Essence of Japan
We just returned from this trip and it was wonderful! We loved everything about Japan: the cleanliness, the punctuality, the politeness, the gardens, the temples, the drumming, the cherry blossoms, the sumo wrestlers, the samurai, the flower arranging, the sushi making, the origami lesson, etc. The trains, buses and airplanes are on time! The bullet train was fast, clean and smooth. The 7-11s are plentiful there. A good place to use the ATM, however credit cards are accepted widely. (The egg salad sandwich is a big hit .)They love KitKat bars (with different flavors: plum, apple, peach, sake and cherry blossom) ! The hotels are great The Conrad Hilton , The Hyatt and The Four Seasons are excellent.. Thank you Tauck for having a Tour Director and a local guide on this trip. A wealth of information. One of our favorite trips!!
Comments
Thank you for posting your trip summary, BDW. My husband has talked about going here, but I have been reluctant. After reading your notes, I told my husband that maybe we should plan this for 2027.
Hey Susan, make your mind up, many dates already sold out for 2027. My favorite country!
And be aware of when the cherry blossoms bloom, when it's rainy season, and when it's typhoon season.
The best times to go are the beginning of April for Cherry Blossom Season and September /October for the fall foliage. We were on the wait list for several months.
Also, try to avoid Golden Week, if you can. It is usually the first week in May. My son and his wife went last year and had everything booked before I could warn him about timing. They had been to Japan in the Fall and loved it. But, this trip, most of it during Golden Week, was not as successful due to massive crowds, particularly in Kyoto.
I was in Japan many years ago during cherry blossoms time and it’s crazy. My husband has been there several times during Golden week and said the same. As BKMD says, there are other times to avoid too. When we went in September 2023 which was the time we had to go, we knew there was a possibility of typhoons, but we were lucky and had great weather.