In this final post on Japan, I'll share information about the destinations we visited on our own, as well as some hotel and restaurant recommendations.
Were there language communication issues? We found enough people that could either speak English very well or at least we could complete basic communication. Street name signs were often a challenge to find and we often used landmarks on a map to help us find our directions. Announcements on the trains and in train stations were made in both Japanese and English. ATM machines provided multiple language support. Wherever we stayed, hotel staff were extremely helpful and courteous.
Tsukiji Fish Market - At one time, this was the largest wholesale and retail fish market in the world. The Tsukiji Fish Market opened in 1935 and, in October 2018, the wholesale market moved 1.5 miles away to the Toyosu Market. This market move joined the wholesale fish, vegetable and fruit sellers together. The retail fish markets remained at Tsukiji but are now accompanied by sushi restaurants and butcher counters, on-site prepared foods and general household food and cooking supplies. If you want to tour the wholesale Toyosu Market, I understand there is an advance ticket lottery system and you have to be at the market at 5am.
We particularly enjoyed watching the busy retail activities and partaking in the tasty food samples provided by the many vendors.
Tokyo National Museum - The National Museum, established in 1872, contains one of the largest collections of Japanese art and archeological artifacts. The collection is housed in six separate buildings. With a planned visit of a half day, we spent our time in the Japanese Gallery Honkan building. This building has two floors and 24 exhibition rooms containing national treasures of sculpture, armor and weapons, paintings, lacquerware, calligraphy, textiles and ceramics. English language audio guides were helpful for interpretation as we walked through the exhibition rooms.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - The Shinjuku garden was a highlight for us. With over the 143 acres, we found a relaxing location filled with flowering cherry trees, long walking paths and grass areas. We even saw some garden visitors laying on plastic tarps, enjoying their "hanami" viewing of cherry blossoms with food and drinks. This was the first park we visited with many cherry trees in bloom - certainly one of the picturesque views we were seeking on this trip.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was originally a feudal lord's Edo (now Tokyo) residence, transformed into a botanical garden for the Imperial Family in 1903 and rebuilt and reopened as a public park in 1949 after being destroyed in WWII.
The garden has more than 20,000 trees, including about 1,500 cherry trees. Himalayan cedars, tulip trees, cypresses and plane trees are also found in the park.
East Gardens of the Imperial Palace - The East Gardens are located next to the Imperial Palace and are open to the public. This area originally was the site of Edo Castle, the residence of the Tokugawa shogun that ruled Japan until Meiji Restoration in 1867.
Within the garden, you can still see the moat and other defense structures of the former castle and the base of what was a tall castle tower. The tower was destroyed by fire around 1638 and was never rebuilt. Only some of the previous Edo Castle buildings remain, such as the walls, gates and guardhouses.
Later, we took a train from an Osaka rail station near our hotel to the Museum of Housing and Living. This indoor museum created an Edo-period village so that you can see what life looked like in Osaka during this time period. You can even rent a Kimono (about $4.50 USD) and wander the recreated street, housing and shop scenes. During our visit, the lighting changed so that visitors could experience both day and evening perspectives. There are also displays showing historical information about Osaka development after the Edo-period.
By the time we returned to our hotel room, it was already after 1pm and time for a late bento lunch. The afternoon rain picked up so we decided to stay and relax for the rest of the day. The following day would require a 2.5 hour train ride to Yokohama.
My father's parents came from this area of Japan. I was interested in learning more about the Kanazawa and Fukui region. This area still contains large expanses of agricultural fields but also is home to a number of cultural sights.
If you're planning a visit to Kanazawa, be sure to include a stop at the Kenrokuen Garden and the Nosaku Lacquerware Shop. Kenrokuen is considered as one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens. The gardens are next to Kanazawa Castle and served as the outer garden of the Castle. The focus of this garden is spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views. During our garden walk, we were too late to see the plum blossoms but saw many cherry trees with pink and white blossoms. This garden, along with the Shinjuku Goyen National Garden, were our favorites in Japan.
Nosaku traces its history back to 1780 and is known for producing beautiful lacquerware products. We stopped at this Kanazawa shop and purchased some hashi, or chopsticks. In Japan, we noticed the higher-end lacquer hashi have a beautiful luster and many have much finer tips than what we're accustomed to seeing in the US. Of course, this quality comes with much higher prices. Note that the Nosaku shop is just a short walk from Kenrokuen Garden.
