OOTD - Japan trip Spring 2016: Hokkaido to Osaka

I wasn't intending on making this its own blog post, but when I looked at each of the outfits, I realized that I specifically picked and styled some of these and it may be worth "analyzing" a little beyond what I briefly mentioned in each daily post and see everything together as whole. Plus, I think it will work as a bonus follow-up to Part 1 of the trip series so you can see the results of my planning. The repeated items are going to be really obvious, but I think the fact that they could be reused so many times actually works in their favor! (I recreated these outfits back at home because the lighting and mirror space wasn't always ideal in the various hotels, and I prefer for everything to be a little more uniform lol.)

Pre-Day 1 (flight from HNL to CTS) -

Liz Lisa x Yui Kanno collab flower stripe OP, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, Liz Lisa riders jacket + Liz Lisa royal rose fukubukuro tote

Ankle socks and pumps were actually added to the outfit once I got past TSA since I usually wear slippers (what you might call flip flops) to go through security as you have to remove footwear for the screening process. I actually wore this dress to work in the morning and went straight to the airport from there without having to change my clothes, so planning to wear this outfit ended up being advantageous from the start. It wasn't uncomfortable during the plane ride, and I was able to step off the plane already dressed to do something other than just sleep. Once laundered, it could also easily function as a option to wear during the trip if I ran out of other clothes to wear. I added the jacket for warmth when I needed it upon arrival, and I had easy access to items in both my purse and my carry-on tote throughout the flight.

Day 1 (Curb Market, Shiroi Koibito Park, and Sapporo station shopping/exploring) -

Liz Lisa x My Melody 9th collab cherry OP, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, Liz Lisa x My Melody 6th collab bow barrette, gingham bow cherry earrings by Rebby, Liz Lisa (fur collar) cardigan

I definitely wasn't intending on wearing this dress on the first day, but since the weather proved to be quite warm, I'm glad I did. It's short sleeved, easy to move in and matched well with my only shoe option at this point. We also ended up taking a bunch of photos, and this dress has such a great print and shape that it photographed reasonably well. Plus, it was great against the flower garden at Shiroi Koibito Park! This was also my first day wearing these pumps for such a long time, and they (and my feet) held up pretty well which was a good sign for the rest of the trip.

Day 2 (Nijo Market, Sapporo Beer Museum and Tanukikoji) -

Liz Lisa floral sweaterdress, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, Liz Lisa fur headband, Liz Lisa riders jacket  

Unlike the first day, Day 2 was expected to be chilly! This seemed like the best time to wear my knit sweaterdress which I brought specifically to wear in Hokkaido since I don't anticipate ever being able to wear it at home due to how thick and warm the fabric is. I was a bit nervous that it would be a little too hot on the trains or in restaurants and shops (which can be heated during chilly weather in Japan), but I managed to transition between the outdoor and indoor settings without overheating, so I definitely don't regret the choice that I made. I even put on my riders jacket during the day at times because it was quite chilly. And I forgot about this until just now but I actually added OTK socks for the short walk to Tanukikoji at night because when the sun went down, it got colder and the area by the hotel has a lot of wind! Overall, this was the coldest day of the trip and fortunately, I was well prepared for it and managed to guess what was best to wear at the beginning of the day lol.  

Day 3 (Otaru Canal and Sakaimachi street and train to Hakodate) -

Liz Lisa off shoulder ribbon blouse, Charlotte Russe tulle skirt, Ank Rouge sandals, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, One Spo triangle pom pom earrings, Liz Lisa riders jacket

Since the first two days of outfits didn't go exactly as I planned originally due to the weather, I pigeonholed myself into wearing this separates outfit on Day 3 so I would have time to launder and dry the top before wearing it with my outfit for Day 5 (outfit already determined). Luckily, this outfit worked reasonably well with the Ank Rouge sandals which I felt needed to be switched for the Liz Lisa pumps, so I wouldn't be walking around in the same shoes for the third day in a row. This was my first time wearing them and I would be out all day in Otaru, so I could only hope that they wouldn't hurt my feet in the morning and make me suffer for the rest of the outing. Thankfully, they weren't uncomfortable at all! And believe me, we ended up doing a lot of walking this day, even jogging like idiots for five minutes up a hill to catch a train back to Sapporo, so I really gave these shoes a run for their money. I was a bit nervous that the long skirt with all the layers would be uncomfortable on the train ride to Hakodate, but since I slept most of the time, it really didn't affect me all that much. 

Day 4 (Hakodate Morning Market, Red Brick Warehouse District, Mount Hakodate) -

Liz Lisa x My Melody x Little Twin Stars triple collab angel OP, Ank Rouge sandals, Liz Lisa pom pom earrings, Liz Lisa flower applique beret, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa riders jacket (+ fur collar and Liz Lisa cardigan and opaque tights)

I already had Day 5 and Day 6 outfits allocated, so this was my remaining option for Day 4 from the clothes that I brought from home, and I really didn't mind it! It was a bit warm in the morning and I didn't even really need my jacket, but it got a little windy midday since we were near the ocean. It may, in fact, have been a bad day to wear a hat though lol. I had to hold onto it for dear life on occasions or it would have definitely flown off my head and into the water or be otherwise gone forever. Although the weather was reasonably mild throughout the day, I knew it would be much, much colder at the top of Mt Hakodate and when we returned to the hotel before dinner, I made sure to get my layers together lol. I added not only tights, but also brought out my cardigan + the detachable fur collar to layer under and over the riders jacket which certainly needed to be zipped closed due to the wind. I actually quite like the final nighttime coordinate even though it feels very wintery lol.

