The Begininning: It’s Japan, Baby!
Posted on: May 14, 2011
Setelah satu tahun berlalu, saudara-saudara, akhirnya saya memutuskan untuk mulai menulis mengenai perjalanan saya dan dua orang sahabat saya ke Jepang pada Februari 2010 lalu.
Bagi saya, dan mungkin juga bagi dua orang sahabat saya, perjalanan itu adalah perjalanan paling rempong, heboh, namun menyenangkan.
Kami bertiga adalah teman seumuran yang mulai merasakan dunia kerja setelah lulus kuliah di waktu yang hampir berbarengan. Keinginan untuk pergi ke Jepang sendiri tumbuh karena keinginan kami untuk menonton konser salah satu dari grup musik favorit kami yang berasal dari negeri sakura. Kami telah menonton beberapa DVD konser mereka dan terkagum-kagum, oleh karena nya kami bercita cita untuk suatu saat bisa ke sana untuk nonton konser, selain juga untuk liburan.
Saya waktu itu baru diterima kerja, dan kantornya di bilangan Bundaran HI. Karena dekat dengan stasiun Sudirman, saya jadi lebih memilih naik kereta untuk pulang ke rumah saya di Depok. Karena selain nyaman, di kereta itu juga ada dua sahabat saya ini. Yang satu kerja di bilangan Sarinah, sementara yang satu lagi kerja satu gedung dengan saya, namun beda kantor. Jadilah kami selalu bertemu di gerbong yang sama dan banyak ngobrol.
Dari sini lah mungkin, tekad kami semakin bulat untuk mengumpulkan uang untuk ke Jepang. Dan akhirnya hari itu pun tiba. 6 Februari 2010. Tiket dan visa sudah di tangan. Jadilah kami berangkat ke sana 😀
The Flight
We took Chathay Pacific yang waktu itu kebetulan sedang ada diskon, dan jadi lebih murah dibandingkan Malaysian Airline dan Japan Airline, yang ketika itu juga kami survey harganya. Saya masih ingat waktu itu ketika melihat kedua teman saya muncul dengan muka sangat cerah di bandara. Believe it or not, kami diantar kedua orang tua kami masing2, berasa mao naik haji aje~. Mungkin karena mereka juga takjub, bahwa ternyata 3 anak perempuan ini yang sudah satu tahun ini ribet mempersiapkan keberangkatan ini akhirnya beneran berangkat. Bangga bo! hehe
Kami pun check in, menuju ruang tunggu bandara. Ketika semua duduk di ruang tunggu, kami pun senyum2. Semua mikir “Kita tuh jadi juga ya, liburan ke jepang”, sambil senyum-senyum mengunyah biskuit untuk pengganjal perut waktu itu. Pesawatnya jam 9. Kami yang rumahnya di cibubur dan depok ini harus berangkat habis subuh dari rumah agar bisa sampai bandara jam 7 pagi. Tapi yang namanya mau liburan, ngantuk-ngantuk juga bawaannya sumringah^^
Nah, sampai di pesawat, dua teman saya dapet bagian bangku yang window n isle, sementara saya sendiri di bangku deretan tengah. Ketika kami sudah selesai merapikan duduk kami, tiba tiba serombongan anak anak ababil (abg labil) yang berbahasa dengan aksen cincha laura, speaking english campur indonesia, karena di sini becheck and gak ada ojyek, duduk di belakang kita. Saya dan temen saya langsung liat liatan, tapi gak komen apa apa. Sepanjang perjalanan, ya namanya juga para ababil ya bo ya, ngobrol dong ya bo ya, pake speaking2 english aja getooh~ Nampaknya mereka mau ikutan kanferesn getoh di Boston, USA. Jadilah lah mereka mereka para ababil ini jadi bahasan kita ketika kita transit di Hong Kong^^
It’s Japan, Beibeh!!
Saya duduk di window seat dari perjalanan Hongkong ke Narita. Teman saya yang satu duduk di sebelah saya, sementara yang satu lagi di window seat di depan saya.
