Niigata

Today's itinerary was packed, but instead of going to the waterfall, we went to Kawagoe Ichiban-gai. There wasn't quite enough time to explore, only 80 minutes. We first went to Hikawa Shrine, and then went to Kawagoe Ichiban-gai, leaving us with only 30 minutes, so it was a bit rushed and we could only quickly buy some souvenirs. After that, we went strawberry picking, which was quite satisfying, achieving strawberry freedom! Finally, we went to the hot spring town to soak in the hot springs, and all the day's fatigue disappeared~ Many thanks to today's driver, Gao Hongmiao, for his great service, friendliness, and talkativeness. I hope to see you again next time.

The only downside is that going to Ichiban-gai in the morning was really too early, the shops only open at 10:00, and we had to leave at 10:20. The driver was very nice and sent the location via WhatsApp, he came to pick us up, so we didn't have to walk back. Overall, very satisfied, the driver was very nice, and the kids had fun.

Trip was enjoyable. There were some changes in the schedule as some places are closed and some are packed with other visitors but our tour guide replaced the itenerary with other enjoyable activities. in the end we still got our money’s worth.

Great location, clean, and spacious for a business hotel. The large public bath is located in the basement and is only accessible via the elevators inside the guest rooms. There was a wide variety of breakfast options, but not much that was appealing to eat. I was only able to book a room with elevator noise, but there was no noise. The sound of people talking loudly in the hallway was louder. There are many restaurants and bars in the same building, an izakaya, and a 7-Eleven nearby. There are many people gathered downstairs smoking at night. The staff can only communicate in English and Japanese, but the English pronunciation is poor, so it's easier to understand in Japanese.

I had an amazing experience purchasing my 14-day Japan Rail Pass via Klook. I booked it on 01/27/26, and was pleasantly surprised when the voucher arrived in Manila, Philippines just two days later on 01/29/26. The delivery was quick and hassle-free, which made preparing for my trip even more exciting. When I arrived in Japan, I exchanged the voucher at the JR Office next to Kansai Airport and the process was very smooth and efficient. I was able to activate and start using my pass right away on 02/14/26, the day I arrived. I truly maximized the pass by traveling mostly on Shinkansen and JR trains—from Kagoshima in the south all the way to Wakkanai in Hokkaido, the northernmost station served by JR. I visited many prefectures and experienced Japan’s incredible railway network to the fullest. As someone fascinated with trains, this journey was pure happiness. This is already my 3rd time using the 14-day JR Pass, and I will definitely buy one again on my future visits to Japan. 🚄✨🎌💛🚉💯

Got the QR code almost immediately from Klook after purchase and just showed it to the staff at Narita Airport’s JR-EAST Travel Service Centre to get the physical pass. The staff also helped us confirm all our online reservations. Recommend to reserve popular train seats a week in advance, especially for morning routes. Managed to cover Nagano, Iiyama, Matsumoto, Karuizawa, Kamisuwa and Niigata using this pass. Super worth the price!

The main purpose of this trip was to visit Shirakawa-go. This pass was incredibly cost-effective; the round-trip transportation from Osaka alone (train, including a Shinkansen segment, plus bus) almost equaled the pass price. For the remaining four days, I used it to travel to Kyoto, Nara, Uji, and Kansai Airport.

We have very good Skiing instructor, Harima san. He is very professional, patient, helpful and cheerful. He help us to get all rental equipment and clothing. We leran a lot from him and we enjoyed the lesson.

This message is about the coach service: When I made the reservation, based on the options selected, I thought I was booking for February 23rd. Meaning, I expected a coaching session on February 23rd and an overnight stay that evening. But!! I was wrong!! It turned out to be an overnight stay on February 23rd, with the coaching session only on the following day, February 24th!!!! That day, I double-checked on Klook, and it definitely didn't state that the class was on the next day!!! I was incredibly shocked at the time, because we were supposed to return to Tokyo the next day! I hope Klook can add a note to the options. Fortunately, I spoke to the front desk, and the hotel staff helped contact the coach school. The coach school was also very accommodating, even though it was a Japanese holiday and bookings were full. They still managed to help us find a qualified coach. And it was only an hour later than our originally scheduled class time. The coach school's service was also excellent; they sent a car to pick us up at the hotel. First, we went to the ski equipment shop to try on gear. Free items provided included: helmets, snowboards, and snowboard boots (lace-up style). Then, they drove us to the Nakazato ski resort to meet the coach. They also drove us back to the hotel afterward, where we could take off our gear. The coach (Japanese) was very enthusiastic and full of energy. All four of us, with no prior experience, were able to ski well that day. It felt a bit like a blessing in disguise, haha!