Day 5 (Shinkansen to Tokyo & Tokyo and Funabashi shopping) -

Liz Lisa off shoulder ribbon blouse, Liz Lisa picnic skirt, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, ribbon barrette from Daiso, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse

This was one of the outfits I already knew I wanted to wear on a particular day when I was packing/planning coordinates for the trip. I felt that this would be an outfit that would easily translate from Hokkaido to Tokyo and this is the kind of thing I like to wear when shopping, especially because the skirt is very obviously from the current season. As it turns out, there was no need for outerwear on Day 5 at all because we didn't spend much time outdoors in Hakodate to get to the shinkansen and then we rode on the train for 4 hours! Once arriving in Tokyo, I definitely didn't feel the need for extra layers with all the rushing around I ended up doing from Shibuya to Harajuku to Shinjuku. It did get a bit chillier in Chiba after the sun went down, but again, we didn't spend much time outside so it didn't affect me much. I ended up taking purikura with Ebony this day, and I was glad I was wearing something I really liked!

Day 6 (Tokyo DisneySea) -

Liz Lisa margaret cherry OP, Ank Rouge sandals, Liz Lisa pearl cherry necklace, Disney ShellieMay pouch, bow barrette from Daiso, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa (fur collar) cardigan

This was another specific pre-planned-for-a-specific-day outfit and my last item that I brought from home that hadn't been worn yet. I thought that this dress would be nice for Disney because the skirt wasn't too short and the top fits very securely. It also matched well with the Ank Rouge sandals that were the best choice for all the walking we did that day and my little Shellie May pouch purchased during my last visit! I ended up getting a terrible sunburn on my left shoulder where it was bare between the shoulder strap and the flutter sleeve because it was the most exposed area for most of the day lmao. I was a bit more careful about my face and other areas of my body, but my shoulder really took a beating due to my negligence wtf. It did get a little chilly at night, but the cardigan was just enough to keep me warm.

Day 7 (Omiya/Tokyo shopping and shinkansen to Osaka) -

Liz Lisa flare sleeve top, Liz Lisa fruits water jumper skirt, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse; Not pictured - Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace and Liz Lisa bows removed from jumper skirt straps and used as hair accessories

This was my first outfit using clothes I had purchased during the trip (since I had run out of clothes from home). It's a good thing I actually bought some things ready-to-wear on Day 5, otherwise I would have really been screwed on Day 7 since Day 6 didn't involve any clothes shopping lol. This set up was something I knew I wanted going into the trip and the first thing I bought upon visiting a Liz Lisa store. Thankfully it actually fits pretty well and I felt comfortable wearing it right away. Especially because it matches well with the pink pumps and purse! I was also really happy with how the (re)movable bows looked as hair accessories. It's too bad I didn't have enough forethought to bring/buy better clips because with just the bobby pins I had, I wasn't confident that the bows weren't going to fall off my head and ended up taking them off for the shinkansen ride anyway so I wouldn't have to worry about them when using the headrest lol. But overall, I think this ended up being a very cohesive coordinate and I had a lot of fun wearing it + taking purikura in it with Mei!

Day 8 (Kinkakuji in Kyoto and Tennoji shopping) -

Liz Lisa cotton lace frill top, Liz Lisa cotton lace frill shorts, Ank Rouge sandals, Liz Lisa pearl flower sandals, handmade flower headband, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse, Liz Lisa (fur collar) cardigan

Another outfit provided by clothes purchased while on the trip! I didn't have a clear vision for what I wanted to wear for this day so it took me a little while to get ready in the morning. And especially because I didn't expect to buy both pieces of this set up, I didn't think I would be wearing this during the trip. I ended up picking this because I didn't think I would get very many chances to wear the top and shorts like this together at home and the weather seemed just right for it. Plus, I needed to alternate shoes from the day before, so whatever I wore needed to match well with the Ank Rouge sandals lol. Based mostly on that alone, this set up won out. As it turns out, I think it was all for the best, and I really enjoyed wearing this top and bottom together. The all white presented nicely in photos at Kinkakuji and the material was nice and light in the heat. The only issue was that my sunburned shoulder from Day 6 was exposed but I tried to resolve that by using an umbrella a lot when it was too hot to wear the cardigan.

Day 9 (Utsubo Park and Namba/Shinsaibashi shopping) -

Delyle Noir flare sleeve padding top, Delyle Noir flare flower print skirt, Delyle Noir jewelry buckle belt, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, Liz Lisa paper can can hat, Liz Lisa rose quilted purse

I was very conflicted about what to wear on the last day. I felt like I had to pick carefully because I didn't want the clothes to be too heavy and make me sweat too much during the day since I wouldn't get another shower for a very long time. And whatever I wore certainly had to work with the hat which I wouldn't be packing in any of my suitcases. I was close to going with a different set up from my Liz Lisa purchases but since I decided not to go with anything cotton, I figured I would take a hint from my last trip and go "rogue" so-to-speak (which is just to say "Not Liz Lisa" lmao) just for the last day to change it up a bit! I was really happy with this decision and the floral pattern on the skirt looked great against the roses at Utsubo Park and the hat actually worked pretty well imo.

Day 9 (flight from KIX to HNL) -

DaTuRa big rose tshirt, Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps, Liz Lisa pearl flower necklace, Liz Lisa paper can can hat + Liz Lisa royal rose fukubukuro tote and Liz Lisa rose embossed suitcase

I wasn't really sure if I was going to count this as an outfit but technically I did throw this on during the trip, so into the post it goes! Not really a cohesive coordinate in the slightest because I just had to use what I already had on hand but did want to change my clothes at the airport before I boarded the plane for my 8 hour flight. Same shoes and had to continue with the hat since they didn't fit into my bags, but basically just wanted to change into this because it was the most comfortable slightly presentable thing I had with me. Aside from the wide neckline which made the sleeves slip off my shoulders every so often (and it not matching with the shoes very well), I don't think this was a terrible choice lol. S said I looked too excited to wear it though lmao.

