Bold Tradition and Beauty: A 9-Day Classic Japan Tour

We just returned from a 2 week trip to several areas in Japan that was expertly planned and executed by this travel planner and his company. We are experienced world travelers, who have traveled with some of the top luxury travel companies and we'd rate this company among the best. The attention to detail and the literal tabbed spreadsheet with individual components made our entire itinerary of train/car/plane/hotel/tours extremely easy to execute on our own once we arrived in Japan. We were even given a pre-loaded local cell phone and subway/train passes so we could hit the ground running. The couple times we had questions while we were in Japan, they were answered immediately. The trip went like clockwork from start to finish and every stop was amazing. We journeyed from Tokyo, across the country on a bullet train to Kanazawa/Kaga Onsen and then flew down to Ishigaki Island on the Southern tip of Japan and ferried to our stay on the tiny (and beautiful) island of Taketomi. Every hotel was perfect and we couldn't have asked for a better itinerary for seeing city/country/beach on our own all in one trip. Our Tokyo hotel was very conveniently located to the Shibuya subway/train station, making it quick and easy to get around. And, even though the area around the station is busy, the hotel was just a short walk away on a quiet street. The suites were roomy and the staff was very helpful. Our Ryokan in KagaOnsen was top notch. A beautifully designed 16 room ryokan where each room was very  large and beautifully  appointed. The spa and 10-course meals were something you'd expect at a 5-star hotel in a large city. The trip down to Taketomi island was amazing and we were two of very few Westerners. The resort was designed to be low key and fit into the original design of homes on the island. It was all individual villas with large, private outdoor areas and it was a fun 10 minute bike ride into the small village. Definitely a spot to relax.

My wife and I chose this agent and his company because he had spent 14 years living in Japan.  He is also fluent in Japanese.  We felt that he had the right combination of being an American who also was attuned to the culture and rhythm of Japan.  We had been to Japan twice before – Kyoto for two weeks together; my wife, Kyoto for three weeks when my she attended a course on Japanese gardens, and I, ten days in Tokyo for work.  This tour took us from Osaka (Kansei) to Hiroshima and back to Kyoto in 17 days.

We are experienced travelers who have driven around Europe, taken river cruises, and a few escorted tours to SE Asia, Russia, and India.  Although we had taken trains before, we were surprised and curious how a trip entirely structured around trains and mass transit would fair.  We also had only three of seventeen days with guides – one day in Osaka, and two days with our homestay host.

Here is what stood out.  First, the guides – their spoken English was excellent.  They were well informed and flexible. Our guide for Osaka met us when we deplaned at Kansei Airport.  She immediately got us the official JR rail passes and reserved seats on trains that could have been crowded given that we were in the Fall (leaf peeping) high season.  She then gave us a detailed itinerary of where we would be each day and what trains to take with the exact times of each train and the corresponding departing and arrival stations.  If you have any trepidation about train travel in Japan – lay them to rest.  Not only does Japan have the most efficient and cleanest rail travel (we have been on many European rail lines), the trains run exactly on time.  So, one can easily find which train to take by looking at the schedule board at each station.  The signs (almost 98% of the time) are in both Japanese and English.  We found that if you missed one train, another would arrive in a few minutes going to the same destination.  Almost every station has escalators and elevators.

Our homestay host gave a very texture feel for rural Japan.  Her village indeed has only 300 people.  We walked around the village and a broader surrounding area that encompassed farmland, a working grain elevator, the village park and recreation area.  We also went to the larger town to enjoy her local ramen shop, the grocery store where I found these marble-sized ume that I loved the previous time we were in Japan, a second-hand store, and the next day to an antique shop.  What a contrast from the usual portrayal of Japanese squeezing on subway cars (we had that experience during Osaka rush hour).  We would recommend that everyone if they have the time, take the option of two days at a home stay. 

Second, the places were stayed.  We kept commenting that it seemed like we had the best room in the house and our hotels/ryokans were well located.  The western styled hotels were top of the line – the hotel in Osaka was right above the Namba station (the Nanka rail and three subway lines); the hotel in Takamatsu was a block from the main railroad station; the hotel in Hiroshima was within 400 meters of the Peace Memorial Building; and the Kyoto hotel was above Kyoto Station.  The ryokans had the old-world charm.  In three of them, we were in our own separate building.  In another, we were in the corner room with own bath overlooking the valley; however, we also opted to take the funicular to the onsen by the river.  We were in awe with the dining in the ryokans; beautiful presentation with Michelin-star quality taste. 

Third, our agent was a good listener.  After proposing an initial route, he fine-tuned it based upon feedback that we gave him.  Whenever I sent an email, he responded within 24 hours.  When I asked for advice, he gave his opinion. His recommendation for us to book the home-stay was spot on.  Thanks to this agent and his company – highly recommended!

Our trip was wonderful because of the perfect attention is given to us by our agent. He & I converted over the course of several months to plan and define exactly what we wished to do.  He suggested activities such as our Home Stay outside of Kyoto which I didn't even know existed and that turned out to be one of the trip's highlights!

Prior to our departure, our agent emailed a 150-page itinerary which included every activity, hotel or ryokan, guides' names and even details as to the exact platform from which our trains would depart. It included maps, histories of a town and suggestions about places & things to do in that town.  

We visited Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Kanazawa, Takayama, Himeji, Kurashiki, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Shirakawa-go, Nara  ( a 3.5-week trip). We had excellent guides who were knowledgeable, caring and friendly.  My husband needed to see a physician while there and 2 guides in different cities accompanied him to translate.  It was actually an opportunity to experience treatment in Japan, a new adventure - "medical tourism"!

We really enjoyed our sushi class, formal tea ceremony, a Geisha performance at the local theater, nights at the western style ryokans, onsens, which are heavenly, my chance to visit a school (special arrangements were made for that), the day in Nara, the temples & shrines and the sushi!

My family and I had an amazing 2 week trip to Japan. I highly recommend the travel company we used, and would use them again. Our travel agent was responsive, helpful, and worked with us to craft a unique trip that fit our interests, which was a bit tricky considering our group of 6 was made up of 3 generations ranging in age from 3 to 68!

We visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Naoshima/Teshima, and Kanazawa and focused particularly on art and gardens. The agency matched us with friendly and informative guides in Tokyo and Kyoto, and organized all of our lodging and rail travel throughout our time in Japan. Our trip didn't feel like a standard tour--the tour agency really put in extra effort to craft unique experiences--from our stay in a traditional machiya residence in Kyoto to securing us rooms at the Benesse House in Naoshima, to making kid-friendly recommendations on things to see/do. They even took the extra effort to ensure that we had side-by-side rooms in places where we were in separate hotel rooms. Plus, the reading materials they put together for us that detailed each location were helpful and spot on. 

Even when we ran into a little travel scheduling glitch while on the trip, our agent was responsive and immediately worked with our guides in Japan to re-book rail passes to ensure we were able to visit all of our desired sites. 

Our visit to Japan surpassed expectations, and much of that was do to the preparation work that went into crafting our trip.