Author Ruthie Legg

Day 1 Tuesday 17 March.

John normally writes our travel blog but I’m going to attempt it for the first time. Either scroll past or read about two woman, friends from our children’s basketball days, in their late 60’s exploring a part of the world we are sure to love. Wish me luck. Ruthie. 

The day has come and my bestie of 30 plus years, Anne and I are leaving our men at home and are off in search of the Cherry Blossom on a tour covering West Japan. The Cherry Blossom is considered the national flower of Japan and a symbol of Japanese culture. Not only will there be amazing sights to see, it will be a great opportunity to bond again and make some more lifelong memories. We are both very positive people and with the help of St Patrick, (Anne’s from Irish heritage and we’re here on St Paddy’s day), I’m sure we’ll have lots of luck along the way. 

After a very long day of travelling from Melbourne to Tokyo via Hong Kong, we were safely in our hotel well after midnight. We’d been awake for around 20 hours! I think we managed 5 hours sleep before the breakfast buffet was calling. It was time to hop on our tour bus and meet our group. There are 7 Trip A Deal groups that arrived with us, all full bus loads of eager people hoping to glimpse this unique phenomenon. 

Our tour guide Miyaki seems fun but might have his work cut out for him with this diverse group of many age groups and fitness levels. He told us he’s only known English for 3 years which is remarkable. Evidently he used to have conversations with AI to teach himself and is very accomplished. We are all here for the same thing. The Sakura 🌸

A long day on the bus was ahead and many on the bus took advantage of catching up on sleep while Miyaki filled us in on some facts about Japan. 

I’d enjoyed the F1 movie on the plane so this Rev head was excited to have the Tokyo drift sight in Yokohama pointed out. 

The area of Yokohama is 437 square kilometres and houses nearly 40 million people!! The total population of Japan is over 127 million people. 

Baseball is the number one sport followed closely by soccer. 

Japan is shaped like a sea horse and has over 6000 islands but the majority of the population lives on the 4 main islands.

Many Korean’s live here.

The country suffers many natural disasters (earthquakes, typhoons tsunami’s!) After the Fukushima disaster, no one remains living in that area except one man who famously returns to swim in the ocean every day to look for the body of his missing wife. 

First stop was at the Sankeien Gardens. We enjoyed a lovely stroll through this Japanese garden on what was a dull cloudy day, the trees were bare and we could just imagine how beautiful it would look with the sun out and the cherry blossom in full bloom. 

Our lunch stop was at the Fuji five lakes in Oishi Park. We had a quick bite watching the locals and tourists alike sailing in quirky duck paddle boats. After lunch, onto a bigger boat to sail to the spot known for the best views of Mt Fuji. Yep, the one behind the clouds. Nonetheless, it was a nice trip listening to what sounded like a Japanese pantomime over the loud speaker. 

Next onto the elusive Mt Fuji, which was still behind the clouds. An active volcano that last erupted 300 plus years ago and stands at over 3700 metres. We were meant to be travelling to the 5th station but word had been received that weather had caused its closure so we would wait and see. As we started the climb in our bus, snow started to appear on the sides of the road but luckily we managed to reach Level 4 station at 2020 metres. We were well and truly in the clouds. A few quick snow fights, some pics and a very nice warm seat in the toilet and we were back on the bus. During our trip down an excited passenger from the back called out that Mt Fuji had appeared. Our Captain (aka the bus driver) managed to pull over and a very happy group saw this most amazing sight. Thank you St Paddy. 🍀

After a great first day these tired souls were delivered to the hotel. We had our task cut out for us as all the tour groups needed to navigate the lifts!!

I thought I’d send Anne with the luggage and head up the stairs, only to find they ended at the 3rd floor. After some waving of hands and walking gestures I was pointed to the fire escape, but by the time I arrived at our floor, Anne was already in the room. I guess it gave somebody my spot in the lift though? 

After a stroll to the nearby brightly lit Hamamatsu castle we grabbed a quick bite from a convenience store and our heads hit our pillows. 

Day 2 Wednesday 18 March

We awoke feeling refreshed or so we thought. We both managed to leave things behind in the room. We were in for another long day of bus travel and had a lot of ground to cover, so to pass the time Miyaki played some Japanese games with us, trying to teach us some of the Kanji symbols. Not so easy for these weary travellers. 

