, find a ryokan like Korakukan Jigokudani. 

A few things to note about staying in a ryokan, as opposed to a hotel:
  • The floor of the room is covered in tatami mats.
  • Your bed rolls are typically concealed in a sliding panel along the walls. Also included should be pillows, robes (yukata) for wearing down to the hot spring (onsen) and around the inn while you are staying there.
  • The bathroom is the room where you bathe, there is another room with toilets. Typically you wash yourself at a stall in the bathroom before you enter the actual bath.
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Now That You Are Here:
Imagine dipping into a cliffside onsen as you look out into the snowy mountains, monkeys enjoying respite from the cold as they bathe around you. You can feel the snow falling and even forming ice crystals on your farce, but the warmth of the hot spring is such a relaxing temperature that it only adds to the magic of this place. An alpha monkey walks along the edge, and you back away a little only to see him continue on his way without a care that you're there. You can see baby monkeys hanging on close to their mothers. In the remote mountains that is home to these creatures, you just sit in wonder at how crazy and amazing this world is.

Common Questions:
  • Is there monkey poop? Yes. While you can't escape it, the onsen is much cleaner during the day, as there is regular maintenance. If you go early in the morning, it is definitely much worse if you're a germaphobe.
  • Will I see monkeys? Likely. We went once in the evening, and saw around five monkeys but they left pretty quickly. When we went again right at sunrise, the onsen was crowded (the photo was taken in the morning). So if you just want a small dose, you can definitely go during the day.
  • Will the monkeys attack me? Unless you're staring them down asking for a fight, don't worry. The monkeys typically mind their own business because they are used to sharing the onsen.
  • Is it cold? Only when you're walking to the onsen. You only have to walk less than 10 feet from the changing room. Once we got into the onsen, it got so warm that we had to sit outside for a bit to cool off because we were sweating!
  • When is the onsen open? There is a confusing sign on the door that seems to indicate that there's a rotating schedule for males, females, and co-ed, but when we asked the ryokan owner, he said that it is always open and co-ed.
  • Can you go into the onsen without staying at the ryokan? Yes, you can buy a day pass. However, we highly recommend staying at the ryokan, as it is an entire experience itself, plus it's much easier to have the ease of going back to your room and not be rushed to walk back.
  • What is the changing room like? There are separate changing rooms for males and females - make sure you go to the right one. It's just a room with cubbies for your towel and clothes. Each changing room has its own entry door to the outdoor onsen from there.
  • How do I wash myself after? For females, you walk down the hall to the female indoor onsen, where you can use the faucet to fill water in the bucket to wash yourself off. Soap is also provided. For males, the indoor onsen is connected to the changing room.
  • Is it worth it? Yes, yes, yes! This was by far the most amazing, surreal experience we had - if you get a chance, go!
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DAY 11: TRAVEL
  • Enjoy a traditional Japanese breakfast at Korakukan Jigokudani
  • Take the 2 hour train ride to Tokyo
  • See ancient temples and traditional architecture at Yanaka
​
DAY 12: TOKYO
  • Drive 2.5 hours to the magical Shiraito Falls
  • See the famous Mt. Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi
  • Be mindblown at the detailed handwork of animated films at the Ghibli Museum
  • Slurp on ramen at Mutekiya​ ​
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5 Comments
morocco tours link
7/11/2020 03:27:29 pm

this is amazing post thanks for sharing information with us

Reply
Max Jones link
5/25/2022 12:04:25 pm

Thanks for the info about Japan. My wife and I are ready for a vacation. We should go visit Japan.

Reply
Morocco Bahddou Tours link
2/2/2024 10:03:05 am

Your post is amazing.

Thank you for sharing such info.

Reply
Bob Lamb
3/3/2024 01:42:41 pm

Thanks, looking at a similar vacation. I lived in Taiwan for alomost two years in the 1980s and my wife lived in Japan during that same period for about 18mos so something like this would be fun for us.

Reply
Jane
7/7/2024 11:06:23 am

WOW, these photos are amazing. You are very talented

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