2017 Travel - South Korea and Japan

Travel Diary: Japan and South Korea Trip - January 2017

I just wrapped up my first trip of 2017, spending five days in Japan and South Korea, primarily visiting family and exploring all the changes in the area. I wanted to stay longer, but I'm trying to budget my vacation hours wisely to last throughout the year.

Day 1 - Narita, Japan (Tokyo)

I've visited Narita Airport several times before, and it remains one of my favorites for its logical layout. Once you understand how the terminals are organized, navigating the airport becomes a breeze. However, this efficient structure seems to complicate the runways, as it often takes 15 to 25 minutes for planes to taxi to the gates.

A minor annoyance is the storage lockers—they don’t count by the hour but rather follow a set time schedule. If you arrive on an evening flight, you might have to pay twice for a few hours of storage. After a simple dinner of Pork Tonkatsu, I took an airport shuttle to a nearby hotel to get some rest before my next connecting flight.

 

Day 2 - Nagoya, Japan

Instead of rushing to my final destination, I decided to take my time and minimize jet lag by breaking the trip into two days. I budgeted a four-hour layover and explored Nagoya Sky Town. The food was decent, and I enjoyed a tempura/tendon bowl while sipping coffee and strolling through the shops.

I discovered some fantastic shops featuring Platinum and Pilot pens! The standout was the Iroshizuku inks, priced at just 1,500 Yen (about $12). While the pens were expensive at 10,000 Yen, I was captivated by the variety of inks, although they didn’t have the Shikibu Murasaki (purple) shade I wanted. I spent a good half hour in an electronics store testing various headphones from Audio-Technica and Sony, ultimately purchasing the ATH-MSR7.

Day 3 - Busan, South Korea

Finally made it to South Korea! I enjoyed some Chachamyun for dinner and spent quality time with family before heading to bed early—definitely feeling my age. I also had coffee at Paris Baguette while exploring the town.

Day 4 - Busan, South Korea

Visited the Lotte Shopping Center, where I indulged in some excellent food at a restaurant offering unlimited Starbucks espressos! I had at least three doubleshots, finishing off with a cappuccino. For dinner, I ordered Domino's, which was surprisingly better than what we have in the States.

 

 

Day 5 - Gimhae Airport (Busan, South Korea)

And the short trip was over before I knew it and I am back at Gimhae preparing to return home via Narita.  I like to arrive at the airports early or on time and spend the 60-90 minutes relaxing with again a cup of coffee.  This time around I had a full 90 minutes thanks to the quick security & immigration checkpoints.  Spent most of the time auditioning the Audio Technica MSR7's with a Latte from Cafe Pascucci.

 

 

Day 5 - Gimhae Airport (Busan, South Korea)

The trip flew by, and soon I found myself at Gimhae Airport preparing to return home via Narita. I like arriving at airports early to relax for about 60-90 minutes, and this time I had a full 90 minutes thanks to quick security and immigration checkpoints. I spent most of that time auditioning my new Audio-Technica MSR7s while sipping a latte from Cafe Pascucci, followed by a green tea from 7-Eleven.

Meals on the Flight:

• Lunch

• Dinner

• Breakfast