Japan Itinerary: 11 Days — Complete Summary

Date: 2020-01-09

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The Three-Month Adventure Begins

A dream we had been planning for some time finally began: three months of continuous travel. This article covers the Japan leg — 11 days — with links to the separate sections for the Philippines and Malaysia portions that follow.

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Countries and Cities Visited

1. UK — London (departure)
2. Japan — Narita
3. Japan — Matsuyama
4. Japan — Osaka
5. Philippines — Manila
6. Philippines — Cebu
7. Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur
8. Malaysia — Penang
9. UK — London (return)

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26 December 2019: London → Japan

Flight: JAL7821 — London Heathrow T5, departing 15:10 → Frankfurt, arriving 17:55. Then JAL408 — Frankfurt, departing 19:40 → Tokyo Narita, arriving 14:00 on 27th December.

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27–28 December: Narita

Arrived at Narita Terminal 2 on schedule.

Luggage strategy: Immediately after clearing customs, we sent our two large suitcases for Manila ahead to Kansai Airport via Yamato Transport (Kuroneko Takkyubin). Cost: ¥6,040 for two cases. We arranged for them to arrive at KIX by January 4th — the day before our Manila departure. Japan's domestic courier network makes this kind of cross-country luggage forwarding completely seamless.

One night at Narita Gateway Hotel (see separate article), then early departure.

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29 December: Narita → Matsuyama

5:27am: Hotel shuttle bus to Narita Terminal 3 (the LCC terminal — a warehouse-style facility, very different from the main terminals).

Food before departure: A quick bowl of oroshi-soba at the terminal food court — grated daikon, cold soba, light broth. ¥650. Then purchased snacks at the Jetstar shop at Gate 171: yakisoba + ham-katsu sandwich + dorayaki + coffee + tea. The two cashiers worked at extraordinary speed.

GK401, 7:30am — Jetstar, Narita T3 to Matsuyama. Aircraft: Airbus A320, 3 seats each side, comfortable for a domestic flight. Flying time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

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29 December – 3 January: Matsuyama

9:15am: Arrived at Matsuyama Airport (MYJ), Ehime Prefecture. First sight inside the terminal: a tower of Ehime mandarin orange juice dispensers — a fitting welcome to Japan's leading citrus-growing region.

Transport into the city: Limousine bus from the airport to Matsuyama-shi Station. Cost: ¥460 per person. (The city bus costs ¥120 less, but the limousine bus has fewer stops and allows luggage storage — the better option with heavy bags.)

Navigation note: Matsuyama has two main stations — JR Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama-shi (Iyotetsu) Station. For shopping and sightseeing, Matsuyama-shi Station is the more useful one.

Tram pass: Purchased a 3-day unlimited pass for the Matsuyama city tram (streetcar network) — ¥1,300. This one pass covers everything: Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Onsen, the Sakanoue no Kumo Museum, and all the main shopping streets. Excellent value.

Six nights at APA Hotel Matsuyama-jo Nishi (see separate article).

Matsuyama farewell: Mandarin orange soft-serve ice cream at the airport. The last thing purchased in Ehime is inevitably orange-flavoured.

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3 January: Matsuyama → Osaka

ANA NH1636, 9:00am — Matsuyama Airport to Osaka Itami Airport. Aircraft: propeller plane. Flying time: 50 minutes.

9:50am: Arrived at Osaka Itami Airport.

Bus to the city: Bus route 9 from the airport. ¥650 per person, one way. Approximately 20 minutes, alighting at Hābis Osaka.

3 January: Ritz-Carlton Osaka (see separate article)

4 January: InterContinental Hotel Osaka (see separate article)

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5 January: Osaka → Manila

Limousine bus from the hotel to the airport bus stop (Range Rover courtesy shuttle, courtesy of InterContinental).

KIX airport bus from Shin Hankyu Hotel stop: ¥1,600 per person, approximately 50 minutes to Kansai International Airport.

AirAsia Z2 189, 13:35 — Kansai International to Manila. Aircraft: A320-200. Flying time: 3 hours. Arrived Manila 17:30.

Continues: Manila 6-day itinerary, then Cebu.

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Practical Notes for This Route

• Yamato Transport (Kuroneko) can forward luggage between any two Japanese airports — invaluable for multi-city itineraries where you don't want to carry large bags on domestic flights
• Matsuyama tram unlimited pass is genuinely the best way to see the city — available from Iyotetsu ticket centres and tourist information offices (1-day through 4-day passes)
• Limousine bus vs city bus in Matsuyama: the ¥120 premium for the limousine bus is worth it for luggage handling
• Narita T3 (LCC terminal): entirely separate from T1 and T2, accessible by hotel shuttle at specific times only — check the schedule in advance