Kimkim Trip Reviews for Japan

Very clean and comfortable with helpful staff. The only drawback is that there is no restaurant service after breakfast

A great place to relax. Professional staff provide a top notch experience

This was probably my favorite hotel I've ever stayed at. The design and decor was phenomenal. Everything was very clean. The breakfast buffet was amazing! The location was perfect.

The location was perfect! The staff was extremely kind and helpful. Everything was very clean. The breakfast buffet was amazing!

We loved learning about the history of the Osaka castle.

Miyajima island and the shrines on the water were so beautiful! Our guide had some extra challenges with our group that day, and she did an amazing job with dealing with the circumstances to ensure we could finish seeing all the things and the museum in Hiroshima.

We loved learning about the traditional tea ceremony and dressing up in the traditional clothing and taking photos together.

We had good experiences riding the bullet trains.

The boat ride to see mount Fuji was disappointing because the mountain was behind clouds. This is not the fault of our guide. We also got caught in a thunderstorm downpour that day, which added some spice to our day. We were not able to complete the full experience our guide had planned for us because of the rain.

This was probably our most favorite place to say during our trip. Our room with on suite onsen was specular. There are a number of tourists that stay in this hotel so breakfast can get pretty packed but they staff and amenities are specular.

Truly an amazing, one of a kind experience. The house was beautiful and it was great to change up our setting after being in two hotels in other cities. The house has a huge shower/cedar tub that was great for relaxing in after a long day of walking in the summer heat. We really appreciated the breakfast that was delivered to the house and that it showcased local food. If you are looking for something a little different and very authentic this is a great option.

This was an amazing treat. We received instruction on Japanese Calligraphy from an amazing family in Nara. Our senior instructor had incredible skill and made the process look so simple. She and her daughters were gracious hosts helping us work on our brush strokes before getting to create a final version that they then framed. We ended the session with a light snack and some tea, which absolutely hit the spot before we continued our sightseeing at Nara park. We could have spent the entire day with these magnificent ladies and it was a true pleasure to learn from them.

We had an amazing experience with our host. One of our attendees didn't fully appreciate the intricacies of the Wagyu experience but he was an unfortunate outlier. Emily was an amazing guide and we greatly appreciated her knowledge of Shinjuku, it's history and insights into areas to visit again on another trip. My son has a peanut allergy and she was very sensitive to that issue and made sure we did not have anything to worry about in that regard and we were very happy to have her when we stopped at the retro candy store and she was able to double check all of the food labels for us!

Our tour guide Pam was incredibly knowledgeable about the Gion district, and Temples she took us to. Her knowledge and insight made the tour extremely interesting and is something we would absolutely do again. She even provided us with additional recommendations for places to visit or specific shops to see based on our interests.

Great Guide.

Food was awful! I cant believe I paid for a tour that involved food and it was awful in Japan. Only place we ate that was bad during 11 days.

Upscale hotel - they have a wonderful lobby space and offer a welcome drink which was much appreciated. They are beautifully located relative to the subway (30 meters/yards from the entrance!) and on a much traveled line. Nice neighborhood as well - great hotel.

A rather tony part of Tokyo, so a bit less crowded - which was nice. Very nice amenities and first class rooms.

The view!

Great location in Asakusa. Just be aware the neighborhood gets quiet after 8 PM, so if you want a later meal there are slim pickings.

Beautiful facility with opportunities to improve service.

Amazing location in Kyoto, close to everything. Rooms were compact and breakfast was all tourists. I think this is typical for Kyoto at this time of year.

Beautiful property in a quiet Japanese village.

My favorite meal of the trip. Outstanding Omakase experience.

What a neat experience at a 7th generation family business.

I thought this would be silly, but it was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed it.

The family room was beautiful

We loved this hotel. The location, food, staff were all excellent!

This was one of our favorite days. We absolutely loved the small mountain town around Mt Fuji, the boat ride on the lake, the old village we toured where they used to make silk and a beautiful Shinto shrine with the biggest cedar trees I’d ever seen! The landscape was amazing and we had the best sushi of our lives at this wonderful restaurant our guide, Keiko, picked out. They even made a special dish only available for dinner for our son for lunch. Everyone was so friendly!

We loved the market and the temple! Keiko our tour guide also took us to her favorite paper store for stationary which was a great little side trip I to a beautiful shopping area.

