Most People Travel Japan the Hard Way

Tokyo station can be chaos sometimes most of it is luggage too many travelers bringing way too much stuff Traveling Japan doesn't have to be like this. Well, we'll be traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto With just this there's a smarter way to travel Japan travel lighter You spend less time dealing with luggage and more time actually enjoying the trip We sent our bigger bags ahead from our last hotel and in Kyoto We're even renting clothes with a fresh set for every activity along the way Including a trip to Uji Kyoto's matcha paradise onwards to Kyoto We traveled from Tokyo to Kyoto with no suitcases just day packs freedom from the almighty hard case on wheels Traveling with kids. It's definitely a game-changer The bullet trains weren't made for large suitcases Small to medium sized bags to maximize space to move more people not their things Leo grabbed the window seat and we easily settled in bags on the storage rack above the rack Depth is about 42 centimeters or a foot and a half medium-sized suitcases turned lengthwise should go here easily Anything larger is an inconvenience locking you and others in the row Talk about no legroom shinkansen trains do have oversized luggage space which require a reservation But it often gets abused the wheels rolling them into the aisle or blocking Passengers from restrooms or getting on and off on time like this Japan Rail State suitcases the total dimension of 50 by 30 by 80 centimeters or 160 centimeters total 63 inches and over are considered oversized and require a special seat reservation If you don't reserve a space for it in advance without that reservation you face a 1,000 yen penalty bringing it on board It just makes life harder for you and everyone else around you when you travel with a lot of luggage in Japan And there are many solutions to travel smarter skipping the stress of it all with more space We can relax a lot more sit on the right side of the shinkansen to see Mount Fuji Which can dominate the view on clear days for about six minutes after clearing Mount Ashitaka the Sudo River to the Fujikawa Bridge This straightaway is beautiful Grab an ekiben or boxed lunches at train stations for a meal en route Available on most platforms and stores inside the station with unique flavors of Japan's regions Kids love onigiri rice balls with their colorful fillings Tempura shrimp ikura and grilled salmon for the win Can I got the Tokyo Station ekiben with traditional foods from the area? I got the pork meets beef Nagoya inspired miso katsu with sukiyaki beef on rice Eating on the train decreases screen time for Leo allows us to try new things and makes the 2 hour 15 minute ride to Kyoto go so much quicker Prepare to exit before the train stops much easier to do hands-free People are waiting to get on the train So it's important to be ready to get off by the door when it stops in Kyoto and guess what? We're in Kyoto and ready for our adventure without suitcases. You aren't thinking about it You're more engaged with the world around you which is why you travel in the first place To make travel more fun for everyone Kyoto is encouraging people to drop off their luggage and I'm about to explain to you the smart ways to do this First we make the 20-minute walk to our hotel, which is perfect for families Welcome to apartment hotel Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo will be in Kyoto for three days So a smart way to reduce luggage is to rent your clothes in Japan anywhere anywhere is a service I've been using for a while now select your clothes online send it to the Mimaru hotel for pickup at check-in I'll show you our rental clothes in a second first the room This is the apartment hotel Mimaru offering very comfortable family living spaces that make you feel more like you're at home Instantly you can see why Punk beds for the kids Leo knows where he's sleeping the top a living and dining area with a TV a Kitchenette stocked with plates utensils so you can take away food and eat in perfect for when kids are just too tired jet-lagged impossible to eat out bathroom toilet separated Japanese style love it They have a kids room downstairs, too Perfect Leo even made a new friend from Australia when he was there Renting clothes from anywhere anywhere solves one of the biggest travel problems in Japan luggage. No packing No laundry nothing extra to carry just bring your essentials everything else is waiting for you at the hotel you choose your seasonal set online sizes from toddler to 3xl and Even swap some of the seasonal pieces to match your style better And when the trips over just return it at the front desk another hotel or even a convenience store Opening these felt a little like Christmas morning to us and we'll be wearing them all across Kyoto from Uji's Tea-lined matcha streets to dinner at a temple garden to some of the city's most iconic spots We'll model them you tell us what you think Leo really loves this Japan shirt. Can I can't wait to wear her new wardrobe? Okay, if you do have a suitcase the smart way to travel Japan is by sending it ahead Mimaru has a service to do that. So I tested it from Tokyo to Kyoto a 31-inch suitcase Which I definitely don't want on the bullet train. It's a popular service these days Normally the luggage will arrive by 9 p.m But this time we were able to receive it a little bit earlier at 7 p.m And got it from the locked room on the ground floor This allows for