We recently returned from our trip with Thomson Family Adventures. The Thomson portion of the trip was 9 days, and we added on 3 days up front and 3 days at the back end. Our itinerary was as follows:
· Tokyo (Day 1)-on own-arrived in evening
· Lake Kawaguchiko/Mt Fuji area (Day 2, 3)-on own
· Tokyo (Day 4, 5)- Thomson
· Osaka (Day 6, 7)-Thomson
· Kii Peninusula/Mountain Area (Day 8, 9)-Thomson
· Kyoto (Day 10, 11)-Thomson
· Tokyo (Day 12, 13, 14, 15)- On own-Day 12 was departure day of Thomson trip (Kyoto to Tokyo)
On the Thomson portion of the trip the days were pretty full and there was very little down time or OYO time.
I’ll break down our thoughts into the following subjects: Working with Thomson (pre-trip stuff); The Thomson Adventure (the itinerary and how the trip went); Our Thoughts on Japan (in general and any tips we can provide); and what we did on our own time in Tokyo (given that the ABD in Japan looks to have a fair amount of OYO time in Tokyo).
Working with Thomson Pre-Trip:
From a pre-trip perspective, we really liked the Thomson model. There was a single point of contact who you could call anytime and they were very knowledgeable of the area and had in-depth knowledge of the itinerary.
Our rep proactively asked if we were coming in early or staying extra days. She got to know our non-Thomson itinerary and made suggestion around things to do and recommended restaurants. She knew at the end of the trip we were going from Kyoto to Tokyo, and offered to get the Shinkansen tickets. Obviously, we paid for the tickets as this was outside of the included end of trip transportation. They did charge a small service charge (~$10/ticket), but it was well worth the convenience.
About a week before the trip, our Thomson rep reached out and set up a call to answer any last minute questions we had. Our only recommendation was that Thomson get some talking points around Japan’s restrictions on bringing medications into the country. We had some specific questions that they were not able to answer (in fairness, the Japanese consulate couldn’t answer them either).
About 3 weeks before the trip, we received a hard copy of the itinerary, 3 Thomson baseball caps, luggage tags, and a go-pro. So, a pretty nice swag bag.
Within a week of returning home, we got a call from our Thomson rep following up on our experience and soliciting feedback on the trip. They said they try to reach out to all families and talk directly to them, along with the written survey.
One difference between Thomson and ABD is airport transfers. Thomson provided the airport transfers only for the designated arrival/departure days. If you came in before or stayed later, you were responsible for the cost of airport transfers. They would help to arrange, but you had to pay. We arranged both airport transfers on our own. We used a shared van (~$50/pp) arriving and took an airport bus on departure (~$30/pp).
All in all, we found working with Thomson to be a very positive experience. They were knowledgeable, helpful and professional. They really seemed to know the experience they were selling, and we found the information they provided pre-trip to be very accurate.
The Thomson Japan Adventure
The Group: Our group had 12 people comprised of 4 children (ages 12 to 15) and 8 adults from 4 families. We had 2 guides for the 12 people. We really liked the flexibility that the small group afforded. Everything seemed faster and more expeditious. There were times when we were running ahead of schedule and our guides were able to insert an additional activity or go to an additional site.
Guides: Both guides were top notch. Very knowledgeable, but even more important you could sense the pride they took in their country and their willingness to share their passion. Like the ABD guides they consistently went above and beyond to try and accommodate. To give an example, 3 of the 4 families were headed back to Tokyo after the trip (we were staying and the other 2 families were going to the airport). Our guides walked us to the train station and made sure we got on the right line, and pointed out the right platform. Just a small touch of extra service that they didn’t have to do, but adds to the customer experience.
Itinerary: What attracted us to this itinerary was the mix of city touring (Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto)-about 6 or 7 days- and being in the country/mountains (3 days). We wanted a mix of the cosmopolitan as well as the opportunity to hike the Komano Kodo trail or bike in a country side village. One of our favorite things was the cultural experience at a school. Prior to the trip the children had the opportunity to be pen pals with a 7th, 8th, or 9th grader at a school in the mountain town of Tanabe. We then spent half a day with the kids at the school. There were 10 or so kids that put together a packet (in English) introducing themselves, they gave us a calligraphy lesson, and taught us origami. Our children introduced themselves and their families to the group in Japanese (after much practice on the bus). All the kids and some adults then played soccer, ping pong, and basketball. All in all, a great and authentic experience.
