Recently updated on January 17th, 2020 at 09:52 pm
Learning how to make sushi and getting to eat our creations was an enjoyable start to the trip. The chef showed us how to fillet a fish, and then we were each given our own ingredients. We were taught how to roll little balls of rice and then place a hole into it for air: the trick to good sushi is that it must be firm enough on the outside to pick up with chopsticks, but airy inside so that the rice falls apart when you put it in your mouth.
The trip was full of other experiences that gave us a taste of Japanese culture. Like when we stayed at the ryokan Nunohan – a typical Japanese inn with sliding doors and tatami mats – which offered stunning views over Lake Suwa. One of the inn’s staff came to our room to show us how to wear the Japanese yakata and made tea for us.
We had a really fun night with a geiko (geisha) and a maiko in Kyoto. They performed a Japanese dance and then entertained us with a simple but fun game, where we all had the opportunity to join in. If they were working in a professional capacity, the loser would be expected to drink sake (a typical Japanese alcoholic beverage).
Our Be My Guest keiseki lunch was also in Kyoto and was hosted at a traditional ryokan. The owner was there to greet us, along with the landlady and her granddaughter, who helped with the translation. We had about 9 or 10 different courses of local cuisine – including white fish and tofu and bamboo shoots – all exquisitely presented and delicious.
Later on in the trip we went to Mount Koya to experience life in a temple. One of the monks explained the rules when we arrived – curfew was at 9pm and some of the lighting was to be turned off, but we were still free to move around within the temple. There were two onsens (Japanese hot springs): one for males and one for females. I found it amazing that the male onsen had a pink curtain and the female a blue one!
Dinner that evening was traditional monk’s cuisine (shojin ryori) and we all came dressed in our yakata. Like the monks, we sat on the floor to dine. The food was quite bland (as expected) but it was interesting to experience what the monks eat. There was an option to join them the following morning for a Buddhist service.
On our last day we took a short ferry ride to Miyajima Island to see the famous floating Tori Gate. We saw a lot of deer resting under trees; we were warned to watch out for them as they like to eat paper, and we soon witnessed one chewing on a brochure out of a very surprised tourist’s back pocket!
Japan is truly a beautiful country. It’s extremely clean and the people are all very polite. This is a wonderful trip with a well-paced itinerary, and I highly recommend it. All the included Japanese-style meals have tofu and rice, and tea is always complimentary. Our Travel Director, Kimiko, did an amazing job of looking after us throughout the tour.
Interested in the Splendours of Japan trip?