I made it a point used all the major clothes and accessories I brought with me except for one pair of OTK socks that I didn't end up needing on the plane because it wasn't as cold as I anticipated. But I used each pair of earrings I brought once and definitely wore that one Liz Lisa necklace I have to death lol. As to whether these are all A+ outfits, I'm not sure if that's important to me or not (and in fact, I do assert than many of them can be improved), but based on what I had to work with and how much luggage space I had, I'd consider this pretty successful!

✦ Japan trip Spring 2016 posts
Part 1: Packing (Liz Lisa outfits) for Hokkaido to Osaka in May
Part 2: Arrival to CTS & Day 1 - Curb Market, Shiroi Koibito Park and shopping in Sapporo
Part 3: Day 2 - Nijo Market, Sapporo Beer Museum & Tanukikoji in Sapporo
Part 4: Day 3 - Exploring Otaru & experiencing the Hakodate Liner
Part 5: Day 4 - Morning Market, Red Brick Warehouses & Mt Hakodate in Hakodate
Part 6: Day 5 - Hokkaido Shinkansen & shopping in Tokyo and Funabashi
Part 7: Day 6 - Tokyo DisneySea
Part 8: Day 7 - Last minute shopping in Omiya and Tokyo & Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka
Part 9: Day 8 - Kinkakuji in Kyoto & shopping in Osaka
Part 10: Day 9 - Utsubo Park Rose Festival, Namba/Shinsaibashi & departure from KIX in Osaka
Part 11: Liz Lisa shopping, purchases & coordinates
Part 12: Other shopping, purchase & coordinates
Part 13: Travel notes - Hotels, Luggage forwarding & Pocket wifi
Bonus: OOTD - Japan trip Spring 2016: Hokkaido to Osaka


✦ Japan trip Autumn 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Summer 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Spring 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Summer 2014 posts

Japan trip Spring 2016 Part 13: Travel notes - Hotels, Luggage forwarding & Pocket wifi

Using this post as a catch-all for things that didn't seem to belong in any of the other daily posts, especially items that covered more than one day of the trip and general notes about the trip as a whole!

Hotel Resol Trinity Sapporo

This is the hotel we chose for 4 nights upon arrival in Hokkaido. We would be arriving at night with all of our luggage, so it was important for us to be able to book a hotel that isn't too far from a station or major landmark, especially since we've never been in this part of Japan before. It was a bit of a struggle to figure out which area and hotel would be best for us and our price range. Initially, I thought it would be best to be near Sapporo station, but based on the activities we were doing and possible future trips, my dad thought that Odori wouldn't be a bad choice.

The hotel is very near two of the exits of Odori station. We ended up doing quite a bit of walking back and forth between Sapporo station and Odori station on some occasions, but it's not hard to navigate and even on the first night upon arrival without wifi, it wasn't too much of a pain.
The room itself was very nice and we didn't have any complaints about cleanliness or service. The staff at the front desk were always willing to help us and we didn't have any issues with a language barrier. They were able to process our luggage forwarding to two different locations successfully and also capably held our remaining suitcases after checking out. Bonus feature: there's an onsen area (male and female separated) at the top floor of the hotel that is free for guests to use and they even give you instructions. I didn't get a chance to check it out but my mom went to go try it lol. She was  a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing but I don't think that's the hotel's fault and it's a really nice feature. We would stay here again!

Loisir Hotel Hakodate

We left from Sapporo and spent 2 nights at the Loisor Hotel in Hakodate. Again, convenience/location near a major station was very important to us, and this one takes the cake. It's just across the street from JR Hakodate station. Room keys are actual keys (not electronic card key) and we were only provided one per room. This wasn't particularly a problem, but we often split up and use the hotel as a meet up place, but if the person with the key doesn't come back first, the other person just has to wait in the lobby lol.

Everything was more-or-less standard and adequate but this just didn't feel as clean as the Resol Trinity. Since we were only staying for such a short time and mostly to sleep, that wasn't really extremely important to us. There were some pounding noises that we heard on and off from a room nearby but it's probably not what you're thinking lol. The window is easy to open but difficult to close and we're pretty sure that person was just trying really hard to close their window and not succeeding. Basics were all provided and we didn't have any particular problems, but I don't know if there was anything special about this place except for the location. I would recommend this for a short stay if you need easy access to the JR lines, won't be spending much time in the room besides sleeping and don't mind an older building with no frills, but otherwise I think we might try the Resol Trinity in Hakodate next time which is just a couple blocks away.

Prince Shinagawa: N Tower

Our tried and true, go-to hotel in Tokyo. Shinagawa might not be the A+ best location for everyone, but we find that it really works for us since we end up catching the shinkansen a lot and it's especially good for heading towards Kansai. Tbh we came really close to picking a different hotel for this trip, maybe one closer to Tokyo station or even Ueno, but once the price dropped down to a reasonable range for the Prince, we quickly came back to it because we always enjoy our stay there. The hotel is just across the street from Shinagawa station and there is a conveniently located 7-Eleven just near the entrance to N Tower. We arrived in Tokyo before the check-in time but we were able to leave our suitcases at the reception desk until we returned for check-in later in the day. We stayed for 2 nights.

The room was very clean but small as usual but nothing we haven't come to expect from Japanese hotels. A small selection of free breakfast is provided with your booking price and we weren't able to take advantage of it on the first morning because we had to get going early for Disney, but took our time picking out a few things on the second morning. There was an issue we had with our luggage/mail not being distributed or documented immediately and the N Tower reception desk not knowing our items had arrived when we asked the first time forcing us to spend 4 hours in Tokyo separated without wifi when we would have needed it the most, but it was something we could have further pressed ourselves, so I don't consider it the hotel's fault. If you aren't staying in the Main Tower and are expecting mail on a certain day by a certain time, be sure to ask the staff to call to see if it just hasn't been properly sorted yet!

