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We have some great trips available covering just about every inch of Japan, but one of our most popular small group tours in the 9 night ‘Tokaido Trail’. This is one of our oldest trips which is designed to take in the ‘highlights’ with our usual ‘get beneath the surface’ hidden gems along the way. It is simple, yet such a good tour and we often forget how good it is in favour of some of the more ‘off the beaten track’ trips. Back in November, a chap called Rob Harris decided to head to Japan on the aforementioned Tokaido Trail….and he loved it. He loved it so much that he has put together a little diary of his time on the tour which makes for interesting reading. The diary gives us an idea as to how much actually goes on during these tours.
Over this next week, we will be posting Robs’ account of his Japan adventure along with a few of his photos from the tour. This is a man who had not been out of the UK in five years and was keen to go somewhere “a bit different”. Here is what he had to say in his “An account of a novice travellers’ first visit to Japan”.
Day One & Two – Tokyo
Day one
The day finally arrived to begin my trip, and feeling like an eight year old kid on Christmas Eve I tried my best to sleep the night before. The flight from Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic’s excellent and much recommended Premium Economy service was faultless, and I arrived at Narita Airport keen and eager to get stuck in to the Japanese culture. Even the Green Tomato bus transfer to the Toyoko Inn in Asakusa had me wild-eyed with wonder, drinking in all the fresh sights of a hitherto alien environment. As we arrived a bit too early to check in to the hotel, myself and Howard, one of the other guys on the tour who arrived on the same flight, braved the streets of Tokyo, picked a direction, and headed off in to the unknown.
Our first destination was the Senso-Ji temple, and it was straight in to exactly the sort of architecture, sights, and sounds that I’d pictured as typically Japanese in my mind’s eye – striking shapes and colours, loads of crowds, and a bewildering array of stalls and shops selling everything from Samurai swords to octopus balls. This last item had us somewhat worried over exactly what we’d be eating on the tour, but as we were to discover later that night, our fears were rather unfounded!As a complete Gaijin, I am totally embarrassed to report that my first meal in Japan was – a Big Mac!Being desperate for food, and at this time lacking the confidence to try any of the plentiful restaurants – it was the easy option.It quickly became apparent that I was the least experienced traveller in the group, but I was determined to make up for any lack of experience with an unrestrained enthusiasm to get stuck in to all that Japan had to offer.I’d waited a long time, and paid a lot of money, for this opportunity, and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste! Our first meal was a riot of brand new tastes, techniques and textures. My chopstick proficiency was sorely lacking at this time, but I managed to fumble a few tasty morsels in something approximating the right direction, and found myself enjoying everything from standard rice and noodles, to benito flakes (still an acquired taste in my book!), squid, octopus (yes, including the previously dreaded octopus balls!), sashimi, some delicious chunks of beef, and then on to what would prove to be the only food item which defeated me whilst on tour – the horse meat. Little did I know that some shops in the UK had been selling it for years!
After dinner, we walked towards the Senso-Ji temple, which at night time had a completely different aspect to its bustling, crowded daytime version – calmer, spectacularly lit, and beautiful to look at. Crowds of young Japanese were taking advantage of the adopted American festival of Halloween for an excuse to dress in outlandish costumes and have a good time. It seemed to me that they didn’t actually need much of an excuse at all to get out and have a good time!My first day in Japan had come to a close, and I was already deeply in love with the country, its culture and people. Everything seemed so easy and natural, despite being drastically different to life in my quiet backwater of Suffolk. With some good people on the tour, I was instantly looking forward with great anticipation to the next nine days.
Day Two
Another day, another new experience – my first Japanese breakfast! Miso soup, noodles, rice balls. The only rice for breakfast I was used to was of the Krispies kind! Still, food of any kind would provide fuel for the forthcoming day, and there was plenty of decent black coffee on tap. Sleep had been in short supply, despite the previous days’ exertions and travels. Guess that’s the jet-lag for you! Even those of the tour who had arrived a day early still seemed to be struggling to fully adjust.The weather was a little reminiscent of the UK, overcast and a hint of drizzle in the air, but as I’d been pre-warned by the excellent IJT info pack, I had been expecting a bit of inclement weather whilst in Japan.
First up today was a boat ride along the Sumida River, and by the time we’d boarded the rain was coming down. Maybe it was the lack of sunshine, but the riverside buildings lacked a bit of sparkle and interest, however the gardens at Hamarikyu were decidedly more picturesque. What I had originally thought were supports to prop-up an ancient and decrepit tree were clarified by Alain as a framework to train and guide the branches in to their intricate, elegant shapes, effectively full-scale Bonsai trees! To temporarily escape the rain, we entered the tea shop, and partook in our first Japanese Tea Ceremony. Carefully following the instructions on the laminated sheet, we ate our sweets, turned our tea cups in our hands, and drained our cups. Some found it an acquired taste, but personally I found it refreshing and relaxing. Looking out over the lake, I could feel a sense of calm helping to ease a mind still reeling from the flight out of the UK.Outside the park entrance we were confronted by some of the striking modern skyscrapers of the Shiodome district. Straining my neck to look up at the vertiginous buildings, I was struck by one of the many contradictions I was to encounter on my tour. Within just a few metres of the peace and tranquillity of the Hamarikyu Gardens was the ultra-modern expanse of steel and glass edifices, two entirely different worlds existing in complete harmony.
A quick metro ride landed us in the middle of Shibuya, with the Harajuku Bridge residents dressed up in their outlandish Sunday best, parading to see and be seen. After making our way through the crowded Takeshita Dori (careful with the pronunciation of that one!), Alain led us in to the Meiji Shrine, where we mingled with locals dressed in their traditional finery, most of them all too happy to pose for pictures taken by tourists. When shown the results, the grins on their faces seemed to reflect the pride they take in wearing their national costumes. Despite the language barrier, it was becoming apparent that with a smile, a small bow, and a polite and respectful nature, interacting with the locals was surprisingly easy and rewarding.
What a brilliant people the Japanese were proving to be! Walking back through Shinjuku heading back to Asakusa and our hotel, the rain came back with increased persistence. We headed back to the bright lights of Shinbasi for dinner for some quality Shabu Shabu that defies description – in the UK, it probably would have been condemned, but in Tokyo, it was utterly brilliant. Back to Asakusa, and time to experience another mainstay of Japanese culture for the first time – karaoke! Now, I’d never claim to have anything approaching a singing voice, but again I felt it was only right to throw myself completely in to the experience. A heck of a way to round off my first full day in Japan, getting to bed at gone 3am was maybe not the finest idea ever, but the price to pay the next day was worth it for a great night out.
Thank you to Rob for his account of the Tokdaido Trail tours. That’s just the first couple of days from Rob – So much for “What happens on tour, stays on tour”! The main thing is that Rob obviously enjoyed his experiences in Japan which we always love to hear. If you want to read about what happened to Rob and the group in Kamakura, Hakone and Kyoto too, then keep reading through the week for a day-by-day account of what went on…..