Di penerbangan ini, kami dapat bonus. Tau apa? Tidak seperti penerbangan Jakarta-Hong Kong yang dipenuhi mbak mbak pramugari seliweran, penerbangan yang ini cuma di handle sama 3 pramugara. 1 orang menghandle bagian business class, dan 2 orang menghandle economy class. Dari awal naik, keliatan banget bahwa mas mas (kok “mas-mas”, orang hong kong dia… tapi kalo kita panggil engkoh juga gak cucok. jadi balik ke mas-mas aja lah ya bo ya), si mas-mas yang di barisan gini perhatian getoh orangnyaaa (ketularan geng ababil Boston~). “Do you want blanket, madam?”, tanyanya. Saya dan temen saya kaget, tapi diam diam, kami terseponah, tapi kami belom bilang satu sama lain, sok jaim, biasa~.
Nah, datangnya si mas itu lagi, memberi kami kacang dan jus apel. Habis dia lewat, saya bilang ke temen saya, “Lucu juga ya bo”. Temen saya langsung nyengir, “gw udah nyadar gitu dari tadi”. Sehabis itu, kami terus-terusan mengomentari pergerakan si mas-mas itu. Dia tuh tipe tipe, yang kalo di film Cina yang tayang di TV, yang judulnya Tembang Cinta, siar sore sore di Indosiar di jaman baheula, dia ramah2 nya kayak karakternya Du Pei. Jadilah kita menamainya Du Pei. (SMP banget gak sih, ngasih2 nama samaran ke orang yang disuka, biar gak ketauan). Terus, yang temen pramugaranya di ujung situ, tipe tipe lean body, muka serius, kacamata frame tebel, pake baju a la butler, tapi pak dia senyum, haiya haiya, klepek klepek lah kita kita para wanita ini!!
Saya dan temen saya udah kayak orang mabuk jus apel, terus terusan jadi komentator kayak nonton sepakbola yang ngomong gak berenti, jeda nya cuma ketawa tertahan a la biang gosip. Selama setengah jam. Setelah capek, ajaibnya kita tidur nyenyak. Mabuk beneran saya rasa.
Ketika window di luar saya sudah gelap, saya mulai merasa dingin, karena waktu itu Jepang memang sedang musim dingin, suhu sekita 10-8 derajat di daratan, kalau di udara bisa sampe -50 derajat. Saya langsung pakai jaket saya, dan kelihatan di layar di depan bangku saya bahwa kami sudah ada di atas Kagoshima. Langsung saya colek dua teman saya, bilang bahwa kita sudah sebentar lagi mendarat. ^^
(tbc)
Fun preparation
Posted on: January 16, 2010
It’s getting close to the day of departure and it seems that it absorb great amount of my energy that my vertigo and blood pressure dropped, and I had to skip work and stay at home for two days to regain my energy–something that I should have been done a week a go.
But anyway, it was a relief that we already applied for the visa and now we just have to pay our ticket and buy the Japan Rail Pass. But hey, if you see the photo above, there is something new there, beside my luggage….
Did you see?
Oops! it’s my boots 😀 I’m grateful that I can get it 🙂
Sorry, this entry is really meant to show off my boots. hahaha 😀
It has been decided!!!!
Posted on: January 7, 2010
Dum dum dum^^ The day we depart has been decided.
We already booked the airplane.
Each of our boss had give us permission to take the leave.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
HAPPY!!!
But, there is still so much things to do. So many things to be fixed. So much things to buy from wanting to look good on this trip. So much things to keep our eyes on, such as necessary reservation to book hotel and all of that. But still, being of what we are, we still pick our own cozy place to hold a meeting.
Hahah, so Burger and Grill restaurant is the choice.
It was 6.30 p. m. after work, 4 January 2010. We got off from the train station, going to print the photo for visa, and then walk a bit to reach the restaurant that we think cozy enough to discuss everything. But of course it started with picking up the menu. We chose, then after the waitress take the notes of our order and left us, without anybody telling, we take our own bags and put the all necessary visa application letter on the table.
Silly, huh. But’s it’s just a draft with pencil so it’s oke to put it together with a glass of ice lemon tea 😀 The meeting begin. The stay in Kusatsu for one night is fixed here. The schedule for Kyoto and Osaka already fixed on the other meeting in my house two days before, but with all this list and visa application, metting wa sansei!! 😀
Historical Date?
