I was recently very fortunate to be invited on a trip to one of the most popular & trending destinations of current time – Japan ????
I have booked many clients to this enigmatic country & have seen the most amazing reviews – I was so excited to be able to experience this Country for myself.
Location:
Often called ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, Japan is an island country in East Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean & consists of over 6800 islands – approximately 400 being inhabited.
We were visiting 3 iconic areas of the country – Tokyo, the current capital with its population over 38 million (London has just over 8 million!), Mt Fuji & Hakone & Kyoto – each one exceeded my expectations.
Stand-out detail:
The first thing I noticed about Japan was the people – they made this trip so different to other places I have visited & so wonderful & special.
All age groups, from toddlers to the elderly, are so respectful – to everyone & everything. To other people, their possessions, wildlife & to the rules, conventions & traditions of their country.
Everywhere we visited, whether the bustling metropolis of the main cities to the peaceful gardens dotted around & the beautiful area of Mt Fuji, there was a feeling of peace & quiet – we heard one car horn beep in the whole week we were there!
Food & drink:
Food in Japan is very different to restaurant offerings in the UK & can be an acquired taste!
Fruit is extremely expensive so tends to come in very small portions & is not frequently offered with set meals or in a lot of hotels.
I blew caution to the wind & said, ‘when in Japan……’!! I literally tried everything on offer – from Miso soup, noodles, tofu, fried pork & chicken, curry & rice for breakfast & pickled vegetables at lunch – most I enjoyed but a few I probably won’t be adding to my shopping list ????
Ramen noodle bars are very popular in all towns & cities – western food is quite hard to come by, but can be found in the central city areas with a little perseverance!
Getting there:
We flew with ANA, All Nippon Airways, part of the Star Alliance & the service we received was exceptional.
From check in at Heathrow, to settling down in our Business class seats for our 11.5-hour overnight flight, everything was seamless.
The mixed nationality cabin crew could all converse in both English & Japanese with guests onboard – making this a perfect airline of choice for travel to Japan.
The quality of food & drink, onboard entertainment, the comfort of the fully flat bed/seat was better than I have experienced on the majority of long-haul airlines. Even on the return daytime flight, the service in Economy was equally as good as the Business Class offered on the outbound journey.
My Itinerary:
After a few hours on arrival to acclimatise & settle into the hotel, have dinner & plan for the week ahead, we had the following full day to experience the stunning city of Tokyo, with its Sky Tree Tower – the tallest broadcasting tower in the world, the traditional Sensoji Temple & the stunning Hama Rikyu Gardens, a spot of tranquillity in this buzzing modern city. We did get a feel for part of Tokyo during this day, but I would recommend at least 3 days to do it full justice.
The following day was all about Mt Fuji & Hakone – seeing the snow tipped mountain through the often dense cloud was a delight that some are often not lucky to experience, followed by a leisurely cruise along Lake Ashi before a heart-stopping cable-car trip up Mt. Komagatake – fondly known as Mt. Koma – for stunning views over the whole area (when the cloud wasn’t blocking the sights ????)
We ended the day at a beautiful hotel – with its own onsen (look this up if you don’t know ????) & a delightful 5* meal before we set off on our next & exciting adventure & the part of the trip I was most looking forward to – our first bullet train!
The next day was such a fantastic experience – a bullet train ride from Odawara station to Kyoto – 2 hours of speeds up & over 200 kmph! An extremely well organised, calm & quiet way to travel – they even have phone charger points (look down towards the floor or you’ll miss them like I did until I got off!)
After a traditional Japanese lunch, we visited the Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine, in temperatures over 30° – the regularly placed water vending machines were definitely taking plenty of Yen!
We visited the Golden Pavilion & Ryoanji Temple & watched a kimono fashion show with authentic dress, rather than the costumes we had seen on our travels. Then, after a lovely Japanese lunch, we had an amazing afternoon at WAK JAPAN – this was truly what ‘experiential travel’ is all about – we took part in a tea ceremony enlightening us on the history of this completely respectful & restful tradition followed by a lesson in calligraphy where we all finished by writing ‘dream’ & our names in Japanese.
Kyoto is alive all evening with an abundance of bars & eateries along the riverbank & streets – this is truly an amazing city, traditional meets modern & a feeling of calm & comfort is with you at all times – a definite must-see city on any visit to Japan, our group was so lucky to spend a couple of days here.
On our last day we took another bullet train – as fast & efficient as the first (arriving & departing to the second!) & headed back to Tokyo airport for our return flight home.
Whilst sitting in the departure lounge, listening to the hustle & bustle of excited travellers continuing their onward journeys or flying home, I sat & thought about my week away – the noise of the airport made me recall the quietness & calm of Japan as a whole & I recalled, with great fondness, how calm & relaxed I had felt throughout my trip. This is a feeling I think back to whenever I start to feel any annoyance, stress or anger creep up on me since my return – thank you Japan, for instilling this in me.
Best time to travel:
Late spring (March to May) & late autumn (September to November) are generally the best times to visit Japan, when there is little rainfall, skies are clear, & temperatures are mild. March-April time is one of the best times to visit as you will see the amazing cherry blossoms – as we drove around by the Imperial Palace in Tokyo we saw all of the blossom trees & could imagine just how stunning it would all look with them in full bloom.
I travelled early June – just before as the rainy season hit – temperatures can reach well over 30 degrees daily & rain can be constant & heavy. I was lucky to only have rain on the last day in Kyoto, but they advised us that it was likely to continue for the rest of the month.
Acknowledgments:
It is with thanks to the ANA Airlines & Wendy Wu Tours that I was able to experience this stunning country & meet is wonderful people.
The tour closest to my itinerary would be ‘A week in Japan’ https://travelclubelite.com/destinations/asia/japan/wendy-wu-a-week-in-japan/ – the difference is this has the added destination of Osaka – which starts from £3990 pp.
Many other group & private tours or tailor-made trips can be arranged so please contact myself or my team at Travel Club Elite, for up-to-date prices & availability.
Please call free – 0800 707 6229 or email – zoe@travelclubelite.com
Zoe Franklin , Sales & Customer Services Manager, Travel Club Elite.
About the Author:
Zoe Franklin has over 33 years in the travel industry. Zoe will be delighted to answer any questions & to help with planning any travel, or holidays, world-wide.
