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Japan’s red ramble Thousands of vermilion torii gates create a wonder walk at the Fushimi Inari Shrine
JAPAN
Arlene & Kenny Weiss traveled to Japan with Audley
W
hen I asked my husband where he’d like to go on our next trip, he said Japan. I started to do some research on my own but the task was daunting, so I turned to one of Audley’s Japan specialists. My husband likes history and we both like visiting small towns, wanting to experience a mix of hotels and ryokans (traditional Japanese Inns) and onsens (hot mineral baths).
JAPANESE JOURNEY
Starting our trip with four nights in Tokyo, a full-day guided tour introduced
us to both the city and the rail system. I must admit that, when I first saw all the trains we had to take, I wondered how we were ever going to manage as we didn’t speak the language. By the second day, I was comfortably using the train system and we were able to get around easily. After our guided tour of Tokyo, we spent the next three days exploring different parts of the city and the surrounding areas, including Kamakura, about 45 minutes by train outside the capital. This seaside city has lots of Shinto shrines and a busy shopping plaza. Our specialist had also booked us tickets to
a kabuki performance (a classical Japanese dance-drama) in Tokyo. We left Tokyo to spend two nights in Yudanaka, a hot-spring resort in the Japanese Alps, to see the snow monkeys that bathe in the waters. The town is also known for its ryokans, and ours had a private rooftop onsen. Next, we journeyed to Matsumoto to see Crow Castle (Japan’s oldest wooden castle), staying in a beautiful hotel five-minutes’ walk away. We also visited the Ukiyo-e Museum to see its exhibit of woodblock prints. You’re able to send your luggage ahead when you travel by bullet train,
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