JAPAN

06/30/23 - 07/15/23

DAY 1

Konnichiwa! Our Japan trip is here! Planned a little over a year in advance, we have set out for a 16-day journey, including an extensive Adventures by Disney tour, and a few days in Tokyo / Disneyland on our own. Our flight path had us on a nonstop Japan Airlines flight from Boston to Tokyo (NRT), followed by a short flight to Osaka (ITM). Total flight time was approximately 17 hours + a 13-hour time change. It was one crazy day of traveling! Once at ITM airport, our tour arranged a transfer shuttle to our hotel, approximately an hour away. While on the shuttle, we quickly made friends with a great family from the West Coast that was also joining the tour. We arrived at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Kyoto around 8:00 PM (JST), where we did a little unpacking. We all were exhausted but excited to finally have arrived at our first destination, Kyoto, Japan.

DAY 2

Up early due to the time change, we headed to breakfast and were quickly out exploring the city of Kyoto! Our Adventures by Disney (AbD) tour did not start until tomorrow, so we had a day to explore on our own. We headed to an older section of Kyoto, Gion, which housed traditional Japanese streets filled with stores and homes, including the most unique Starbucks we have ever seen! Grab your favorite drink and then set yourself up on traditional tatami mats. We then spent some time at Nishiki food market and walked by Kyoto's town hall, where an old lamp post stands from Boston (a sister city), which was gifted in 1969. We finished the day at the Sanjusangen-do Temple filled with 100s of gold statues and the Kyoto National Museum, set in a beautiful modern building. Our first amazing day came to a close with a brief meeting of our 2 tour guides who will lead us through Japan for the next 9 days.

DAY 3

An AbD welcome breakfast kickstarted our day, where we ate while learning some of the logistics of the trip and meeting our fellow adventurers. There were 36 other participants on the tour (9 families from across the U.S.). Our bus picked us up for our first amazing activity, a rickshaw tour of Kyoto's magical bamboo forest, and the surrounding village. We quickly made friends with our fun drivers, who did an amazing job of driving the rickshaws, while giving us an extensive tour and taking photos. We then set out for a traditional Japanese lunch, which included finely sliced beef and vegetables, which you cooked yourself over a flame pot (Sukiyaki). This was one of our best meals. After lunch, we were given some free time to walk around the town for some shopping and ice cream including a cute Miffy shop. We ended the great day with a unique Geisha performance and Q&A session with her while enjoying our dinner. The history and traditions of Japan is really astounding!

DAY 4

Today was by far the longest day of the tour. We started at 7 AM and were nonstop filled with activities through 11 PM. First, we boarded the Shinkansen Train (bullet train) for a 90-minute journey to Hiroshima. The train was amazingly smooth and reached speeds throughout the countryside of nearly 200 MPH. Japan's transit is outstanding. After arriving, we took a short ferry ride to Miyajima, a small and historic island off the coast of Hiroshima. We were given a chance to have lunch, walk the scenic waterfront streets and meet some of the native deer that roam the island. We also toured two temples before heading to the Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum. The Museum gave a real-world view of the tragic events of the atomic bomb that was dropped in 1945. It was definitely both an educational and emotional place to visit. To end the day, we were taken to eat a local favorite, Okonomiyaki, which is a delicious pancake filled with, noodles, vegetables, and a sauce. Before heading back we grabbed some snacks for the train at one of Japan's most popular convenience stores, Lawson.

DAY 5

Our last full day in Kyoto started with a visit to the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. Translated as the "Pure Water Temple", we were given an extensive tour and then could hold traditional small buckets in the waterfalls of the temple to taste the fresh spring water. Each waterfall represents a different luck you will run into throughout your life. After the temple, we attended a bento box creation class, where we created our own lunch using fresh local ingredients. Once full from lunch, we had some free time in the same Nishiki Market area we visited on our own. We then headed to an amazing lesson in the art of Taiko Drumming. Our instructor was incredible and made our lesson creative and fun. He ended the lesson with an outstanding performance. For tonight, each family had some "on your own" time, so we selected an Italian dinner on Kyoto's river restaurant row; followed by visiting the observation deck at Kyoto Tower, Kyoto's tallest building.

DAY 6

Today we are making our way to our second stop in Japan, Takayama. Takayama is in the "Japanese Alps" a countryside, mountainous area about a 5-hour drive from Kyoto. First, we visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine and all of its many red Torii gates. The trail extends for miles and includes nearly 1,000 beautiful gates. After our visit, we headed south to visit an authentic Dohyo to watch Sumo wrestlers practice and compete. We then headed to the Taima-dera Temple, for a quick walkthrough of their rock and botanical gardens and a traditional Buddhist lunch where we were treated to a plate full of fresh vegetables, soups, and rice that truly was set like a work of art. Our journey continued arriving at the Hotel Associa Takayama for a dinner buffet and a relaxing dip in their rooftop onsen (hot springs spa) to end the night.

DAY 7

After breakfast, we headed to the historic village of Shirakawa-Go. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this tiny village houses old Gassho-style buildings made with steep-pitched thatched roofs. After a brief ice cream stop at a scenic lookout, we walked around the village visiting different shops for souvenirs and unique snacks. For lunch, we had a delicious Japanese "hot pot" experience, filled with vegetables, chicken, and fish. After lunch, we biked through a small town's rice fields. Our bicycle guide gave us a tour of the local area and explained how the rice was produced and sold. Once off the bicycles, we took part in a brief calligraphy class, where we learned how to write our names as well as a few key Japanese symbols, like peace and harmony. We ended the day with a lovely dinner consisting of the area's renowned tender Hida beef.