Posted on: November 29, 2009
Inside the train, when we’re heading to watch New Moon, 26 November 2009, we were thinking about going to Japan without waiting for the concert anymore. The Johnny’s have not release any schedule yet until today and that made us somehow OKHHH><… So we sort of decided to depart on early January or early February.
THE AIRPLANE TICKET
And last week, 19 December 2009, I somehow felt nervous about our airplane ticket. I had been asking to one travel agent whether there will be a promo ticket for our February departure, but they tell us that I should wait until early January to know whether there is any cheap ticket to go there. For me, the price of the ticket matters a lot and I suddenly love the term “budget traveller” because we are them. I am looking to each airplane website to get to know what’s the price for February departure. As for Japan, February is categorized as a low season and the airplane ticket will not be high. We found out that the choice for us were Malaysia Airline, Singapore Airline, Korean Air, Philippine Air, Chatay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, and of course JAL. But we checked all of them in two days of weekend. We call their office on Monday and Tuesday to check and asking question.
It was not until my friend call my office with excited voice, saying one of the above airplanes is having a promo ticket and it is even more cheaper than the usually cheap one. oh YAY!!!! I call my other friend to say about this and i can even hear her giggle, squeaking, or anything. All we know is that the burden in our head about our airplane ticket is somehow became lighter.
Shopping!
Posted on: November 14, 2009
I made this entry as I found a website that will be our guide to do fashion sightseeing or even shopping. It has quite wide range of fashion shops in Tokyo, completed with picture of the shop and the map to the shop! Looking at the picture they provided, I was amazed at how Japanese clothing shop really sells WIDE range of fashion taste, unlike the shop around my city which tend to sell the same kind of fashion if certain style is popular. I am not sure I will buy some unique cloths around there, but I am sure that we will have fun looking at the properties and style that each shops offered us. Their names are also interesting. 😀 Look at the below pic
The shop name is Ticket to Darling. With hope that if you buy clothes from the shop, your Darling will allow you to come in?? Hahahaha^^ Then, the other one below.
Now I am very interested to buy that blond wig with cute blue ribbon together with Mario shirt 😀 The name of the shop is Spank! (no matter how dirty you think the word is, it seems that the shop owner think that someone with cute style will needed to be spank….ehm…okay, I must stop this here :p) The other shop named Amen, it will make ur wish comes true^^, HOWEVER, visit to Russ-K is a must, as NEWS is being their image for their clothes XD hehe…. who knows if we visit the shop we can get the opportunity to have new NEWS poster. haha
I also googled some recommended store on Harajuku and I found out that the Nike store that had a shoes chandelier!!! @_@
Sugoi! I wanna take the real pic of us with those shoe chandelier! It’s a must. 😀
And oh MY!!! I cannot miss this one: JOHNNY’S SHOP Harajuku!!
And this is the direction:
●Harajuku Stn. 2min. From the platform, go up the stairs and out the Omotesando Exit. Cross the street on the left and head right toward Omotesando. Enter a very narrow road on the left near a subway exit. Walk straight and Johnny’s Shop will be on the left.
●Meiji-jingumae Stn. 1min. Go out Exit 3 and enter a very narrow road on the right. Walk straight and Johnny’s Shop will be on the left.
●JR, Chiyoda Line(s)
●Il Salice 1F, 1-4-21 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Fufufu… Happy^^To make it easier for remembering things not to miss in Harajuku, Japan-Guide website is a great help. God.. I think we will need 2 days or more to explore Harajuku 😀 Otanoshimi!
The Transport
Posted on: October 31, 2009
When I came to Japan three years a go, I really leave the transport business to the committe of the program in which I joined. In my view the transport system is far more than OK company to my country, or maybe any country in the world? I don’t know. Now that we are planning this trip and we depend on ourselves, I searched several website to dig deeper information about the transport system that we will use during our trip, and the more I got the info the more I am drooling on how the information regarding the transport is close to PERFECT. And the perfection started from my own country.
