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Japan
  • Lindley Mayrhofer
  • Richard Mayrhofer
  • Vickie Eich-Fritze
  • Lindley Mayrhofer
  • Richard Mayrhofer
  • Vickie Eich-Fritze

Japan

A 13-day adventure by Lindley, Richard & Vickie Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 7, 2025
  • Japan

    Day 1

    March 7 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    The flight from Vienna to Tokyo was exhausting, but certainly could have been worse! Our leg from Vienna to Taipei was 12 hours, but we were lucky enough to have two completely empty rows of seats ahead of us - allowing us to spread out and relax. We also supplied the flight attendants with plenty of Swiss chocolate and they seemed very grateful!

    After arriving in Tokyo and checking into our rooms (Floor 32!!), we capped off a long travel day with a trip to Ninja Tokyo. Our 9 course meal was served by ninjas, who helped guide us through our training, until we were officially designated as Ninjas! The Ninja Master even stopped by to do magic for us.    Read more

  • Japan

    Day 2

    March 8 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    When we thought “springtime in Japan” we certainly didn’t think of snow! But that’s exactly what we got on our trip to Nikko! The trip itself was absolutely amazing. We saw several shrines and temples, all with a monkey theme due to the nearby snow monkeys, and had a wonderful time despite the cold.

    We began at a small shrine at the foot of a mountain in Nikko, before making our way up the mountain with our driver. Higher up on the mountain was a massive complex of Shinto Shrines and a Buddhist temple, all covered in a blanket of snow. Then, we made a small stop in the town to see the former Imperial Villa - which was maze-like and gorgeous at the same time and was used to hide nobility during World War II. Finally, we stopped at the top of the mountain to see an icy waterfall, where it actually began to snow while we were there!    Read more

  • Japan

    Day 3

    March 9 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    We couldn’t visit Japan without exploring Tokyo itself! As usual, the city was astonishingly crowded and full of life. Our driver brought us to several amazing locations throughout the day, some historical and centuries old, and some incredibly modern and trendy.

    Our day started with a brisk walk to the Edo Shrine, where we got to see THREE traditional weddings in the span of 30 minutes! The shrine was gorgeous and the tree-lined walk was a wonderful way to start the day. Afterward, we headed to modern day to visit Harujuku and Akihabara, where I won some trinkets from the claw machines and Gatchapon - my favorites! We of course had to try some rainbow cheese balls, tornado potatoes, and crepes in Harujuku before heading to the fish market. It was lunchtime, but luckily we weren’t all that hungry because it was CROWDED. To follow this up, we went to the second-highest level of Tokyo Tower for some amazing views of the city. Then, to end the day we headed to Akasaka for a visit to the beautiful Sensoji Temple in the heart of the city.    Read more

  • Japan

    Day 4

    March 10 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    We spent the day visiting the beautiful surroundings of Mount Fuji, beginning in a traditional-style town and ending the day on the lake at the mountain’s feet. Each location had spectacular scenery with a beautiful view of the mountain herself. It was amazing to see the mountain this time, since the last time Richard and I visited it was covered in fog.

    We did try to visit Fifth Station at the top of the mountain, which we were able to do in 2017, but this time there was still too much snow so all stations above First were unfortunately closed. Still, it was a beautiful day full of sunshine, ice cream, strawberries, and beautiful mountain views.    Read more

  • Japan

    Day 5

    March 11 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    A day exploring the shrines, temples, and gardens of Kamakura, followed by a quick stop in the Ramen Museum was absolutely lovely.

    We managed to miss the rain for our morning trips around Kamakura, beginning with the Big Buddha statue. There were a shocking amount of young students, but our guide, Kumiko, told us it was likely their end of semester work. Still, it was a bit strange for us to see so many pre-teens out and about without a teacher!

    We then made our way to another temple, surrounded by gardens, and got our first glimpse of cherry blossoms! After climbing the stairs we got a good view of the bay, and then took a quick snack break before moving on to another shrine, atop a huge flight of 75 stairs. We all climbed them, and took a few photos at the top before heading back down and stumbling across a rehearsal for the March 11 memorial for the 2011 tsunami victims.

    Finally, we headed back toward the city for our last stop at the Ramen Museum! It’s such a cool little museum that is designed to look like a courtyard in 1950s Tokyo. We temporarily split up and got some delicious ramen, before meeting again to play some classic Japanese games in the courtyard. Kumiko and our driver, Taxa, had a great time telling us about their childhoods and the things they remembered that were in the museum, and it was so much fun to try them out!

    Overall, a fantastic day with the best tour guides we have had so far!    Read more

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