Wakasa-nuri lacquerware from Obama City is another well-known source of finely crafted Japanese lacquer products.
Eiheji Temple - Eiheiji Temple was founded in 1244 by Dogen, a Buddhist scholar that brought Soto Zen, a sect of Zen Buddhism, to Japan from China. There are 70 intricate wood buildings and structures, most of which are connected to each other through covered walkways and halls. After removing your shoes, you can enter many of the rooms in the temple. The wood structures, colorful trees and shrubs and outdoor sculptures create a peaceful and calming environment. To reach Eiheji Temple from Kanazawa, its easiest to take the train from Kanazawa to Fukui and a bus ride from Fukui to Eiheji Temple. We hired a guide from ToursbyLocals to accompany us on our Kanazawa activities.
Tsuruga - After our morning visit to the Eiheiji Temple, we caught a bus and train to Tsuruga, in the Fukui Prefecture. This port city of 66,000 has not experienced much growth over the past 40 years as greater port terminal activity has shifted to Yokohama and Kobe. Much of Tsuruga was destroyed by bombs in WWII. Frankly, after our short visit we're not sure if we would suggest a stop in Tsuruga unless you have specific reasons for a stop here or have more time to explore the area.
From the Tsuruga Rail Station we took a taxi to the public fish market and had a traditional Japanese lunch at "I'm Masu Crab." The restaurant offers three set price lunches (about $10 USD) and a la carte selections that represent a pretty good meal. One of the restaurant cooks told us that nearby Mihama, the location from which my paternal grandmother's family resided, remains a rural agricultural village. We browsed the fish market and then went via taxi to the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum. This museum contains exhibits about Chiune Sugihara. Against the orders of the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania, Vice Counsel Sugihara issued transit visas for the many Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. 6,000 Jews were saved by Sugihara's actions. Tsuruga was the first port of entry in Japan for these individuals and families. As you leave the museum, close by is the small Tsuruga Railway Museum.
Continuing our walk, we stopped at the Kehi Shinto Shrine, where its 33 foot tall torii gate is considered one of Japan's three greatest gates, the others being at Nara's Kasuga-taisha Shrine and Hiroshima's Itsukushima Shrine.
Later in the day. we visited the Tsuruga Municipal Museum, located in a former Owada Bank building. The bank architecture appeared stately; however, the exhibits were difficult to appreciate as display descriptions were limited to the Japanese language. We wouldn't recommend a visit to this museum unless you are bilingual.
Our final day outing from Kanazawa was spent on a tour of the historic village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village is best known for its traditional thatched roof gassho-zujuri farmhouses, some of which are over 250 years old. Visitors from throughout the world, 1.7 million in 2017, have entered this mountain valley to view the village houses. I wonder if such high tourism numbers have altered this valley too much despite its UNESCO designation. Many of the farmhouses are now being used as lodgings, restaurants and souvenir shops as tourism has replaced agriculture related work. A few farmhouses are still used in silk worm farming.
Travel on Our Own - Hiroshima
My wife's family is from Hiroshima and contact with family members is still maintained. While in Hiroshima, we visited family members as well as Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Miyajima and the Mazda Museum and Factory.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park - The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The iconic building frame and remnants is all that is left of the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall . This building promoted Hiroshima industries and was close to the epicenter of where the atom bomb was dropped. This memorial sits with other memorials on 30 acres in the middle of Hiroshima central city. This area was the political, cultural and commercial heart of the city when a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
If you have an opportunity to visit the Memorial Park, be sure to take time to enter the Peace Memorial Museum. We only were able to enter East Building due to construction on the Main Building. The museum exhibits provide a history of Hiroshima, the development of the nuclear bomb, its devastating effect on the city and population and human suffering. The details are graphic and powerful, serving as a reminder of the importance of peace.
We purchased ekiben box lunches from the Hiroshima Rail Station with a relative and the three of us had lunch in the park. The park is easily reachable from the Rail Station by subway car.
