Essence of Japan, Spring 2012

We are planning on a trip to Japan during April 2012. Is there any one who made the trip before and advise us as to the language, weather and culture of the country as you saw and experienced it? Also, is there any apprehension because of the Nuclear episode, Tusami and Earthquake.
Nathan

Comments

  • edited November 2011
    We just got back(11/3) from Essence of Japan with Kit Loose as the Tour Director. Kit was/is great! He even entertains you with his ukelele and sings! Language can be a problem, but Kit speaks Japanese. That being said, I can say that we had no problem with language and getting along. In all of our years of travel, the people are the gentlest, gracious, and most friendly that we have met. Japan is EXPENSIVE!!!! In Kyoto there is a teppanyaki restaurant, Misono, where my husband and I went for a Kobe beef dinner. For 2 salads and 3.5 oz. each of Kobe beef and a bottle of really nice Medoc was $404. In our opinion, well worth it for a treat. In Kyoto too, there is an Okonomiyaki (noodles and more) restaurant named Kiraku, that is quite good. You can get a noodle meal for $13 or so. Japan is quite safe and a walk along the Ginza either day or night is fun. You might want to pick up a Japanese language card and learn a few words - konnichiwas (hello), arigato (thank you). Enjoy your trip! We certainly did! Judy Fudge
  • to fudgbug:
    #2 Posted : Sunday, November 06, 2011 4:42:01 PM
    Thanks for your response to my enquiry regarding our Essence of Japan trip during spring 2012! Informative!!
    Nathan
  • Nathan: Yes, my husband and I did this trip in October, 2010, five months prior to that horrible earthquake and it's aftermath. I was definitely upset when I saw that beautiful country damaged in that way.

    We absolutely LOVED Japan. Kit was also our TD and, as previously stated, so helpful and knowledgeable He made it easy for us to be comfortable and enjoy the beauty of that country, I am Vegan and, since language was a problem, he wrote a note in Japan stating what I could and could not eat. I took it to the restaurants with me and in almost every case, the chef would come to the table and tell me, in broken english, exactly what he was able to prepare for me for dinner! It was so smart and I was so much more comfortable with the food.

    In the future, I will ask our TD's to do the same in any country that language may be a problem.

    Fabulous trip! Saw amazing things and met such gentle and sweet people. BTW, the taxi cabs are the cleanest we have ever seen! Drivers wear white gloves and there are doilies on the headrests for cleanliness! Hotels were wonderful as well and the breakfast at our hotel in Kyoto was amazing. They had everything you could want on that buffet!

    We are sure you will love it!

    Lili and Larry Fisher

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