Hey there, free travelers! My family and I are deep into our 9-month trip to Australia and New Zealand, but I took a left turn (or North turn) and went to Japan for 5 days! Here’s a quick recap of the trip featuring some unforgettable experiences and hotel stays.
Fair warning: This is not my typical report where I go into detail about booking the flights and hotels, and how you can do it. It’s more of a photo journal of the trip meant to inspire those of you who are interested in visiting Japan, and inspire others who never considered Japan. Outside of the Hoshinoya Kyoto hotel, all hotels were booked with points or free night awards, so hopefully this inspires you to see what’s possible with hotel stays!
I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. It’s been my #1 Travel Goal on the Travel Freely app for a while. I finally got within an 8-hour nonstop flight since we’re in northern Australia right now. So, I pulled the trigger! This was planned just a few days in advance. Doing it this way was both exciting and stressful at the same time. I didn’t get the fun of “OMG I’m going to Japan in 6 months!” kind of anticipation. But I got the “OMG I’m going to Japan in 3 days!” adrenaline rush. I’ve always wanted to just show up at an airport on a whim and take an international flight to somewhere cool. So this is the closest it’s gotten.
I did not have a ton of time to plan any kind of daily agenda, but I started with my flights and hotels. Then, I created a big wish list and tried to piece it together. I didn’t have any “If I don’t do this I’m going to be heartbroken” things on the list. So it was actually a gift to have very few goals in a country with a million things to do. Everything was a gift, and I could soak in every moment. My favorite thing about traveling solo is the ability to adjust and be flexible on the fly.
That said, it all came together incredibly well. I was able to use the bullet train to save a lot of time. Then through a random fly fishing Facebook group, I even managed to sneak in an epic fly fishing experience in the mountains north of Tokyo.
Quick transportation note: I also used Uber a lot (and fairly affordably) instead of using a bus or subway to get around. It was much more expensive than taking the subway, but it was a great use of my travel budget and probably got me 4-5 hours of extra sight seeing in Japan + I didn’t have to navigate subway maps. Uber doesn’t work as normal in Japan, but you can use the Uber app to get a taxi in Japan. So that was so smooth for payment and putting in my destination.
Here’s a quick look at my flights and hotels before getting into the trip and photos.
Flights
Unfortunately, there were no business class seats available when I searched in or out of Tokyo or Osaka (Kyoto). But, there was a really good deal on a cash price to Osaka. So, I paid cash on a very cheap deal with Jetstar for my flight there into Osaka (next to Kyoto).
Then, I used 25,000 Air Canada miles to book a flight on Virgin Australia for the flight back. I transferred Chase points over to Air Canada to make the booking. This is the beauty of getting cards with transferable points! You can transfer points from Amex, Bilt, Bonvoy, Capital One, or Chase to Air Canada to make the booking.
There are 2 important lessons here. One, you don’t always have to use points or miles. If it’s cheap, then it’s cheap. Go ahead and buy it and save points and miles for better use. Two, I booked 2 one-way tickets instead of 1 roundtrip. This is flight booking 101 for a points and miles beginner because you can often get better flights if you choose separate tickets. In my case, it was 2 different airlines AND flying in and out of 2 separate cities. This was perfect for my itinerary, for the use of the bullet train to get from Kyoto to Tokyo (that came with a glimpse of Mount Fuji!), and saved me a lot of money and points.
If you are trying to get to Japan (or any country in Asia) from the US, consider checking out our extensive article on using points and miles to get to Asia. It requires a good amount of knowledge around transferable points, but it’s easier than you think if you can key in on a few programs that could work for you. You can also use a tool like Point.me to save you time and hold your hand through the process.
Hotels
I had heard that Japanese hospitality and hotels were among the best in the world. So, it was really fun to search for them and cash in on some great value at some truly world-class hotels. Plus, because it was last minute, I felt lucky that the availability was there.
I used points and free night awards from Hyatt and Marriott to book some incredible stays. Instead of doing a summary, I’m just going to share about the hotels throughout this post below.
I was lucky to get 3 nights at 3 awesome hotels: Hyatt Place Kyoto (incredible deal for a category 1-4 award), Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, and the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills. In case it’s helpful, I also looked at the Conrad Tokyo (Hilton), Grand Hyatt Tokyo, and Park Hyatt Tokyo but the Andaz seemed like the best fit for me, a favorite among other blog reviews, and the absolute best Hyatt in Tokyo alongside the Park Hyatt Tokyo (of Lost in Translation fame).
Kyoto: Embracing Tradition in the Lap of Luxury
Because I flew into Osaka (next to Kyoto), I made Kyoto my first stop. It’s a city steeped in history and tradition. I am so glad I included it on my short trip as opposed to focusing only on Tokyo. If I could only go back to one city, I think it would be Kyoto. It is culturally and historically rich with incredibly unique neighborhoods to walk through. As a tourist, it was really easy to get around compared to Tokyo, which is a huge city.