Miyajima - About an hour from the central city area of Hiroshima is the small island of Miyajima. The Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on this island and the shrine has a enormous red-orange 56 feet tall torii gate that lies in sea water during high tide. The main shrine, Daishoan, is said to have been constructed in 593. Our visit was timed well as in June 2019, the torii gate will be covered with scaffolds for renovation.
Miyajima is well-known for small tasty momiji cakes. The cakes with an azuki bean filling are sought out by customers but the maple flavored cakes are equally delicious. The momiji cakes are even more tasty when eaten warm from a shop with an on-site waffle-like machine.
Mazda Museum and Factory - Mazda headquarters and many manufacturing units are located in Hiroshima. We arranged advance tickets over the Internet for the Mazda museum and factory tour. The tickets are free but you do need an advance reservation. I've toured a Ford manufacturing plant and it was interesting to see the Mazda plant. The most significant plant difference I observed was that Mazda concurrently builds different vehicle models on a single line (e.g., MX-5 roadster and CX5 SUV). The Ford plant I visited built only one vehicle model, F150 trucks.
When in Japan, you really need to try a ramen meal. At Ichiran, Shimbashi, in Tokyo, we had our first experience ordering ramen from a vending machine. From a vending machine, you can make your selections for noodle thickness, soft or al dente noodles, broth type, broth strength, meat type, egg and other additions. You can also choose a beer or other beverage to go along with your ramen. All from the convenience of a vending machine! When your soup is ready, you sit in a carrel and are free to slurp after the server brings your ramen bowl. There is not much opportunity for conversation as each diner is separated by a short wall.
If you're visiting Japan, be sure to pick-up some Kit Kat bars. This candy is very popular in Japan, with flavors including Azuki Bean, Apple, Green Tea, Plum Sake, Sakura, Strawberry Cheesecake and Wasabi. I don't believe you can find these flavors in the US. I recently read that Nestle produces 300 limited edition Kit Kat flavors for the Japan market.
Below are some meals that we enjoyed, along with location.
Tokyo: "Depachika" Food Market, Mitsukoshi Department Store
Tokyo: Ichiran Ramen, Shimbashi, Tokyo
Tokyo: Viking Sal Breakfast, Imperial Hotel Tokyo
Kyoto: Steak House Tokiwa, Kyoto Hotel Okura
Kyoto: Italian Food, The Sodah, Higashiyama
Kyoto: Sea Bream Taichaduke Lunch, Taishou Hanana, Arashiyama
Osaka: Regional Okonomiyaki Dinner, Hozenji Senpei
Kanazawa: Traditional Japanese Dinner, Kagaya, Kanazawa Rail Station
Kanazawa: Regional Oden Dinner, Kuroyuri, Kanazawa Rail Station
Hiroshima: Traditional Japanese Dinner, Miyabe-Tei, Hiroshima Grand Sheraton
Hiroshima: Buffet Dinner (All you can eat and drink over two hours), Hakata Buiaso Bettei, near Hiroshima Grand Sheraton
Hiroshima: Regional Okonomiyake Dinner, Mitchan Sohonten Ekie, Hiroshima Rail Station
Hiroshima: Momiji Snack Cakes
How Difficult is Japan Travel?
Traveling on our own in Japan was not very difficult once we got the hang of rail and subway trains. We also used taxis a few times, but quickly learned that taxi fares in Japan are expensive - rarely running less than $20 USD. We tended to use cabs when public transportation wasn't available and only for short distances taking no more than ten to fifteen minutes. We could have walked these distances in most cases, but either poor weather or the need to save time led us to use a taxi.Were there language communication issues? We found enough people that could either speak English very well or at least we could complete basic communication. Street name signs were often a challenge to find and we often used landmarks on a map to help us find our directions. Announcements on the trains and in train stations were made in both Japanese and English. ATM machines provided multiple language support. Wherever we stayed, hotel staff were extremely helpful and courteous.
