OSAKA: HOW TO BOOK THE DOTON YOUTOURBUS

Photo from Doton bus Facebook page

OSAKA: HOW TO BOOK THE DOTON YOUTOURBUS

Going to Dotonbori and nearby Kuromon market from Kansai airport is now very easy. There's a new direct bus that can take you from Kansai airport to Doton Plaza, which is around 3 minute walk from the entrance of Dotonbori.

WHERE IS DOTON PLAZA LOCATED

Doton Plaza is 190 meters or about 3 minute walk to the entrance of Dotonbori.

This sumo wrestler statue is the landmark from the ground.
The entrance is at the back of the statue.

BUS SCHEDULE

RATES

Starting May 1, 2019, rates will be as follows:

Adult: 1500 yen per way

Child (more than 6 years old and less than 12 years old): 1000 yen per way

Toddler (more than 2 years old and less than 6 years old): 500 yen

Cancellation fees

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

Payment is not available at the airport and at Doton Plaza. So the only way to get a ticket is by making a reservation online and paying for it after receiving an invoice via email with payment instructions. 

1. Decide what time to board the bus. 

Doton bus recommends that you take the schedule 1 hour after your plane arrives. From my experience, it took us 1 hour to pass through immigration, claim our luggage and get to the bus stop. 

Take note: If you miss the bus, you forfeit your ticket. 

2. Reserve your ticket at www.dotonyoutourbus.com. 

3. After making a reservation online, wait for an email acknowledging receipt of your reservation. 

4. Next day, you will receive an invoice by email with instructions on how to pay for the ticket by credit card. Below is the invoice I received by email. Click "View Invoice" then click "Pay Invoice" .

MEETING PLACE AT THE AIRPORT

Terminal 1 Floor 1 South Exit Guide Meeting Place

• A guide wearing a yellow uniform will be waiting with a meeting board labeled “DOTON YOUTOURBUS”.

※ Meeting time: 10 ~ 20 minutes before departure (source: dotonyoutourbus.com)

MEETING PLACE AT DOTON PLAZA

DOTON PLAZA boarding and exit lot

• Doton Plaza Floor 1 Entrance, “DOTON YOUTOURBUS” Meeting place: The area where the bus is boarded and exited (source: doton youtour bus.com)

Baggage restrictions 

OSAKA: DIRECT BUS FROM KANSAI AIRPORT TO DOTONBORI

Photo from Doton bus Facebook page

OSAKA: DIRECT BUS FROM KANSAI AIRPORT TO DOTONBORI

Going to Dotonbori and nearby Kuromon market from Kansai airport is now very easy. There's a new direct bus that can take you from Kansai airport to Doton Plaza, which is around 3 minute walk from the entrance of Dotonbori.

WHERE IS DOTON PLAZA LOCATED

Doton Plaza is 190 meters or about 3 minute walk to the entrance of Dotonbori.

This sumo wrestler statue is the landmark from the ground.
The entrance is at the back of the statue.

BUS SCHEDULE

RATES

Starting May 1, 2019, rates will be as follows:

Adult: 1500 yen per way

Child (more than 6 years old and less than 12 years old): 1000 yen per way

Toddler (more than 2 years old and less than 6 years old): 500 yen

Cancellation fees

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

Payment is not available at the airport and at Doton Plaza. So the only way to get a ticket is by making a reservation online and paying for it after receiving an invoice via email with payment instructions. 

1. Decide what time to board the bus. 

Doton bus recommends that you take the schedule 1 hour after your plane arrives. From my experience, it took us 1 hour to pass through immigration, claim our luggage and get to the bus stop. 

Take note: If you miss the bus, you forfeit your ticket. 

2. Reserve your ticket at www.dotonyoutourbus.com. 

3. After making a reservation online, wait for an email acknowledging receipt of your reservation. 

4. Next day, you will receive an invoice by email with instructions on how to pay for the ticket by credit card. Below is the invoice I received by email. Click "View Invoice" then click "Pay Invoice" .

MEETING PLACE AT THE AIRPORT

Terminal 1 Floor 1 South Exit Guide Meeting Place

• A guide wearing a yellow uniform will be waiting with a meeting board labeled “DOTON YOUTOURBUS”.

