A trip to South Korea and Japan: Seoul, Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka

Exactly three weeks ago, I was at Istanbul Airport. Our flight was at 1:00 PM. I think the best times to fly are after 9 AM and during midday hours; because not having to wake up early provides great comfort.

We set off together with Caner. We flew with China Eastern Airlines; the official name is China Eastern Airlines. We were going to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with a layover. When we checked in at Istanbul Airport, they didn’t give us our second connecting ticket. They said there was a problem and that we could get the ticket from China. Since I’ve been flying for years, I didn’t worry too much about this.

The journey took approximately 13 hours. China Eastern Airlines’ plane was incredibly comfortable; the legroom was excellent, the food was wonderful. But most importantly, the cabin crew was very kind, smiling, and attentive. If I ever take another long flight, I will definitely prefer China Eastern Airlines again, because the baggage allowance is also quite high: You have two 23 kg suitcase allowances.

However, when buying tickets, make sure to buy from the airline’s own website. We had bought from bilet.com because it was cheap, and even though it showed us that both flights belonged to China Eastern Airlines, they couldn’t give us our connecting ticket in Istanbul because the second flight was Korean Air.

We had no choice but to go through police control in Shanghai, China, and get our Korean flight ticket. By the way, Turkish citizens do not have individual entry visas to China; you can only transit. However, since we didn’t even have transit visa rights, we spent almost an hour talking to police officers, explaining our tickets, accommodations, and professions to get temporary transit permission.

Therefore, my advice to you is to use a reliable intermediary when buying tickets from Istanbul or buy directly from the airline’s own website. Also, if you want to fly directly to Japan, you can check the ANA (All Nippon Airways) website. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend Turkish Airlines in this article; ticket prices are extremely high. Since this seems like a luxury to me, I think finding affordable tickets from Turkish Airlines is difficult. I hope they offer more accessible prices so we can fly with Turkish Airlines too.

This was my first flight over 13 hours. It’s a completely different dimension. My longest flight was to London, approximately 5 hours. Having my friend next to me while flying comforted me. I’m someone who lives by seeing and discovering; after surviving the 13-hour flight, I realized I can now go on long journeys alone too. I had downloaded a few good movies to Apple TV. One of them was Ayla. It was a very meaningful film about Korea-Turkey relations, inspired by a real-life event.

By the way, in September, our country joined the e-visa system by providing convenience to China. From what I’ve observed, China is a country that adopts the principle of equality; therefore, I think they will provide visa convenience to us soon too. I’m very curious about China because of its culture and natural beauty, but I need to go to New York and Rio de Janeiro first. These are at the top of my list.

When we arrived in Korea, it was around noon, 12 o’clock; around 6 AM Turkey time. We were very tired. We settled into our Airbnb and rested for about an hour. Even though I was very exhausted, I couldn’t close my eyes. We spent three nights in Seoul. I think you can stay longer; you can even go to Busan and Jeju and see very different places. Seoul is a very modern, calm city with wide streets and spacious. There’s a sense of peace everywhere.

On the first day, we said a big hello to the city by visiting Namsan Tower and Myeongdong. The air temperature was very similar to Istanbul, but since it was November, I got cold from time to time; you can dress a bit thicker. 1000 won is approximately equivalent to 28 lira; so prices are generally affordable.

Do you like Korean movies? I had watched Parasite and The Handmaiden. It was very nice to see the streets featured in those films. “Annyeonghaseyo” means hello; “Kamsahamnida” means thank you. When you say these words, they treat you very warmly. English is generally spoken.

I’m sharing a list of places you must see in Korea:

• Gyeongbokgung Palace: You can rent a Hanbok when going to the palace. This way, entry is free. Renting for two hours is enough. We loved the costumes so much that we rented them for the whole day. After finishing the palace in two hours, we walked around the city in these costumes. Since Caner had a sword in his hand, people thought we were soldiers and wanted to take photos with us. It was a bit funny, of course; you feel like you’re protecting the city all day.

• Bukchon Hanok Village: Very close to the palace. If you go early in the morning, you can take great photos.

