Japan: Castles, Samurai, and Legends

Trip Level

The trip is Level 2, Easy to Moderate, according to our trip grading system. On this journey we delve into the past while traveling through modern-day Japan by speeding bullet trains, local trains, and buses and on our daily walks. We carry our own luggage on and off the trains and taxis, depositing it at our lodgings before venturing out for sightseeing. We begin our trip staying at modern hotels, dining together at local restaurants (with two nights on your own to explore) and transition to overnights at traditional ryokans, where the multi-course meals delight! Our daily walks include visiting castles with their many steps and winding paths, touring gardens with rocky pathways, exploring samurai lanes, and walking on mountain pathways. Although not physically demanding, the trip will yield greater rewards if you are in good physical condition and able to stay on your feet for 6-7 hours per day. Japan is a land of staircases and hills and you will enjoy the trip more if you are dressed comfortably and in good physical condition. Please remember that on our overnights in ryokans, we will be sleeping on futons and eating at floor level, so it is important that you are able to sit down on and get up off the floor without much difficulty.

Accommodations
Japan is a blend of the traditional and modern, and our trip encompasses this unique mixture. We will stay at traditional ryokans as well as Japanese-style hotels. The quiet world of the ryokan is a venerable cultural institution—a way to experience a simple, timeless way of life. After being warmly welcomed, we trade our street shoes for slippers. Once inside, we remove our slippers as we step onto the finely woven tatami mats covering our sleeping room floors. Our rooms are spacious and pleasant with low tables and comfortable futon mattresses with quilts and blankets. Some of our rooms will have attached toilets; at other times, we share the “down the hall” facilities. Although a few ryokans have baths in the rooms, most have an ofuro (a Japanese-style bath). Note: Single travelers will share accommodations at the ryokans.

Normally, a fresh cotton yukata (robe) is provided for each guest. These light kimonos can be worn anywhere in and around the ryokan and we often wear them to meals (make sure to wear the left side over the right). For many of our breakfasts and dinners, beautifully presented meals are served as we sit on the floor at low tables on our tatami mats.

Japanese Bathing
In Japan, bathing is a time honored tradition, a relaxing daily event. While staying in our ryokans, we will bathe as the Japanese do—using the ofuro system. In separate men and women’s sides, the custom is to wash and rinse before entering the ofuro, a large tub of hot water where we can sit back with legs extended, submerged to the neck (this trip is not for the very modest!). Early Shinto was a religion of cleanliness and purification. Ritualistic bathing began during this time and has been perfected over the centuries. Either as a divine imperative or a luxury, bathing in Japan has always been regarded as more than a hygienic chore. The ofuro is the perfect way to finish a hectic day of travel. After a relaxing bath, we gather for the evening meal.

Japanese Cuisine
A highlight of any visit to Japan is its superb cuisine defined by fresh ingredients and artful presentation. We will have ample opportunity to sample both familiar and new dishes. We will sample many types of Japanese food, and usually the first “bite” is with our eyes, the presentation being a tantalizing array of fresh fish, beef, vegetables, tofu, miso soup and, of course, rice, all served on individual plates and bowls of exquisite sizes, patterns, and proportions. We eat with chopsticks and are usually seated at low tables on the floor. At some ryokans, you may choose between a Japanese breakfast of fish, rice, miso soup, tofu, vegetables, pickled condiments, and tea, or a Western breakfast consisting of eggs, toast, salad, and coffee. Many places, however, offer only Japanese food.

You will have lunches and some dinners on your own, allowing you ample opportunity to sample the endless variety of Japanese food. You may try an obento (box lunch) or sample the snack foods of Japan and/or get a bowl of udon, ramen, or soba (noodles) at one of the local spots. You can always eat lunch at the noodle shops, the sushi bars, and the small neighborhood lunch spots, avoiding the infamous high-priced meals of Japan. Napkins are not used except at western-style restaurants; bring your own handkerchief.

Keep in mind that Japanese food is very different from what we are used to, and with the limited availability of American foods, your food intake will be a big part of the Japanese adventure. Please note that gluten-free cuisine will not  be available, as Japanese food is often prepared with soy sauce and miso as a dressing, a paste, or a seasoning.