Darren AngAmong all the other trips that I’ve planned, such as Thailand, Taiwan and Korea, Japan is one of the most “exciting” countries to do up an itinerary. Some common issues that you’ll face is the language barriers and the super confusing railway network in Japan. I’m glad we made it for our countdown trip last December, covering areas such as Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Tokyo.
We took a red-eye flight from Singapore to Narita International Airport with ANA, which provides excellent service, great in-flight entertainment, and meals.
We’re too hungry and requested for a third serving for breakfast.
Upon arriving at Narita International Airport, you will need to proceed to JR East Travel Service Centre located at Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station to exchange your JR Pass Exchange Order in order to activate for use in Japan. Passport is required for verification and you may select the starting date of your JR Pass from there.
We boarded the LTD. EXP NARITA EXPRESS 10 at 9:45am for Shinjuku Station and the whole journey will take about 68 mins. There’s an option for you to choose between reserved seats and non-reserved seats. If you are traveling for long hours with your luggage, I would strongly recommend going for the reserved seats, though it’s slightly more expensive.
After arriving at Shinjuku Station, transfer to the LTD.EXP KAIJI 105 at 11:30 am and alight at OTSUKI Station about an hour later. You may then proceed to purchase your ticket for FUJISAN EXPRESS (single ticket at about ¥1,570, $20.60) from OTSUKI Station to KAWAGUCHIKO Station. The journey will take you about 47 mins.
Transportation around Mt Fuji is provided by FUJIYUKO Bus and you may find more information from the website here. We took the Retro Bus, RED LINE from the station to our Hotel with a 2 day passes at ¥1,200, $15. There are also options for a single day pass or a single trip ticket as well. Now, you’re all ready to explore the area!
