April 13th

Japan Tour Diary 2024 – Day 1

Aaaand…we’re off again! But where to this time?

Our very first tour of Japan!

This tour was the idea of my very favorite ladies who travel with me every year. They have given me so many fun challenges, and this may be one of the most ambitious to date. The group is a private custom tour, so we have a few more guests than normal, but I am so excited to spend time with such lovely people.

To celebrate this new destination, we have brand new swag! Our whole group will get our durable new AwS luggage tag. I’ll be giving these out to all groups I lead this year.

Get ready for sushi, shrines, cherry blossoms and maybe even a lightning visit to Tokyo Disneyland. It’s going to be a wild ride, I hope you’ll follow along. Btw, we are offering this tour next year in October, up for sale now!

Sayonara!

April 17th

Japan is a funny place.

It’s at once familiar and deeply strange. You know about Japan, you’ve seen it on TV, but it’s a different thing being here in person. It is odd in so many ways.

People are friendly, even curious about us. School girls on the train using google translate to chat us up. A funny chef who communicated in silliness since we had no common language.

A great portion of the cars look like boxes on wheels, and parking lots have metal bars that pop up to keep you from driving away if you haven’t paid.

You can get a warm sweet potato to go as a snack, although eating or drinking while you’re walking around town is not culturally appropriate.

There are cat cafes, they invented them. There are also maid cafes, apparently, where waitresses cosplay as French maids. Umm. Ok?

There are virtually no public garbage cans, but there are vending machines everywhere, even totally random parking lots.

Toilet seats are warmed and make noise when you sit on them. The noise is to mask your farts. Really.

There are a million things about Japan that have struck me. It is not like anywhere else. They like rules. A lot. They like “kawaii” or “cute” a lot.

I’ve written about so many destinations, but honestly, I don’t even know where to start here. It’s just a weird place. But the good thing is, I’m weird. I like weird. So aside from the millions of rules, I think Japan and I are going to get along just fine.

Also: It’s spring in Japan and you know what that means—cherry blossoms! Come for a walk with me through a garden in the city of Okayama to see spring flowers and typical Japanese gardening.

April 18th

Beautiful Kyoto – Kinkakuji Temple

April 20th

Along the coast of Japan, there are more than 3000 islands, many of which have little to no population. As a way to combat depopulation, a seed project was started on the island of Naoshima. All over the island, contemporary artists have added art to the landscape. An anchor museum, designed by famous architect Tadao Andò, displays several panels of Monet’s Waterlilies.

Come along on an adventure to explore Naoshima with me by bike.

April 22nd

Have I mentioned to you yet how amazing the food in Japan is? Apparently Anthony Bourdain thought the best food in the world was in Japan, and I’m beginning to believe it. And I’m not just talking about fancy restaurants, although the steak at a nice restaurant is unbelievable and a bargain for the quality. I’m also talking about humble ramen shops run by one guy with a stove. I’m talking about a shopping mall dumpling place, the roadside food court, the basement grocery deli of a department store, the snack zone of the “kombini” or convenience store. It’s all good, and I’m not joking. I haven’t had a bad meal.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t particularly like seafood, especially fish. Japan was not high on my To-Do list when it comes to food. Seaweed and eel are not my favorite. But you don’t have to love seafood to eat well here, and even the seafood-shy will be surprised to eat squid or sashimi that will knock their socks off.

If you’re into food, Japan is the place to visit. You don’t have to be a “Foodie” you just have to keep an open mind and be cool with taking your “no-thank you” bite at every meal. You never know what will be your next favorite food around here.

When I said the food was amazing here, I meant it!

Come with me to have a look at a Japanese department store food hall. This is located in a train station!

April 23rd

Did you know you can buy vintage Kimonos in Japan for a bargain?

Kimonos are made of beautiful fabrics which can be worn as robes, altered into jackets or dresses, or pieced out for quilts or craft projects. Cheap ones cost about 1000 yen, or $6, and ceremonial ones (like the mustard colored one I’m wearing) can cost upwards of $200 depending on the material. I wish I’d have bought that one, I’d have used it as an art piece and hung it on a wall. There are also shops that sell the old kimonos by weight, which is ideal for quilters and crafters.

The kimono isn’t simply a robe, though, it is a costume with many pieces. The accessories are also sold used, and could be used for table runners or crafts as well.

So, what went home with me? You’ll have to wait for my bag unpacking video to see all of the treats I’ve found.

Just outside of Kyoto is the town of Nara, which has a beautiful park with a famous shrine. Come with me to see the largest bronze Buddha in the world, and along the way we will bump into some of Nara’s most famous residents.

April 25th

Have you ever heard of an Onsen?

In Japan, there are hot springs surrounding Mount Fuji. Little resort towns have popped up to accommodate the Japanese love of bathing in mineral water.

We stayed for two days at a very traditional spa hotel in the town of Gero Onsen. Our rooms had tatami mat floors and futons to sleep on. We were given Yukata robes at the door and did everything in them, from happy hour to dinner. But the highlight is the bath. Japanese baths are totally nude (no photos, obviously) and are separated by sex. Our group enjoyed soaking, steaming, scrubbing, and washing as often as we liked for two days. It was marvelous, and my skin and hair are softer than I can recall. I now understand why Japanese women are famous for their beautiful skin.

Onsens are not only in remote resort villages, even hotels at the airport offer the Onsen as an amenity.

April 27th

Spend a relaxing 4 minutes with me at Tokyo’s Teamlabs Planets

I was invited to join my guests to visit an immersive art installation in Tokyo, Teamlabs Planets. It’s hard to describe what it is, so you’ll just have to come along and see. We were mostly barefoot, and all of the surfaces had different textures, so truly a sensory delight.

May 4th

Bonus video! Sarah is back From Japan and brought back goodies!