Lodging: In terms of lodging, I suspect that the hotels and accommodations on the ABD are higher end. In Tokyo, we stayed at the Shiba Park hotel (near the Tokyo Tower). It is a nice, clean boutique hotel with everything that is needed but wouldn’t compare to the Peninsula. In Osaka and Kyoto we stayed at the Granvia hotel. Both are close to the train stations. The hotel in Kyoto is really nice, but the one in Osaka felt a bit dated. One of the lodgings we really enjoyed was staying at the Fujiya Inn. This is an authentic Japanese ryokan (ok, it had a bathroom and wi-fi, but other than that it was authentic J). The rooms had tatami mats and at night a mattress was laid down to sleep on. We thought this was a pretty cool experience.
Baggage handling was the same as a typical ABD. On some occasions bags were forwarded to the hotel and were in our rooms when we checked-in. When bags were in the bus, porter service had been arranged. Of course, we had the opportunity to save a few minutes and take our bags to our rooms ourselves.
Meals/Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner were included each day (except the first and last days). We found the food to be excellent. With the exception of the breakfasts, which were really good buffets, It was primarily a variety of Japanese cuisine (tempura, barbecue, sashimi, bento boxes,ramen, etc.). However, some in the group were disappointed that there wasn’t a specific sushi meal, so they skipped the tour arranged dinner and went for sushi. We had a big sushi meal on our own, so it wasn’t a big issue for us. But if you take this tour, be aware that there is not a meal dedicated to sushi (unless they change it based on feedback). The guides provided snack bags and water (although a bit more water could have been distributed)
Timing: Overall, we thought this was a great itinerary that fit most of what we wanted to do. We would have loved to have done Hiroshima, but there was only so much time and so many things to do. Some of the feedback we gave to Thomson is that we would have liked more time at the Fushimi Inari shrine. We had about 45 minutes, but would have liked about another 30 to go through all the tori gates. There were a couple of other things we would have liked more time at. In each case, our thought was if they arranged dinner an hour later we could have had more time (note; dinners were typically around 6:30). The other feedback was that for several dinners there was little to no time to go back to the hotel and clean up. The temperature ran between 85 and 95 degrees, with about 90% humidity. So, some time to shower and change would have been beneficial.
We thought the itinerary was great, but there were a couple of women on the tour who would have liked more time to shop, and one person on the tour thought the afternoon at the middle school was a waste of time and would have rather been doing something else. Because of the diversity of things to do, I tend to think that anyone can pick out activities that don’t appeal to them and find something else they would rather be doing.
Transportation: In terms of transportation, we took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka (~2.5 hours); a bus from Osaka to Kii (~2.5 hours); a bus from Kii to Kyoto (~5 hours—the longest bus day); and the Shinkansen from Kyoto back to Tokyo (~2 hours). For our day tour in Tokyo we took the metro around the city. This really worked out well. Tokyo is a big city that can take over an hour to get from one place to another on the roads. The small group size afforded us the opportunity to travel by subway and save time.
Onsens: Finally, a note about the onsen experience on the tour. Ours was at the ryokan. They had 2 indoors as part of the ryokan. These were authentic onsens meaning no clothes, separate male and female baths, and no tattoos. They did have a public onsen which was basically a large hole dug onto the edge of the river across the street with a rock wall. This was open to families, you wore swimsuits, and as best I could tell tattoos were OK. As a note; most in our group found the authentic onsens to be too hot and couldn’t really stay in that long.
Thoughts on Japan
We absolutely loved Japan. The people were incredibly friendly, polite and courteous. Whenever we needed directions people were happy to help.
Everywhere we went was incredibly clean. We were hard pressed to find trash and bathrooms were spotless. Most places had western toilets, but there were some that were Asian variety.
Japan still seems to be very much a cash based society. Many places in the mountain areas were cash only, but many restaurants and souvenier stands in the cities were also cash only. We had about a 2-3 day period where access to ATMs was limited, and one family ran out of cash. Our lead guide loaned cash to them until they could get to an ATM in Kyoto.