Very nice accommodations

Loved the green vibe

Great location and good breakfast food

Fun learning how to make sushi and some Japanese food

We experienced some local food but it was not unique. The restaurants were just on the tourist strip and not places that would be special finds.

Recommend this for everyone visiting Tokyo. It was our favorite experience in Japan.

Great location close to many attractions as well as the subway.

The beds were comfortable and the shower was great. The breakfast was also very good.

Beautiful scenery. We enjoyed this a lot.

We enjoyed hiking up the mountain to see the monkeys. My daughter enjoyed feeding them. Great exercise experience.

Both the kimono tea and Samurai experiences were fantastic!

We loved the sushi making experience with Chef Tuki and his assistant Ms. Yoki! We highly recommend.

Team lab was my kids’ favorite activity! A very unique experience.

The rooms were sufficient and clean, but they were quite small. I wish we had more space to put our luggage and that the bathroom set up was different.

What a fancy place to be. While there was minimal A/C in the central atrium, the rooms were nice sizes, the beds were comfy and the amenities were plentiful. The breakfast options were also a plus, as after being in country for a week we were ready for something more familiar than a Japanese breakfast.

So much fun and quite a work out! The language barrier meant that we didn't learn as much about the history of Taiko drumming as we would have liked, but we did learn how to play them and play for an entire hour!

We had so much fun being dressed in traditional tea ceremony outfits. My kids and I loved the experience of what it's like to layer on a kimono and kneel to make tea. The sweets were delicious and we learned a lot about the ritual of making tea. Plus, lots of fun photo ops in the garden.

Fuji sang did not come out from behind the clouds on our visit, but it was still a beautiful area. The music forest was closed the day we visited and our tour guide pivoted us to a museum sharing the history of Mt. Fuji and a World Heritage Village that was amazing to see. This was when I learned that in Japan your wealth is measured by your garden, not your house. Our tour guide also took us to a traditional soba house for lunch where we sat on tatami mats and ate huge bowls of soba with tempura.

It was very neat to see how Miyazaki created his animated films. I think we could have spent less time in this museum.

Super fun to learn about Sumo and get to try it ourselves. The entire experience was geared toward tourists, but it didn't matter. We had so many fun photo ops posing with the sumo wrestlers.

We spent only 1 night here but loved the view of the crossing and convenience to the train station. Had a great meal in the cafe and breakfast buffet was amazing! Bed was very comfortable and room was the largest we had in the trip.

Perfect location a few steps away from Dotonburi in one direction and high end stores in the other. The staff was especially friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was the best we had on the trip. So many options!

Very comfortable hotel in a convenient location near train station. Great amenities available with laundry, breakfast and a toiletries bar in the lobby for anything you may have forgotten. Check in/check out was so efficient. Loved the soaking tub in the bathroom!

The hotel is in a beautiful and peaceful location with a close walk into town. So interesting and unique to experience a traditional Japanese hotel, the onsen, and authentic meals in our room overlooking the river.

Comfortable stay in a quieter yet tourist friendly part of Tokyo. No complaints

We added Osaka to our itinerary last minute and I’m so glad we did! Although Osaka is another large city close to Kyoto, the vibes were so different. Very friendly and fun place. Had a great guide Senei who we really enjoyed spending the day with! Having a private driver made transport a breeze.

We got to see so many sites on this tour and learned a great deal about ancient history. Kyoto is an amazing place and very unique. Unfortunately one of the main castles was closed the day of our visit and the tour guide had purchased tickets in advance so it felt like a letdown

Really fun touristy experience that gave us a lot of laughs and pictures! Only drawback was the time of year being summer did make the kimonos uncomfortable but we had a lot of fun with it

Such a different experience from Tokyo - serene landscapes with Mt Fuji as the backdrop with a private guide and driver. Ayumi our tour guide was great at giving us information on the area and history. She also tailored the experience based off of my family’s interests which made the day very special. Ayumi and Mr Kong, our driver, made the day fun and relaxed.

While we had some great food in places we would not have found ourselves, the food itself did not stand out to me as being that memorable. I had hoped for something a bit more special. The guide was very hard to hear in loud places and I felt like we missed out on interesting info about the area.