DAY 8

Today, we started the day with a food and Sake tour of Old Town Takayama. It was our first rainy morning, so being able to pop in and out of different shops was helpful. Our guide shared a few tasty treats consisting of different desserts, snacks, and miso soup. We ended the tour at a Sake shop, where they explained the process of making Sake and we were able to sample a few different kinds. The kids even got Sake-inspired ice cream! Now, it was on to the world's busiest city, Tokyo. We took two 2-hour trains (local and Shinkansen) and arrived in Tokyo for dinner. Gonpachi, a crazy loud restaurant, that inspired a scene in the movie Kill Bill, was a great transition into the city! After dinner, we took a ride through the famous Shibuya Crossing and checked into an oasis in the Tokyo skyline, The beautiful Peninsula Hotel.

DAY 9

As part of the ultimate luxury of The Peninsula hotel, the hotel provided you with a customized breakfast room service each day; The room was truly amazing; likely the best hotel we have stayed at in the world so far. After breakfast, we visited Tokyo SkyTree, an observatory 2,000 feet over Tokyo. The view gave you an impressive perspective of just how large Tokyo is. We nervously even stepped on the glass bottom floor, before returning to street level. We then spent some on our own time at the crowded Senso-ji temple and market area, for some shopping and lunch at one of Japan's signature burger chains, MOS Burger. For our last activity, we were introduced to the Japanese art of Kintsugi where we put together broken pottery with glue and touches of gold for your own personal art piece. We ended the day with dinner at another Sukiyaki restaurant before meeting a local friend and grabbing a beer at The Peninsula's rooftop bar.

DAY 10

We can't believe it but today was the final day of the AbD tour. After our traditional in-room breakfast, we headed out for a tea ceremony at an authentic Japanese tea house. We toured the gardens filled with 30+-year-old Bonsai trees and lovely ponds of Koi fish before taking part in the ceremony and making our own hot tea. We then headed to the Tsukiji Fish Market for a look at the local catch. Any type of seafood you can imagine was on display and on sale! After lunch, we headed to Team Lab Planets an interactive unique museum of lights, mirrors, flowers, and more. This was a favorite for little Michael. We also visited Small Worlds Tokyo, a museum displaying detailed miniature cities! We capped off the day with a fabulous farewell dinner atop our hotel. The guides prepared an amazing slide show highlighting the trip and after dinner, we joined a few families for a final goodbye and delicious desert at the famous Shibuya Crossing!

DAY 11

Our tour has ended but the fun continues! We had planned one more day and night in Tokyo, before continuing on to Disneyland. Although a bit sad we were no longer with our AbD friends, we covered a few additional attractions on our own including the world-famous Mitsukoshi Department Store, with a food hall in the basement not to be missed! A unique 4-story Starbucks Reserve and a visit to the video game capital of Tokyo, Akihabara. Lunch today was at Yoshinoya, a Japanese fast-food chain. We ended our stay with a fun Japanese baseball game at the Tokyo Dome, featuring the Tokyo Giants against the Hiroshima Carp. Songs, cheerleaders, and the crowd entertained us throughout the night and Tokyo pulled off the win! Tonight, we all slept well for our final night at The Peninsula!

DAY 12

Our time in the amazing city of Tokyo has been completed. After breakfast and a quick pack up, we were off to the most magical place in Japan, Tokyo Disneyland Resort. Our tour arranged a private transfer to the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta. Tokyo Disneyland Resort has two parks, a traditional Disneyland park, and the majestic Tokyo DisneySea. The detailing and theming of this park is truly spectacular and all aquatic inspired as you stand in front of landscapes like the Mediterranean Harbor, the Arabian Coast, and the American Waterfront. After check-in, we spent the day exploring DisneySea and all its exciting and original attractions.

DAY 13

Today, we focused on the more familiar Disneyland Park. Our hotel had direct access to DisneySea, which was great, but for Disneyland, you needed to ride the monorail over to Disneyland’s main entrance. In our traditional Disney fashion, we are up early and at the front gate before opening. Staying on property gave you a small 15-minute headstart called “Happy 15 Entry” which put you at the front of the line for the most sought-after attractions. Our first ride was The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, a unique, trackless attraction that lived up to the hype! After a few rides, we took a nice longer lunch inside overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean at the Blue Bayou restaurant. We finished the day with many of our favorites including Splash Mountain, Peter Pan, and the Tea Cups!

DAY 14

Our last full day in Japan is here. Since DisneySea is so unique to Japan, we decided to spend a second day there and with the park literally out our front door, it was hard to resist. We took advantage of the “Happy 15 Entry” again and started with the exciting Soaring: Fantastic Flight. After 2 early starts, we took a small break from the park to explore their Disney Springs-type Market Place, Ikspiari. The afternoon continued with thrills including the spooky Tower of Terror! For dinner, we ate inside the park at Restaraunt Sakura, themed as an American fish market, for our last official Japanese meal. We ended the night with an impressive fireworks, float, and light show spectacular called Believe: Sea of Dreams.

DAY 15

Our Japan trip is coming to a close! It was an amazing 2 weeks. Japan is really a special place. We have never seen a country so clean and safe with the friendliest, most helpful people in the world. With each interaction, the Japanese people were welcoming and happy to help! Good memories continued; even to the last minute at check out, where our bellman provided a fun photo shoot for us in front of the hotel. For our last step, we used the Disney shuttle to Narita Airport, where we flew efficiently through security, grabbed a snack in the JAL Sakura lounge, and awaited our flight. Our flight was a nonstop JAL 13-hour flight to Boston, departing and arriving at 6:45 PM local time! As we got home, we all talked about what a great experience this was and have planned a return to Japan, one day!