Travel on Our Own - Tokyo
In Tokyo we had three days to explore the area. On our first day, we traveled to Ome to visit my wife's cousin and his wife for lunch and catching up. On the second day we spent the morning at Tsukiji Fish Market and, later, the Tokyo National Museum. Day three included a visit to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and the East Garden of the Imperial Palace. We also made visits to the Ginza area each day. As you can probably tell, we didn't do as much during a day on our own compared a day on our organized land tour.Tsukiji Fish Market - At one time, this was the largest wholesale and retail fish market in the world. The Tsukiji Fish Market opened in 1935 and, in October 2018, the wholesale market moved 1.5 miles away to the Toyosu Market. This market move joined the wholesale fish, vegetable and fruit sellers together. The retail fish markets remained at Tsukiji but are now accompanied by sushi restaurants and butcher counters, on-site prepared foods and general household food and cooking supplies. If you want to tour the wholesale Toyosu Market, I understand there is an advance ticket lottery system and you have to be at the market at 5am.
We particularly enjoyed watching the busy retail activities and partaking in the tasty food samples provided by the many vendors.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - The Shinjuku garden was a highlight for us. With over the 143 acres, we found a relaxing location filled with flowering cherry trees, long walking paths and grass areas. We even saw some garden visitors laying on plastic tarps, enjoying their "hanami" viewing of cherry blossoms with food and drinks. This was the first park we visited with many cherry trees in bloom - certainly one of the picturesque views we were seeking on this trip.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was originally a feudal lord's Edo (now Tokyo) residence, transformed into a botanical garden for the Imperial Family in 1903 and rebuilt and reopened as a public park in 1949 after being destroyed in WWII.
The garden has more than 20,000 trees, including about 1,500 cherry trees. Himalayan cedars, tulip trees, cypresses and plane trees are also found in the park.
Within the garden, you can still see the moat and other defense structures of the former castle and the base of what was a tall castle tower. The tower was destroyed by fire around 1638 and was never rebuilt. Only some of the previous Edo Castle buildings remain, such as the walls, gates and guardhouses.
Travel on Our Own - Osaka
We had one day to wander around Osaka on our own. In the morning, we met with hotel staff to ship our one large luggage piece for next day delivery to the Yokohama Bay Sheraton. This is a great way to avoid lugging a large suitcase on the train - especially helpful if you've got multiple train changes. We then went to the JR Office in Osaka to activate our 7-day JR Pass. Up to this point, our rail travel had been using single tickets.Later, we took a train from an Osaka rail station near our hotel to the Museum of Housing and Living. This indoor museum created an Edo-period village so that you can see what life looked like in Osaka during this time period. You can even rent a Kimono (about $4.50 USD) and wander the recreated street, housing and shop scenes. During our visit, the lighting changed so that visitors could experience both day and evening perspectives. There are also displays showing historical information about Osaka development after the Edo-period.
By the time we returned to our hotel room, it was already after 1pm and time for a late bento lunch. The afternoon rain picked up so we decided to stay and relax for the rest of the day. The following day would require a 2.5 hour train ride to Yokohama.
Travel on Our Own - Kanazawa
My father's parents came from this area of Japan. I was interested in learning more about the Kanazawa and Fukui region. This area still contains large expanses of agricultural fields but also is home to a number of cultural sights.
If you're planning a visit to Kanazawa, be sure to include a stop at the Kenrokuen Garden and the Nosaku Lacquerware Shop. Kenrokuen is considered as one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens. The gardens are next to Kanazawa Castle and served as the outer garden of the Castle. The focus of this garden is spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views. During our garden walk, we were too late to see the plum blossoms but saw many cherry trees with pink and white blossoms. This garden, along with the Shinjuku Goyen National Garden, were our favorites in Japan.
Nosaku traces its history back to 1780 and is known for producing beautiful lacquerware products. We stopped at this Kanazawa shop and purchased some hashi, or chopsticks. In Japan, we noticed the higher-end lacquer hashi have a beautiful luster and many have much finer tips than what we're accustomed to seeing in the US. Of course, this quality comes with much higher prices. Note that the Nosaku shop is just a short walk from Kenrokuen Garden.
Wakasa-nuri lacquerware from Obama City is another well-known source of finely crafted Japanese lacquer products.
Eiheji Temple - Eiheiji Temple was founded in 1244 by Dogen, a Buddhist scholar that brought Soto Zen, a sect of Zen Buddhism, to Japan from China. There are 70 intricate wood buildings and structures, most of which are connected to each other through covered walkways and halls. After removing your shoes, you can enter many of the rooms in the temple. The wood structures, colorful trees and shrubs and outdoor sculptures create a peaceful and calming environment. To reach Eiheji Temple from Kanazawa, its easiest to take the train from Kanazawa to Fukui and a bus ride from Fukui to Eiheji Temple. We hired a guide from ToursbyLocals to accompany us on our Kanazawa activities.