• Namsan Seoul Tower: It has a very beautiful atmosphere in the evenings.

• Changdeokgung Palace and its garden should also be seen.

• Starfield Library (Gangnam): Definitely should be visited.

• Hongdae: A lively area where university students are.

But I loved Myeongdong’s energy the most.

In Korea, face creams, hair products, and personal care items are both very high quality and very affordable. Definitely do some shopping. Don’t forget to put products over 100 ml in your checked luggage.

Finally, don’t forget to apply for the K-ETA visa one week before your trip. They definitely require this document for entry into the country.

Journey to Tokyo – After the 3rd Day

At the end of 3 days, we set off early in the morning to go to Tokyo. When traveling in Korea, you must get a T-money card. It’s sold at Seven Eleven stores. If you load 7,000 won into it, it will be enough for 3 days. You just need to tap the card when entering and exiting subways. Only cash can be used for reloading.

We set off from Incheon Airport to Tokyo and arrived in Tokyo after a 3-hour flight. In Japan, we will continue our trip as Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara (day trip from Kyoto), Osaka. By the way, don’t do clothing and electronics shopping in either Seoul or Tokyo; don’t burden yourself. Because everything is both more abundant and more affordable in Osaka. Moreover, since Osaka will be your last stop, the shopping you do won’t be a burden along the way. Definitely bring a suitcase with you; because suitcases in Japan weren’t as cheap as I thought. If you want a quality Japanese brand, you can get Ginza Karen. They have stores in Namba.

Japan is also very successful in cosmetics and prices are quite affordable. In your electronics shopping, definitely compare prices online with Turkey; sometimes Turkey can be more affordable. iPhone was very cheap but we couldn’t find it anywhere.

If you’re using an iPhone in Tokyo, you can activate the Suica card through Wallet by setting the region to Japan. You can ride the metro with this card. Suica can be loaded with a credit card, but since Turkish credit cards don’t work with Apple Pay, you need to transfer money through a European account or card.

Tokyo is the most beautiful among the cities I visited in Japan. I could live here. People are very warm, very civilized, and the streets are spotless. The weather was generally clear. Do you like anime? I do. My favorite anime is Spirited Away. While watching the film, I always wondered how that green nature, history, and cute houses were designed. I found the answer in Tokyo; because everything is orderly, tiny, and spotless. Due to the limitation of being an island country, every part of the city is used very efficiently. The capital, which moved from Kyoto, the capital for approximately 900 years, to Tokyo, has been here for 200 years and the city is really very orderly. People are smiling, respectful, and cultured. Everyone dresses spotlessly; simple elegance prevails, no ostentation. I learned this from my Japanese friends’ posts: From childhood, modesty, humility, and staying away from ostentation are especially taught through education; it’s a fundamental value taught within the family. There’s also a concept called mottainai: the understanding of not wasting what you have, appreciating its value. Actually, this is something known in our society too—even if it’s not called mottainai. I also practice this in my life; it’s really a beautiful concept for living more meaningfully. My family had taught me this too.

In Tokyo, Tokyo Tower, the cat building in Shinjuku, the famous pedestrian crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo Station and the surrounding Imperial Gardens, temples in Asakusa should be seen. We stayed in Asakusa; it’s both central and a quiet area. Senso-ji Temple must definitely be seen. Meiji Shrine is an important temple belonging to the imperial family that enabled Japan to establish modern relations with the world. Tokyo Imperial Palace is closed on Mondays, be careful about this. Ginza area is very nice for shopping; you can shop comfortably at the large Uniqlo store here. Akihabara is famous for its electronics stores; also, iconic maid cafes are here. Yoyogi Park and Ueno Park are ideal for walking.

We participated in a samurai experience activity; we got very nice information about how to use a sword and samurai history. Hachiko Memorial is also located in Shibuya. Much more than these are available in Tokyo; you can get a list of all of them from Google’s AI application.

