Just returned from Essence of Japan tour (Sept-Oct)
My wife and I just returned from the tour 3 days ago. If you're considering booking the tour, or already booked, I have one question: May we go with you? It is wonderful! Such friendly, gracious, and endearing people you won't find anywhere else. We recommend the tour without reservation (sorry for the pun). We had Kit as our tour director - awesome in taking care of us - and the two local guides "Coco" and "Mickey" were equally great and very knowledgeable.
Here are a few thoughts for anyone looking for guidance on an upcoming tour:
* Money: Take more currency than you might otherwise take on a tour. Japan is currently more cash-and-carry than we are accustomed to. (It'll likely change for the Olympics.) Credit cards were accepted at the upscale hotels and restaurants, but smaller restaurants, markets, etc. still don't accept credit cards. There are ATMs at larger post offices and 7-Eleven stores which are everywhere (reportedly 18,000 in Japan). We didn't use one, but were told they worked fine.
* Dress: As others have noted, we didn't see any ladies over 30 wearing shorts, but men of all ages did (including me). Our tour director wore shorts every day, and it was fine. You'll see about anything in clothing, so don't worry - wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes. I recommend slip-ons for the daily excursions, because you'll be taking them off often for shrines, private homes, etc. I had read about not wearing black and other restrictions, but we didn't experience anything in that regard at all. It's all about comfort and common sense. In addition to the first night's dinner and the Farewell dinner, there are 2 or 3 other nights where being more dressed up is appropriate. About half the men in our group took jackets. They got to use them several times. Those of us who didn't take jackets were fine with dressier long sleeve shirts and we were fine. (Again, you'll see everything, so don't stress.) We didn't need bathing suits. We toured from September 20 to October 4 and had great warm weather, so I took too many pairs of long pants/jeans for the day excursions.
* Gadgets: All the hotels had provided internet access, although it did get a little slow at times. And the electric plugs (100v) work fine with our devices. No adapters and certainly no converters are needed.
* Water: bottled water was generally available on the bus and in the hotel rooms. However, the tap water is safe to drink and for brushing teeth. No worries there.
* Food: In most cases, both Japanese and Western food was available for meals. However, there are a couple/few which are focused on presenting Japanese cuisine and we grew to really enjoy it. It was really good. So forget the apprehension, pick up the chopsticks, and enjoy! You won't come home hungry....
I know I've only touched the surface, but these are the notes I made along the way. I hope this helps a little. I'll try to check back if there are other questions that I haven't answered.
This was our 20th tour with Tauck, and it now ranks right up there with our previous favorites. If you're contemplating booking it, DO IT!