Tsuruga - After our morning visit to the Eiheiji Temple, we caught a bus and train to Tsuruga, in the Fukui Prefecture. This port city of 66,000 has not experienced much growth over the past 40 years as greater port terminal activity has shifted to Yokohama and Kobe. Much of Tsuruga was destroyed by bombs in WWII. Frankly, after our short visit we're not sure if we would suggest a stop in Tsuruga unless you have specific reasons for a stop here or have more time to explore the area.
From the Tsuruga Rail Station we took a taxi to the public fish market and had a traditional Japanese lunch at "I'm Masu Crab." The restaurant offers three set price lunches (about $10 USD) and a la carte selections that represent a pretty good meal. One of the restaurant cooks told us that nearby Mihama, the location from which my paternal grandmother's family resided, remains a rural agricultural village. We browsed the fish market and then went via taxi to the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum. This museum contains exhibits about Chiune Sugihara. Against the orders of the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania, Vice Counsel Sugihara issued transit visas for the many Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. 6,000 Jews were saved by Sugihara's actions. Tsuruga was the first port of entry in Japan for these individuals and families. As you leave the museum, close by is the small Tsuruga Railway Museum.
Continuing our walk, we stopped at the Kehi Shinto Shrine, where its 33 foot tall torii gate is considered one of Japan's three greatest gates, the others being at Nara's Kasuga-taisha Shrine and Hiroshima's Itsukushima Shrine.
Later in the day. we visited the Tsuruga Municipal Museum, located in a former Owada Bank building. The bank architecture appeared stately; however, the exhibits were difficult to appreciate as display descriptions were limited to the Japanese language. We wouldn't recommend a visit to this museum unless you are bilingual.
Our final day outing from Kanazawa was spent on a tour of the historic village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village is best known for its traditional thatched roof gassho-zujuri farmhouses, some of which are over 250 years old. Visitors from throughout the world, 1.7 million in 2017, have entered this mountain valley to view the village houses. I wonder if such high tourism numbers have altered this valley too much despite its UNESCO designation. Many of the farmhouses are now being used as lodgings, restaurants and souvenir shops as tourism has replaced agriculture related work. A few farmhouses are still used in silk worm farming.
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| Overlooking Shirakawa-Go |
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| Thatched Roof Gassho-zujuri Farmhouses |
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| Farmhouse Interior - Smoke from Fire Repels Bugs from Thatched Roof |
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| Myozenji Temple, Shirakawa-go, Founded in 1748 |
Travel on Our Own - Hiroshima
My wife's family is from Hiroshima and contact with family members is still maintained. While in Hiroshima, we visited family members as well as Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Miyajima and the Mazda Museum and Factory.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park - The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The iconic building frame and remnants is all that is left of the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall . This building promoted Hiroshima industries and was close to the epicenter of where the atom bomb was dropped. This memorial sits with other memorials on 30 acres in the middle of Hiroshima central city. This area was the political, cultural and commercial heart of the city when a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
If you have an opportunity to visit the Memorial Park, be sure to take time to enter the Peace Memorial Museum. We only were able to enter East Building due to construction on the Main Building. The museum exhibits provide a history of Hiroshima, the development of the nuclear bomb, its devastating effect on the city and population and human suffering. The details are graphic and powerful, serving as a reminder of the importance of peace.
We purchased ekiben box lunches from the Hiroshima Rail Station with a relative and the three of us had lunch in the park. The park is easily reachable from the Rail Station by subway car.
Miyajima - About an hour from the central city area of Hiroshima is the small island of Miyajima. The Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on this island and the shrine has a enormous red-orange 56 feet tall torii gate that lies in sea water during high tide. The main shrine, Daishoan, is said to have been constructed in 593. Our visit was timed well as in June 2019, the torii gate will be covered with scaffolds for renovation.
Miyajima is well-known for small tasty momiji cakes. The cakes with an azuki bean filling are sought out by customers but the maple flavored cakes are equally delicious. The momiji cakes are even more tasty when eaten warm from a shop with an on-site waffle-like machine.