My first night was spent at the cozy Hyatt Place Kyoto, booked entirely with a basic Hyatt category 1-4 free night award. This place served as an excellent introduction to Kyoto’s charm.
Who’s glad to be off an 8 hour economy flight, 1 hour train, and at a surprisingly awesome Hyatt Place? This guy…
Next, I redeemed an 85k free night certificate for ridiculous value at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, one of the top-rated hotels in the world. This was my second night ever in a Ritz-Carlton, and it was so cool to experience the luxury without paying the price for it. =) This hotel was well over $1,300 per night if booked with cash.
That night, I had the best Japanese steakhouse experience of my life. A personal Japanese-trained chef cooking in front of only you. This was not the “throw the shrimp in your mouth and giggle” teppanyaki that we have in the US. This was like watching Van Gogh paint something for you in his personal studio. It was incredible to see the chef’s skills and attention to detail. He literally seared individual garlic slices one by one.
I grew up with a Japanese steakhouse playset when I was 4. So this was a dream come true. But, the tangible and intangible lessons of watching a master at work will never leave me. I remember thinking, “I hope I am able to do something with 1/100th of the skill and focus that this chef has.”
The next morning, I checked out of the Ritz-Carlton with the undisputed thought that “This was the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at.” The Ritz-Carlton held that title for one day.
The highlight of my Kyoto stay was undoubtedly the Hoshinoya Kyoto, a magnificent 5-star hotel tucked away by a peaceful river. This secluded retreat, accessible only by boat, was a dream come true. It had manicured hillsides that dated back to royal family vacations in previous centuries.
(This hotel has no affiliations with any hotel brands, and you can only book it directly. So, I paid cash for the hotel using all the savings on getting all my other hotels for free. If you wanted to get this hotel for free, you could use a Capital One Venture Card and reimburse yourself for the purchase using miles.)
To reach the hotel, you board a boat on the outskirts of Kyoto.
Before leaving Kyoto, I went to one of my two “must-see” bucket list items, the Arashiyama bamboo forest. (The other was Tokyo TeamLab further below). I’d seen photos, and this place looked so cool online. Before going, I read reviews that it was disappointing. My experience fell somewhere in the middle. It was cloudy when I was there, but I could imagine how cool it would be in the morning with the sun streaking through.
Glamour shot of bamboo canopy…
Tokyo: Big City, Amazing Hotels, and Unique Experiences
From Kyoto, I hopped onto the bullet train and made my way to Tokyo. I got lucky with availability at the super popular Hyatt Andaz Tokyo for a two-night stay. The rooms start on the 48th floor. So there are some amazing views.
This hotel has crazy high retail prices of over $1,200 per night, but my stay was $0 with no taxes or fees, and an incredible (and free) breakfast buffet (breakfast is free because I have Globalist status).
Here’s my room with the Tokyo Tower in the background…
Bathroom area:
View from the entrance of the room:
Hospitality is huge in Japan. I had a letter with “pancake” cookies waiting when I arrived.
And then some super cool pajamas and extra items in the room:
Not pictured here is the spa and pool area at the Andaz Tokyo. It was super modern, where you feel like you are on a futuristic spaceship. Plus, they had a carbonated hot tub (which is apparently a thing in Japan) that makes all your skin pores bubble up. I felt like I was an ice cube in a freshly poured Sprite.
Coming back to the room at night was awesome, with the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Outside of the hotel experiences, my favorite experiences were about getting a taste of Japanese culture, history, food, and its people. This was my first trip to Asia, let alone Japan. It was fascinating to see a different way of doing so many things.
A photo from Sensō-J, with the multi-level temple in the background and famous for the photos of cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji in the background. It was my photo of Japan for my #1 Travel Goal in Travel Freely!
Update: Thanks to Travel Freely member Kevin, I realize I was wrong about this being from my Travel Goal photo. The one in the Travel Goal photo is Chureito Pagoda. Looks like I have to go back to Japan now. =)
One of my favorite parts of the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go fishing with two Japanese men who were excellent fly fishermen, casting instructors, and professional fly tyers. We spent a few hours doing traditional Japanese Tenkara fishing a couple of hours north of Tokyo.
Back at the fly shop after fishing:
If all that wasn’t enough, I made it to TeamLab in Tokyo on my final day. I love unique, immersive experiences. And this didn’t disappoint.
It’s hard to describe TeamLab or even get a photo to explain it, but it’s basically lights and mirrors everywhere:
Thanks for making it to the end! As a reminder, if you are trying to get to Japan (or any country in Asia) from the US, consider checking out our extensive article on using points and miles to get to Asia. It requires a good amount of knowledge around transferable points, but it’s easier than you think if you can key in on a few programs that could work for you.
For more in this series, here’s our report after one month in Australia.
Inspired by Japan with all these free hotels? Check out our specific post on Best Cards for Hotels or our Monthly Best Offers to fill up your points and miles treasure chest.
