Fang Yu Takes a Budget Flight and Road-Trips Across Japan—Snagging Small Appliances to Cover All Travel Costs

▲ Fang Yu on the streets of Osaka. (Photo provided by Fang Yu; all others below are the same)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Known as the budget-savvy girl on the show “Women We Admire,” Fang Yu was too busy last August shooting her beauty book "Goddess Makeup" to celebrate her birthday. This year, using royalties from her best-selling book, she took her mom to Japan for a birthday trip, and even roped in her sister and brother-in-law to split accommodation and transport costs. The four of them explored Tokyo and Osaka, spending only half of what a typical tour group would cost.

Fang Yu chose to go when the yen was at a low, making Japan travel more affordable. For flights, she opted for a red-eye budget airline, Peach Aviation, departing at midnight and arriving in Tokyo at 4 AM—giving her a full five days to explore without wasting any time. On the return, she flew from Osaka to Taiwan, spending just NT$10,000 round-trip. During the five-day, four-night trip, she went for a road trip instead of city shopping, renting a car to venture beyond the urban areas, experiencing traditional Japanese culture, watching fireworks, and soaking in the tranquil beauty of hot spring towns.

▲ First experience on the Shinkansen.

Especially since Fang Yu’s mother is a Japan enthusiast, who studied Japanese after retirement, loves Japanese culture and music, and even has Japanese friends running an old hot spring inn in Yugawara, Kanagawa. Fang Yu said, “The Japanese uncle has known my mom for over 30 years and gave us the best room rate. So we drove a right-hand-drive car in Japan, carefully adjusting to the difference from Taiwan’s left-side driving. It took us two hours to reach the inn, but the coastal drive was gorgeous. We were really looking forward to something like the Japanese variety show ‘Let’s Spend the Night in the Countryside,’ to experience the nostalgic charm of an old Japanese inn and taste kaiseki cuisine that looked like art.”

▲ Fang Yu and her family’s first experience staying in a Japanese-style room.

As soon as the four arrived at the inn, they headed straight for the women’s communal bath to soak away nearly 40 hours of travel fatigue from staying up late the night before and flying. Fang Yu said, “We booked a two-night stay with four meals included. Each person pays about NT$10,000 per day including meals, which is cheaper than soaking in Hakone, and there weren’t many tourists—so it was very peaceful. It felt like stepping into a time tunnel, staying in an old wooden building and experiencing my first-ever Japanese-style accommodation.”

▲ A lavish spread of kaiseki cuisine at “Yugawara, Kanagawa” that was almost too beautiful to eat.

The traditional hot spring inn they stayed in featured mostly wooden architecture. Though the exterior looked old, the Japanese commitment to perfection meant the tatami mats were spotless, cups had zero tea stains, and overall comfort was top-notch. Every night, someone helped lay out the futons. Meals were full-course kaiseki, even the radishes were exquisitely carved, alongside lobster and wagyu beef. The inn also served its own sake, with both food and lodging meeting high standards.

▲ The scenic Shonan Coast is incredibly relaxing, with stunning ocean views.

After the hot spring trip, Fang Yu recommended a detour to Kamakura and Enoshima on the way back to Tokyo to visit shrines and enjoy the sea. She said, “It’s a lot like Jiufen in Taiwan—quaint, full of stairs and temples. You can purify yourself with holy water and get good-luck amulets to bring back to Taiwan, leaving you feeling more at peace.”

There's also the famed Shonan Coast from Japanese dramas. Fang Yu said, “The beach boys from those idol dramas are all from Shonan. We went hoping to see some hot guys—especially in summer, the beaches are packed with good-looking people.”

▲ Osaka, known as a food paradise, makes it hard not to splurge on all the tasty treats.

Back in Tokyo, Fang Yu experienced taking the Shinkansen to Osaka for the first time. She said, “The Shinkansen is like Taiwan’s high-speed rail—it quickly whisked us from busy Tokyo to the bustling Kansai area. Especially since we stayed in Shinsaibashi, a city that never sleeps. My mom was thrilled seeing all the posters of handsome Japanese guys, snapping photos thinking they were celebrities—only to find out the people in the ads actually worked as hosts at host clubs coming out to solicit customers.”

▲ Fang Yu on the streets of Shinsaibashi

Of course, Osaka is a food paradise. Fang Yu indulged in Osaka-style pancakes, Ippudo ramen, skewered grilled foods, and takoyaki, saying:“It just tastes more authentic in Osaka—way better than the versions sold in Taiwan.” And with the yen so low, budget-savvy Fang Yu once again changed her shopping strategy. She said, “The hard-to-find Japanese haircare miracle—Panasonic EH-NA97 nano-ionic hair dryer—is priced at NT$5,500 in Japan, but online resellers charge NT$6,700. Buying one meant earning back NT$1,200. I bought all six units the shop had and gave them out to friends and family. I also got blenders, scales, Bluetooth speakers—all things that are pricier in Taiwan. Not only did I feel super accomplished shopping, but I even managed to cover all my travel expenses in the end.”