Mazda Museum and Factory - Mazda headquarters and many manufacturing units are located in Hiroshima. We arranged advance tickets over the Internet for the Mazda museum and factory tour. The tickets are free but you do need an advance reservation. I've toured a Ford manufacturing plant and it was interesting to see the Mazda plant. The most significant plant difference I observed was that Mazda concurrently builds different vehicle models on a single line (e.g., MX-5 roadster and CX5 SUV). The Ford plant I visited built only one vehicle model, F150 trucks.
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| Wandering in Miyajima |
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| O-torii Gate, Itsukushima Shrine |
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| Hiroshima Peace Memorial |
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| On Tour at the Mazda Museum |
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| Okonomiyake Being Prepared at Mitchan Sohonten Ekie, Hiroshima |
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| Okonomiyake - Ready to Eat |
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| Yes, Beer is Available in Vending Machines! |
A Few Favorite Foods and Restaurants
We thoroughly enjoyed our meals in Japan, from teppanyaki meals to Kaiseki dinners to more local humble - and delicious - dishes, such as Okonomiyake, Oden and Ramen. We have never had the variety of dishes we were served in Japan available to us in the US.When in Japan, you really need to try a ramen meal. At Ichiran, Shimbashi, in Tokyo, we had our first experience ordering ramen from a vending machine. From a vending machine, you can make your selections for noodle thickness, soft or al dente noodles, broth type, broth strength, meat type, egg and other additions. You can also choose a beer or other beverage to go along with your ramen. All from the convenience of a vending machine! When your soup is ready, you sit in a carrel and are free to slurp after the server brings your ramen bowl. There is not much opportunity for conversation as each diner is separated by a short wall.
If you're visiting Japan, be sure to pick-up some Kit Kat bars. This candy is very popular in Japan, with flavors including Azuki Bean, Apple, Green Tea, Plum Sake, Sakura, Strawberry Cheesecake and Wasabi. I don't believe you can find these flavors in the US. I recently read that Nestle produces 300 limited edition Kit Kat flavors for the Japan market.
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| Courtesy of www.nestle.co.jp |
Below are some meals that we enjoyed, along with location.
Tokyo: "Depachika" Food Market, Mitsukoshi Department Store
Tokyo: Ichiran Ramen, Shimbashi, Tokyo
Tokyo: Viking Sal Breakfast, Imperial Hotel Tokyo
Kyoto: Steak House Tokiwa, Kyoto Hotel Okura
Kyoto: Italian Food, The Sodah, Higashiyama
Kyoto: Sea Bream Taichaduke Lunch, Taishou Hanana, Arashiyama
Osaka: Regional Okonomiyaki Dinner, Hozenji Senpei
Kanazawa: Traditional Japanese Dinner, Kagaya, Kanazawa Rail Station
Kanazawa: Regional Oden Dinner, Kuroyuri, Kanazawa Rail Station
Hiroshima: Traditional Japanese Dinner, Miyabe-Tei, Hiroshima Grand Sheraton
Hiroshima: Buffet Dinner (All you can eat and drink over two hours), Hakata Buiaso Bettei, near Hiroshima Grand Sheraton
Hiroshima: Regional Okonomiyake Dinner, Mitchan Sohonten Ekie, Hiroshima Rail Station
Hiroshima: Momiji Snack Cakes
Hotels and Personal Ratings
All hotels we stayed at while in Japan had excellent service-oriented staff and the rooms were very clean. Differences were more along room size and/or routine renovation needs.
ANA Crowne Plaza, Kanazawa, Average
Biwako Hotel, Lake Biwa - Very Good
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo - Excellent for Main Building Rooms, Very Good for Tower Rooms
ANA Crowne Plaza, Kanazawa, Average
Biwako Hotel, Lake Biwa - Very Good
Hiroshima Grand Sheraton - Excellent
Hotel Nikko Narita - AverageImperial Hotel, Tokyo - Excellent for Main Building Rooms, Very Good for Tower Rooms
Imperial Hotel, Osaka - Excellent
Kyoto Hotel Okura - Excellent
Mt Fuji View Hotel - Average
Yokohama Bay Sheraton - Excellent
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