Nao was our tour guide for our first full day in Japan. She was the best and asked us if we liked the planned itinerary and made subtle changes along the way to our plans that perfectly suited my family!

The hotel is clean and in a great location. If you've ever been to Las Vegas and stayed on the strip, that is what this hotel reminds me of. It's not easy to just go in the lobby and get to your room. You walk past shops on the basement level and take two different sets of elevators and meander to get to your room. So the vibe of it reminded me of one of the larger casinos. Rooms were clean and we got two that joined together so we could have our 8 and 11 year olds in the room next to us!

We loved this hotel! We got the large suite on the top floor for our family of 4. (My husband and I and our 2 daughters - age 8 and 11.) The beds were comfy and large enough for my husband who is 6'6 which is always a feat! We also loved this breakfast buffet that our trip planner, Greg, added in for us. The location great and close to so many things. The room was clean and huge with so much space. Would stay here again and request our room in a heartbeat!

This was such a unique place to stay in Kyoto. We loved having an onsen in our room, as our 8 and 11 year old daughters did not want to go to a public one and be nude in front of other women haha! We loved our room and it was huge which surprised us! Beds were comfy and the staff was so accommodating on getting us a fantastic vegetarian breakfast in the morning. It was like a five-course fancy meal that we were not expecting at all. It also was walking distance to so many things including the Yasaka Shrine and Pagoda, all things we wanted to see. Would stay here again in a heartbeat!

Loved this hotel! We were here the first two nights of our trips and got two separate rooms for my husband and I and our 8 and 11 year old daughters. The view from the higher level rooms knocks your socks off as your first time in the city. We included breakfast in our daily stays and loved the breakfast buffet too. The location was great, hotel was clean, staff was friendly, and it was in a great location!

Our guide Pam is what made this walking tour even more magical. She was so sweet and kind and made our 8 and 11 year old daughters feel included. She knows her history and really gets excited to share it, which made us so excited to hear it. She led us through various shrines and temples and was so patient while we shopped at washi club which is a unique stationary store. She gave great recommendations for restaurants and even helped us find ones that had vegetarian options. It was blazing hot on the day of the tour and she handled it like a champion. She was definitely one of our favorite guides we have ever had on any tour ever in all of our travels.

This is a nice no-frills hotel with a public bath and very convenient location just a block from Sapporo station. You can choose amenities from the lobby. We had two rooms for our family of four, with our kids across the hall from us. We saw a lot of Asian tourists, and very few Westerners. On the second floor there is a restaurant that has free drinks and snacks available in the evening (though the desserts had always run out when we checked), plus some vending machines, and ice machine, and men's and women's baths with one coin-operated washer dryer in each. The room was very clean but pretty compact, and every day we got 2 bottles of water and fresh pajamas from housekeeping. The breakfast buffet wasn't huge but had a more-than-adequate selection of Japanese and western foods and a chef who prepared the crepe of the day. The front desk staff were always very courteous and helpful. I missed the opportunity to take advantage of this, but the breakfast tickets could also be used at Kitano Gurume, a seafood market and restaurant that offers a free shuttle for both pick-up and drop off (reservation required). We don't eat much breakfast, so next time I'll definitely save my ticket to use at Kitano Gurume instead! In addition to Sapporo station, there were a few department stores and underground shopping areas nearby, as well as plenty of restaurants, izakayas, and sake bars on nearby streets. It was a 15 or 20 minute walk to Ramen Alley and Tanukikoji shopping arcade. Because Sapporo is not humid like the places we visited in Honshu, it was quite pleasant to walk around in the city, especially in the evening.