How does that happen? I don’t know how this magical things happen to me when I finally read about Japan Rail Pass. If you visit Japan for about one to three weeks, this is sure a good recommendation. The website said: “The JAPAN RAIL PASS offers an incredibly economical way to travel throughout Japan by rail”. I do think that’s true!! We are this freak who already counted the detail of our transportation budget during our stay in Japan, which include transport around Tokyo for 10 days include the transport to Osaka and Kyoto and then back to Tokyo. We were so detail but we still don’t believe in the detailed budget because there is a high possibility that we take the wrong train in the wrong line which will cost us more money to spend. We were also thinking about how our body will be suffering if we take a night bus from Tokyo to Osaka which will take about 8 hours, continued with walking around Osaka/Kyoto with that tiresome body….Owh>_< I can’t imagine my feet become swollen because of that. The cheapest cost for night bus will be around 9500 yen, which we were not sure we’ll be able to get the ticket for the bus.
I was also thinking about taking Puratto Kodama, which cost 9800 yen from Tokyo to Kyoto and 10000 yen from Tokyo to Shin Osaka station, each of them for one way trip. 
But taking the shinkansen for return trip is really killing us another 10000 yen budget. -_-; I was wondering for about a month, maybe, if there is a cheapest cheapest way to get around Japan without being tired of wasting too long time on the street. I found that Japan often offering some special ticket for this line and that line of train, for this season and for that season, for this long and for that long. Suica, Seishun 18 Kippu, Osaka Rail Pass, and something like that. All of them offering many interesting benefit but none were really suitable for us.
One day, I read some info real slowly and just realized that Japan Rail Pass exists. od. It’s efficient. 
Not only you will be able to buy it in your country, it also will allow you to pass any JR line you want without having to pay more if you’re miss the right way. As long as it’s JR, it’s okay to take the train within the range of time you decided on your own!!! I don’t wanna sound like advertising them, but I do think that they will be making many things easier~ What made me happy was the fact that the Pass will allow us to take Hikari and Kodama around Japan for several times!!! It will leave us with no problem in deciding which city we will watch NEWS concert in!
Dear Japan Rail Pass, I knew I love you before I met you!!!
One other thing I would like to add on this entry is Himiko Cruise Ship. Wuw!
Let say, this is a cruise for fulfilling our hunger of something futuristic in our trip. Fufufufu. I love this ship by the time I saw its picture. I was just wondering what to do around Odaiba (while I am sure THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DO around Odaiba), but I need to take picture with something kakkoi… Then I found this lady Himiko… Forgive us for being random but we do plan to take picture with the captain-san of Himiko^^; Maybe it will feels like taking picture with the handsome pilot of Gundam.. duh..Sorry, ossan.^^; I just read someone’s blog who already use Himiko and he thinks that the inside is looks like a big disco floor…. hehehe I’m looking forward. If it really looks like a disco, just dance.
Hahaha..
Only if I get more money…
Posted on: October 26, 2009
Hola!
I can not help not to include these inns inside this blog. I found them during searching for hotel. I found their website so lovely, but my budget wont be able to let me stay a night in them.
The first one is Kurama. Many travellers recommending this ryokan which has onsen inside and also a rotenburo. 
This ryokan might be preferable if you visit Kyoto on Autumn. Located nearby the village, it might let you feel the real air of Japanese village. Yeah. It is the review and the description I found when I examine the Kurama hotel… Unfortunately, beside the price (around 16000 yen per night for a room of three people), one other factor that make me reconsider to staying here is the fact that the rotenburo only open until nine. Me and my friends were imagining about bathing in open air around midnight but it only open until nine -_-… its location is also quite far from the center of Kyoto. However, I really hope that I will be able to enjoy Kurama Onsen one day in the future 🙂
The second one is Sumiya Kihouan onsen, which has a RESERVEABLE OPEN-AIR HIDDEN SPA IN THE MOUNTAIN. Hwaaaa>_< it already sounds so nice that I really want to try it!! 
I you only went to the hidden spa without staying a night, it only cost 3000 yen (which I think so worth it, especially if you visit around autumn). If you’re staying a night, it will cost 24000 yen for a room of 3 person. (Ack). The Sumiya Kihouan is located on Arashiyama, Kyoto. Arashiyama is this beautiful mountainous areas with colorful leaves in the autumn. Oh my God…*_* I really wanna go there and I’m so going over there. Even if we’re not trying the onsens, we will still ride the romantic train, (uh, yes, the name is the romantic train!!!), or the other name is Sagano Romantic Train, or Sagano Torokko Resha 😀
The other onsen I can not forget easily (even I never really go there) is Kusatsu Onsen. The website viewed the onsen beautifully that makes the viewer became so passionate about visiting them. 