※ Meeting time: 10 ~ 20 minutes before departure (source: dotonyoutourbus.com)

MEETING PLACE AT DOTON PLAZA

DOTON PLAZA boarding and exit lot

• Doton Plaza Floor 1 Entrance, “DOTON YOUTOURBUS” Meeting place: The area where the bus is boarded and exited (source: doton youtour bus.com)

Baggage restrictions 

JAPAN: Amenities You Will Find Inside the Shinkansen (Japan bullet train)

JAPAN: The Amenities You Will Find Inside the Shinkansen

(Japan bullet train)

If I had a choice between riding the plane in economy seats or riding the shinkansen, I would definitely choose to ride the shinkansen. The shinkansen is very comfortable, clean and fast. The ride is very smooth. I had no difficulty sleeping.  Below are the amenities you will find inside the Shinkansen.

The Shinkansen or bullet train

My reserved seat ticket shows:
I should ride the Hikari 467 at 10:03 AM,
at Car No. 14, seats 2C and 2D.

Seat configuration is 2-3 per row.
Generous legroom 

Sign shows Car 14 has a restroom nearby at Car 15

The back of the tray table shows where facilities are located  

There's a socket available
for charging cell phones and laptops  

Ample space on the overhead bin

There's a food cart selling snacks 

in case you go hungry. 

Eating is not prohibited inside the bullet train. 

There's free Wi-Fi
available all throughout the ride. 

OSAKA: 2019 Prices of Matsuya

OSAKA: 2019 Prices of Matsuya

Since we visited Japan last year, we noticed an increase in price of Matsuya. To help you budget your meals, below are the updated prices of Matsuya:

Gyumeshi with grated radish and ponzu sauce, regular size (420 yen)
Additional salad and egg (160 yen)
Free miso soup if you dine in

Grilled ginger pork set meal

Gyumeshi with spicy sauce, regular (430 yen)Additional salad and egg (160 yen)
Free miso soup if you dine in

JAPAN: How to use the JR pass on the Chuo Line limited express train WITHOUT reserved seats

How to use the JR pass on the Chuo Line limited express train WITHOUT reserved seats

All cars on the limited express train are reserved seating only. But if you are a holder of a JR pass or limited express unreserved tickets, this is how to ride the train.

1. All cars on the train indicate they are reserved. You can board any car except the green car, which is the first class car, unless of course you have a green car JR pass.

2. Find any vacant seat, which is indicated by a red light on the overhead bin. If it turns yellow in the middle of the journey, it means someone will board and take the seat in the next stops.

The limited express train I rode from Shinjuku to Kobuchizawa has restrooms in cars 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 11.

Peering inside the limited express train

Car shows reserved seat sign. 
Car 1, where we are seated has a restroom.

The red light indicates that seat 5c is vacant.

The green light indicates that the seat is reserved.

Generous legroom 

Snacks can be bought on the train

Making Sense of New York City Hotel Rates

Photo courtesy of the New Yorker hotel 

Making Sense of New York City Hotel Rates

When booking your New York City hotel, be aware that in addition to the room rate that the hotel will quote you, multiple taxes will still be charged addition to the room rate. Make sure to clarify that whatever rate the hotel will give you should include all the taxes already. To help you understand how it's computed, see the sample below:

The taxes and charges per room per night as of 2019 is $3.50 + 14.75% of the room rate per night broken down as follows:

• NYC Hotel Unit Fee (now called Javits Center fee) : $1.50 per day
• NYC Occupancy Tax: $2.00 per room per day (note: if you booked a suite with 2 rooms, the charge will be $4.00 per day) 
• New York State Sales Tax: 8.875%

• New York City Sales Tax: 5.875%

In addition to the above fees, they are now charging a facility or resort fee, for the facilities of the hotel you can use during your stay, like the wifi, the gym, the business center  etc. The amount of facility or resort fee is at the discretion of the hotel and is not optional when booking the room. 

So if your room rate per night is $300, your tax is $47.75 ($3.50 + $44.25, which is 14.75% of $300). Initial room cost will be $347.75 per night with tax plus whatever resort fee or facility fee per night that the hotel charges, which can range from $30-35. So the original publish room rate of $300 per night can reach $380-390 per night depending on the hotel resort fee. 

So beware when you see published hotel rates in New York. It usually does not include all the taxes and fees I mentioned above. So make sure to ask.