Join us on a unique journey through Japan, where an adventurous family shares their experiences! From the vibrant streets of Tokyo to a ninth-generation tea farm, discover a world filled with culinary and cultural wonders. Imagine hiking to ancient temples, enjoying thrift shopping with your teens, or witnessing a sumo wrestling match.
Japan has something for everyone! Contact us to start customizing your inspiring trip.
Japan is a very unique place. Their discipline, their innovation, their culture. There’s so much beauty in all of it.
What inspired your destination choice?
Our family trip included my mother, girlfriend, and teenagers, so we each had ideas about what the trip should look like, and our itinerary incorporated all of that and more. We’re already talking about what we’d like to do on a return trip and, hopefully, stay longer.
What surprised you about your adventure?
We did a lot of food tasting experiences, and our itinerary focused a lot on culinary adventures. My son loves ramen, and that was incredible. Although I’ve never been into sushi, we took a sushi-making class, and I gained an appreciation for it that I brought back to the States.
I’ll admit that after a while, we did grow tired of all the fish. Fish is a main staple of the Japanese diet, but it did become a little overwhelming.
Probably my biggest takeaway was seeing how the Japanese take care of their spaces. Tokyo is like New York City on steroids, with a huge population, and every alley is like a city within a city. The shops are endless and the streets are bustling. But it was such a green city with immaculately clean streets.
They have a system where everyone takes their trash with them, and you don’t see many trash cans around. Many businesses don’t open as early there, and every morning you’ll see people out picking up trash. It’s awesome to see their pride in working together to keep spaces clean. That’s definitely something that has stayed with me since returning home.
I loved it. I didn’t want it to stop. I wanted to continue traveling and just keep moving from place to place. It was beautiful.
What are your favorite stories and experiences from the adventure?
Finding activities for each family member to enjoy was important to me.
Adventure Seekers created a sumo wrestling experience for us, and the kids loved it. They invited the audience to go on stage, and my son took on the role of a sumo wrestler. We got some amazing videos, and it was a show we’ll never forget.
The bullet trains were an amazing experience, racing through the landscape at 175 miles per hour on the way to our next destination. I got a little queasy looking out the window, but what an incredible way to travel.
We stayed at a beautiful hotel overlooking the ocean, with a view of Mount Fuji. There was a traditional Japanese spa in the hotel, so we decided to go, but didn’t realize that they were separated, women from men, and completely nude. That was a surprise! It was a cultural thing, and we still get a good laugh from the experience. The hotel blew our minds and provided a fun story we still tell.
What were some of the elements of your favorite properties?
My daughter is a cross-country runner and we went for a long run along the ocean and down into the city. The views were unforgettable, and although we try to include leisure in our trips, they can be so busy, it’s nice when it works out to do something like that. It can be challenging with groups or families when some want to go-go-go and others want to get some rest, but moments like this provide for both types of travelers.
We got to see some gorgeous temples and tea farms, and did a zen experience at the end of the trip. It relaxed us with lessons in meditation, yoga, and some karate. Our favorite was a tea farm, where a ninth-generation farmer guided us to the top of a mountain.
There, we were served tea while overlooking the entire town from a little balcony. Tea making is very significant, and we could feel the history. It was a beautiful experience.
That’s why I like the way we did it [with Adventure Seekers], because if I were by myself, I’d just keep going, but this gave my family a balance.
Would you do anything different?
Though we visited two green tea farms and saw some temples, I would’ve liked to see more cultural and historical sites.
Next trip we’d like to take a little longer than the 12 days we did this trip. If we return, we’d like to see the beaches and visit some of the smaller Japanese islands. To somehow combine this with a ski holiday would be ideal, to experience the best powder in the world.
We missed the cherry blossoms by a few weeks; it would be amazing to witness them. The traveler’s dilemma is always to return and explore more or choose a different destination.
The digital itinerary always gave us something and was very user-friendly. We all had a copy and knew what time we needed to be where.
Do you have any advice for other travelers dreaming of this destination?
Really, the only thing we’d do differently is fewer food-themed activities and more culture and history-based activities. Culture is everywhere; the challenge can be making everyone happy.
Where are you dreaming of next?
I was actually thinking South America, this year. I love South America; it excites me. We’re thinking three weeks next time, all the way from Colombia down to Peru.
Vacations are the perfect time to connect, explore, and make lasting memories. The perfect trip can take hours to plan. Even then, things will come up while you are traveling.
Hotels that don’t look like the pictures
Tour guides who are dull
Stressed figuring out logistics and not present with loved ones
But.. you don’t have to do it alone.
We design and coordinate every detail of your trip so you can relax and experience a vacation you'll never forget!
