Japan free and easy : Rikugien garden Autumn leaves

Ruikugien GArden Illumiation

The nearest station to Rikugien Garden is Komagome Station of the JR Yamanote Line or the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. The ticket cost is 300 yen.

The garden is also open in the morning. Some part of the parks are close for the illumiation.

This is one of the most famous for the night illumiation in Tokyo.

There is a queue outside. We took around 20 minutes to get into a compound.

There is a fixed route going in one direction. You can stop at your own pace to take photos and continue the tour by following the tour. It will take less than one hour if you just stroll to enjoy the scenery.  I recommend this as it is different from the autumn leaves I have seen and it is beautiful. This is not a place for group photos as there are too many people. 

I will not recommend this for kids that are very young or elderly with weak legs.There are very little places to rest.

As it is a one way tour, so you can't turn back if they are tired.

As I visited this in 2016, the photos may not be accurate.

The illumination starts from Sundown to 9pm but last entry is 930pm.

This is from November 17 to 9 December 2019

 

Japan free and Easy : Shinjuku Gyoen Kouen Shinjuku garden park Autumn leaves

We decided to visit SHinjiuku Kouen as it is walking distance from our Hotel and is not really expensive. However, the price of the ticket now is at 500 yen.


How to get there: Ten minute walk from the "New South Exit" of JR Shinjuku Station or a five minute walk from Shinjukugyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line.


As I was there around the end of November, some of the Autumn leaves are not as vibrant. I think the best time to catch Autumn leaves should be early November or late October. Usually the tourism board will predict the autumn leaves season.

Prediction of Autumn leaves peak for 2019 click on link

Hours

9:00 to 18:00 (March 15 to June 30 and August 21 to September 30) 

9:00 to 19:00 (July 1 to August 20) 

9:00 to 16:30 (October 1 to March 14) 

Admission ends 30 minutes before closing

Closed

Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday), December 29 to January 3. There are no closing days during the cherry blossom season (late March to late April) and the Chrysanthemum Exhibition (first half of November).

The place is not very big, so will be able to finish in 1.5 hours with some photo takings. There are some benches for people to take a break. Some people do bring there picnic mat and have a nice little picnic or just sit on the grass patch while kids have fun at the open space and the adults enjoy the scenery. 

I will recommend this as it is a convenient place. Some places do require a few hours of travelling.  It is not far from the train station and from city. There are a lot of good spots nearby including my favourite ebi ramen and 100 Yen shop Seria. Shall do a write up on these 2 places in the future.

The place is not big so if you are not one who want to spend a lot of time on sightseeing, this is the place to go. This is also a great spot for cherry blossoms. 

Below are more photos for you decide if this is worth going. I feel this place is very good for family as it is accessible and also there are lot ofplaces for kids to run around.

Japan Osaka Free and Easy Itinenary : Ookini Hotels Nipponbashi

After a lot of research, we decide to stay at Ookini Hotel Nipponbashi.

Location: This is beside the train station, you can choose to exit 6 which is just the third door from the exit or take exit 10 which has a lift but you have to cross the road. It will be good for elderly or people with difficulty with stairs or wheelchair bounded. It is walking distance to eatery and 5 mins from Kuromon Market, 10 mins from NAmba and Dontobori 

Kitchen: It has a decent kitchen with a refrigerator, a microwave, 2 stoves and ample cutlery for 4 people. It will be good if you want to cook any snacks or food for kids. 

We used it to cook instant noodles/pasta or any fresh produce we want to try out from the supermarket.  Japan supermarket can be so fun. There is also a big dining table for 4. There is an air conditioner in the kitchen

Bedroom: The bedroom is not very big. There is space for 3 luggages but the luggage also can be left in the kitchen room. The room has another air conditioner or heater. The bed was comfortable.

Balcony/Laundry: There is a washing machine/dryer. ONe packet of washing power is provided. If you do not like to use the dryer, there is a nice little balcony for you to hang your clothes out. And to air the room if it does not smell good.

Closet/Storage: There is a corridor leading to the bedroom. You can close the door of the kitchen to prevent cooking odor from making your clothes and items stink. There are 2 big cupboards, one with hangers and one with shelves. 

Toilet/Shower: The toilet and bathing are in separate room. There is a bath tub. The water pressure and temperature was good. However, I can't be sure about the temperature as I was there during summer. The water is warm without the heater.

We are eligible for a cleaning service for the 6 days when we were there. We did not ask for it as we just wash the towel with the washer/dryer and there was a big rubbish bin outside for us to clear the rubbish.

I enjoy the stay a lot. the location is good as it is beside the train station and there are so many eateries nearby. Family mart and 7-11 are just beside which we can buy our breakfast and eat in the comfort of our room. NAmba and Dontobori are just nearby, we take a stroll back to our apartment. It is not as noisy as staying at Dontobori. The price is also more reasonable for such a big apartment. We did not enquire the staff much about the area as we have no trouble venturing out with our GPS. However, the staff was helpful when we asked for help with some logistics. The room is spacious and comfortable. We have a lot of amenities in the room. The room is not beautiful but is new, clean and practical. This will be good for family, especially those with kids as there need fresh laundry and to cook for kids and also friends travelling in a group it is spacious and private.

JAPAN OSAKA FREE AND EASY ITINEARY : Expo '70 Commemorative Park and expocity Autumn leaves

The Expo '70 Park IS located next to Bampakukinenkoen Station along the Osaka Monorail. Take the train to Senri-Chuo Station and  transfer to the monorail. The trip from central Osaka to the park typically takes between 30 and 50 minutes and costs around 500 to 700 yen.

The reason why I recommend this park although it is quite an old park. Firstly, it is a beautiful park for autumn leaves and cherry blossoms. Secondly, this a quiet park with ample of space for kids to run and space to take photos. Thirdly, it is beside a mall with a good selection of food, place to shops aLastly, it is accessible, just beside the monorail. If you are bringing people who cannot travel far or only have stamina for a small park, this is ideal

Let take a look at the park first.
I did not go at the peak of the autumn leaves season which is around end of October, I was only there around mid November. The leaves were still pretty and vibrant. The park is not very big. If you are someone who just want to take a nice little stroll, maybe it will take half an hour to one hour. If you are going to take photos or sit around for a picnic, it will take much longer.

 After exploring the park, the mall is just on the other side of the monorail station.
There is a place to rest and eat. Take a look at the shops availability. shop list for expocity There is the loft, Muji, Uniqlo and activities for children.

For Gundam fans, there is the gundam square which the gundam cafe.

KFC buffet? 

We choose to eat Udon  and tempura as they were having some promotion. All items at 100yen, which is so worth it.