He explained that the Japanese people are generally slim due a combination of diet and cultural anxiety passed down over generations. Bosses measure BMI and if someone is overweight they’re bullied. Most walk at least 13 kms a day and long working and commuting hours mean they average 5 hrs of sleep per night. Even the rubbish system is stressful as we can attest to when faced with 8 or so different bin options to choose from.  Many places don’t offer bins at all and ask you to take your rubbish with you. Thousands of Japanese go missing voluntarily each year just to break the cycle. 

The elegantly dressed men in their suits are actually all part of the cultural pressure. The colour of their attire shows the seniority of the worker. The ladies wear make up as a sign of respect to others and if they’re not made up they’ll wear a mask. 

First stop was Nara park and we were excited to see and possibly feed the deer. There are more than 1000 wild deer here which are considered the messengers of the Gods. We weren’t getting that vibe and felt they were neglected mangy creatures, although them bowing for food was very cute.

A 15 minute walk later and we were impressed by the historical Todai-Ji Temple which was constructed in 752 around the copper Buddha as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples in Japan. It was certainly impressive. Incidentally, if it’s a temple it’s Chinese and a shrine is Japanese. 

Our bus needed to park 7 minutes walk from our apartment/hotel in Osaka and we trudged with our luggage in the pouring rain. Once again we played Tetris with people and luggage in the single lift. Our guide says the lifts are built for 8 Japanese, 4 Australians or 2 Americans, but we say very squeezy Japanezy. 

We donned our wet weather gear and were off on a walking tour of the Osaka night life. The crowds and rain soon had us heading for food and we turned back to a restaurant  recommended for Gyudon (a pork and rice dish.) Dinner was delicious and it cost a grand total of $4 AUD.

After we were reenergised we headed for a cruise on the canal to see the night lights of Dotonbori. We used the provided ponchos to sit on and cover our knees. We saw the famous Running Man sign and waved at many excited Japanese on the bridges we went under. The safety briefing was a comical show in itself. I was excited to see several Cranes (the bird variety) along the way. On the way back to our apartment we stopped at the family mart and stocked up with drinks and snacks and spent the grand total of $14 AUD.

I completed the day by taking advantage of the washing machine and drying room. Our guide was very excited about our stay here as he said it was luxurious. Maybe a washing machine is luxury but we’re still struggling to put our bags somewhere without tripping over them. 

Osaka is approximately 1900 square kilometres and has a population of over 8 million who we felt were all in town tonight. 

Day 3 Thursday 19 March

Today we decided against the optional tour to Hiroshima. The group were travelling on the bullet train. I did a journey on this train in 2013 and Anne said the Eurostar she has been on travelled at a similar speed. We have driven past the new Magna-lev train line being built here in Japan. It is not operational yet and undergoing testing but is expected to travel at between 500 and 600 km’s per hour. 

The group that did go found it an emotional day and interestingly mentioned the peace flame which still burns there today. It will be extinguished when there are no nuclear weapons left in this world. With what is going on in the world at the moment, sadly, I can’t see that happening any time soon.

We opted instead for a day of shopping and eating in no particular order. First up we tried the local delicacy of Okonomiyaki which is a savoury pancake with shrimp and is renowned  in this area. It was yummy. Some shopping next which is always fun in another country. Anne’s translate app was very helpful with some of the text.  Anne’s husband did ask if our Japanese souvenirs were made in China but the translation got lost in the small print. 

We passed a kimono shop and the beautiful traditionally dressed shop keeper drew us in and before we knew I was being helped into a lovely kimono. Definitely another beautiful experience. Then we went back to our guides recommendation for Kobe beef and our 1,000 yen bought us 3 delicious cubes on a skewer (We thought we were getting 3 skewers!) Nonetheless, we enjoyed our 1 and 1/2 bites each of delicious tenderness before moving on. 

Then, we joined the recent viral craze and queued for a 10 yen coin shaped cheese waffle. After the obligatory photos of the stretchy cheese we thoroughly enjoyed another delicious experience. Funny thing was it cost us 500 yen for our 10 yen shaped waffle but we ticked another thing off our self guided food tour. Before I came to Japan I was determined to experience anything Matcha so when I saw a waffle cone Matcha ice cream, that had to be dessert. Our drink selection was varied, cheap and delicious thanks to the convenience store. On our way back to the hotel we saw what looked like a fun self drive go kart tour. Apparently you need an International drivers licence and if only I’d thought ahead! Oh well, I’ll be adding this to the bucket list for sure. 

