I believe that Japan is a country that everyone would like to visit at least once.
I am also one of those who would like to visit at least once. I went there for the first time in March and was not satisfied,
so I went again at the end of November. When I came back, I still felt that it was not enough and I wanted to go back again.

I see that airline tickets are competing to reduce prices these days, with promotions tempting us all the time.

It's not hard to decide that next year I'll go again for another round or two. I'll go until I'm satisfied.

This year, I flew with Air Asia with Nadech twice. I booked the promotion so long ago that I almost forgot.

The first round was in March. We sat in the regular zone. It was so crowded, almost every seat was taken.

At that time, I went down to Narita Airport. I chose to fly a late flight so that I could arrive in the morning and continue my trip.

It turned out that I didn't sleep at all. There was constant chatter from the moment the plane took off until it landed. On top of that, the food and snack carts were constantly being pushed around. Oh my god.... In the morning, I continued my sightseeing looking like a panda bear.

I'm so glad I learned my lesson. On the way back, we decided to splurge a little and book seats in the Quiet Zone. It was totally worth it! The journey was so much more pleasant.

We pre-ordered food through the website, which is cheaper than buying it on the plane. We ate our fill and slept soundly for a long time. So comfortable!

The second time we went was at the end of November, landing at Kansai Airport. That night, we planned to sleep at the airport to save on hotel costs. In reality, we didn't sleep at all. We found something to eat nearby and worked on our assignments until almost dawn.

I checked my email again and found an email from the accommodation saying that I could check in early.

That morning, I managed to sneak in a quick nap in my room before heading out for the day.

For those who plan to sleep at the airport without spending any money, upon arrival, cross to the other side.

On the side of the Aeroplaza building, there is a relaxation area with bathrooms, showers, and charging outlets. It's incredibly convenient.

I heard that starting from the end of March, airasia will arrive an hour earlier.

I guess I don't have to worry about the car anymore. I'd better go to sleep in the city. It's much more comfortable.

Let's start with our March trip first.
Those who went in late March and early April like us must have gone to admire the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
We went to almost every place in Tokyo that was said to be beautiful. It's a pity that the cherry blossoms weren't in full bloom when we went.
We were a little disappointed, but there were still some in bloom to make us happy.

Ueno Park, a popular cherry blossom viewing spot, was already crowded even though the flowers weren't in full bloom.
There were a lot of Chinese and Thai people, as well as Japanese people. There were also a lot of reporters covering the news. It was fun to walk around.

Chidorigafuchi would be another beautiful place if the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
I've seen pictures of it before, with cherry blossoms blooming on both sides of the river and people rowing boats to admire the flowers. It's absolutely stunning.
I was a little disappointed to arrive and only see a few flowers, not what I had hoped for. The weather wasn't very good either.
I almost had to change my cherry blossom viewing trip to a food trip instead.

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden This place makes us feel a little better. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Luckily, the friend who went with me had searched for information on where the flowers had already bloomed, and the lottery came out here.

Getting there is easy. Just search for it on Google Maps. You can take the train and walk a short distance to get there. The entrance fee is 300 yen per person.

Upon arrival, I must say that I was not disappointed. The flowers were in full bloom, filling the entire garden. I really love the weeping cherry blossoms.

The branches are almost touching the ground, and every branch is full of flowers. It's much more beautiful in real life than in the pictures.

Arriving in Japan, I immediately wanted to see Mount Fuji at least once. Because if I came and didn't see it, it would be like I didn't come at all. I decided to take a chance and go to Kawaguchiko. Luckily, the sky was incredibly clear. I saw Mount Fuji wearing a hat from afar. I saw it from the train. I can't describe how excited I felt.
Because before I came, my friend cursed me, saying that I wouldn't see it when I arrived. As soon as I arrived, I immediately sent a picture to taunt him, saying, "Hey... I saw Mount Fuji on my first visit!" Even though the cherry blossoms here weren't blooming as much as I expected, just seeing Mount Fuji was enough to make me happy.
Then my friend followed me a few days later, and it turned out that it snowed. Wow... I'm so jealous of her. She saw cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, and even snow.

Goodbye...Tokyo, let's go to Osaka! We bought a 7-day JR PASS, so we're going to make the most of it this time.
Let's take the Shinkansen all the way. We're staying near Shin Osaka Station, even though it's not close to the eating, drinking, and shopping areas, but we think it's convenient to get around. With the JR PASS, it's easy to get anywhere.