I have stayed at this temple a few times before, starting with a couple of hiking trips in the mid 90s. At that time, we took the train partway and then hiked up to the mountain top. We had basic tatami rooms with several futons and not much else, which was perfect for my budget at the time. I remembered the shojin ryori made with mountain vegetables and koya-dofu as well as a sesame tofu. Then I brought my husband to Rengejo-in during his first trip to Japan in 2008, and he fell in love with it too. In fact, we came straight here from Kansai International. On that trip, we also woke up early to join the 6 am chanting ceremony. The food was delicious and generous in portion. I remember that the doorways were all lined with paper --very traditional -- and we could faintly hear other guests coughing in the distance. Not a problem, but part of the rustic nature of staying in a Buddhist temple. This time, we brought our 2 kids, 12 and 15, with us. We got a ride directly there from Kyoto. Our room, booked by our Kimkim travel specialist, was the beautiful and luxurious Himalaya Junior Suite. It was truly stunning, with a beautifully decorated large tatami room with closets and private bathroom with floor to ceiling windows overlooking a garden. We had a small table with a teapot and snacks, and a mini-fridge and safe. The room was also stocked with yukata and a short jacket that you could wear over it for cooler weather (not necessary in June!) The bathroom was very modern, with a washlet (and lid that opens and closes automatically), beautiful shower and bathtub, and two sinks! The cherry on top: a fancy hairdryer and skin care products. To be honest, I saw how pricey this room is to book, and I'd never choose it for myself, but I am grateful that Eleanor chose this to give us an unforgettable stay. It's worth noting that there are standard rooms in the shokubo with a shared bathroom that are much less pricey. After a quick trip to Family Mart (about 20 minutes away on foot) to stock up on extra snacks for the kids, we adults joined the 5 pm meditation, which started with a brief explanation in English and Japanese, followed by about 40 minutes of meditation. I've gone to a meditation center a couple of times, so it wasn't too bad to sit for 40 minutes. Then we enjoyed our sumptuous dinner in a private dining room, which was served on 2 raised trays with several small dishes (different types of tofu, rice, pickles, vegetables, mushrooms, tempura, soup), and they brought in a third tray with more dishes after we sat down on our cushions. The meal looked like a work of art and we loved it, but our kids filled up mostly on rice --one prefers meat and the other is still picky about vegetables. Luckily we were supplied with an extra large bowl of rice and a pot of green tea for refills. There isn't much to do otherwise, but you can walk around the gardens, and there is a small common room with a TV. We ventured out for a walk and found several other temples and shokubo very close by, as well as a pagoda and children's park. We also discovered an izakaya (Ima-chan) nearby on the opposite side of the street as well as several vending machines with hot and cold beverages and snacks, but we were still full from dinner (I ate some of my kids' food too because it was so tasty and healthy). There are baths for men and women, but the men's bath was already full so we used the bath in our suite instead. The next morning, we checked out and left our luggage near the front for a few hours while we took the bus (about 10 min walk from the temple) to Okuno-in. Another lovely and memorable stay at the beautiful Rengejo-in!

This place was amazing - our favorite stay during our 2 weeks in Japan. When you first walk in, you are greeted by staff who take your luggage and direct you to put your shoes in lockers (2 people per locker). The locker keys are kept at the front desk in exchange for your room key. The entire facility has tatami mats, which felt so nice and cool under our feet. On the way to our room, we passed an area where we could pick from 4 or 5 different types of pillows (buckwheat, double fold, etc.) The room itself was quite spacious - we had 4 futons on raised platforms. I pushed two together as a makeshift king bed for hubby and me. The fridge was stocked with bottled water. There were pajamas that you could wear throughout the facility in the rooms, and you can exchange them at the front desk if you need another size. Near the lobby there is also an area where you can pick out a yukata (cotton kimono robe) and obi (belt) in assorted sizes and colors. Other amenities include a lounge where you can get probiotic drinks, filtered water, popsicles, and noodles, selection depending on the time of day. In the welcome lounge, there were cold teas and sake, plus a sweet treat in the evening. One of the highlights of this hotel was the public and private baths. We were feeling modest, so we opted for the private bath - there are 5 rooms available on a first come, first serve basis. Often there was no wait, and when we did have to wait, it was a fairly short time. There are no showers available in the bath facility as guests are asked to shower in their rooms before bathing. The private baths were beautiful - each one had a different shape and there was a lovely but secluded outdoor space. The breakfast buffet was outstanding. The selection included different types of traditional Japanese foods, but also some western, Korean, and Chinese dishes plus a salad bar, cereals, and desserts. It was almost overwhelming! If you go during peak periods you may have to wait for a table, but the turnover was fairly quick. Last but not least, there are onside massages available. We went for massages twice during our stay, and my favorite was the foot massage - perfect after a long day of walking in the extreme heat and humidity. It was pretty easy to get a same day appointment, and prices were very reasonable. This is truly a special place that I hope to visit again if I'm ever in Kyoto.