Day 4 Friday 20 March

Anne thought the water temperature gauge was the air conditioner and turned it down as the room was hot. Guess who had a cold shower (not Anne.) Then our first rest stop today was our first bad experience with the Japanese toilets. To find we had no heated seat and no toilet paper was a shock to my cold butt. Things can only improve from here. The Japanese toilets are usually next level. Music can be played to mask noise, seats are heated, handy rack for umbrellas, even a seat to safely restrain your toddler while they watch mum pee. 

While we were driving to our first stop. The ancient capital of Kyoto, Miyaki explained the history of the cast system that was eventually abandoned in 1868 when the Shogun era came to an end and political power was returned to the Emperor.  On top was the Emperor, then came the Royals followed by the Samurai, who, incidentally had the right to kill anyone under their cast level without giving reason. Next were the monks, below which were business men and the lowest of all the no names (usually farmers). 1868 is also the year Tokyo replaced Kyoto as the capital. 

Next stop Kinkaku-ji a zen temple. After a quick sample of Matcha with gold leaf we entered the magnificent gardens with a golden pavillion as its centre piece. Adorning the roof was a magnificent gold Phoenix which is Japans national symbol. We followed the path around the beautiful lake. The lucky coin in Japan is the Go-en (a 5yen with a hole in the middle), so we threw them for good luck together with many Japanese bowing and throwing their coins too. The lake had several islands and the gold pavillion and trees were reflected in the water. Our photos just don’t do it justice. 

Our guide was explaining our next stop and many confused passengers weren’t sure what a bumble grove was, but thoroughly enjoyed our unique experience of walking or taking a Rick Shaw ride through the soaring stalks of the Bamboo Grove in Arashiyami. It was particularly busy here today as it was part of a 3 day  Japanese holiday. Luckily for us, that also meant many young Japanese were dressed in beautiful traditional costumes which was an added bonus.  Continuing our theme of enjoying unique foods we enjoyed eating an Emoji. Yep, the Mochi which is a coloured rice speciality has its own Emoji 🍡 The local rice Sakura cakes were also recommended,so we tried the sesame and the strong soy sauce options and they were very tasty. 

Our final stop was Fushimi Inari Shrine. An important Shinto shrine in Southern Kyoto built in 711. It’s famous for its thousands of Vermilion Torii gates which straddle a network of trails behind its main building. This site also had throngs of tourists and our guide instructed us to walk backwards for the best photos. What a tip, as we got some great photos. 

Back onto the bus for our 2 hour journey to Nagoya to finish our 12 hour day. Anne and I have enjoyed some amazing food but not tonight. Once again dinner was what we could muster from the convenience store at our last roadside stop. We were upgraded to the luxury hotel and Miyaki was very excited for us, telling us no other trip a deal group ever gets to  stay here. It was comfortable but the room was so so tiny. Our shower opened directly into the room. Lucky we’ve known each other a long time and no longer have any inhibitions. We talked and laughed till we cried, then fell into an exhausted sleep!

Day 5 Saturday 21 March

As we drove to our first stop today, through the Nagoya /Toyohashi region, snow started to appear on the side of the highway and the view from the window was of snow capped mountains.  We travelled through many tunnels and Miyaki told us there are over 12,000 tunnels throughout Japan. 

Eight million empty houses in the Japanese countryside are free. The reason is an enormously high inheritance tax. If the children work in Tokyo, they can’t live in the country and also can’t afford the tax which is based on the value of the house they’re inheriting and therefore, their parents homes remain empty. Evidently, foreigners with the correct visa can pay the tax and live in them. 

We enjoyed our drive through the countryside and then arrived in the  beautiful old town of Takayama, where we walked along Sannomachi Street, which survives in a beautiful state with many old homes, shops and restaurants. It retains a traditional touch like no other Japanese city. I was struggling to remember what we did first but then Anne reminded me it was Sake tasting. No wonder I couldn’t remember. We shared a cup and bought about 5 or 6 tastings out of over 100 varieties. We both enjoyed the experience. The most expensive was the one offered to Barack Obama on his state visit. It was interesting to learn the process of turning rice into Saki.

