Back to Japan…in a most unexpected way
Japan has always held a special place in my heart. My intrigue began through a series of consecutive summers of Japanese exchange students who stayed with us while I was in high school. Then in the early 2000s I was stationed in Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo. From trains you could time your watch by, to tranquil gardens in the midst of the buzz of the city, to the most delicate presentation of a meal, to the kindness of the people, I fell in love. I had one more opportunity to visit for work in 2019 towards the end of cherry blossom season before we took off on the boat. I promised someday I would take my family to experience this incredible country.
The opportunity to visit showed up in the most unexpected way – a school trip with only 4 seats left offered at back-to-school night. While the focus was on the kids, at this point adults were welcome as well. It was as if it was calling to us. Hmmmm…organized bus travel on a mostly all-inclusive travel package on a pretty ambitious daily schedule….I was skeptical to say the least. I was not skeptical because I didn’t think it was a great deal, it’s just that after years of traveling via boat and bus with little to no schedule at the whim of mother nature and whatever our hearts and minds told us, I wasn’t sure how we would do. Furthermore, we prefer to have flexibility to spend more time in an enjoyable place if we so choose, and to have more opportunities for down time, especially in crowded areas in the heat of summer – the pace concerned us. We needed to consider if this what really was what we wanted to do as a family. After a bit of discussion and the realization that we would be heading to the heart of anime (kind of a big deal in our household…at least to 2 family members) we agreed to do it. What we found was that it was an incredible trip that allowed us to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time and experience some of the best cultural experiences.
A different sort of trip
This decision to go was not only unusual because of the type of vacation we planned to take, but also because of the lead time. I had no clue what it was like to plan a vacation a year in advance…amazing experience! There was time to do research into the culture, history, and language, and something to look forward to all yearlong! What there wasn’t, was the stress of making every intricate decision on hotels, experiences, in country transportation and the list goes on. While we had grown to love the freedom to customize a trip to our liking, the sacrifice in this case was worth it.
With a great leader who made clear what the expectations were, we could rest at ease. We just needed to get our butts to LAX by 9pm, park our car, and find our group – done! We had a whole day to make last minute preparations (that meant mom would BEGIN packing). The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics was on. We watched with excitement and got so pumped for international travel, even if it was in the other direction! Once we arrived at LAX, we found that despite not knowing many people, we were all here for a common reason that made us an instant community. Look out Japan – the deuces-nine is invading!
Never ending day
On our 11-hour flight we slept…not at all except perhaps, for Kellyn in the window seat…you’re welcome kiddo. Fueled with the excitement of months of research and anticipation for the country they had envisioned, and I couldn’t wait to return to…we were off and running even with our jetlagged hangovers. My friend described the arrival in Japan as one that is truly foreign for Westerners, meaning there are so many cultural differences that you couldn’t possibly be in another part of the US. From food, to people, to language, to public toilets that play rushing water sounds upon entry to the stall, we were definitely not in southern California anymore. We had a brief layover in Haneda, Tokyo then we were off to Osaka to get to our hotel to shower & sleep off our jetlag….just kidding! We met our tour guide, Shige-san, bought some airport treats, hit the ATM, and we were off in our newly discovered sanctuary: the beloved airconditioned wonder bus that would transport all of us unshowered, jetlagged Americans throughout Osaka.
We had 3 stops to make this first day (in their defense, we were fair warned that we would hit the ground running and that we did!). The heat and humidity hit us like a bullet train in our exhausted, excited states. We came from daily triple digit temperatures back home, but this humidity was a whole new beast to deal with. Mulling about like zombies at a large shopping mall, we rode the 9 switchback escalators up to the Pokémon shop where the kids were instantly reinvigorated. We had little time to shop and find lunch before our bus would depart for the next stop. On the way up, as I enjoyed the stench of 20 hours of travel, my olfactory sense was struck by the most beautiful, calming scent from a shop appropriately called Aroma. They kindly welcomed us into their very elegant shop that I felt horribly undergroomed to be in. I asked while pointing to the air, “Nani desu ka?” (What is it?). I reflected on how much I had relied upon the combination of my rudimentary Japanese and sign language to get by so many years ago, and was equally surprised with how quickly that communication method returned. The kind saleslady lifted a perfect glass container that had encased an essential oil, and gracefully held it to my nose for verification. I nodded and imagined this scent diffusing throughout my home to bring me back to this pristine shop. I resisted the urge to bathe in it, despite still enjoying my own stench. I made my purchase, and we eventually settled on milkshakes and fries for lunch at the Shake Shack. I also reflected that while living in Japan, sometimes I wanted a truly different cultural experience, and other times I just want something familiar. Milkshake smiles all around for family French – we’d get exotic soon enough. I loved Osaka – had never visited and truly enjoyed the experiences that EF tours had scheduled for us.
