Japan Travel Review: Hakone, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Culture, Two-Week Vacation

The local guides and drivers were very knowledgeable and gave us a special insight into the culture of the people. All of our accommodations were perfect. The hotels were relaxing, with lovely rooms and in great locations. The ryokan in Hakone was such a special treat.

I requested one adventure that most people visiting Japan would not see, and our tour operator put together a wonderful experience. The adventure was a drive to visit two small villages, Hata and Harie. We enjoyed meeting the villagers and understanding how they manage their rice fields. In Harie, we had the honor of being in a local home with a lovely lunch that was prepared for us I was also able to help cook, which was a big treat for me. We toured the village to learn about its water ecosystem. We also toured the sake factory and had a tasting.

We enjoyed seeing all of the traditional sites in the cities. We were able to see Mt Fuji twice. We loved the rickshaw ride in the bamboo forest. We ended our trip with one last night in Tokyo. We drove go-carts through the streets, which was incredible fun and seemed a great way to finish up a very memorable trip. Also, our travel agent secured us a late checkout for our last day.