Korakuen Garden in Okayama
Asia,  Japan

19 Weeks in Japan

6 years after our first long trip, we’re about to embark on another one – and a longer one this time for 19 weeks! Woohoo! I can’t wait!

What Brought About This Trip

Well, we’re suckers for travelling, as you can probably tell by our blog devoted to our travels. But it was difficult to explore more deeply while having to take only short breaks while working full-time.

We wanted to explore and experience a country longer, deeper and slower. And especially visit areas that would be difficult on a short holiday. And let’s be honest, taking a sabbatical? Who would say no to that given the opportunity?


Where to?

While we had a whole list of countries we planned to visit during our 2-month trip in 2018, this time, we only have one country in mind.

Fushimi-inari Taisha

Japan!

Japan has long been one of our favourite countries to visit. I’ve been there 8 times, and WJ has been there 7 times. We’ve also been learning Japanese on and off for a few months now, so we’re hoping that immersing ourselves in Japan would also improve our language skills exponentially.

We’re also huge lovers of ramen, and WJ’s goal is to eat as many bowls of delicious ramen as he can and find the best one. Check out his blog, Ah Boy Like Ramen, if you don’t believe me!


What will Happen to our Place in Singapore?

When we went off back in 2018, we’d only had our flat for about a year. Fast forward to 2024, and we’ve accumulated more things, including many plants. And we’ll have to have a plant (and house) nanny, AKA my mother when we’re away this time.

She’ll drop by sporadically when she has the time, and hopefully, that will be enough to keep our 40 plants alive till we’re back!

And as always, with the extremely humid weather in Singapore, another concern we have is mould. So we’ll crack open the top windows and my mum will air the house whenever she drops by. And I’ve also already begun placing dehumidifiers in the cupboards, some drawers and the storeroom.


Our Packing List

Seeing as we’ll be spending 19 weeks in Japan over the end of spring, summer, and the start of autumn, we have to keep the changing seasons in mind. Luckily, Japan is home to Uniqlo, Muji and countless local brands that we can easily pop in to get extra clothes whenever we need them in the cities!

And this time, we’ll also be bringing our foldable bicycles. It’s our very first time travelling with them and we hope it won’t be too difficult lugging them when we move around Japan along with our backpacks!

Here’s what we’ll be bringing, including what we’ll be wearing:

BagsQtyBicycle StuffQtyToiletriesQty
CabinZero backpackCarryMe Luggage2Lip balm1
Peak Design sling bagCarryMe bicycle2Face & body wash1
PacSafe crossbody bagMulti-tool accessory1Shampoo2
Peak Design packable toteBicycle lock1Concealer1
Decalthon backpack (small)Bicycle bag2Face & body moisturiser1
Sunblock1
My ClothingQtyWJ’s ClothingQtyMakeup remover1
Marmot Gortex jacket1Montbell Gortex jacket1Electric Toothbrush Charger1
Uniqlo packable light down jacket1Uniqlo packable light down jacket1Toothbrush2
Short-sleeved top5Uniqlo Heattech long-sleeved top2Toothpaste2
Thin long-sleeved top4T-Shirt8Invisalgin cleaner (box; 48 pcs)1
Jogger pants1PJ tops2Invisalign case1
Long pants2Long pants4Mouthwash (250ml) in luggage1
Levi’s jeans1Waterproof long pants1Water flosser; incl. charger1
Shorts2Uniqlo Cargo Shorts2Comb1
Heattech leggings2Boxers8Nail clippers1
Scarf1Toe socks8Tweezer1
PJ tops2Swimming trunks1Ear digger2
Rashguard1Sketchers shoes1Spectacle cloth2
Bikini top1Birkins1Hair tie / pin2
Swim bottom1Decathlon hat1Pantyliners55
Bra7Clip-on sunglasses1Pads (day)20
Undies8Pads (night)11
Night undies7ElectronicsQty
High toe socks4Mogics Bagel1MiscellaneousQty
Ankle toe socks3USB-C to USB-C phone cable + charger1Wet wipes packet2
Sketchers shoes1USB-C to Lightning Apple iphone cable1Tissue packet6
Birkens1Atago1Water bottle2
Decathlon cap1iPad Pro1Eye mask2
Montbell hat1Fujifilm GFX 50sii + Lens1Heated eye mask4
Fujifilm GFX charger and cable1Go-Shuin (separately for Buddhist & Shinto temples)2
Creative stuffQtyNotebook for stamps1
Travel watercolour paint set1EssentialsQtyFood bag clipper3
Pentel Aquash Water Brush1Passport2Disposable face masks16
Micron pens4Travel wallet & coin pouch3Plasters
Food diary sketchbook1Kicata card2
Money & credit cards

Our Budget

Last but not least, and possibly the most important factor of our plans – how much expenditure are we budgeting? If you’ve read our post on our 3-month trip in 2018, you’ll know that we spent about S$16,000 in total.

And for our upcoming trip, we plan to spend about S$1,000 more per month (a total of S$29,000 for both of us):

CategoryAmount per MonthNo. of MonthsSubtotal
Flight to Starting City (redeem miles)$150$150
Flight from End City (redeem miles)$150$150
Flights / Transport Across Cities$800.004.5$3,600.00
Accommodation$2,400.004.5$10,800.00
Food$1,680.004.5$7,560.00
Transportation$400.004.5$1,800.00
Tours / Admission$640.004.5$2,880.00
eSIM (Ubigi / Airalo / ByteSim)$20.004.5$90.00
Travel insurance$800$800
Buffer / Miscellaneous$200.004.5$900.00
Total BudgetS$29,000.00

Follow along our journey as we update the blog with our adventures in Japan! I’ll also be updating this post at the end of the trip with the actual expenditure.

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