Next we partook in Hida Takayama Beef Wagyu Sushi which is a variation on the Sushi we are used to. It is another thing currently taking social media by storm. The beef is quickly seared with a burst of flame The Rice is wrapped in a thin sliver of tender beef and served on a rice cracker that serves as an edible plate. It tasted as good as it looked. 

Next up Shirakawa-go. This 400 year old UNESCO world heritage listed town surrounded by snow capped mountains showed us life from many moons ago. Life here from 9-5 is for the tourists and then when the town is shut the locals partake in Sake drinking/making and playing Poker. 

We enjoyed a stroll over the suspension bridge looking at the unusual houses with their thatched roofs and timber walls and the patches of snow made for some nice pics. 

  

We ended our touring day with the Samurai sword museum. Very interesting to see the workmanship of creating these swords that can slice off one’s head with one fell swoop. The souvenir shop here was unique. As well as the swords for sale for many thousands, you could buy scissors, knives etc. and they all looked dangerously sharp!  We then dressed up in traditional Samurai outfits or Kimono’s  and the group laughed as we had photos taken all pretending we were Tom Cruise from the Last Samurai movie.  

Back into the bus for a sing a long. One of the ladies is an accomplished singer and led us all. It was loud and lots of fun. Miyaki commented that he was happy trip a deal had booked him a separate hotel! The first song we sang, Anne’s dad used to sing to her (“You are my Sunshine”.) Everywhere in Nagoya we keep seeing signs for their Soccer team “Nagoya Grampus”. Her dad was Grump’s to her kids so she feels he’s here with us. 

Tonight we wandered to find the Nagoya tower all lit up purple. Under the tower we found an English pub for what was a fun dinner talking to 3 Indian cricketers in Japan. 

Day 6 Sunday 22 March

Miyaki has got our group into line and on time, so, as we managed to tick off some sights earlier in our tour we were blessed with a well needed 9.30am start. It even meant our guide got 8 hours sleep which he says never happens. 

Today we are making the long journey back to Tokyo, but wait, there’s one more shrine to visit. Toyokawa Inari isn’t just a shrine or just a temple. It is a combination of both, encompassing Buddhism and Shintoism. We’ve learnt to bow once before entering the gate of a shrine and three times at the temple statue, so there was lots of bowing going on. Add to this the cleansing incense smoke over our heads it was quite an experience. But note to self don’t blow too much smoke over your head or you die! There’s a fine line between healing ailments, prosperity, wisdom, spiritual well being and death!

As our feet crunched on the gravel paths, we were told this served as an early security system. Even a Ninja couldn’t walk lightly enough not to be heard. The grounds contained 1000 concrete foxes adorned with red bibs. The Japanese consider these animal’s the symbol of cleverness. 

The Chinese temple had a huge red lantern and after we bowed 3 times we tossed a 5 yen coin which is the coin considered to be lucky. It’s called a go-en as this is similar to the word for good fortune. 

I’ve been enjoying my morning can of hot coffee from the vending machine but at our lunch stop today Anne bought herself a hot chocolate from one too. We’re pretty pleased with ourselves that we can work it out because there’s not much English. It’s also great fun swapping tastes of each other’s purchases when we get back on the bus. Evidently the food speciality here is Eel but we skipped that and chose a sandwich instead. The food has been wonderful, even the egg sandwiches from 711 are great. 

It was a long drive back to Tokyo hampered by the long weekend traffic. Miyaki calls this highway “the highway to hell”. Many Japanese drivers can’t afford a car so hire one just for the weekend. They’re not experienced drivers and this causes many accidents as was the case today, confirming Sunday drivers are definitely the worst. We saw so many drivers distracted with phones in their hands. 

Tokyo’s greater metropolitan population is around 41 million. We got excited when we saw the orange lights of the Tokyo tower, which must mean we were close to our hotel. The tower was built in 1958 and was modelled on the Eiffel Tower. After our arrival we joined Miyaki for an orientation walk. He warned us to be aware of young men, possibly tattooed, asking us to follow them to show us cheap drinks etc. If we did go with them, it would be “sayonara” to us. 