This was probably my least favorite accommodation on our trip. It was fairly conveniently located, but the front desk staff was unfriendly at check-in, and the included breakfast only had 2 choices (yogurt with granola and an egg sandwich) that you had to select ahead of time. We ended up just getting breakfast for our kids at a nearby conbini. There wasn't much in the immediate neighborhood, but you could walk to Hondori fairly easily, though that mean passing through a red light district. It never felt unsafe, but there were a lot of signs with provocative pictures of young women, and when we walked through with our tour guide she was a little embarrassed. The room was well appointed with a mini kitchen and in-unit washer dryer, which we made good use of. Not a bad stay, but I wouldn't choose to stay here again.

Conveniently located near Tokyo Tower and Daimon station. There are many convenience stores just steps away, and plenty of restaurants, izakaya, and bars within easy walking distance. That said, it's a fairly quiet neighborhood, so if you are looking for lots of excitement and nightlife, it may. not be the best location. We stayed here with our 2 kids, 12 and 15. They had their own room, but we felt like it was very safe. The room was clean and well-stocked with eco-friendly amenities. We actually stayed here twice -- at the beginning and end of our trip -- it was close to some stores and restaurants that we wanted to visit in Roppongi and Azabujuban. The staff is friendly and attentive, always willing to help to call a taxi. There are refreshments and coffee in the front lobby as well as a lovely library lounge stocked with a variety of books. We enjoyed the healthy breakfasts with plenty of Japanese and western foods. The only small snag we had was that we were supposed to have breakfast included for all of us (4 people, 2 rooms) and initially we were told only one room included breakfast. We had help from our travel specialist to correct this but the internal hotel system and process were a bit inefficient in handing the situation. There were coin-operated (and IIRC they might have also accepted credit card payment) laundry machines on the 4th floor (both washer and dryer) but it sometimes takes some patience and planning as there were only two machines for the entire hotel.

Our guide in Kyoto was Hector. It was another very hot and humid day, and luckily our hotel was right next door to the train station. We traveled to Kinkakuji by train and bus. There were a lot of tourists there taking selfies, so we moved through fairly quickly while Hector told us about key points of interest. We got matcha ice cream while waiting for the bus and made our way to Nijo castle. We watched new Shogun series not long ago, and it was interested to see rooms and scenes that were reminiscient of the show. The kids also found Nijo castle interesting because there were stories of samurai and ninjas. From there we took a taxi to Tanukikoji, a shopping arcade with many food shops and restaurants. It was too crowded for us, however, so we ducked into a side street and found a little brewery that served pizza. Our last stop was the Gekkeikan sake museum, where we watched a short film explaining the sake making process and then browsed the museum. At the end, we were able to taste from a wide selection of sakes. We were originally scheduled to also visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, but it was getting late in the afternoon and we knew it would be crowded and hot, so we asked Hector to skip that part of the tour and returned to our hotel by taxi.

This was shorter tour that we added to our trip when we found out that the Peace Memorial Park wouldn't be accessible on the previous day's tour due to a visit from the Emperor and Empress. We met our guide Remi at our hotel and walked to a tram stop to get to the park. Standing in the park and ground zero (where the atomic bomb was detonated) was a somber and heavy experience, especially hearing about the devastating injuries, deaths, and ongoing suffering that resulted. At the same time, it was touching to see the schoolchildren at the Children's Peace Monument saying prayers and singing songs to pay their respects to the victims and advocate for world peace. As Americans, we remarked that we never learned and fully understood the human impact of the bomb on innocent citizens. It was another scorching hot and humid day, so after walking through the park and seeing the flame, we entered the Museum. Our visit started with a short film where we heard survivor's stories. The imagery was often graphic and could be disturbing, but it really got the point across about the horrors of nuclear weapons. Then we walked through the museum at our own pace while Remi waited for us in the lobby. Again, a lot of graphic images and written stories, but highly educational. It was surprising to hear that former president Obama was the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima, and there was an exhibit with his letter and an origami crane that he folded. After this, our guide took us to a fun kaiten sushi place in Hondori for lunch, where the food and drinks came on a conveyor belt. The kids really enjoyed that. Finally, Remi accompanied us back to our hotel where we picked up our luggage and went to Hiroshima station to catch our train to the next destination. She kindly watched our bags while we browsed a few stores at the station. When we said good-bye, she gave us a Hiroshima postcard and a small origami crane made of beautiful printed paper with a thank-you note. A very nice touch.

