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As a travel professional and Japanese travel specialist I was very lucky tobe part of familiarization trip to Japan and Taiwan this September. It was myfirst time visiting Asia and I came back home full of incredibleexperiences.

While visiting Japan, we spend 3 nights in Kyoto- ancient capitol of Japan.After experiencing the city and everything it has to offer, it came as nosurprise that Kyoto was voted as the Best Asian City of 2011 by the readers ofConde Nast Traveler.

Even though Kyoto does not have its own airport, travelers can get to thecity via Kansai International Airport. China Airlines operates nonstop flightsfrom New York JFK airport 3 times per week. The airport is connected to Kyotovia rail. Haruka Express operates every half an hour during the day and journeyto Kyoto train station takes about 75 minutes. While traveling in Japan canseem intimidating to non Japanese speakers, the trains and buses featureannouncement in English and electronic signs with stops written in the Latinalphabet.

With 1600 Buddhist Temples, 400 Shinto shrines and 17 UNESCO world heritagesites, scattered throughout the city you can spend weeks discovering yourfavorite.

We visited incredible Kiyomizu Temple which takes the name from thewaterfall within the complex (Kiyomizu means pure water). Kiyomizu-dera was oneof the 21 finalists for New Seven Wonders Of The World. If you want to haveyour wishes for health or longevity granted, seek no further. Beneath the mainhall of the temple is the waterfall with 3 channels of water. When we werevisiting, there were hundreds of Japanese school kids waiting in line to get adrink of water from the waterfall seeking health and success in studies.

Kinkaku-ji-also known as Golden Pavilion is a Zen Buddhist Temple, one ofthe most popular buildings in Japan. The Pavilion is set within gorgeousJapanese garden and it extends over “mirror pond”, that reflects the buildingitself.

One of the most amazing experiences for me was Zen meditation in ShunkoinTemple. The temple offers daily Zen meditation classes in English as well asTemple tours and Buddhist wedding ceremonies.

During the Zen meditation class, while sitting and focusing on breathing,your goal is to free yourself from previous knowledge and preconceptions andlearn how to live in the present moment. The monk who was leading ourmeditation was Kyoto native who spend eight years in USA obtaining his degreein religious studies and psychology.

Every visitor to Kyoto hopes to catch a glimpse of geiko and maiko strollingthe streets of Gion dictrict dressed in intricate traditional Japanese kimonos.Geiko- geisha and maiko-apprentice geisha are female entertainers thatspecialize in traditional Japanese arts like tea ceremony, singing and dancing.We were extremely lucky to have an opportunity to attend tea ceremony withgeiko and maiko in traditional tea house-also known as ochaya. While in thepast it was almost impossible for any tourist to be allowed to attend geikoentertainment due to huge expense and exclusive nature, it can now be arrangedthrough the hotel or the travel agency.

Greetings “SAYONARA”

For the tourist on the budget, who still wants to experience maiko culture,the easiest way to do it is to attend one of the daily performances in GionCorner, where we saw not only maiko dancing but also Kyogen theater, teaceremony, flower arrangement ceremony and traditional Japanese puppet show.

While staying in Japan, you can choose from variety of western style hotelswith all the comforts of the “home”, but I think everybody who visits thiscountry should spend at least one night in traditional Japanese inn- known asryokan. Ryokan is constructed using traditional Japanese methods—flooring istatami, doors are sliding doors, bath are usually communal- separate for malesand females, sleeping is on the futons on the floor. They are usually situatedin very scenic locations.

The Yachiyo Ryokan we visited in Kyoto had beautiful Japanese garden withpond and some of the rooms featured private bath with full glass wallsoverlooking the gardens. While ryokan are usually more expensive as westernstyle hotels, they also offer total escape from traditional western culture.Just like in traditional tea house or temple, you need to remove your shoeswhen entering the ryokan. Slippers are provided for all the guests or you canwalk barefoot in your socks.

If you like to try new foods, Japan is the country for you. The appearanceof the food is as important as the taste, so take a moment to appreciatedelicately shaped and decorated morsels before you start to eat. Sushi, tofuand ramen noodles are easy to recognize for any Westerner and while the food inJapan is truly very different you will acquire the taste for it. Do not beafraid to experiment!

Kamo River & Riverside Restaurants with summer

Japan is incredibly safe, clean and organized country; I have not seen anylitter even at the very busy Kyoto main train station. Japanese culture is muchmore formal then in USA and everybody should try to learn at least a fewcustoms. People generally do not shake hands; it is much more polite to bowwhen meeting people. We even observed them bowing to the person they talk to onthe phone!

Couple of things to remember—you will be removing your shoes a lot while inJapan, so you should choose your shoes carefully and don’t forget to wear asocks without holes! When using taxi it is very helpful to ask the hotel togive you their Japanese business card so you can show it to the taxi driverwhen getting back to the hotel.

Tiny Temple in the Teramach i shopping street

Even though restaurants mostly provide only chopsticks, you can ask and mostof them will bring you western utensils. Smaller restaurants do not have menusin English, but many times have one that shows pictures of the food.

Bring the umbrella in the summer to shelter you from sun. Most of theJapanese women use one in their effort to maintain pale complexion.

Do not expect wifi in the hotels, even though all offer internet, none ofthe ones we stayed in and inspected had wifi. Stroll through city foodmarket—you would not believe how many pickled things you can taste!

For the first time travelers to Japan, I would definitely recommend usingorganized tour, or at least use local guide to arrange some of thesightseeing.

Maiko, strolling around Gion

Even though restaurants mostly provide only chopsticks, you can ask and mostof them will bring you western utensils. Smaller restaurants do not have menusin English, but many times have one that shows pictures of the food.

Dasa Jacisinova Village Travel Agency 11 Kent St. Brookline MA 02445www.villagetravel.net

Yokoso!JAPAN Travel Blog by The Visit Japan Campaign Supporters

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