How this family packed food, fun, and Fuji into a ₹5.5 lakh Japan adventure

Mint

4 hours ago

In 2024, Indian travel to Japan surged 40% over the previous year, as per the Japan National Tourism Organization. Behind the boom: timeless culture, standout food—and a softer yen.
For Mumbai-based author and finance professional Mihir Patki, the timing was just right. He, his wife Payal and their 10-year-old daughter Mira finally ticked Japan off their travel wishlist this May.
'A great flight deal and a favourable exchange rate made it hard to resist," said Patki.
'Japan had always been on our list, but we kept postponing it—our daughter was younger, and it felt like a trip that needed time, planning and the right moment. In 2025, everything finally aligned."
Over 12 days and ₹5.5 lakh, the family covered Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima—blending budget-savvy planning with immersive experiences. As part of Mint's travel series, Patki shares exactly how they made it work.
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Booked, packed, budgeted
Planning began with scoring cheap tickets during All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Blue Sale. We booked a Mumbai–Tokyo round trip and a Tokyo–Osaka leg for just ₹38,000 per person. Booking six months in advance helped, as did spending a few weeks curating our itinerary with the help of Instagram reels—mainly to steer clear of the most touristy spots.
We booked refundable hotels early on Booking.com to lock in good rates while staying flexible. It paid off—we tweaked our bookings several times to land the most suitable ones. Our focus was on hotels close to metro stations, with large double beds, and within budget.
Triple occupancy rooms are rare in Japan, and most places recommend two rooms for three people, which wasn't feasible. We eventually found 3-star options that cost an average of ₹16,000 per night for all three of us.
For Payal, who's an eggetarian, convenience stores were a lifesaver. The packaging, variety and taste at these stores is worth experiencing. All our breakfasts and snacks came from there, while lunch and dinner were mostly at restaurants. We became ramen regulars, trying all three kinds—Shio, Shoyu, and Tonkotsu. Vegetarian options at places like TeamLabs and T's Tantan were a hit too.
We also discovered a money-saving trick: many restaurants offer the same meals at lower prices for lunch. So we indulged in elaborate tempura omakase lunches, and kept dinners light with store-bought eats.
Itinerary deep dive
Our itinerary was planned down to the hour. We created an Excel sheet mapping out train routes, walking distances, food stops, shopping lists—even accounting for weather forecasts. Rainy days were reserved for indoor experiences like TeamLabs and the Harry Potter Studio.
We pre-booked major attractions and bullet trains a month in advance, and opted for group tours to places like Mt. Fuji, Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama on Klook to save on planning effort and time.
We spent five nights in Tokyo, three in Osaka, two in Kyoto and the final day again in Tokyo. A flight within Japan—part of the ANA deal—got us to Osaka, and the rest of our inter-city travel was by train.
We used Yamato's luggage forwarding service to travel between cities with just cabin bags. It worked like magic—our larger suitcases always reached the next hotel before we did. On our final day, they even delivered everything straight to the airport. Each transfer cost around ₹1,500 per bag; we spent ₹16,000 in all. Honestly, even at double the cost, I'd use it again—for the sheer ease of navigating metros and transfers without dragging heavy bags around.
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Our return to Tokyo was aboard the iconic bullet train Shinkansen—and it lived up to every bit of the hype: lightning-fast, perfectly on time, and oddly meditative. I even tried a self-heating bento box—cold from the fridge, but hot and ready in a minute with just a pull of a string.
In Tokyo, we explored a new neighbourhood each day. One day was set aside for the magical Harry Potter Studio, and another for a Mt. Fuji tour, which included stops at Oshino Hakkai and the Gotemba outlet mall. For city travel and even airport transfers, we used the Suica card—a prepaid tap-and-go pass that works for both public transport and shopping.
We weren't lucky with the weather on our Mt. Fuji day—it rained heavily, turning everything cold and foggy, with zero visibility. But the mountain made a grand, unexpected appearance on our second-last day as we rode the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. We were thrilled—bursting with excitement but doing our best not to be 'those' loud tourists.
At the Harry Potter Studio, we recreated old memories. We had visited the original studio in London about 12 years back, but this time we had a new PotterHead with us–our 10 year old! Mira was both excited and mildly embarrassed by her butterbeer moustache.
Shinjuku Gyoen was a peaceful highlight—we nearly skipped it, thinking it was 'just a garden", but it turned out to be a serene retreat. Another gem was the Aoniyoshi luxury sightseeing train to Nara, booked a month ahead for just ₹1,800.
Nara's bowing deer were charming, and our detour to Nigatsu-do and Urasando brought a tranquil, crowd-free view of the town. At Nakatanidou, we tried mochi ice cream that surprisingly reminded me of puranpoli.
Visit to Hiroshima was powerful; a sobering reminder of destruction but more than that it is a place that tells you that no matter how bad the situation, you can always bounce back.
Memory lane
Each of us brought home different favourite memories. For me, it was the food—not just the flavours, but the sheer passion behind every dish. For Payal, it was the calm of Miyajima Island: deer wandering freely, the sea on one side, mountains on the other, and the three of us soaking it all in. For Mira, it was figuring out Tokyo's metro system. By day three, she was reading signs, changing trains, and guiding us like a local.
We didn't hold back on keepsakes—souvenirs, local art, and more. As part of our Mt. Fuji day tour, we visited Gotemba Premium Outlets, a luxury shopping haven offering brands at 50% off. Shopping there was race against time—two hours, quick decisions, and incredible deals.
A beautifully crafted automatic Seiko finally replaced my smartwatch. I also picked up the Platinum 3776 fountain pen—named after Mt. Fuji's height—and a pair of Onitsuka Tigers at half the India price. And then came the chopsticks: custom-engraved, beautifully packed... so many, Payal joked I should start eating varan bhaat with them.
We mostly used zero-forex surcharge cards—Federal Bank Scapia and AU Ivy Debit—for payments. Both worked well overall, though Scapia glitched after a few back-to-back swipes. We carried some cash too—for Suica card top-ups, Yamato services, and small vendors who didn't accept cards.
Japan left us in awe. Its discipline, its quiet sense of purpose, and the joyful attention to detail—it all stayed with us. We came back feeling like life had two chapters: before Japan, and after. And yes, we'll definitely return!
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