As for food, we tried almost everything. Sushi was very nice, but since I don’t like raw food, I liked wagyu meats, udon and ramen, chicken dishes more. In the mornings, you should try rice with raw egg. There are always healthy snacks in stores. I think the reason people in this country are thin and healthy is both state controls and public awareness. I saw very little packaged food. My favorite snack was pineapple slices.

At Tokyo Station on the second day, I joined a tour. We went to Mount Fuji. Even though we couldn’t see the mountain, we took photos at iconic road junctions. On the way back, I saw the headquarters of the bank I work for next to Tokyo Station. MUFG was everywhere in the city. Because of my connection with this company, I felt closer than a tourist in Japan. I tried to chat everywhere with my broken Japanese. If I lived here for 3 months, I would definitely start speaking. You know, Turkish and Japanese have similar grammar structures.

After Tokyo, we of course used the bullet train to move to Kyoto. We almost missed the train; I had to run with two suitcases totaling 45 kilos. The train moved 3 seconds after we got on. It was a very exciting and unforgettable experience. Tokyo–Kyoto is approximately 600 km and takes 2.5 hours. This distance is almost as much as Istanbul–Antalya.

Kyoto served as the country’s capital for approximately 900 years. Combined with samurai culture, I felt it was a city where much more elite and refined people lived. Buildings are historical and there are very beautiful temples everywhere in the city. You can also find Ghibli Studio products here.

Places to see in Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kinkaku-ji Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, the nearby Monkey Park, Gion area ideal for tea ceremonies. From here, you can also go to Nara as a day trip; it’s reached in half an hour by express train. In Nara, you can give biscuits to deer; biscuits are sold in vending machines next to the bus terminal. Deer can be a bit aggressive; be careful. It’s safer to bow slightly, greet, and feed them. In Kyoto, there’s also a watchmaker called KUOE famous for handcrafting; you can get yourself a timeless souvenir.

On the last day in Kyoto, there was rain, but it was sunny for three days, we were very lucky.

Afterwards, we moved to Osaka, the final stop. Osaka is the liveliest among all the cities we visited and the most similar to Istanbul. You feel the traffic and crowds here. Osaka is a city famous for its sweets; I found myself constantly eating something. I did most of my shopping here. Namba area, where the famous running man advertisement is, is very touristy and the city is alive day and night. On the way back, I finally saw people rowing; I missed rowing. I’m thinking of starting again in December when the weather gets cold. In Istanbul, it’s hard to find a place in summer, and you can’t easily change the club you like. It’s nice to be in Istanbul.

Asian people are very polite, calm, and helpful. I’m looking forward to coming here again. On the way back, we flew with Thai Airways. Even though we tried to contact them a few days in advance to buy baggage allowance, we couldn’t reach them. At the airport, my friend had no choice but to buy baggage and the price was very expensive. They didn’t provide any convenience at all. I probably won’t prefer Thai Airways again; they could have been more helpful even though we told them we couldn’t reach customer service on long flights. 

 Before going to Japan, fill out the form from this website https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/ so you won’t have to wait in line at the airport. Going far away is nice, one last reminder is useful, when you go somewhere, whether far or near, your hotel accommodation, return flight tickets, stating that your purpose is Tourism, and if possible, a photo and business card related to your work should definitely be with you. Because the police may request this and presenting these will allow you to enter the country comfortably. Most of the time you won’t need this, but it’s still useful to remind. When they ask for a photo related to my work, I always open and show this page. By the way, I always get an e-Sim before going. This way, I connect to the internet economically in that country. Monty UK offers good plans in Europe, and Mobimatter.app offers good plans in the Far East. If you activate your e-Sim package from here before going, you’ll have internet access when you arrive. Also, I keep my Turkish line closed to international roaming, so I don’t pay surprise bills. Even when you have an e-sim on your line, if your Turkish line is active, you can also call Turkey from abroad using your own number by making calls over WiFi.

It’s great to be back in Istanbul. By the way, Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most well-known places in Asia. I will visit there as soon as possible too.

This trip transformed me, Tokyo’s order, Seoul’s dynamism, Kyoto’s tranquility, and Osaka’s colorful atmosphere remained in my mind.