Hotel New Hankyu

This was our first time staying at this hotel despite staying in Osaka on previous trips several times. We have come to enjoy staying at the Westin Osaka when we're in this area (it's my number 1 recommendation for size and comfort), but due to the high price during our visit time, we had to look for another option. Convenience in getting to KIX is really important to us since we tend to leave the country with a lot of heavy luggage, so I wanted to specifically look for hotels that had/were extremely close to the shuttle stop.
This is an older hotel and more comparable to the Loisor Hotel in Hakodate than the Prince or the Resol Trinity. Same 1 regular old school key issued instead of electronic card key and good location in relation to the station but not the cleanest feeling place. However...when talking about location, Umeda/Osaka station can be a little bit of a bitch to navigate through. I would still hesitate to tell you exactly the best way to get to the hotel from the JR Osaka tracks but from Hankyu or the subway station, it's fairly easy. There's nowhere to sit in the lobby except one piece of furniture that can be shared with maybe 10 people max which S and I had to make use of on the last day when we were waiting for my parents and we were extremely lucky there was even space for us.
I think given the choice, we would still go with the Westin Osaka for our first choice in this area when it's priced reasonably just for comfort, but as a second option, we would stay at the New Hankyu again. It was easy and convenient to catch the shuttle to KIX at a reasonable time for our flight (which was its main selling point from the beginning), but I think my mom wouldn't be able to get to the hotel from any part of any station in the area because it was just too confusing for her.

Luggage Forwarding

With all of the hotel switching and moving around we did, we are glad that Japan's luggage forwarding service works so well. We made good use of KuroNeko and managed not to have to lug around our check-in suitcases except upon arrival and departure to the airport. I mentioned this briefly in the daily posts as it applied, but here's what we did -

My mom, dad, S and I each had one large check in suitcase when we arrived in Japan.
On Day 3, when we were checking out of the hotel in Sapporo, between me and S (and then in parallel, my mom and my dad) packed whatever we purchased or was done with after the first three days in Hokkaido into one of the suitcases amongst the pair of us and forwarded it to Osaka. The other one we filled with whatever we would want and need in Tokyo between the two of us, but we were sure not to have it packed to the brim (to have room for more shopping there), and had that sent to meet us in Shinagawa. Anything we would need in the meantime in Hakodate (for Day 4) needed to stay with us and fit into our carry on bags.
Our bags arrived on the soonest date possible from Sapporo to Tokyo on the same day we arrived (Day 5). I'm not exactly sure on the time, but it was certainly there by the time we actually checked-in at around 16:45 which was good because I certainly needed some of the things in there for Day 6 when we would be leaving early in the morning and probably wouldn't have to wait for the bags.
On the morning of Day 7, we packed up our remaining check-in bag with Tokyo purchases and things we no longer needed and forwarded it from Shinagawa to the hotel in Osaka, again keeping just the essentials in our carry ons. When we arrived in Osaka via shinkansen later that day and checked into the hotel, our bags from Sapporo were waiting for us.
The Tokyo suitcases arrived by the afternoon of Day 8 in Osaka, and we were able to rearrange our bags and split up our things so that I no longer had S's stuff in mine and mine is his. This was enough time to sort everything out before we checked out the next morning and worked out reasonably well imo!

As I mentioned, because we never needed to catch the train with our bags in the middle of our travels, we just had to deal with our one each carry on rolling bags + whatever personal item/tote or duffle. This is much better than what we've had to deal with in the past before we got the hang of using the forwarding services. There is a cost associated with it, but it is very much a pain to deal with large pieces of luggage not only on local trains, but even on the shinkansen and in train stations in general imo. You aren't as agile as you need to be and especially in a group, it can be hard to navigate through large crowds and up and down escalators and stairs. If you have large luggage, can afford it (depending on the distance, it's about 1440yen - 2400yen per bag) and consider convenience of movement very important, I would definitely look into doing this. We've always had the help of the hotel we were staying at to fill out the forms and ensure that the timing would work out, but I believe you can go to any convenience store or similar place to drop off things like this as well.

PuPuRu pocket wifi

This is my fourth time renting a PuPuRu wifi unit for traveling in Japan, and I don't want to repeat things too much. Basically, I like it, and I definitely recommend getting a wifi unit especially if you're traveling with other people (not on a tour) and aren't intimately familiar with everything you're doing. For reference, here's my past posts - Spring 2015 and Autumn 2015.
We rented just one unit for the four of us for our first four days in Hokkaido because we figured that we wouldn't be separated too much. There were maybe two or three instances where it could have been slightly handy to have one more unit as an option, but we didn't suffer too much. When we arrived in Tokyo, we wanted to have 2 additional units available to us and, when placing the order, requested delivery early in the day. I do believe that they arrived at a reasonable time but we just didn't have access to them when we wanted them due to miscommunication at the hotel. For the four hours I didn't have wifi, I really suffered and wasted a whole bunch of time. I was also afraid to venture as far as I had planned due to not being about to contact my family in case I was going to be late since there was a train delay. I felt much more comfortable being on my own when I was able to use the internet for help.
Anyway, imo, it's good to be connected, especially to use Google Maps. We use PuPuRu because that's who I initially ordered with the first time and we haven't been disappointed by them yet.

Weather

We had never been to Hokkaido before and weren't exactly sure what to expect in terms of weather. Many sites mentioned that May would feel a bit similar to early Spring in Tokyo (maybe around March) which we had experienced in 2015. I didn't bother bringing a coat, but was just prepared to double layer at night with a cardigan and my faux leather jacket. As it turns out, I feel like I packed  just the right amount of outerwear, and it really wasn't very cold except for a few really windy instances at night even for us pansy Hawaii people lol. There were a few sakura and other similar trees with full blossoms, but I think the best array was already a bit more north than where we were in Sapporo. We also didn't try to specifically go to any parks or viewing areas, so we just enjoyed the flowers when we happened upon them. I think we probably missed the peak by a week or 10 days or so,
In Tokyo and Osaka, it was hot during the day as expected which was such a rude wake up call after the great, mild weather in Hokkaido lol. Night temperatures were a bit lower but nothing a simple cardigan couldn't conquer. Overall, we've been in worse heat and worse cold and didn't need too much specialty clothing, so I'd say that May is a pretty good time to visit Japan in general!