Our guide for this tour was Yumi-san. We traveled mostly on public transportation. First, we took a bus to Hiroshima station, a short train ride, and then a ferry to Miyajima. We could see the giant torii right on the beach as we approached the island and learned that when the tide is high, it appears to be floating. It was a really hot day, so we took our time walking around. The kids enjoyed approaching the deer that were roaming the island. We walked through the a street lined with shops where we sampled momiji manju, a maple leaf-shaped cake and local specialty. We also learned that oysters (kaki) were another local specialty, but were out of season when we were there in mid-June, so the grilled oysters we saw vendors making were likely frozen. We then walked on a path along the beach towards Itsukushima shrine, dedicated to the three sisters and goddesses of the sea. On the way back, we sampled some cold beers from Miyajima brewery with some fried oysters and browsed souvenirs. Our kids were not hungry yet, so we took the next ferry back. We saw large groups of school children in uniform arriving, and felt grateful that we had come to the island early. On the other side, we grabbed a quick lunch at a cafe. After this, we hopped on a tram. We were originally scheduled to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, but the Emperor and Empress happened to be there that day, so we just briefly stopped by the Atomic Bomb Dome. We were surprised to see demonstrators angrily protesting the Emperor's visit, 80 years after the bomb, because the Emperor at that time refused to end the war and prevent the devastation. Then we took taxis to Hiroshima Castle, which had some air conditioning but also a lot of stairs to climb. Our kids enjoyed seeing various swords and armor. There was a nice 360-degree view of Hiroshima from the top of the castle. Last stop for the day was Shukkeien Garden, which was lovely, but we were hot and tired at that point so we briefly stopped in the nearby museum's gift shop for a cold drink before heading back to our hotel to cool down and rest.

The Day Trip to Furano from Sapporo was mostly well-coordinated, but there was a misunderstanding about the start time due to lack of prior communication, which led to our guide Yuko waiting for us for about an hour. It was resolved, but could have been avoided with clearer communication. Yuko met us in our hotel lobby and showed us to a brand new luxury minivan driven by Aya. She kindly brought a bag of snacks for the ride to Furano, which was an arduous 2-1/2 hours. We stopped midway at a Family Mart for a bathroom break. Our first site in Furano was Farm Tomita, which featured melons and lavender. It was teeming with large tour groups, mostly Chinese and Korean, so it was quite crowded and busy. It was a hot and sunny day, but fortunately Hokkaido is not humid like the places we had visited on Honshu. The lavender fields were absolutely stunning. There were many different types that varied in color and flowering times, and we had beautiful views of the active volcano Tokachidake (Mt. Tokachi). Here, we had a snack consisting of lavender and melon ice cream and a juicy wedge of melon, both delicious. Then we walked through the fields a bit more and bought lavender-themed souvenirs at one of the shops. Next was lunch at Furano Resort Orika, a golf resort up on a hill. The restaurant had beautiful views of the mountains, and the negi toro lunch set was quite delicious, but I made the mistake of trying a red Hokkaido wine that was disappointingly bad. There was a nice gift shop where we picked up small gifts for my golf-loving brother-in-law. Our next stop was Shikisai-no-Oka the Panoramic Flower Gardens. You could explore the flower fields on a tram or drive a golf cart. We chose the freedom and privacy of our own golf cart. So many beautiful and colorful flowers! From there, we intended to visit Biei Pond (aka Blue Pond), but there was a long line of cars waiting to enter the parking lot, so we decided to visit Shirahige waterfall first. The water was a bright blue color due to aluminum hydroxide from volcanic activity. The nearby onsen looked like it would be worth checking out on a future visit. We drove by Biei Pond again but the line had only grown, so we opted to head back to Sapporo, but Yuko, knowing that we like wine, arranged a quick stop at Furano Winery where we sampled a few wines and bought some Hokkaido cheese for a snack.

This was the first tour of our trip on the day after we arrived in Japan. Thanks to jet lag, we awoke early and met with our guide Watanabe-san, who had messaged me on WhatsApp the previous day to confirm our meeting time at the hotel lobby. He also asked about our meal preferences and food restrictions so that he could choose a suitable restaurant for lunch. Watanabe-san was also monitoring the weather conditions, especially the clouds, in the hopes that we would get a good view of Mt. Fuji. It was a pretty long drive from Tokyo -- about 2 hours -- but fortunately we were in a comfortable minivan with plenty of room. Our first stop was Lake Kawaguchi (aka Kawaguchiko), where we rode on a sightseeing boat that used to be a type of battleship. The top level had the best views, but was crowded, so we were happy to stay on the lower level in the shade and enjoy the gentle breeze, a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat and humidity. Then we went for an early lunch at Konami, which was a combination restaurant and boat rental store. Their featured dish was hoto, a wide noodle similar to udon that is a local dish from Yamanishi prefecture. Although it was a hot day, we tried hot noodles with tempura and fish -- yamame (trout) and wakasagi (pond smelt) were the local catch. They also had shrimp, pork, and other seafood and meat options. From there, we headed to Oishi Park, which had beautiful flower gardens and a view of Mt. Fuji. We had a decent view except for some stubborn clouds that obscured the peak. The park was very crowded with tourists taking selfies, so we moved through fairly quickly before stopping by a souvenir shop, mostly for the shelter and air conditioning. The next stop was Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, a Shinto shrine complex at one of the Mt. Fuji trailheads. There is a nice gravel walkway from the road lined with statues. It wasn't too crowded, which was nice. We learned that this used to be a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine, but during the Meiji period, the government tried to suppress Buddhism. When we finished the planned itinerary, it was on the early side, so our tour guide offered other options where we might still get a peek at Mt. Fuji but we were already quite tired having just arrived the previous day and we wanted to get early dinner in Tokyo. So we headed back, and I believe we all enjoyed a nice nap on the way.

This tour was one of the highlights of our two-week trip in Japan! We met with Sumi, our guide, at the hotel lobby, and she introduced us to her colleague Taki. We could tell right away that they were outdoor enthusiasts based on the way their, gear, outdoor apparel, and healthy tans, somewhat rare for Japanese people. Sumi drove us in a minivan and it took about an hour from Sapporo to get to the Lake Shikotsu area. She gave us a bag with snacks in case we got hungry on the way. The scenery was already beautiful as we approached the lake. We parked in a small one-car spot on the side of the road and walked through the forest to find the beginning of the trail through Moss Canyon. The pictures that we had seen online truly did not do this place justice. It was absolutely stunning with the vivid greens and so many beautiful, tiny details. The hike itself was only about 2 km and flat, but we saw multiple types of moss, a leaf that resembled snakeskin, mushrooms, snails, spiders, rocks, and trees eaten by termites. Sumi pointed out interesting things at the beginning, and then I found myself becoming more mindful and present as I noticed the breathtaking natural beauty around me. I felt calm and relaxed, and just so peaceful. When we finished the hike, we walked to a small beach on the lake and our younger son skipped stones on the water with Taki. Then we had a delicious lunch near the Lake Shikotsu visitor center (also a good place for a pit stop) at a restaurant that featured sockeye salmon (himemasu). After our feast, we walked along the lake for a while, and enjoyed some ice cream before making our way back to Sapporo. This tour was such a wonderful way to end our trip in Japan and left me wanting to visit Hokkaido again to experience more outdoor adventures.

Walking around at night gave us a different view of Kyoto and we appreciated the local food and drink. Our guide (Nami) was very accommodating and friendly. We were supposed to have another couple join us, but they cancelled so this became a defacto private tour. The food difference between Tokyo and Kyoto were noticeable - our guide explained why. Great experience on our last day in Japan.

Learning about Ninja/Samurai history and getting a chance to feel and touch the weapons (take pictures with) was fun. The tea ceremony with kimono was amazing - so much history and culture wrapped up in that event. My family very much enjoyed the matcha tea, and we found we loved the mochi (especially the cinnamon flavor). The host was very good at explaining the ritual but also at ensuring the customs were understood (and practiced).

Learning about Sumo and watching the family participate was amazing. The sumo wrestlers were excellent - gracious and humble. We enjoyed their personalities and the lunch was very good. Finding and arriving on time was a little stressful as this was our first experience in Japan, but we persevered and had a great time. Having someone in the family to cheer for was an important part of the event. Photos were priceless.