Ningthoujam Singh's Japan trip with Thrillophilia

Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKDXM0CPLSC
Rating: ★★★★★
Travellers: Ningthoujam Singh, Darik Saka, Anaiana Ningthoujam
Trip Duration: 8 Days | 7 Nights
Date Of Travel: 25 March 2025 - 1 April 2025
Package Booked: Discover Japan | From Tokyo Skylines to Osaka Sights 

Ningthoujam Singh books his own trips. Always has. He is the kind of traveller who knows how to find good deals, how to read reviews that are actually real, and how to figure out a new city within a day of landing. For years, that was part of the fun for him.

But this time was different. He was not travelling alone. Darin, his wife, was coming along. And so was Anaiana, their 17-year-old daughter. Three people, one week, a country none of them had ever visited before. Japan is not the easiest place to explore on your own if you have never been there. The trains, the language, the customs. It all felt a little overwhelming if he was being honest.

So Ningthoujam did something he does not normally do. He called Thrillophilia.

A man named Kartik picked up his call. And before Ningthoujam knew it, they were on the phone for almost an hour talking about what an 8-day trip to Japan could look like.

The First Day Was Mostly Travel, But It Set The Tone

They landed at Haneda Airport on the morning of March 25th. The private transfer was waiting. A sedan with enough space for their luggage. From the airport, they went straight to Tokyo Station, and from there they boarded the Shinkansen to Osaka.

Anaiana had never been on a bullet train before. Neither had Darin. The train slid out of the station so smoothly that you barely felt it move. Three hours later, they were in Osaka. The Sotetsu Grand Fresa Osaka Namba was their hotel for the next three nights. It was right in the middle of things. They dropped their bags, walked around the neighbourhood, grabbed some food, and called it a night.

Ningthoujam noticed something even on day one. There was no waiting around. No figuring out which platform to go to. No trying to find a taxi that would take them. Everything had been arranged. For a man who was used to doing all of this himself, it felt strange at first. But also kind of nice.

Osaka Walking Tour Made Them Feel Like Locals

The next morning, they had breakfast at the hotel and then headed out for the Osaka Walking Tour. Their guide was a licensed English-speaking interpreter who had been doing this for years.

They walked through streets that had been there for centuries. They saw Osaka Castle and heard about what happened there in the 1500s. They took a riverboat cruise and saw the city from the water. The guide took them to spots that Ningthoujam would never have found on his own.

Darin asked a lot of questions. She wanted to know how people lived here, what they ate, and how the city worked. The guide answered everything. Anaiana took photos of everything. The three of them moved through the city at a pace that felt right.

By evening, Ningthoujam realised something. He was not checking his phone every five minutes to see what came next. That was a first.

Kyoto and Nara in One Day Felt Like A Masterclass

Day three was the big one. A full-day tour of Kyoto and Nara, leaving from Osaka.

They were picked up at 7:50 AM. The coach was comfortable. The English guide introduced himself and gave them a quick overview of what the day would look like.

They visited temples. They walked through bamboo groves. In Nara, the deer walked right up to them and bowed. Anaiana loved that. She kept feeding them and taking selfies. Lunch was included, which meant they did not have to stop and figure out where to eat. Just sit down, eat, and keep going.

The day was long. Eleven hours of moving through two cities. But it did not feel rushed. That was the strange part. Everything flowed. The guide knew when to talk and when to let them just look.

Ningthoujam told Darin that night, "I could not have planned this better."

Back to Tokyo on The Bullet Train

On day four, they took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Another smooth ride. Two and a half hours from Osaka to Tokyo Station. Then they checked into Hotel Rose Garden Shinjuku.

This hotel was different from Osaka. Smaller room, loft bed, a bunkbed setup. Ningthoujam had been warned about Japanese hotel rooms being compact. It was true. But the location was great, and the breakfast was good.

They had the evening to themselves. They walked around Shinjuku. The neon signs, the crowds, the energy. Anaiana asked if they could come back here again someday. Ningthoujam said maybe.

Mount Fuji Showed Up When They Least Expected It

Day five was the Mount Fuji and Hakone day trip. They were picked up from Shinjuku at 7:15 AM.

The drive took them out of the city and into the countryside. And then they saw it. Mount Fuji. Not a painting or a photo but the actual mountain. Snow on top. Standing there like it had always been there.

They took a cable car up. They walked around the crater at Hakone. They had lunch with a view. Anaiana sent photos to her friends back home. Darin bought a small keychain with Mount Fuji on it.

On the way back, Anaiana fell asleep on the bus. Darin leaned her head on Ningthoujam's shoulder. He sat there, looking out the window at Japan passing by, and thought about how easy this had been.

Tokyo City Tour Showed Them The Scale of The Place

Day six was the Tokyo City Tour. Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street, Akihabara, Sensoji Temple, Tokyo Sky Tree. The list went on.

Akihabara was Anaiana's favourite. All those electronics stores and anime shops. She could have spent the whole day there if they had let her. Takeshita Street was packed with teenagers in colourful clothes, eating crepes and taking photos.

The guide handled the entire day. Told them where to stand for the best photos. Explained the history of each place. Made sure nobody was left behind.

By the end of the day, they had seen more of Tokyo than Ningthoujam expected to see in a whole week.

Disneyland Was The Daughter's Day

Day seven was reserved for Tokyo Disneyland. Anaiana had been waiting for this since the day they booked the trip.

They spent the whole day there. Rides, parades, and food shaped like cartoon characters. Darin and Anaiana went on every roller coaster they could find. Ningthoujam sat on a bench and watched people.

It was a good day. Not because of the attractions but because of how his daughter's face looked when she met Mickey Mouse. That was the moment Ningthoujam knew the trip was worth every rupee they spent.

The Last Day Was Simple

Day eight was departure. The private sedan picked them up from the hotel and took them to Haneda Airport. They flew back to India with tired legs and full camera albums.

When they got home, Ningthoujam sat down to write a review. He usually does not write reviews. But this time he wanted to.

"Marvellous experience with Thrillophilia and Japan family vacation was one of the best we had. Awesome. Mr Karthik, who did all the booking for us, had been a great help and professional approach, even though I am a frequent traveller."

Why They Trusted Thrillophilia

Ningthoujam is a frequent traveller. He knows what good service looks like. But he also knows that planning a trip for three people to a country you have never visited is not the same as planning a solo weekend getaway.

Kartik understood that from the first phone call. He did not push extra activities. He did not upsell. He listened to what Ningthoujam wanted and put together an itinerary that made sense. Eight days. Two cities. One daughter who will remember meeting Mickey Mouse for a very long time.

That is what good travel planning looks like. You do not notice it when it works. You just come home, write a short review, and start thinking about the next trip.

Also Checkout: Archana and Krishna's Twelve Days in Japan with Thrillophilia