Walking/Steps

I thought this information was a little interesting after Christa was talking to me about it during my last trip, so here's a similar screenshot of our "steps" for each day of the trip! Click through each date to see what we did that day! Can you guess which day we did DisneySea? I don't usually do a lot of walking (my average number of steps is less than 1000 per day lmao), so this is clearly a step up for me, but with a lot of water and resting whenever possible, this was definitely doable in heels! Sorry this layout isn't as nice as last time where I had the screenshots from Christa's FitBit, but if this could be useful to you, I thought I'd just quickly include it.

Conclusion ♡
I was so glad I was able to finally get to Hokkaido and see not only Sapporo, but also Otaru and Hakodate as well. It was nice to kind of focus on something other than just clothes shopping for once, and I especially enjoyed our visit to Shiroi Koibito Park and the view from Mt Hakodate. Highlights for my dad and S were the fresh seafood in Hokkaido which we tried to take advantage of pretty much every day we were there! When I travel with just S, he gets the short end of the stick and usually just goes to whatever restaurant will accommodate my picky eating habits and doesn't include fish or sushi. I'm so happy that the crowds and weather were reasonably mild the day we visited DisneySea and that we were able to ride almost everything we wanted to (all priorities accomplished, some more than once!), plus so much more for my parents' first experience there. As for me and shopping, I'm happy with what I ended up with (Liz Lisa and non-Liz Lisa purchases), even though I didn't have a ton of time to do it and so many Liz Lisa locations have now closed!
Phew! By the end of the nine days, I was definitely ready to get home. Each day of our trips are usually filled to the brim with activities, and this was no different, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We don't yet have any solid plans for a future trip, but I can't wait to go back and see more of what Japan has to offer :)

I usually try to write this post in conjunction with the daily posts but I somehow forgot about it a bit and it feels like so much time has already passed since we've come back from the trip! I may need to update this post later with other relevant information as I remember it, but for now, this is what I have!

✦ Japan trip Spring 2016 posts
Part 1: Packing (Liz Lisa outfits) for Hokkaido to Osaka in May
Part 2: Arrival to CTS & Day 1 - Curb Market, Shiroi Koibito Park and shopping in Sapporo
Part 3: Day 2 - Nijo Market, Sapporo Beer Museum & Tanukikoji in Sapporo
Part 4: Day 3 - Exploring Otaru & experiencing the Hakodate Liner
Part 5: Day 4 - Morning Market, Red Brick Warehouses & Mt Hakodate in Hakodate
Part 6: Day 5 - Hokkaido Shinkansen & shopping in Tokyo and Funabashi
Part 7: Day 6 - Tokyo DisneySea
Part 8: Day 7 - Last minute shopping in Omiya and Tokyo & Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka
Part 9: Day 8 - Kinkakuji in Kyoto & shopping in Osaka
Part 10: Day 9 - Utsubo Park Rose Festival, Namba/Shinsaibashi & departure from KIX in Osaka
Part 11: Liz Lisa shopping, purchases & coordinates
Part 12: Other shopping, purchase & coordinates
Part 13: Travel notes - Hotels, Luggage forwarding & Pocket wifi

✦ Japan trip Autumn 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Summer 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Spring 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Summer 2014 posts

Japan trip Spring 2016 Part 12: Other shopping, purchases & coordinates

Everything else that I purchased that's not Liz Lisa lol. The major clothes/accessories are getting the biggest feature in this post, but I now realize I didn't do a lot of other major non-Liz Lisa spending for myself. Many of the other items purchased were distributed as omiyage and I cannot properly review the items but I highlighted the few that I could!

Ank Rouge Heart spindle platform sandals in white
ハート×スピンドル厚底サンダル

Purchased on Day 1 from Sapporo Paseo. (Sorry the pictures clearly show signs of wear but I did a lot of tromping around in them!) Although there are no longer any Liz Lisa stores in Hokkaido, thankfully there is a conveniently located Ank Rouge store. The Sapporo station area can be a little bit of a maze, but because I did a little research beforehand, I was able to find the Ank Rouge in the East wing of Paseo pretty easily. The first thing I did was seek out these shoes since these seemed like my best bet for an alternative to my Liz Lisa pumps that I brought with me for footwear to wear during the trip. They were sold out in size M (I'm not sure if I have a standard shoe size for AR yet) but L fits reasonably, so I was quick to buy them despite the price.
with Ank Rouge blouse and Ank Rouge mermaid skirt (with and without Doll Kiss socks) -

with Liz Lisa x My Melody 9th collab cherry OP and Liz Lisa pearl cherry necklace -

These shoes ended up being a great asset during the trip. They worked well with a number of my outfits I had brought with me (as anticipated and purposefully planned), and were not uncomfortable! The wedge heel provided height and stability and the off white/ivory color was an easy match. I was especially happy to wear these shoes on Day 6 when we visited DisneySea. This was the day we did the most walking and my feet still hurt a little bit by the end of everything, but it wasn't something I couldn't live with or really felt the need to complain about. I'm not sure how much I will use these shoes now that I'm home since they're not exactly my typical style when given an abundance of other shoe choices when I don't have to worry so much about comfort, but actually I've really grown to love them with socks!

