It was 2017 when we first visited Japan. We were fortunate to see Fukuoka and some of its neighboring prefectures during the Holidays. So, you can just imagine how cold it was for us who are used to a tropical climate. Not to repeat the chilly experience six years ago, I’ve decided to return to Tokyo during the Summer!

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There’s a noticeable difference between Fukuoka and Tokyo. Being the capital of the country, it felt like Tokyo would never run out of things to offer to tourists which was favorable for me because I was traveling with my family. So, I had to plan our travel itinerary considering the interest and capacity to walk of the people I was traveling with.

Applying for a Japanese Visa in the Philippines

Exactly three weeks into my planned Summer trip to Japan, I was able to complete all of the travel requirements from the Japan Embassy in Manila. I sought the service of Reli’s Travel and Tours which has an office in Southmall in Las Piñas, one of the closest offices to us. The requirements were pretty straightforward – prove that you have the capacity to travel by showing your financial and employment documents. To make things a little bit more organized, I made sure all our documents followed the order of the checklist. Within five business days, I received a text message saying that I could already collect our passports. But I was at the agency when I saw the result of our visa application – the multiple entry visa with 5-year validity was granted!

I found affordable hotels ranging from Php 2,000 to 7,000 per night at Agoda

Check for hotel and hostel accommodation, today!

Visa application can be a little bit intimidating for us Filipinos because we always need to prepare a lot of documents. One of those documents are travel itineraries which often include hotel booking reservations. Personally, I search for hotel accommodations and book through Agoda for trips shorter than 7 days. Often, the experience with Agoda is smooth and hassle-free.

Planning the Summer travel itinerary to Tokyo, Japan

Almost every travel vlog I’ve binge-watched and travel blog I’ve read prior to our trip were in Japan in Spring, if not Fall because of the cool weather. But there were a handful who shared their tips when traveling to Japan during the Summer. And they were all entertaining and helpful in planning our Japan Summer travel with the family. I was traveling in Japan during the hot season with my 7-year-old daughter, her dad, my dad and brother for 8 days. Because of the short vacation time in Japan, I had to narrow down the places we were visiting based on a few factors – budget, time, interest and ability to walk. Fortunately, we were generally healthy but still it required a lot of pre-travel briefing just to set the expectations straight. If we were used to riding cars in Manila, in Japan we would mostly, if not, purely ride buses and trains which they seemed to be happy to do. However, since I know two of my travel mates are flat-footed which made walking a lot more uncomfortable, I made sure our Airbnb and hotels are within an acceptable walking distance to train stations and bus stops. And I also made sure to have a flexible itinerary which could be easily switched between dates depending on the weather and endurance of the people.

See our 8-day Tokyo, Japan Itinerary below

My initial thoughts as soon as we arrived in Tokyo, Japan

As expected as we landed, we were greeted with signs, posters and all, which I should’ve had some sort of clue before the trip. Luckily, Japan is tourist-friendly even to non-Japanese speakers, so they were labels just about anywhere you look. Everyone was also accommodating to answer (or gesture) our questions so I had no problems in navigating our way through Tokyo’s extensive transport system. Japan is also safe. No pickpockets. No noisy travelers (except for a group I came across with) and maybe us during our first day because of me. So, even though I was flustered trying to understand where to go next, I felt safe the whole time we were there. 

Not sure what to look for in your next hotel staycation? Check out Things to look for in a hotel family room.

This travel story is just the beginning of our 8-day travel experience visiting Tokyo, Japan in the Summer. Subscribe to our newsletter to get notified whenever a new story is out.