Before travelling I was tempted to write yet another "what do you think about this plan" message but decided against it and to have faith in myself. I was planning a "family holiday of a lifetime" to Japan for 5 people (including my 65+year old mother in law). Budget was about $4k/person(all in). Originally I was going to do the standard, Tokyo, Kyoto loop but decided on trying to find something a little different that incorporated some more relaxation moments (for the MIL who isn't so active).
Tokyo – Ueno park
We stayed in a Monday apartment on the first night. We were exhausted after the 12 hour flight and despite all my research I failed to buy Suica cards at the airport as the machines were cash only and still confusing for a first time user (how much to add to the card for the trip was unknown). Fortunately the MIL had brought a lot of cash in yen and saved the day with a couple of helpful American students standing around. The trip to the hotel was a slog and MIL and wife were not happy walking from Ueno station to the hotel even though it was a short 15 minute walk. Had some interesting interactions with various "ladies of the night" and some Yakuza types who were hanging out on the street with full face tattoos but all friendly. Monday apartment was perfect for us.
Ueno park: we were a fraction too early for the blossom, there were just a few trees in bloom. MIL hated everything – apparently tacos and churros in Tokyo are not so good – go figure! Everyone else enjoyed the spring festival there though.
We also did the team labs borderless experience and it's absolutely worth it.
Shibu Onsen –
First journey on the train to Shibu Onsen went smoothly. We took the hotel shuttle to the snow monkeys and frankly the experience was far better than I expected. Sure it's touristy but even the fruit they sold at the entrance was absolutely delicious. The monkeys were fantastic to see and plentifu lwith even a little snow on the ground for that photo op. The Shibu Onsen hotel was wonderful and we had a beautiful room with a huge view over the valley. Dinner was fantastic, all the food exploded with delicious flavours (MIL hated pretty much everything). Getting her into a yakuta was a lot of fun (she was not happy with this at all). Eventually we got her into a private onsen which she grudgingly enjoyed). Next day we explored the town and Onsen and MIL loosened up a bit and started to enjoy things. Breakfast at the hotel was excellent (despite a general dislike of fish by the group).
Obuse –
Next stop was an overnight in Obuse which was the unexpected standout hit of the trip. We stayed at the Obuse hotel which was very luxurious. Huge room with a stellar view of the pastoral landscape, seemingly unchanged in hundreds of years since Hokusai was painting here. Breakfast in the hotel was even better than Shibu. The standout event was getting dinner in a small Izakaya restaurant called Oguri: Dining & Drinking Establishment. We couldn't read the menu and just chose random things. Every small tapas like dish was outstanding, cooked by the owner right on the spot. I even ate the octopus and I have a fear of eating octopus.
Onsen and Garden Nana (near Kanazawa) –
This was designed to be the highlight of the trip. The most luxurious location (and most expensive). I ended up renting the whole 200 year old villa (it only has 3 rooms). From the first emails from the owner (the most delightful emails I have ever received), to the absolutely stunning interior, this place deserves to be on a list of top places to visit worldwide IMHO. Located next to a beautiful river 15 minutes drive from Kanazawa. The owner is a genius level chef who cooks EVERYTHING from scratch. They forage in the mountains, travel to remote towns searching for the exact ingredients. Every meal is different and they even customised the meals differently for different guests. The attention to detail is insane, from staff cleaning the roller wheels of our luggage to the custom designed furniture made by local artisans out of exquisite local timber. There was no detail too small that wasn't outstanding. Even the light switches were custom designed. Especially lovely for children, they had created a small wendy house in one of the rooms for kids. As the name suggests, every room has it's own private Onsen (one is en suite). Each onsen is beautiful and outside. Sitting in a rock surrounded Onsen in the rain was heavenly. I haven't even started on the food. A 10 course affair, featuring wild boar recently hunted from the mountains, venison, eggs from their own chickens and much much more. Wine pairings were equally amazing, all featuring local wines. I had no idea Japan had such good wine. All of this served with absolutely delightful service from the staff. This was true luxury in my opinion. They even baked croissant and bagels from scratch that were spectacular. The food is a kind of Japanese Western fusion, and the flavours were next level, surely deserving of a Michelin star. This was part of the trip was MIL approved including the food.
Tokyo Shinkjuku
I warned everyone that after the slow relaxation of the last few days it was going to get busy. Nothing can prepare you for the insanity of Shinjuku. I love the chaos, MIL hated it. Too much walking and stairs. We did the Shibuya crossing and bizarrely ate at L'Occitane (which wasn't terrible though US prices). Trying to find a place to eat in Shinjuku station was a nightmare though. You can see the places in Google maps but it's almost impossible to find inside the station. MIL said screw it and took an expensive taxi to the airport.
Shout out to ANA for the incredible leg room making the long flight almost effortless even in economy.
Conclusion
We had such a short time (spring break) that we were never going to be able to do everything we wanted. We sacrificed shopping and major tourist sites for what I feel was a more authentic and interesting experience. I have never been a big fan of Japanese food apart from a bit of Sushi. I don't eat ramen very often but the food this time around was sensational. Prices are great for US tourists at this time hence the large number of tourists. Also we found that many more people speak English, almost everyone spoke a bit including tax drivers, station helpers etc. I was last in Tokyo 25 years ago and it feels that technology hasn't really moved on from that time (which was stunning at that time) but service and overall experience just seems very solid this time around. Accommodation seems expensive because you pay per person but the quality was very high for the money.
by Hot-Yak2420