hands-free travel other hotels offer takuban service which may take longer Luggage transfer services are booming these days around the country hot spots to help battle over tourism and luggage stress Time to travel tip renting a car is great for family travel Kyoto station has many car rental spots and I got a popular mini SUV for the 30-minute drive to Uji the land of matcha Google Maps made it easy to find a parking spot in the town The train is also convenient, but there's something relaxing about driving out here away from the city traffic Leo can take a nap and stop off at convenience stores on the way You see a lot of Japanese culture on the roads driving under a stone torii gate for Agatha shrine. Very cool After parking we walked the town over Uji Bridge and River in our awesome rental clothes Honestly these threads exceeded my expectation Leo is rocking a warm fleece jeans and very stylish, New Jersey long-sleeve shirt Down by the river. I'm wearing green trousers blue checkered shirt and navy sweatshirt Perfect for the 13 degrees Celsius mid 50s temperatures of the day. What do you think? Not bad at all, huh? Can I looks perfect in the black pants pink blouse and knit long coat? Bringing the moves to today's fashion set nice Biodoin temples omotesando Street is a gift shopping experience filled with loads of street foods and the wafting smell of matcha and Roasted green tea called hojicha. Kanai and Leo went straight to the candy matcha milk candy for the walk around Many of the shops go back centuries selling the teas and matcha powder from local plantations nearby Even modern chain coffee shops have moved in with a style to suit Uji's sensibility. I thought this matcha bean cake was a burger The color of matcha is everywhere You can't leave here without a box or two to nibble on for the trip back or family back home and some green tea, too and They put it into the food here like takoyaki ice cream gyoza and even matcha ramen matcha curry Yes, please The omotesando shopping street has it all We have a reservation at a very famous tea shop not far away. It has some amazing desserts This is Tsuji Rihei Honten a renovated old tea factory building with over 160 years of history for tea grown The staff met us at opening and led us to a scenic spot in the cafe you get the feeling of being in the old world Japanese aesthetics the smell of tea and Big menu of matcha flavored sweets. I started by trying their koicha Almost syrupy sometimes served like this in the tea ceremonies not whisked but stirred slowly It's good to try it in this state then ask for Usucha Whisk it with some more hot water to make it easier to drink see the bubbles from the whisking the confections came We ordered a lot The Uji matcha parfait is here a mix of green matcha azuki beans mochi cake chocolate cookies and ice cream It is really beautiful and tasty even if it melts a bit while you're taking photos Leo and Kanae got the Mont Blanc matcha chestnut cream with some matcha cheesecake Look at that lovely Hojicha latte roasted green tea and milk Too bitter for Leo's palate, but perfect for mama We left very happy and a little greener than before Walked it off over the bridges on the riverside We drove back to Kyoto to the hotel for another set of anywhere anywhere rental clothes this time for a night out as The Sun started to go down. We traveled to an old food alley near Guillaume the center of Kyoto called Pontocho It has been a nightlife district since the 1600s when tea houses and restaurants began lining this narrow lane Along the Kamogawa River. It remains one of Kyoto's most atmospheric streets famous for geiko culture and traditional dining We've got on dressier rental clothes for an early dinner. Let's show you what we've chosen for the outing Kanae in black pants dark blouse and wool overcoat perfect for the chilly evenings Down at the Kamo River a lot of activity as the city winds down to end the day I've got on beige slacks wool jacket blue Oxford button-down and sweater I was able to swap out some items from the set pick other ones that I thought suited me better It's good to bring your own belt and undergarments. Of course are your own Leo's going for dark pants colored collar shirt with a warm wool sweater. He was pretty happy with his threads for the night We grabbed a taxi for the 8-minute drive past Hanjingu shrine to Kyoto garden restaurant Yachiyo Yachiyo is a traditional Kyoto ryotei style restaurant located beside Nanzenji temple The proprietress or Okami-san led us to a big room This feels special a Japanese tatami room like this surrounded by large windows of the garden outside such a Kyoto scene It's comfortable like eating in someone's old Japanese house rather than a restaurant The antiques around the room was a wonderful touch You can really feel the history of Kyoto the food came the team set it up as we watched in amazement at the details For Leo, it's been a while since we had a fancy dinner. It looks more like art and in a way it really is The colors and ingredients of the season all highlighting the freshness and feeling of the day So many dishes many a staple of traditional Japanese and stays like tempura chawanmushi Sashimi and the main course wagyu beef sukiyaki You can see the lovely marbling of this a5 wagyu beef vegetables and tofu for the sukiyaki too and a raw egg to dip it in The Okami-san helped start off the meal with the prep So you don't need to worry or feel overwhelmed by the food You can just