I traveled to Osaka for four nights and five days from September 28 to October 2, 2018. Unfortunately, after planning the trip and purchasing all the tickets, I received news about an approaching typhoon.
Regrettably, the typhoon was forecasted to directly hit Osaka during my stay. The expected time for the Kansai region, including Osaka, to be affected by the typhoon was around noon on September 30.
“Original plan to make the most of the JR Pass in Osaka before heading to Kyoto”
The original plan for this trip was to stay in Osaka, making the most of the Osaka JR Pass for two days, and then move on to Kyoto. I intended to enter Kyoto on the evening of September 30 and spend the next two days exploring before returning to the airport.
However, all plans were disrupted due to Typhoon Jjami. It seemed highly unlikely that I would be able to enjoy the trip properly on the day directly affected by the typhoon. Despite considering stopping by the Osaka Housing and Living Museum near the route to Kyoto, thinking the morning might be okay, all I found was a sign stating temporary closure due to the typhoon.
Due to the typhoon, Kansai Airport had suspended operations well in advance, and JR railways were scheduled to stop running from 12:00 PM. Delaying any further might have jeopardized my ability to move on to Kyoto.
“Early morning checkout and starting the journey to Kyoto on the third day”
Unfortunately, there was no choice but to start the journey to Kyoto early in the morning. This was because my accommodation was booked in Kyoto from the third day onwards.
Although I had purchased a 2-day JR Pass, I could only use it for one day and had to move on to Kyoto. It was disappointing, but I made the most of the subway system, trying to utilize it as much as possible.
To maximize the benefits of the JR Pass and move to Kyoto, I headed to Taishibashi-Imaichi Station, the nearest station to Kyoto that I could reach with the JR Pass. From there, I walked to Doi Station and bought a train ticket to Kyoto Fushimi Inari Station. The train ticket from Doi Station to Kyoto cost 390 yen, approximately 3,900 won.
“Nothing to do on the third day except staying at the hotel”
After arriving in Kyoto and completing the hotel check-in, I was fortunate that the typhoon had not yet affected the area. I attempted to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine near the hotel, thinking it might be possible, but, unfortunately, it was closed due to the typhoon.
In the end, apart from staying at the hotel, there was nothing else to do. Even the convenience store near the hotel closed due to the typhoon. Luckily, I had purchased enough food before the store closed, so I could manage until the next day.
“Fortunately, the typhoon passed in just one day”
Although I couldn’t do anything the entire day, the next morning, the typhoon miraculously passed, and the sunny weather continued. The typhoon had left the Kansai region overnight, and sunny days followed.
“Experiencing a typhoon in Japan”
Having stayed in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province for a while, I hadn’t been affected by typhoons. However, experiencing the impact of a typhoon during this trip was a new and unique experience. It felt like intentionally coming all the way to encounter a typhoon.
Fortunately, Typhoon Jjami didn’t cause significant damage. If the connecting bridge to Kansai International Airport, which was destroyed by Typhoon Jjami a while ago, had suffered the same fate, it could have led to various difficulties. Luckily, that didn’t happen.
In any case, thanks to the unexpected rest at the hotel, I regained my strength and could explore various places in Kyoto from the next day onwards.