When you come to Osaka, you have to go to Osaka Castle. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, but it's raining. It's raining on and off.
The first day we arrived in Osaka, we went to the castle in the evening. We came back again the next morning. It's beautiful, I love it!

Along the way before reaching Osaka Castle, there is a public park at Sakuranomiya Station.

Seeing the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom, I immediately jumped out of the car.

Today I'm traveling alone because my beloved companion who was supposed to join me is sleeping in and won't wake up. She said I should just go wherever I want.

Today we are missing each other for a day, each going our separate ways! So we can stop wherever we want, without worrying about who will have to wait.

Because when we take pictures, we take a long time. We are afraid of the people waiting.

We found that most cherry blossoms are planted along the river and in the garden, competing to bloom.

When it rains, the petals start to fall. It's so romantic when the flower petals are fluttering in the wind.

Lost in the beauty, forgetting all about time. The cool, humid air, the soft sunlight after the rain, it's so refreshing.

Taking a deep breath, I could only whisper to myself, "I'm so happy."

Let's continue to Kyoto. Fujimi Inari, the fox shrine. Here, there are red torii gates that everyone must come to see. And when you come, you have to take a picture. It takes a while to take a picture here without people, so I waited until I was tired.

Philosopher's Path, near the entrance to Ginkakuji Temple (Silver Pavilion).

The flowers are in full bloom and it's beautiful. We arrived in the afternoon and there were a lot of people. If you want to avoid the crowds, you should come early in the morning.

After a short stay, we continued to Kiyomizu Temple. When we arrived at the entrance of the temple, we found a very long queue. We had to wait in line for almost an hour before we could enter.

I rushed up to the top of the temple, hoping to capture the sunset, but I didn't make it in time. All that was left was the twilight.

The idea of taking a beautiful light up photo is hopeless. There are so many people that there is barely any room to walk.

It's better to call it a flowing crowd. I could barely stand still. I only managed to take a couple of photos before I was pushed out. I decided to walk down instead.

Lost track of my friends and got separated, pushed in different directions. Thankfully, we agreed to meet at the temple entrance if we got lost. It was really crowded.

It was getting late, so I planned to take the bus back to Kyoto Station because I had bought an all-day bus pass.

Seeing the long queue, I thought, "This is too long, I'm not going to wait in line." So I called a taxi instead.

Even though it's a bit expensive, if three of us split the cost, it's not that bad. Tell the driver to take us to a delicious restaurant near Kyoto Station.

And then he took me to a road that was just so beautiful, with cherry blossoms blooming everywhere. He parked the car and told me there was a delicious restaurant nearby, so I could choose for myself.

But it takes a long time to get to eat because delicious restaurants have to queue. Oh well, it doesn't matter. While waiting, let's admire the beauty of the roadside to our heart's content first.

The highlight of our cherry blossom hunt on this trip was definitely Nagoya. From Iwakura Station, we walked along the path with signs pointing the way. It was actually quite easy to find, just follow the crowds and you won't get lost. After all, everyone seems to have the same goal during this season: to see the cherry blossoms. A friend sent us the coordinates, saying that this place was in full bloom. When we arrived, we almost screamed - it was so incredibly beautiful! Best of all, there were very few people. We didn't see any foreign tourists, hardly any Thais, and almost no Chinese. There were only Japanese people visiting, but not as many as at other places we had been. We had a wonderful time taking photos and spent half the day there. Initially, we planned to stay and take photos at night, but we changed our minds and rushed back to Osaka. If we have the chance to come back again, we'll definitely stay here all day and night.

The party never ends. After finishing the trip in March, I planned to come back during the red leaves season.
Since I only had a few days to travel, I mainly focused on Kyoto and went to Nara for one day. It was a bit sunny and rainy, and the weather was very changeable. And the places to see the red leaves were crowded with people. As expected, it only happens once a year, so everyone wants to come and visit. This time, I didn't buy any passes because I didn't plan where to go first, so I bought an icoca card and topped it up, which was very convenient.
In addition to being able to use it on JR, Subway and buses, I can also use it to buy things in convenience stores, which is great. It's super convenient.

