Hi! To Kansai Airport, there is a direct train from Kyoto Station called Haruka Express. It makes a few stops along the way including stations in Osaka, but getting to the airport takes less than or around 1.5 hours. The train runs pretty much regularly, you just need to check the schedule. There shouldn’t be any issues with luggage.

@@travjournal awesome! Thank you so much

Hi! Sorry for the late response. I believe June in Japan can get pretty hot, so between a terribly hot day and a day with some drizzle, I prefer the latter. But do take note of rain intensity, there are always possibilities of mud slides, and walking in deep mud will not be pleasant at all. June is also usually the beginning of typhoon season in this part of the Pacific. Good thing that during my trip, it only rained for two days, and it was manageable. Let’s hope that you’ll have awesome weather during your trip!

Hi! It was April. :-)

Yeah Thanks for information 🙏

Thank you for watching! Japan is an amazing and beautiful place. We have newer videos about Kyoto and there are other videos about Japan as well. Please check it out. 🙏😊

Thank you for watching the Kumano Kodo videos! Good luck on your hike! These are the accommodations; each had their charms and I had amazing stays! Takahara - Hatago Masara Chikatsuyu - Happiness Chikatsuyu Hongu (Yunomine Onsen) - Ryokan Yunomineso Kii Katsuura - Hotel Sunrise Katsuura

Exactly, boiled tofu right!!!

Chazuke is nice! In Nagoya, they eat unagi three ways and one of them is to pour tea into your rice bowl with unagi. Parang kape lang na hinahalo sa kanin, haha.

@@travjournal Japanese tea is so adaptable and goes very well in any food. Growing up I enjoyed coffee poured over fried rice.😀

You're welcome! I hope you'll check out our other videos as well, we would very much appreciate it!

Makakapunta rin po kayo ❤️

Yes po 🥰

Thank you and thank you for your feedback! We would love to create videos of hotel stays and that’s on our next story development plans. We still have tons to do for our channel, subject-wise. In the meantime, please enjoy our other Japan videos, you can find helpful information especially our itinerary and hiking content. You can also watch out for our new content by subscribing to our channel. Thank you very much. 🙏😊

It makes more sense actually to go to Osaka from Nagoya and then osaka to Kii-Tanabe. But the Nagoya-Wakayama route is also possible; I actually thought about it when I saw in the Kii-Katsura station that there’s a train heading to Nagoya. I suppose that’s one less traveled route for many Kumano Kodo pilgrims!

Thank you! I’m glad you liked it and found it helpful. We have a very recent Kyoto upload based on a recent trip, and it’s more of a chill vibe. Hope you’ll have the time to watch it, too!

Thank you! It was a pretty good itinerary, tbh!

Both delicious foods!

You’re welcome, I’m glad you liked it! Please check out our other videos as well, there is also another Kyoto vlog on the channel that has at least 138,000 views!

Hi! Thank you for watching the video and and I’m glad that it’s helpful. If you have time, we would appreciate if you also check out our travel videos 🙏 Now on to your questions which I am glad to answer to the best of my experience and memory. 😁 For the JR Wide Kansai Pass, I purchased it online via Klook. You can reserve seats via ticket machines; I think I just inserted the ticket and followed instructions and I did this in Osaka. But based on my experience from travels before, there are some stations that allow seat reservations at the ticket counter; better to inquire about this in major or bigger stations. Otherwise, you can get seats in a non-reserved car. During my visit, the Kuroshio wasn’t full but because I used it while traveling on weekdays. I think I used cash for buses during the Kumano Kodo route. From Kii-Tanabe, you can buy the ticket to Takijiri at the Tanabe/Kumano Kodo Travel information center just beside the train station. It helps to have coins and cash especially in rural Japan. The travel center also has updated bus schedules so it’s best to get a copy. As for the boat going down to Shingu, better check the official Kumano Kodo or Tanabe City Tourism Bureau website because for that I think the boat is booked there. When I was preparing for my trip, the boat was available, then suddenly it was no longer, so I got refunded. It must be a seasonal or demand thing. It’s feasible to go back to Shingu from doing the Nachi Waterfalls. Keep in mind though that there are bus schedules from Nachi going back to Kii-Katsura and also the Nachi stations. Bus schedules are available at the Kii-Katsura bus station going to and from Nachi waterfalls. There are local trains and buses connecting Kii-Katsura and Nachi Stations to Shingu, so it shouldn’t be a problem. You can even use the Kuroshio if you have the JR Pass. I think Shingu is about 20 minutes away. I hope this helps, and I wish you happy travels! If you have more questions, just post it here. 🙂