I do think its a city of spa and onsen. So many rotenburo for a cheap prices. Located approximately 3 hours from Tokyo but for onsen lover maybe it is so exciting to visit them. My my…. I am still thinking that this idea of visiting onsen in autumn must be great. >_< Wish I could do that in the future sometimes.
And how can I forget about Yougendo. This one. This one. We might be able to stay in this hotel. This is more special than a 3000 yen budget hotel. 
The room in this hotel cost 4500 per night for a room of three person. Located between Kyoto and Osaka I do think this is an ideal place for us to stay. It’s a bit far, 30 minutes from both Kyoto Station or 15 minutes from Osaka. But hey, it’s only 15 minutes. Not really a problem, right!! 😀 The interior is quite fabulous!
This is really random. But we do hope that we will e be able to find some other fabulous but cheap hostel with a midnight open-air spa in Kyoto or Osaka.
Bye for now!
Yesterday I got letter from my okaa-san who is my host family, confirming that me and my friends could stay in her house as long as we are in Tokyo. I was so happy \^0^/ yokatta!!! Because we will go there with a very limited budget. Okaa-san’s yasashisa helps the most!!! >_< One night in Tokyo hostel could cost us at least 2500 yen/night for a decent backpacker’s hostel type, so the longer we stay the more shopping budget allocated to pay for the hostel.. and it will be hurt!!!
Yosh. However, we plan to spend two days in Osaka-Kyoto, so we need to see for a hostel to stay one night. Early this year our plan was to spend a night in a ryokan with an onsen in it. We were thinking that we will go around November and it would be fun to spend a night in ryokan with a rotenburo (an open-space onsen) while watching the beautiful autumn leaves and welcoming the mama-monkey to join us bathing….Hoooh…suteki*_*
Demo demo demo, since until now Johnny-san is not yet announcing any plan for NEWS concert this year, we predict that the concert will be held on winter… so, no colorful autumn leaves *sobs*….We also decide that “wasting time” in onsen is not as enjoyable as visiting more places in Osaka and Kyoto. Thus, we seek for this budget hostel inside the city.
Our first nomination is hostel named J-hopper. We found it first because its website is in English, they have hostel both in Kyoto and in Osaka, and each has triple room, bike rental (yes!! speaking of riding a bike around the city might be a great idea and we DO plan to do that!), kimono try-on english-speaking staff, internet, and do you still ask for more??!! (okay, calm down). We reviewed both hotel and judged each of the with the photos they provided on the website.
It seems like J-hopper Kyoto located about 700 meter from the Kyoto Station. Oh. That’s far, isn’t it? :p….. The triple room cost 3000 yen/night per person, with Wifi and AC facilities. Cute. The lavatory and shower room is shared with other people.
J-hopper Osaka is located 3 minutes walk from JR Fukushima Station. I am not yet sure whether it is in the middle of the excitement we want to see. But my Japanese friend said that Fukushima Station is surrounded with offices area. That’s okay, though. It cost the same with the Osaka one and what made me interested in the Osaka room is the color of it’s bed sheet! :p
Good. Lately we also found other recommended hostel. This discovery is somehow made my eyes shining *o*. The name is Budget Inn, located 5 minutes from Kyoto Station!!! Aw… it has its sister inn named Tour Club.. Oh. The name hurts me :p I imagined that I will be giggling if my friend or my okaa-san ask the name of the hostel I will answer: “erm…budget inn desu”, their reaction will be “Eh? What?”, hahaha. 😀
Du du du love is in the air :D… I’m in love with the website of Budget Inn.. It is a simple website, really. but the first thing I read is “Kyoto Itenary and Day Trip to Kyoto”, which filled with recommendation of the best sites we must see in Kyoto if we only stay there in short time. Wow. Thanks!!! And the facilities are AC, Internet, Bicycle, Laundry, Payphone, all staff speak English, free coffee, kimono try, ya ya ya *nod nod*. Located 5 minutes from Kyoto Station. 