Tofukuji Temple is one of the most beautiful places to see red leaves in Kyoto. The entrance fee to the garden is 400 yen per person.
It was drizzling on the day I went, and the sky was not very clear, but there were still a lot of tourists as usual.
When you look down from Tsuten-bashi, a wooden balcony above the garden, you will see a sea of red leaves in front of you. This angle is very beautiful.
But it was hard to get through the crowd. Almost all the red leaves here are maple trees. When I went, some of the trees were not yet red, and some of them had almost fallen off.

Eikando Temple This temple has incredibly beautiful red leaves. We arrived almost in the evening and rushed to see the garden. We didn't go up to take pictures on the temple because we were busy taking pictures following the light, fearing that the light would disappear completely. The entrance fee from morning to evening is 1000 yen per person. But if you want to see the light up at night, you have to come out and go back in. The entrance fee for the evening round is 600 yen per person. When we came out, it was almost five o'clock in the evening. We went to join the queue and saw the queue, we had to exclaim... the queue was very long. We stood in line for another hour before we could enter, and we missed the blue sky. Every temple we visited did not allow the use of tripods. Nighttime photos had to use iso as an aid. This temple is really beautiful both day and night. Although the entrance fee is a bit expensive, it is definitely worth it.

Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is an ancient temple in Kyoto.
This is the temple where the Shogun is said to have resided in the cartoon "Ikyu-san". If you come to Kyoto and don't visit this temple, it's like you haven't been here.
The temple is beautiful from the entrance. The leaves are turning red all over the garden, but it was raining all the time when we went.
We had to hold an umbrella and take pictures while tears were almost falling with the rain. I haven't seen a clear sky or sunshine in Kyoto yet. The weather is terrible.
But if you don't mind, let's be a tourist today. I've taken a few dozen pictures, so I won't take any more.
Let's walk around the garden. I like this kind of garden, a Zen garden. It's so simple and peaceful.

Chishaku-In Temple, a hidden gem that will no longer be a secret. Kyoto is home to many beautiful temples, each with its own charm. During the autumn season, the maple and ginkgo trees in these temples transform into a vibrant tapestry of colors. However, Chishaku-In Temple remains relatively unknown to tourists, who tend to flock to the more popular destinations. As a result, the temple's serene gardens are rarely crowded, offering a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

My friend and I stumbled upon this hidden gem while browsing a website about Kyoto's autumn foliage. Intrigued by the stunning photos, we decided to pay a visit. Upon arriving, we were immediately captivated by the vibrant hues of the leaves. The absence of crowds allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty of the surroundings and capture stunning photographs.

If you're looking for a peaceful and picturesque escape in Kyoto, Chishaku-In Temple is definitely worth a visit. Its hidden location and stunning autumn foliage make it a truly unforgettable experience.

If we visit Todai-ji Temple in Nara, we will find deer roaming everywhere, whether on the streets or in the park.
Deer are a symbol of Nara because the people of Nara believe that deer are the servants of the gods.
These deer look cute and friendly, but in reality, they come close to us because they are asking for food.
There are rice crackers sold here for the deer, 150 yen per pack. Besides rice crackers, they also like to eat fruits and snacks that tourists give them. Their bad habit is to push their heads against our backs and search our bags. We saw them tear up a notebook and chew it.
What's even more amazing is that they rummaged through our bag when we left it unattended and stole a banana to eat. When giving them bread, give it slowly. They also bite your butt.
Oh, these deer are really naughty! Hahaha.

Arashiyama is another must-visit place during the fall foliage season.
The most popular activity here is to take a boat ride on the Hozu River and admire the beautiful autumn leaves on both sides of the river.
It's a pity that the red leaves along the riverbank weren't as beautiful this year, but the autumn leaves in Tenryuji Temple were stunning.
Although the leaves weren't all bright red yet, they were still breathtakingly beautiful.
Another popular tourist spot here is the bamboo forest, which was so crowded that there was hardly any room to walk.
So we escaped the crowds and went to another bamboo forest nearby, which was less crowded and allowed us to find some moments to take pictures without people in them.

Translation:

This year, we encountered less than ideal weather conditions during both the cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons. It truly seems that one trip to Japan is not enough. The people here are lovely, travel is convenient, the food is delicious, and the weather is generally pleasant. We've had nothing but positive experiences, so we're hesitant to explore other destinations. We'll definitely be returning to Japan soon. ;)

Translation: