Explored a new side of Japan!
Japan
|
Dec 6 - Dec 19, 2025
All the members of my family have been to Japan multiple times, but this trip helped us to deepen our understanding and explore new parts of the country we'd never accessed before. Shona provided wonderful service from planning to booking to helping us to handle unexpected bumps in the road (a member of my party left their passport at a hotel early on, and she was immensely helpful in us getting it back seamlessly and stress free).
A few standout guides/experiences:
Architecture Walking Tour in Omotesando - this was our first formal experience on the trip and set the tone. Yoshi was a passionate, thoughtful, and friendly guide who helped us to understand the architectural treasures hidden in plain sight in this busy neighborhood.
Hidden Gem Food & Whiskey Night Tour near Roppongi - We were staying in Roppongi and didn't realize that there was such an amazing enclave of restaurants so close by. Ellen clearly loves food and this neighborhood, and seeing it through her eyes was very fun. At the end of the night, we ate a meal at the neighborhoo Obaa-chan's restaurant. What a special experience to be in a 4 table restaurant and be served a home-cooked, custom meal from the neighborhood granny!
Full Day Mt. Fuji with Chureito Pagoda & Oishi Park - Really loved spending time with Toru. He helped provide a great background on Japanese history and geography. His enthusiasm for the towns was infectious. It was clear how excited he was to get clear views of Fuji and this made the experience special.
Takayama Full-Day Walking Tour - Miyuki has so much pride and love for Takayama. You could tell based on her description of the annual festival, and the way she would pick up any stray pieces of litter along the way during our tour. That spoke volumes to me about the values of Miyuki and the Japanese people overall. She also pointed us towards her neighborhood restaurant, which was probably the one of the best meal and dining experiences we had during the trip. Still thinking about that Omelette.
Half Day Artisan Tour in Kanazawa - Nozomi was energic, fun, and incredibly well connected in the city. I was impressed with her connection to so many of the artisans of Kanazawa. Impressively, we decided to spend the first part of the tour in the Geisha district, and Nozomi was able to provide a full history and background from memory, without planning. Additionally, she heard we were interested in seafood and pointed us to a very special restaurant to enjoy after the tour, even calling and making a reservation for us. Never would have found that place on our own and I've never seen my dad so happy at a meal.
Hotel Reviews
A wonderful Ryokan experience. There are two different onsens, which alternate between Men and Women each day. We were left slack jawed by the outdoor waterfall and hotspring. Simply magical. Would recommend the buffet meals here - they're quite extensive and quite good.
Wonderful full service Ryokan.
Right in the heart of Roppongi. Solid breakfast.
Activity Reviews
This was our first formal experience on the trip and set the tone. Yoshi was a passionate, thoughtful, and friendly guide who helped us to understand the architectural treasures hidden in plain sight in this busy neighborhood. Great experience if you want to practice photography!
We were staying in Roppongi and didn't realize that there was such an amazing enclave of restaurants so close by. Ellen clearly loves food and this neighborhood, and seeing it through her eyes was very fun. At the end of the night, we ate a meal at the neighborhoo Obaa-chan's restaurant. What a special experience to be in a 4 table restaurant and be served a home-cooked, custom meal from the neighborhood granny!
Really loved spending time with Toru. He helped provide a great background on Japanese history and geography. His enthusiasm for the towns was infectious. It was clear how excited he was to get clear views of Fuji and this made the experience special.
Miyuki has so much pride and love for Takayama. You could tell based on her description of the annual festival, and the way she would pick up any stray pieces of litter along the way during our tour. That spoke volumes to me about the values of Miyuki and the Japanese people overall. She also pointed us towards her neighborhood restaurant, which was probably the one of the best meal and dining experiences we had during the trip. Still thinking about that Omelette.
Nozomi was energic, fun, and incredibly well connected in the city. I was impressed with her connection to so many of the artisans of Kanazawa. Impressively, we decided to spend the first part of the tour in the Geisha district, and Nozomi was able to provide a full history and background from memory, without planning. Additionally, she heard we were interested in seafood and pointed us to a very special restaurant to enjoy after the tour, even calling and making a reservation for us. Never would have found that place on our own and I've never seen my dad so happy at a meal.