Delyle Noir flare sleeve padded top in white
フレアスリーブパット付Ｔシャツ

Purchased on Day 5 from Shibuya 109. I saw this styled with the skirt in the store and I'm glad they advertised it that way. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have made the move to go for this wide flare sleeve which can sometimes feel obnoxious on the hanger. I tried on the top (in black) in store and was surprised to find that there was padding in the top! (The name of it is a dead giveaway but I didn't know what it was called while I was shopping.) As someone with a small bust, I don't find this bothersome and actually the top mores secure with it. Overall, I think the fit is really quite nice for me which I did not expect at all.
(as a set up) with Delyle Noir flare flower print skirt, Delyle Noir jewelry buckle belt and Liz Lisa heart suede pumps + Liz Lisa rose quilted purse -

with Cecil McBee floral watercolor fitted skirt, Delyle Noir jewelry buckle belt and Flag J sandals + Samantha Thavasa purse -

with Liz Lisa margaret cherry skirt, Liz Lisa pearl cherry necklace and  Liz Lisa knot wedge sandals -

This top is so versatile! It works with the onee Delyle flare skirt, the onee Cecil fitted skirt and also can somewhat slide into himekaji when paired with the Liz Lisa A-line floral skirt as well! Of course, the additional styling and accessories need to help it along, but I look forward to being able to use this top in a number of different situations. The wide arm area from the flare sleeve detail doesn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would.

Delyle Noir flare flower print skirt in pink
フラワープリントフレアスカート

Purchased on Day 5 from Shibuya 109. As mentioned above, this skirt was styled with the flare sleeve top in the store and the combination of the two convinced me to try it on. I wasn't overly hopeful when I went in the dressing room but the fit of the skirt is actually really secure even without the belt and the material feels smooth and nice. I also really like that there's a darker, contrasting red element in the print which really helps enhance the flowers.
(as a set up) with Delyle Noir flare sleeve padded top, Liz Lisa big flower reversible tote and Flag J pumps -

(as a set up) with Delyle Noir flare sleeve padded top, Liz Lisa batwing knit and Liz Lisa glitter pumps -

with Liz Lisa plain browsing top, Liz Lisa x Yui Kanno rose barrette and Liz Lisa floral wedge lace-up back sandals -

Although the skirt fits well, it does need the belt for definition as the skirt itself doesn't really have a manufactured waistband. Honestly, this is likely on purpose so you need to purchase the belt to go with your outfit and why I personally bought the belt, but I'm not complaining because I love the combination so much anyway. And it still manages to work with a top that will help define the waistline otherwise.

Delyle Noir jewelry buckle belt in white
ジュエリーバックルベルト

Purchased on Day 5 from Shibuya 109. When I was trying on the top and skirt set, the belt on the hanger was a little different but the same thin elastic style. I really liked it in the dressing room but when the shop staff showed me the different options, I asked her which was recommended, and she pointed out this one. When it comes to sets, may as well go with what already works right? This is the most I've ever spent on a belt since I don't wear them often but I absolutely love the fit and design of this one.

No regrets at all and even if I don't wear it with everything, the belt almost completely makes the outfit. And will be sure to work with a number of other Delyle (or maybe even DaTuRa) outfits as well. Since it's very small in length and the elastic is great, it really pulls in the waist and holds the clothes solidly in place. This was another great buy of the trip and something I don't think I would have dared to pay for without having tried it on in store first. Now I'm thinking I might need a few others...I'm totally hooked!

Delyle Noir open back tank OP in navy
バックオープンタンクワンピース

Purchased on Day 9 from Shinsaibashi OPA. I really wanted to buy at least one more outfit from either DaTuRa or Delyle Noir to go with my belt and the OPA location was my last chance! Since the DaTuRa set I tried on didn't work, I was determined to find something in Delyle. This dress isn't something that would immediately appeal to me on it's own because the waist looks like it just hits way too high on my body and would be unflattering (this is common for my proportions for Japanese freesize), but the belt really, really helps! Honestly I wouldn't have thought to put the belt on the dress because it has to sit much lower than where the implied waist area is, but somehow it still really works lol.
with Delyle Noir jewelry buckle belt and Liz Lisa 3D flower pumps + Liz Lisa big flower reversible tote -

with Liz Lisa lace peek cardigan and Liz Lisa ribbon pumps -

The dress is reasonably simple. With certain styling elements, it can be pushed a bit more oneegyaru or even into himekaji territory because of the colors and lace! The fabric of the skirt is heavy and would have been a pain in the butt to ship, but isn't incredibly noticeable when worn. I like the open back and there's a bandeau top that was recommended with it (so you can still wear a regular bra with it), but I decided to just get the dress. This was my last non-food purchase in Japan, and I'm glad I got it!

DaTuRa Big rose tshirt OP in pink
ドリームローズビックＴシャツ

Purchased on Day 7 from Shibuya 109. This was a bit of an impulse buy because I just wanted to get something...anything from DaTuRa lol. I didn't have a ton of time to take my time and think because I was already late to meet my parents and S back at the hotel and we had a train to catch. I did allow myself to quickly try it on with the recommended shorts to wear underneath (which I actually liked and fit surprising well but I couldn't see myself spending money on) and really loved the flower print at the hem which read very recognizably DaTuRa to me. Since the fit wasn't outrageously baggy, I decided to just go for it.
with Flag J pumps (+ Delyle Noir jewelry buckle belt) -

with Liz Lisa OTK boots + Liz Lisa long cardigan and Samantha Thavasa purse -

I ended up actually changing into this at KIX right before the flight home, and it was much more comfortable than the Delyle set I had been wearing all day. It's basically just a big, slightly stylized, slim t-shirt lol. The material is thin but not see-through (which I think the print helps with), and it's a great summer item. I probably won't wear it with a belt but wanted to try it anyway just for kicks. I'm surprised that it actually kind of works with the long cardigan + OTK boots though! DaTuRa lists this as a "top" rather than an OP which makes sense since they want you to buy the shorts to go with it, but at my height, I don't mind it as a dress, and if you're shorter than me, that's definitely more what it is.

