Japan!

So, as most of you already know, from August 22nd-September 3rd I’ll be on vacation in Japan and Hong Kong. The first few days we’ll be taking a tour, then we’ll be spending 3 days in Tokyo on our own, and our last 3 days in Hong Kong. Here’s a brief overview of the tour:

DAY 1:
-Kamakura: A coastal town in Kanagawa, south of Tokyo; offers numerous temples, shrines, and other historical monuments.
-Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
-Wakamiya Dori Street
-Komachi Street
-Kamakura Daibutsu (The Great Buddha): Second largest Buddha statue in Japan.
-Odawara Castle: Now used as a museum, displaying several historical objects regarding samurai lifestyle and history.
-Atami: One of the leading hot spring resorts in Japan (this is followed by a Kaiseki dinner – you wear a traditional Japanese bathrobe at dinner in a banquet room).

DAY 2:
-Fuji-Hakone National Park: Mt. Fuji, the volcanic Hakone area, mountainous Izu peninsula, and 7 volcanic islands off the coast.
-Owakudani Valley: The valley features clear lakes, volcanic peaks, steaming hot springs and shady valleys.
-Hakone Cable Car: Aerial view of the Mt. Fuji vicinity.
-Lake Ashi: Large crater lake.
-Shinjuku (Tokyo): Shopping & entertainment.

DAY 3:
-Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office
-Meiji Shrine
-Asakusa: Senso-ji Temple (Tokyo’s oldest temple), various shops.
-Imperial Palace: Home to Emperor Akihito and other members of the Japanese Royal Family.
-Ginza: One of Tokyo’s largest entertainment districts; features upscale department stores, shops, restaurants, night clubs and cafes.
-Panasonic Center
-Rinkai Fukutoshin or Odaiba: Megaweb entertainment zone, several museums, a shopping complex, Odaiba Seaside Park.

During the tour we will have 5-star hotel accommodations for each destination and authentic Japanese cuisine. I’m so stoked. This part sounds particularly amazing: “Atami highlight entails a one night stay at a Japanese hot spring hotel with your room facing the ocean and offering panoramic views of it. You can watch the sunrise while taking a hot spring bath in the open.” Haha, there are also very explicit instructions that accompany the hot spring bath: “Before entering, get changed in the changing room and put your clothes and underwear in the basket. You may use the small towel supplied by the hotel to cover your body. Clean your body by the faucet and then enter the bath. You must not wear a swimsuit.”

DUDE. I can’t wait. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is the 18-hour flight to Hong Kong, followed by another 5-hour flight to Japan (it’s just cheaper that way). I hate flying; I get super duper nervous for the first few hours.

We still haven’t figured out what we’re doing during the three extra days we’ll be spending in Tokyo, after the tour’s over, so if any of you have been there and have suggestions, please let me know. I’m not entirely sure what we’re doing in Hong Kong the last three days either.

Each day of my trip, I’ll post a blog full of pictures and stuff from each place I go. Uh, once I figure out the whole internet-in-Japan thing.