Japan

Sam and I went to Japan for his 5th Grade Trip. Each kid has been able to select a destination for a parent/child bonding trip before starting middle school. Mak chose England, Ryder chose Australia (after much debate!) and Sam was always stead-fast on Japan. We worked with our amazing travel agent Delora and she suggested that we go with Adventures by Disney. We were sold after reviewing the dynamic itinerary.

About nine months before our adventure, I was battling a mysterious aliment. In the late Fall, I was bit by a spider on my ear while cutting back my lavender. It wouldn’t heal and soon my vitals went out of whack. My primary care physical didn’t know what to do with me so she put me on blood pressure medicine and started the course of multiple 30-day packs of antibiotics. Fast forward to the Spring I was referred to an infectious disease specialist who diagnosed me with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and chronic Staph infection in my gut. She put me on a body and diet cleanse and demanded I stop dying my hair. It was her theory that my at-home hair dye was making me sick with all of the chemicals. So I went au-natural and was gray for my Japan trip. It would be five more months before I discovered my breast cancer with a routine annual mammogram, but my body was at conflict and I was trying to find a path to health as my cancer grew. this trip to Japan was my first lesson on healing.

“Hair dye contains more than 5,000 chemicals. The list includes some known carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer) like aromatic amines, 3-amino-4-methoxyaniline, 2-nitro-4-aminoaniline and 3-nitro-4-hydroxyaniline.”

Day #1 of Adventure with Sam, we arrived into Osaka and were driven to our hotel in KYOTO, the Hyatt. We checked in and hired a car to take us to Ginkakuji / Silver Pavilion, Kinkakuji / Golden Pavilion, and Nijo Castle (Nijojo) Shogun Castle. It was crazy hot and humid, but we had a great time … or at least that is the story the pictures share! When we arrived back, we did our Adventures by Disney Orientation and had dinner at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, trattoria sette.

Day #2 Rickshaw Tour: Arashiyama & Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama District Walking Tour, Lunch at Yoshiya Restaurant in Arashiyama, Temples in Afternoon @ tall pagoda tower in Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto Japan, Welcome Dinner at Sodoh and Maiko Performance.a

Day #3: We took the Shinkansen Train to Hiroshima which was super fun and fast! And then we took a ferry over to the island of Miyajima where we explored and had a delicious lunch. Next it was to the Shinto Shrine and Buddhist Temple Tour. We took the ferry back to Hiroshima and visited the powerful Hiroshima Peace Park, the Gateway to Peace. We visited the Peace Park Museum and then had an Origami Crane Experience, which was also very powerful. My favorite part of the Peace Park is that it is full of PEACE trees that have been donated from Japan and abroad to represent Peace. We wrapped up the day with an Okonomiyaki Dinner Experience and took the Shinkansen Train back to Kyoto.

Day #4: Today was all about Drumming, Bento Boxes and Rafting! We stared the day with the Honpō-ji Temple Tour & Taiko Drumming, next it was off to a Bento Box Cooking Class, and finally a Hozugawa River Boat Ride.

Day #5: We said goodbye to Kyoto and were off to Takayama. Our first stop was one of my all time favorites of the trip, the Fushimi Inari Shrine & Torii Trail. Then we went to Todai-ji Temple in Nara which my parents had visited earlier in the year, so that was a cool coincidence. And Sam’s favorite was going to the Kehaya-za Sumo Experience & Museum.

Day #6: Takes us to the Historic Village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site … which I now think might be my favorite place in Japan! And a very special dinner at Suzuya which is famous for its Hida Beef (which Sam ate all of mine!).

Day #7: Next was a countryside bike ride in Tokayama and a guided food tasting walking tour of historic Takayama Market District & a bonus caligraphy lesson. And we had a wonderful night in Odawara where the parents enjoyed some free time while the Adventures by Disney hosts hosted the kids for a Junior Dinner and Bowling fun night. Which was fun for kids of all ages indeed!

Day #8: We are nearing Tokyo, starting at the Yokohama at Hakone Open Air Museum, which we loved and then to the Ramen Museum, which we loved, and then to dinner at the Kill Bill inspiration and famous Gonpachi restaurant … which we loved and we experienced an earthquake! And Shibuya Crossing was awesome too! I am bummed I don’t have any pictures of it, but it was a sight to see and experience indeed!

Day #9: We are in TOKYO! We toured Hamarikyu Gardens and Tea House, Senso-ji Temple, Meiji Jingu Shrine with a Shinto Ceremony, and then a Sumida River boat cruise. And then a Goodbye party for our awesome tour of Japan. We met forever friends on this trip 4sure … and so cool that my son Mak and Billy both selected LMU for college and that JoAnn and I get to hang out more in LA, CA!

Day #10: Out last day of the Disney Tour. We explored at the Hamarikyu Gardens and Tea House where I was able to enjoy the unique ceremony and Sam was able to enjoy the grounds with our new best friends. We went shopping on Takeshita Street and got gifts for everyone at home. Then it was our goodbye dinner where they gave us this incredible drawing our us. An awesome Adventure with Disney indeed to Japan!

Day #11: Our Disney Tour has come officially to an end and we sadly said goodbye to all of our new best friends. Sam and I spent the day touring Tokyo with stops at the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo,,the Sunshine City Aquarium, the Tokyo Tower, the HARRY Hedge Hog Cafe, and then a surprise visit to see Godzilla!

Day #11: Off to Nagano on a bullet train to see the Snow Monkeys! This was our original inspiration to go to Japan. Sam decided early in grade school that this was what he wanted to do. And then our awesome travel agent Delora helped us discover the Adventures by Disney opportunity. So we scheduled this tour at the end of our trip and it was magical!