I had a ton of fun trying out Delyle and DaTuRa for the first time. Tbh, the oneegyaru or more hardcore gyaru brand stores have always scared me a little bit since I'm usually wearing head-to-toe Liz Lisa, and I'm sure it looks really weird that I'm style switching. And talking to shop staff is one of the things that makes me the most nervous in Japan so I don't want to be in situations in stores where I'm really unfamiliar with the products and how the brand operates since I have such difficulty communicating. The shop staff in these stores are either particularly chatty or pay zero attention to me at all lol.

+ a few random other items of interest (that I photographed!)
A pair of wooden owls -

Purchased on Day 4 from Hakodate Morning Market. We bypassed the stall at first, but then when we noticed the shopkeeper was actually carving the wood pieces himself, we became instantly intrigued. He had a lot of different owls to pick from and even two types of this particular style, but S and I decided to go with the one we first garnered our interest. The shopkeeper also engraved the bottom of the little stand for free with whatever we requested. 

LizMelo "lottery prize" cup -

Purchased on Day 8 from Qs Mall Kawaiimarche. While we were looking for two specific items from Sanrio, I noticed that the store we were in was doing the raffle/lottery for LizMero items! I'm not sure exactly what the "game" is called, but as I understand it, for a fee (800yen in this case), you pick a number out of a whirling pool of numbers. Based on the number you pick, you receive the pre-established prize associated with that number. There are items from charms to notepads to kitchen goods like a pot or even full size scale or blow dryer lol. The prizes are clearly identified on a poster with their number and stores often have different types (not just the LizMero line but also Gudetama or Hello Kitty etc). It's a gamble because you don't know what you will get, but it could be something worth a lot more than what you paid! In my case, I picked a "7" out and received this cup. Not the easiest thing to pack near the end of a trip, but I think it's cute!

Boot shapers -

Purchased on Day 5 from Gigafunabashi Daiso. This is an item of little cost or consequence, but I really like them, so they get to briefly be mentioned in the post. These are basically flat pieces of plastic (with a punch design) that fold/bend and secure to itself to create a sturdy form to help keep tall boots upright! Prior to this, I was literally using rolled up old issues of Cosmopolitan and stuffing them into my OTK boots lmao. Now, I have something a lot more legitimate but also really cute and cheap! These are probably a better length for knee high boots since the top of my OTK's still need a little support, but it's still a lot better than what I was using earlier and works really well.

Doll Kiss ankle socks -

Purchased on Day 7 from Shibuya 109 Doll Kiss. This purchase isn't really worthy of note since ankle socks like this in Japan are a dime a dozen but I just happened to have a picture of this, so into the post they go lol. Tutuanna is a really popular brand and I buy a lot of socks from there, but I think my favorite store is actually Doll Kiss in Shibuya 109. There's a lot of selection that I find relevant to my personal taste, and I always find it easy to get at least 3 pairs. The only downside is that the shop isn't very spacious, and if you have a lot of bags, you might bang into a few things, but you just have to be careful lol. I don't really need more of these, but I guess you can't really have too many and I needed at least one more pair during the trip. I ended up with 5 to get a set price though lol. I already used the pink/purple-ish pair in a coordinate in this blog post and another in the previous Liz Lisa purchase one!

J!NS Screen Daily Use PC Glasses (Blue Light 25% cut) in wine -

Purchased on Day 9 from Namba J!NS. I bought these to wear at work since I have a desk job and basically stare at a computer screen for 8.5 hours a day straight. S already has a few pairs, and while we were on the trip, he wanted to get another pair with slightly less blue cut. We ended up getting the same glasses in different colors. As it turns out, PC glasses probably aren't for me. The lack of blue actually makes me more sleepy and that's not great when you're trying to get through your boring work day. However, I do like the style and intention of these, so I'm going to keep trying, even if just for an hour or so per day. The design has the glasses sit farther from my face than I'm used to, but it's good for days when I'm wearing my longer eyelashes because they won't hit the lenses at all!

I don't usually mention food/snack items from my trips because 1. I'm such a picky eater and I don't think people should really be paying attention to what I say about the taste of most of these things, and 2. We usually don't get to keep enough of these things for ourselves since we give them away, but this time, I actually got to take a few really quick snaps of a few of them, so I may as well mention anything of note!
Shiroi Koibito cookies -

Purchased on Day 1 from Shiroi Koibito Park. According to most people we've talked to or read articles from, Shiroi Koibito cookies is one of the most famous omiyage from Hokkaido and well known throughout Japan. We visited the factory where they make the cookies and bought a whole bunch of them on the first day and had to deal with them all throughout the rest of the trip lol. Actually, I'm showing the milk chocolate version here, but the white chocolate is what they are most known for. I don't like white chocolate so I didn't bother wasting one to try it and not enjoy it, but I think this still gives you a pretty good idea of what the cookie looks like anyway. The wrapper for the white chocolate version has inverted colors. Pretty much the best part of it is the cookie part anyway! It has just the right amount of crisp and buttery-ness lol. S really liked these and bought a whole package just for himself lol.

Kit Kats -

Sake flavor purchased on Day 2 from Nijo Market. Pancake purchased on Day 7 from Omiya Daiei. Mint purchased on Day 1 from Sapporo Don Quixote. This isn't the full variety of the different kinds of Kit Kats we bought, but we didn't keep all of them to try for ourselves. These are just the few that we did. I didn't expect any stores to still have the sake flavor still in stock since it released in February, so we jumped at the first opportunity to buy a few from a lady in a fish market when we saw it lmao. As it turns out, we did happen to see it in the Eki Donki in Osaka, but hardly anywhere else. I didn't try this because I don't like sake (flavor), but no one in my family had anything particularly special to say about it. S confirmed that it did taste as intended though. The pancake Kit Kat is from earlier in March or April and clearly tied to Easter lol. I also didn't anticipate any stores having stock of it either, and jumped to grab a few packets when I saw it. My dad said it really did taste like pancake with maple syrup and that he liked it a lot more than the regular milk chocolate Kit Kat! Okay, this last one I actually tried myself - mint lol. Super simple and easy and basically tastes how you'd think chocolate with mint would taste. This is the same "otona" line as the hazelnut flavor I brought back last time that I really liked, and even though the flavor isn't surprising, it is very crisp and refreshing and for some reason, does kind of have a more "elegent" or grown up feel about it lmao.