focus on eating if you like that sukiyaki boiling smelled so good This salty sweet aroma that made our mouths water The Okami-san was pleased to hear my approval The tender meat cooked in the soup with the richness of the raw egg make for one of the best Japanese dishes around We were not leaving here with any space in our stomachs. That was for sure Leo ate as much as he could note in Japan It's not common to take leftovers home from a restaurant Meals are meant to be enjoyed here and there's a strong cultural idea of motainai not wasting food Food safety and liability is also an issue So don't order more than you need and it's okay to leave a little behind giving it your best effort for me This was heaven one little cup of Japanese sake to seal the evening a local brew I planned a surprise for the birthday girl A lovely strawberry shortcake light whipped cream to end the night Having a special meal like this is one of the must-try attractions of visiting Japan Often at the ryokan where you stay or a place like this a wonderful memory That was a really filling meal coming to a place like this trying the local cuisine here Kyoto is a really special experience. Happy birthday to the birthday girl tomorrow We're gonna be changing our our clothes one more time going to a local attraction. I know you're gonna love. Oh, yeah It's funny after a bit we don't realize that these clothes really aren't our own We just focus on the experience of traveling and eating and now getting back to the hotel for bed Good morning. Our final stop is a visit to the Higashiyama historic district east side of Kyoto the ninenzaka steps Stone path and wooden buildings date back hundreds of years here These streets developed as a pilgrimage route leading visitors to Kiyomizu-dera temple with small shops tea houses and inns serving travelers along the way Today, it's one of the best preserved areas in Kyoto giving a glimpse of what the city looked like centuries ago a chilly morning We needed jackets and I has beige slacks yellow zipknit and a light down jacket looking good Can I we found something curious from inside the Ghibli store looking at us though closed until later in the day? Which did not please Leo in his red Japan long-sleeve shirt blue slacks and jacket. Thanks mom for finding that one Yasaka Pagoda is one of the city's most photographed the old wooden buildings with a 150 foot 46 meter high Backdrop is impressive At nearby ninenzaka steps which wakes up slowly I showed off my new blue shirt and warm down jacket a nice set to keep me warm through the chilly morning I think the rental clothing sets worked out pretty good for us What do you think leave us a comment below? The steps lead up to one of the most popular attractions in all of Japan and Leo wants to earn it like the pilgrims did Centuries ago tip wake up at sunrise and start early on a trip to Kyoto to avoid the crowds The city is fantastically tranquil until about 839 a.m. When the tour buses start in hordes Kiyomizu-dera Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the year 778 making it one of Kyoto's oldest and most celebrated temples It's famous wooden stage built without using nails Extends out from the main hall and offers sweeping views over the city and surrounding hills The temple takes its name from the Otoa waterfall whose pure spring water has been considered sacred for centuries At Kiyomizu-dera you can drink from the three streams of the Otoa waterfall One for health one for wisdom and one for success in life, but you're supposed to pick just one If you drink all three the legend says that's greedy and your wish won't come true. You've been warned Being hands-free I can carry Leo back more relaxed, especially for him and Kanai But the more you minimize what you bring on your trip The more you focus on why you came to explore to be more hands-on with Japan not your bags back to the hotel an orange tracksuit perfect for the gym Maybe burn off some of those meals with exercises have never tried before Dumbbells for a quick set and Maybe that's enough for now. I heard a rumor about a special room here and it was true. The Pokemon room is real From the carpet to the ceiling. It's definitely a Pokemon paradise Look at that bed Look at that the plates and cups to What the bathroom all decked out This is kind of leveling up the fun. Maybe for next time Returning all the clothes. You don't need to wash them Just pack them up together in the same sets in the original bag in the plastic transport bag provided Sad to see some of these outfits go We had fun trying new things Seal it up at the top add the return label and take it to the front desk of any hotel convenience store and that's it We weren't the only ones trying it out. You can see sending your bag ahead is also becoming increasingly popular, too We're grateful to the bilingual staff at mimaru a really fun family trip to Japan's cultural heart Oh and next time we'll show you their genius solution for travelers visiting Japan with kids a Vacation for Leo kind of like a mix of childcare in a theme park while mom and dad go out on a date Kyoto is Japan's most popular spot for international tourists traveling smart reducing your luggage renting your clothes sending suitcases ahead to the next destination maximizes your adventure and Reduces stress for the whole family if you liked it hit that subscribe button and I'll see you in another episode as I take it Every single corner of this amazing country Matane