Oh! Lovely!!!…but can we hear the train’s buzz from the hostel?? However, the name of the room we would likely to choose is lovely: Japanese Golden Private Ensuite. Aww… don’t u love that!!! ^^; It’s a Japanese-style room which fits in 3-5 people, toilet, shower, sink, fridge, and kettle inside, YES, and 3660 yen per person per night!!! Hmmm… 660 yen more expensive than J-hopper but Worth it, I think!!! The room looks warm on winter 🙂
Tour Club is a sister-inn to budget inn. So both hostel are women if they are human. :p Sush. Back to topic. It located 9 minutes from the Kyoto Station. Hmm. Better! No train sound, maybe :). The only plus point it has from Budget Inn is the Zen Garden. hahahaha I’m kidding 🙂 I do think Tour Club is cuter! It has cute lobby, dining room, and we can also try to meditate in front of zen garden. We also have two choices of triple room here. 
The Japanese Triple is 3,240 yen per night per person with small private shower and toilet attached inside the room. It also has wall TV and the tatami room is quite wide so we can roll on the floor as much as we like (duh). I love this one. The other one is Backpacker triple which cost 2,960 yen per night per person. It also has TV, Desk, and Private Shower. But we have to share the toilet with the other one room. It looked dark in the photo, isn’t it. I also wondering where the window is.
Conclusion? Which one is the best? I’ll search for more and upload when I have time 🙂
Ciao!
The Style
Posted on: October 19, 2009
We live in tropical country, people. Indonesia. There is only the rain and the sun. We never got something like snow. So, once this plan is entering our mind, we realized that there is no such thing like winter coat in our closet.
Then we begin to let ourselves being informed about what people usually wear during winter, or how not to look like you’re walking down the street with blanket around your shoulder. We watched Fashion TV winter collection. We saw in Japanese drama how women overcome the stabbing coldness without being ugly. We observe the imported magazine and put in mind how they combine their clothing.
We went to survey some winter clothing in one shopping mall in our city, Grand Indonesia. Zara had this sleeveless jacket which looks like the jacket in the picture below.
It kinda cool. But we still have to wear something warm inside the jacket, right? There is actually many alternatives for women winter wear, though. Such as one in the picture below.
Wool cap, scarf, boots, coat, skinny jeans. Must have, probably. We might be able to get in the factory outlet in the city of Bandung, which sells various “warm clothing” as it located near to the mountain.
About the foot wear. We’d love to buy some cool boots. But we can only wear boots once we get there and it is impossible to wear boots here because the oh-so-hot environment. Therefore, we think it is better for us to have sneakers rather than buying a new pair of boots. Besides, boots are expensive!!!
One of us had bought this shoes, sneakers-type, but comfortable to wear.
I must say that the color blue hurts my eyes (I’m sorry my friend), but she might be good in it, we don’t know yet. 😀
I googled and I found the below Japanese-style for winter. 
But I think they are too flashy *_* The below picture is better for me..
Love the brown boots in the left picture. Love the one with orange jacket and the one with black jacket as whole. However I don’t think that orange legging is necessary! ^^
This one, below, is the style I love the most!
Cool!!! Okay. We gotta find those!!
Foreword: The Idea
Posted on: October 16, 2009
We are a part of this young generation in Jakarta who like to observe the lifestyle, music, anime, dorama, and movie from Japan. But not until we found this Japanese boyband named NEWS, who was debuted by the Johnny’s Entertainment Agency, we somehow develop this guilty pleasure which lead us to have a strong determination toward having a trip to Japan without missing the NEWS Concert.
Hehehe^^
Okay, maybe it is better to stop mentioning about NEWS for now before I started to write love poem for one specific member 😀
Eh
Okay. This blog. What we want to do with this blog is to describe every details we met during the planning of our trip and of course, most importantly, the details of the trip itself, and hopefully, it will be continued with plans to the next destination .
We love planning our trip. It was so exciting that we stole some times during lunchbreak in the office to chat and exchanging links about what will be exciting to do, to see, and to visit by the time we go to Japan. We are so glad that there is internet and there is an english language. We got so much information regarding the airplane ticket, the transportation route in Japan, the place to visit, the right style of fashion to wear, the weather, all of them are so helpful that we found ourselves making this exact minimum budget arrangement more easily.
Lastly, I hope that this will be an interesting blog. See you in the next entry!!!
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