In Tokyo, the metro system is very easy to use. Every station has attendants that will help (even if they don’t speak English). We each got a Pasmo card and loaded about $15 on it which covered our OYO time in Tokyo. You can also get a Suica card. They are 2 different companies but the use of the cards are interchangeable.
From early/mid June to early/mid July is the rainy season in Japan. Overall, we lucked out with weather. We probably got 3 periods of sustained rain (3-5 hours of steady rain). Luckily, we were doing indoor activities during 2 of those periods. Our walking tour of the Gion district in Kyoto was the only activity affected. The group pretty much unanimously voted to cut it short and go back to the hotel (it was torrential rains). The guides arranged for the same activity the next night for those interested.
As mentioned earlier, it is HOT and HUMID in Japan during the summer. Temperatures ranged from 85-95 degrees, but the humidity was about 90%. So, those active days will take it out of you especially during some of the more active excursions.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) is great for long route travel. Just be aware that there is minimal storage space for large suitcases. The space is basically behind the seats of the last row on each train car. There is ample overhead space for rollerboards and smaller bags, but the issue is with larger suitcases. Again, our guides went above and beyond for us. When we were returning to Tokyo, they helped us to get our 3 larger suitcases shipped from the hotel in Kyoto to our hotel in Tokyo. The cost was about $20/suitcase, but well worth it as hauling our baggage through the Tokyo train stations would have been near impossible given the number of people on the metro.
It’s tough to do on a group tour, but if you can get to some of the more touristy spots early, you will avoid the crowds which can be overwhelming.
Potential OYO Time Activities in Tokyo
The Thomson itinerary had one day of touring in Tokyo where we went to Asakusa (old city), Harajuku (retail district), the Meiji shrine, the Senso-ji temple, and the government offices. There were other things we wanted to do which is why we spent extra days pre- and post-trip. I know the ABD is heavy with OYO time in Tokyo, and honestly, there is so much to do and see. The following is a list of the experiences we booked and things we elected to do:
Tsukiji Fish Market Tour and Sushi Making Class: Booked through Viator. Fantastic tour. Got a great overview of the outer and inner markets including behind the scenes in a couple of spots. Sushi making was a lot of fun and was all you could make/eat.
Sengakuji Temple: Went on our own. This is a small museum and the gravesites of the 47 Ronan (there is a movie of the same title that tells the story of the 47 Ronan).
Evening Tour of Shibuya, Roppongi, and Shinjuku with Backstreet Guides. We did this as a private tour, but it could be done as a group tour also (actually ended up being less expensive as a 5 hour private tour). Awesome tour guide. Learned a lot about the culture of Japan and she picked up that Jenn was really into photography, so the guide began to take us to great photo op spots. Great tour to get a sense of Tokyo at night.
Sumo Demonstration and lunch with 2 Retired Sumo Wrestlers: About a 45 minute demo and explanation of sumo by the wrestlers (they had a ton of personality and were really funny guys). Then everyone got to do a mock match with them, followed by photos and lunch. A fun couple of hours. Booked through Viator.
Robot Restaurant: Lasts about 90 minutes (broken into 3 scenes) and is loud, laser show telling a story of good vs. evil. It was fun, but probably wouldn’t do it again. Through the Voyagin website, we booked front row VIP seats (~$15 extra), but we really didn’t have to. The stands are 3 rows that have a steep pitch, so there is no problem seeing over the person in front of you.
Godzilla: For those old enough to remember all the Godzilla movies, the Gracery Hotel in Shinjuku (very close to the Robot Restaurant), has a giant Godzilla head outside the hotel. If you go to the 8th floor and grab something in the Godzilla Café, you can go out to the patio and come face to face with the giant Godzilla. Every hour it rumbles, blows smoke and screeches that Godzilla sound. We actually really liked this.
Akihabara: On our final full day, we spent the day in Akihabara (Electric City). This is where they have the massive stores (Yodabishi) for all the electronics you could imagine, 7 story arcades for game play, tons of Anime and Manga shops (note; for those with younger children some of the Anime/Manga can be pretty suggestive), the maid cafes (we thought these were pretty weird, bordering on creepy). This area was a teenage gamers dream.
Apologies for the length of this, but I wanted to try and get as much detail as possible. If there are any questions feel free to ask and I’ll answer as best I can. I can't emphasize enough how awesome Japan is. We are definitely going back within the next few years.