If we thought our hotel rooms were small before, this one is not much bigger than a postage stamp. A little bit of moving of tables etc was required to fit our luggage. It looks like our hotel is in a vibrant part of town. We’ve left the peacefulness of the temple behind and are in the bustling Metropolis. Our walk ended outside a Japanese pasta restaurant so that was as good a place as any to recharge. We felt a bit like our battery’s were dead. Miyaki says it’s like being an iPhone 8 with only 1% charge left at 7pm. The young ones in our group are more like iPhone 17’s and their batteries last all night. After dinner (which we would never have found as it was downstairs) we decided on a stroll. We think we wandered into some kind of red light district but soldiered on and came across Ueno park which had a market, a brightly lit temple reflecting in the lake and a row of cherry blossom trees. It was just what we needed to iron out the kinks from sitting in the bus all day. 

Day 7 Monday 23 March

We debated attending Disneyland for our free day in Tokyo, but word spread that it was sold out, so the decision was made for us. Instead, our free day in Tokyo started with a visit to a pig cafe. We’d never heard this was a thing but we’re delighted we tried it. I started with one gorgeous little one that snuggled in. He pushed his snout under my elbow and immediately went to sleep. Anne on the other hand had them running from her. It wasn’t till another visitor left that  those Pigs came to her. She had 5 pigs in her lap at one stage. A couple more also came to me but bullied my little fella and there were some very loud cries. An all round great experience interacting with baby pigs (Buta) in your lap. The grand kids loved our photos.

We then strolled to Shiba gardens near the sky tower. We wandered through the shopping alley ways and thoroughly enjoyed the brisk morning and the lively atmosphere. Then what to do? Tokyo metropolis is vast so to get around into the underground metro station we went. Buying the ticket from the machine was easy, but getting out at our destination not so. The trains are clean, quiet and reliable. Getting lost doesn’t even feel stressful—it feels like discovering something new.

Just as we exited the station we saw a Taiyaki. This  fish shaped pancake is a popular street food we had been told to try.  Another tick from our foods we must try list. We enjoyed watching the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, (Shibuya), both while walking with the throngs (most with cameras in the air, including us) and from above out of the Starbucks window.

Someone from our group posted some photos from the Imperial Palace gardens with some cherry blossoms. So as that’s what we’re here for, off we went. Back into the underground. Incidentally these trees are bred especially for the blossom and don’t bare fruit. By the time we got there time constraints meant we had a lot of ground to cover in less than 1/2 hour. Anne’s had a foot problem affecting her ability to walk fast so I put her in a wheel chair and ran! In the process we got to see the cherry blossoms and I got to play out my Tokyo drift fantasy with Anne laughing all the way. Then after Anne’s rest in the wheel chair, she was reenergised and suggested walking over 3 1/2 k’s back to our hotel. We both agreed much better to see Tokyo from above ground than underground. We stopped half way at a restaurant without any English. With the help of an English speaking businessman we ordered an enjoyable dinner before these weary soles arrived at our hotel. The packing had to wait till the morning. Our batteries were dead. 

Day 8 Tuesday 24 March

The sun is shining for our last day and after breakfast our final tour commences. An anticipated visit to Ueno Park and the Cherry Blossoms. After a final group photo, we strolled down Cherry Blossom Avenue. It was wonderful. We found a cafe and I enjoyed a perfect Sakura coffee with sprinkles of pink to mimic cherry blossom. We shared a sandwich overlooking some of these trees and it was a great end to our time in Japan. 

We’ve loved the mix of chaos and calm—busy streets one minute, peaceful temples the next. Japan has this quiet magic that makes even ordinary moments feel cinematic.

And of course, there’s the culture. From the politeness of strangers to the small details in everyday life, Japan makes you feel respected as a visitor. Whether it’s a bow from a shop keeper or the way people line up so neatly, everything feels intentional and thoughtful.

Even though Anne and I don’t regularly catch up these days, on this holiday we’ve picked up our friendship where we left off.

The land of the rising sun isn’t just a destination—it’s the kind of place that stays with you, long after you’ve left. 🇯🇵 

If you’ve read this far, thank you. My blog Sensei says “he’s taught me well”.