@@travjournal Thank you for the info! yes i subscribed and saw the whole kumano kodo series, i will be checking out kyoto as well. Alot of travel channels focus on the pretty location aspects (which is nice) however i appreciate you recording important logistical things such as information centers and signs as well as the stations. Do you know if you are able to purchase multiple JR west wide passes? i have seen conflicting info on this online with a consensus leaning toward "so long as dates do not overlap". I plan on using one to enter the kyoto osaka area from nagoya and doing all my travelling there, activating a second one in the kumano kodo leg to get from shingu to ki katsura and then use it to visit the coastal cities in the area and out and away back to nagoya.There is also the Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass. Buying multiple passes and getting 10 days is still cheaper than 7 days JR whole Japan pass Thank you

It is! Japan is an amazing foodie destination!

I think I need to eventually live there! 🥰

Kyoto’s gorgeous!

Glad you enjoyed it! Please check out our other videos 🙏

You are welcome, and thank you for watching! I hope you’ll check out our other videos as well! 🙏

@@travjournal Definitely!

Thank you for watching! I’m glad that the videos help. Sending messages to the rain gods to have more breaks this upcoming spring! Happy and safe travels!

We stayed in a minshuku called Daikichi Inn. Charming and they serve great food!

Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, a daytrip to Shinhotaka Ropeway from Takayama is very doable! I suggest leaving Takayama early and enjoy the facilities of the ropeway and the stations until the afternoon. But if you’re into onsens and ryokan stays, Hirayu and the Shinhotaka area are great options for an overnight.

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for watching!

Hi! It’s pretty much the same station, as far as I remember it’s just a change in the tracks since they are both JR trains in the same station. Just take note which platform and if you will need to exit and enter a different ticket counter. But it shouldn’t take long as long as you head straight to the Hida train platform.

@@travjournal thank you

Hi! Thanks for watching the video. I went last April. Other than the weather, I think it went perfectly well. Weather was hard to predict since I had to book everything months before the trip. I was happy with my homestays - maybe I would have liked to stay a day longer in Yunomine Onsen because I didn’t get to explore the town due to the rains and the distance of my accommodations. But my plan is to do it again and perhaps stay longer in some towns and explore other trails around Nakahechi. If I had the guts and company I would do the Kohechi route. :-)

Thanks for your answer ;-) I am watching your other videos. Interesting to prepare my 3 weeks trip in Japan :-)@@travjournal

Hi! Yes you can buy the tickets to Shirakawago two-way. You need to book the bus schedule though especially going there. But I think going back to Takayama you can hop on the bus but there is a queue; do check schedules. As for tickets to Shinhotaka Ropeway, you can buy them right there. Just make sure to mention that you’re buying tickets for two ropeways, roundtrip or two-way. Have fun with your travels!

@@travjournal thank you so much.

@@travjournal hi, can we buy early in the morning for the same day trip?

Thank you! Haha yeah, it was a “face your fears” moment and it didn’t help that it rained. But I did talk to the spirits of the mountains most of the time and the bear bell I had was making a lot of noise. 😂

I know I will be doing the same when I go this Friday! @@travjournal Part of me wishes that we could just show up at the inns and not book in advance. Then we could see how we feel. And take into account the rain, etc. I suppose it is also a learning to keep going even in the midst (downpours) of challenges.

Good luck and have fun! Are you doing the Nakahechi route as well?

Thank you! How long was your hike to Takahara? I’m going straight to Chikatsuya. I’m worried it is too long 🙈

@@vyster44 it took me 2.5 hours or say less than 3 hours to Takahara. It’s a short distance but the ascent in some parts has some difficulty level. I also like taking my time walking 😅 Takahara to Chikatsuyu is a little over 9km, so I guess from Takijiri to Chikatsuyu is more than 12km. It took me around 5 hours or so from Takahara to Chikatsuyu. Some go all the way to Chikatsuyu but what also appealed to me was the chance to stay in the minshukus in the mountain settlements that’s why I spent a night in Takahara. 🙂

I wanted to do the same but then I couldn’t find last minute rooms in Takahara 😔 Where did you stay

@@vyster44 I stayed in Hatago Masara. Though I booked my rooms in Kumano Kodo months in advance. I also met hikers during my stay and they had to look for rooms quite far from Takahara because everything was booked. But anyways, perhaps going straight to Chikatsuyu should be a good idea as well!

It was and it was a great one! We are looking forward to more hiking in Japan, its nature is amazing.

Hi! It was first week of December. :-)

Yes po! 🙂

Thank you! I hope you’ll check out our other videos as well! 🙂🙏

you're welcome @@travjournal

Thank you for watching, and we’re glad you enjoyed the video! Kyoto’s a beautiful place.

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