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Japan cuisine tour

COUNTRY:
Japan
HOLIDAY TYPE:
A small group adventure
DEPARTURES:
2012: 17 Mar, 31 Mar, 7 Apr, 14 Apr, 21 Apr, 8 Sep, 22 Sep, 6 Oct, 20 Oct, 3 Nov
2013: 16 Mar, 30 Mar, 13 Apr, 27 Apr, 11 May
PRICE:
From £2605 - £2895 (14 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
We can arrange flights from the UK.
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Japan cuisine tour

Japan cuisine tour

Small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places!

Because of our small group size, we're able to guarantee departures for all of our trips. Once you have booked and paid your deposit, your trip is guaranteed to go!

How this holiday makes a difference

This trip is a fantastic introduction to a wonderful country that contrasts modern development with traditional beliefs. A key feature of this trip is immersion into the Japanese culture, and how better to accomplish this than by journeying to the heart of Japanese culinary culture?Throughout the trip most of the accommodation is in minshuku or ryokan. These are traditional local style inns, often a part of a family's house. They are small and quaint, built in the Japanese style with tatami (straw mat) floors. Leaders will educate travellers as to how best respect the local customs and preserve the delicate tatami floors while staying in these places (refer to trip dossier for information on packing - wheeled suitcases are not suitable). In true Japanese style travellers sleep on futons on the floor.

Groups learn about the spiritual side of Japanese life through temple visits. With interactive cooking classes, market visits and a sake brewery visit there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with the locals. We stay for two nights in a Buddhist monastery, and are fortunate enough to be able to cook (and clean up) with the local monks. There are also plenty of opportunities to enjoy the natural environment.

The trip includes a stay in Hiroshima where travellers can meet with survivors and learn about the impacts of the tragic event that occurred here.

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How we choose providers
Japan cuisine tour

Japan cuisine tour

Reviewed 27 May 2008 by Hong Lye Kon3 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The Tokyo fish market is always memorable. I did not think one can make it to the tuna fish auction by using public transport in the early hours. When we arrived the auction was over. You need to organise a coach for an early morning view and take in some of the Tokyo sights for the day as well.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Be prepared for lots of breakfast with rice and pickle vegetable and eggs. If one does not like such breakfast it could spoil the trip.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


I am not sure it did benefit the locals. If you have the monastery in Koya San in mind then it did benefit them. I am disappointed by their sharp attitude when they refused entry to the tour group because the company did not pay in full. I think they are a bunch of business people running a hotel with religion thrown in. You should seriously consider scrapping this part of the tour as you are enriching a very sharp religious group. I would recommend that you substitute Kayo-san with Hakone with a hotel with hot spring facilities and a Keiseki-type of dinner to boot.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Could be improved upon with well thought out eateries in advance rather than leaving it to chance. We did not get to taste yakitori or fugu. Too much emphasis on different versions of okonomiyaki. I thought only the Hiroshima version should do and we should move on to others, like nabe ryori.

I like the free time afforded and could be better serve if the first visit to a place can be arrange with a brief mini tour of the city or town.

Read the operator's response here:

Thankyou for your feedback, it is great to read that you enjoyed this trip overall. It is through feedback from our travelers that we can assess our strengths and weaknesses, and allows us consider any changes that might need to be made. As a Japan Cuisine trip the breakfasts are of a Japanese style and most passenger enjoy this, there are plenty of western options available should anybody want a break from the tradition option. We do not include every meal on this trip so that all our passengers are free to choose their own meals and can be as adventurous or conservative with their selections as they wish. Where meals are included, the group leader will try to accommodate the tastes of all the members of the group. Passengers can always ask the group leader for information and recommendations on restaurants for any food they would like to try and are encouraged to do so.

The fish marketing in tsukiji can be reached early enough for the early morning auction and is a highlight for most people on this trips as long as the group is willing to make an early start to their day. I am sorry that you missed out on this highlight but by using local transport, locally owned ryokan accommodation and eating in local street restaurants rather than hotel chains, we are seeking to put as much money back into the local economies as possible. The visit to Koya San is one example of this. The people at this monastry are the kindest you can meet, and the issues you raise regarding insufficient payment have now been resolved and the monastery continues to impress many of our groups as it has done for many years.

Reviewed 22 Apr 2006 by Ursula Weiss4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The Cherry Blossom Dance of the Meikos in Kyoto. And the Puppet Theater in Osaka. Actually the whole trip was a highlight.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


On this trip you get only Japanese meals, also for breakfast. Not to take a lot of luggage. The easiest is to carry a backpack.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


We think that giving everybody of the group his/her own chopstick (waste of wood), a textile bag (instead of using plastic bags) and travelling with public transport is not such a big benefit for the local community. Of course it is minimising environmental impact and it is at least a very good beginning. And we support this by all means. Our guide was encouraging the group and explaining the idea of responsible travel from the beginning of the trip. I am sure if all travel agencies would advise their groups about responsible travel then it would make a big difference and maybe in the end also change the attitude of the locals.

Read the operator's response here:

By using local transport, locally owned ryokan accommodation and eating in local street restaurants rather than hotel chains, we seek to plough as much money back into the rural and urban local economies of Japan as possible. We are pleased you had a great trip.
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Holiday Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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Japan cuisine tour
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