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Arriving Early/Leaving After Tour Ends
We are going on the Essence of Japan tour in October. Prior to us booking our flights, is there any reason to arrive more than one day early in Osaka or stay extra days after the tour ends in Tokyo? Just wondering if there is anything we need to see that Tauck does not include in their itinerary?
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As far as when to arrive, allow at least two nights of sleep in Japan before the tour starts says Mr. B. If you want to know which way up you are before the Tauck tour begins. Japan is a very safe and amazing country. I love it, but of course it is way down on Mr B's must visit list because he has been so often, but he does love it there. I experienced my first earthquake in Japan, I've slept in A temple on mats on the floor, i've been to a real Japanese bath bouse. We have stayed in a Japanese family's home with them. I have been on the Bullet train. And!!!! I've been in the Hard Rock Cafe Osaka!
As far as Tokyo goes, Mr. B is less familiar with the sites there than in other areas of Japan. He has been to Tokyo about eight times but has always been too busy to site see apart from going to sites with a colleague one time and he just followed him around without taking in where and how he got there. He did just tell me that a good place to go for souvenirs in Tokyo is Asakusa where they have market type stalls selling pretty much anything. Good quality. There is also a beautiful temple there.....if you go, please report about this area to me, so that when I can persuade Mr B to take me back, I'll have some else's perspective on it!
Mr B was also take to a Temple sale, like an upmarket flea market. They are held on occasion and popular, he came home with a wedding kimono, red and gold embroidery, used of course, it cost about $50 and is quite a talking point on our upper landing wall. He also got an antique china headrest and a china bento 'box'---a stack of three round bowls with a lid. Yes dusting day in our house keeps me very busy! When I think of what is Japanese in our home, it's quite a lot. There is a area I visited where you can buy all the plastic food you can see to replicate the food you can chose in a restaurant, so of course I got a couple of pieces of plastic sushi. I suppose it might be worth asking the concierge if there are any temple sales scheduled nearby if you are free and interested.
Prices--- these days, I am not sure whether prices will appear expensive, cheap or so so because the Yen against the dollar has changed so much, plus I must have been in my mid thirties when I first went to Japan and did not have the same resources to spend as I do now. Whenever we travel i am only allowed a very small amount of time to shop, and of course I don't want to miss the sites just to shop. Tauck has a similar philosophy that I appreciate about shopping, so I either do research about possibilities or have learned to scan very quickly, make up my mind quickly and buy or not in the few minutes Tauck gives you on their tours to shop. Serious shopping can be done in the down time, but you have to remember weight restrictions and room in. your suitcase. I only get the odd thing on Tauck tours and let's face it, I'm married to an Englishman, he hates to be in a shop.
I do hope I can go back to Japan, the Tauck tour looks great!
The possibilities are going to be endless for you. One time the hotel organized someone to go into the forest and cut up some bamboo so my husband could make a Japanese 'Deer Scarer' for by our Japanese inspired pond to scare the heron who was eating our Japanese Koi in our English home ( yes got the Japanese bug bad!) it worked great but kept us awake at night, could do with it here in the U.S. To save our plants. So anyways, see if those helpful concierges can come up with some unique suggestions.