Relax control freaks
This trip was an enlightening experience to enjoy in almost a parallel universe with our teens. They slept in separate rooms from us, ate with other people for breakfast and dinner, and were able to split from us within the safety of the group. Once us control freaks (mom and dad) relinquished control and just sat back and relaxed to enjoy our vacation – it was amazing how much fun we had! I look back to our time on the boat and it was really hard to ever fully relax, whether we were underway, on anchor, or in a marina. There were always perils abound, and perhaps it was our mindset that always prepared us for worst case scenarios and this constant need to protect our family. It’s a mindset that sometimes we need to temper. It was pretty fun to watch from afar as our kids would laugh with friends as the sacred deer of Nara tried to eat their ice cream, or spontaneously break out dancing to the music of a local J-pop concert. This trip was a gift in so many ways beyond just the obvious lack of daily decision making.
The unexpected benefits
- The ability to enjoy my kids on vacation from afar
We had been a cruising family who homeschooled together, celebrated every holiday together, went thru all the highs and lows of cruising TOGETHER and it is an adjustment to return to an environment where we have to let go and trust their ability to navigate the world. We’ve been a bit hesitant (see “Relax control freaks” above). This trip allowed us to enjoy international travel as a family, but to let them socialize independently with their friends, figure out how to get the air conditioning running in their hotel room with instructions in kanji, do laundry, live in tight quarters with girls they had just met, and wake up in time for breakfast. Of course, once we left them alone, they amazed us with their ability to navigate the world around them. We in turn were able to enjoy our vacation together and they were LOVING the freedom. Silly mom and dad, we’re highly capable, techy wizard teenagers…get over it! Best lesson learned on this trip and SO much fun to watch!
- History of Japan like I never realized…despite living there for 2 years
I looked through a different lens when I was stationed overseas and living between worlds – an American military base located in Japan. I was incredibly fortunate to have several Japanese friends who graciously showed me the best of the country and culture, but even so, I was often missing the history and significance without the aid of a constant tour guide. Having a nationally qualified EF Tours contracted tour guide gave me a whole different perspective. Of course, it helped that my mind wasn’t clogged with returning to work. It’s different when living abroad vs the concentrated experience of a vacation. My shopping reflected this limited timestamp as well btw. We learned about the two predominant religions: Shintoism and Buddhism and how the two were intertwined, not mutually exclusive as we are accustomed. Hearing the history of Osaka castle, walking the grounds of the ancient capital city of Nara, driving by the expansive Imperial Palace and hearing about the world’s longest royal blood line; it was all so fascinating. There was so much I missed while living here. Yes, everything is online now, you can buy a guidebook, but it is nice to have a tour guide spell out the history and cultural significance of the shrines and temples while you are on site.
- Riding around in our cushy air-conditioned bus
OMG the best! You know, we trailblaze a lot and love to get advice from locals, walk a lot etc., but when the humidity is about 1000 percent, it’s heavenly to step inside your air-conditioned haven that will get you safely to your next destination without negotiating prices or worrying about getting lost along the way…heavenly. Oh, and to be able to store my purchases from the last stop…added bonus!
- No major decisions = a new experience
The realization that we didn’t have to make critical decisions allowed us to play, enjoy, and experience our time there. I’m a good leader, but I’m an excellent follower too. Figure out how to purchase tickets for the Shinkansen (bullet train), navigate the station, observe appropriate cultural norms for boarding and behavior onboard OR, have a skilled local guide do it for you and show you the things you’d otherwise miss (like the seats turn around 360 degrees – who knew?!) Both ways afford their own allure, but it was great to be a follower in this case. Follower of the little plush creature attached to Shige-san’s retractable pointer stick. I never got full consensus on the identity of this stuffed creature in question. But, I was relaxed enough to ponder this instead of worrying about which line to get in, how much money the tour cost, how much time we needed to get there, etc.
We’re not experts on Japan, in fact we’re not experts on much of anything, but you are getting this writing perspective from the HelmsMistress, who has lived in Japan and visited the country a number of times. I love the fact that you…as the reader can get a women’s point of view in the HelmsMistress’ writings, different from my own.
As you can read from the story, we love to travel with our kids whether it’s a school trip like this one or a camping trip throughout the US…or a four year cruising trip by sailboat. We also own and run Adventure Base Ranch, where we train donkeys to race!
Keep up with us here on the website as we continue to travel and adventure.
Here’s the rest of the Japan Travel Series, so far:
Travel With Family- A Summer Trip To Japan- 1
Travel With Family- Osaka, Japan- Day 1