Candy Labo Wicked Mix -

Purchased on Day 3 from Sapporo Ekimae-dori Candy Labo store. My mom saw a sign advertising something related to Wicked and she wandered into the store lol. This was initially supposed to be a gift for someone, but my mom decided to keep it for herself. The pink/white/brown candy is strawberry cream flavor with a witch hat design. The green and white candy is muscat flavor with the Wicked logo. I've never purchased this candy before because I think it's so expensive but the taste is really quite good and so is the texture of the candy in general!

Hi-Chew -

Yuzu, "adult" mango and "adult" orange were purchased from various grocery stores and conbini throughout the trip here and there. I hadn't seen these flavors previously and they're all a hit with S! He especially likes the yuzu one. But he's also seems to general like the "adult" line which really has a different kind of flavoring. Since I'm not a food person, I don't know how to quite explain it but I think it also has a little to do with the little pieces inside too. Minis were purchased on Day 1 from Sapporo Don Quixote. We liked these from visits past because the flavors were fairly standard, and I liked the mini shape. There were a few other people back at home who liked them too, so I bought a whole bunch. They changed the flavors though lol. And now I personally don't care for this selection wtf. Well the two original flavors (grape and green apple) are still good, but I left the soda and peach in the box hahaha. I think you're supposed to pair the soda with the fruit flavors, but I just don't like the taste of it personally >,< Like with the Kit Kat, of course we bought more flavors than just these, but these are just the ones we were able to try ourselves. Many of the variety that we bought actually went to my cousin lol.

What I forgot/didn't get to buy?
Oops lol. Some of these were intentional and others were just a not a priority and got forgotten in the hustle and bustle of traveling.

• Liz Lisa swimsuit - I thought I would buy one in store since they released while I was there, but by that point of the trip, I couldn't see myself spending that much on something I won't wear very option and wanted to force myself to wait for a sale (online). I think my #1 choice is likely the #1 choice of many other girls, so I may just have to pass this year despite really loving the designs! Bleck. I think financially I made the right decision, but it's hard to see an item you really like sell out!    
• Something from Swankiss - I looked in a few of the stores as I always do and I like the brand, but have a hard time committing to full price purchases because I feel like the pieces aren't as versatile for my personal wardrobe as I'd like them to be to pay that much.
• Something from Cecil McBee - Again, looked in several stores, but just didn't see any pieces I was in love with from the current selection. There were a few items I liked from earlier in the year, but they must have sold out. I didn't have time to do a ton of browsing as I prioritized shopping from other brands, but maybe I'll try my hand at the summer sales online later...
• Set from DaTuRa - I looked and actually tried one on, but didn't really give myself much more chance than that. I should have just bit the bullet and bought the cardigan + skirt set from that same store in which I tried on the set I didn't like, but for some reason I was being a tightwad with the last of my money! And now I'm actually thinking of getting it online which is such a waste lmao.
• Magazines??? - I usually bring back at least two magazines and I was definitely planning on bringing back the most recent issue of Larme with me, but since magazines take up a lot of weight and can be found almost anywhere, I purposefully tried to delay it until we got to Osaka, but then I 1000% forgot about it until I got back here and started blogging lmao. On a scale of things, it's rather inconsequential, but since they can be expensive to get overseas, the best time to get them is obviously in Japan!

This photo was supposed to be everything I bought during the trip but I still forgot about a few things FML and then I ran out of sunlight and had to start distributing things.

There were some things here that I expected to buy and others that I was more surprised about. Overall, a pretty tidy haul - nothing extraordinary but pretty good considering I only had one 15" check in suitcase and that we had to be conscious about not buying too much of anything before we arrived at our final destination hotel in Osaka since we'd have to be managing our luggage forwarding. Tbh the purses I ended up getting from Liz Lisa took up a lot of space even stuffed with omiyage and I was pretty much at full weight capacity. All that being said, I'm happy with what I have and I wouldn't consider the shopping side of the trip reasonably successful given the budget I assigned myself! ♡

✦ Japan trip Spring 2016 posts
Part 1: Packing (Liz Lisa outfits) for Hokkaido to Osaka in May
Part 2: Arrival to CTS & Day 1 - Curb Market, Shiroi Koibito Park and shopping in Sapporo
Part 3: Day 2 - Nijo Market, Sapporo Beer Museum & Tanukikoji in Sapporo
Part 4: Day 3 - Exploring Otaru & experiencing the Hakodate Liner
Part 5: Day 4 - Morning Market, Red Brick Warehouses & Mt Hakodate in Hakodate
Part 6: Day 5 - Hokkaido Shinkansen & shopping in Tokyo and Funabashi
Part 7: Day 6 - Tokyo DisneySea
Part 8: Day 7 - Last minute shopping in Omiya and Tokyo & Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka
Part 9: Day 8 - Kinkakuji in Kyoto & shopping in Osaka
Part 10: Day 9 - Utsubo Park Rose Festival, Namba/Shinsaibashi & departure from KIX in Osaka
Part 11: Liz Lisa shopping, purchases & coordinates
Part 12: Other shopping, purchases & coordinates
Part 13: Travel notes - Hotels, Luggage forwarding & Pocket wifi

✦ Japan trip Autumn 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Summer 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Spring 2015 posts
✦ Japan trip Summer 2014 posts