To JTB Sunrise Tours, Japan Airlines and the Japanese Community, and all the staff at the Hotels.
This is an open letter from my Wife and myself to thank each and every one who made our visit to Japan the BEST Holiday we have ever had.
It all started with JAL when we flew over and we had no inflight entertainment for the 10hour flight, it was not much of an issue and all credit to JAL as they offered us a positive outcome when we returned from Tokyo back to Sydney. The professionalism and politeness of the JAL staff, both on the ground and the flight crews was exceptional and is a credit to the Airline and a great representation of the people of Japan.
Our Tour guides for the tours we did were exceptional, particularly Atsushi who did our 1 Day Tour of Tokyo on the 2nd April. He was informative, patient, answered all our questions with politeness and he even sang, which was a great treat for all of us on the bus. We would also like to Thank Yoshihisa Odaka who was our Guide for our ½ day Electric Bike Tour around Tokyo, and the best Tour we did while in Japan. Yoshi was so good and so informative, that we had the best time riding around Tokyo on bikes seeing things from a different prospective than we would otherwise get. He showed us some fascinating sites, he had some remarkable stories to tell and was an absolute pleasure to have as our guide. I had so much fun doing this tour that I will be recommending it to all my friends if they travel to Japan.
While in Japan we stayed at the following Hotels and found them to be excellent and the service provided also excellent.
• JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku
• Red Roof Plus Osaka Namba
• Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku
We visited the following places while visiting Japan:
Tokyo – Ginza District, Shibuya, Ueno Park & Zoo, Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Samurai Museum, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, and generally explored around where we were staying.
Osaka – The Floating Garden, Kyoto, Hiroshima & Miyajima, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Sake Tasting Tour, Osaka Castle, Tower Knives (my favourite shop!!)
The Green Car JR Rail passes we purchased were a very good idea and we used them extensively on our travels around Japan. ALL the JR staff were fantastic when we needed support to find directions to places and the platforms to get there, Australia could learn a thing or two about how to run an effective rail network. We stayed near Shinjuku station and the sheer size of it and the volume of people it handles each day is awesome!!
At all the places we visited, the people were friendly, helpful and willing to help even though we speak NO Japanese. The communication barrier was not that hard to overcome as the people of Japan have a willingness to help us silly Tourists.
This trip to Japan was a major Bucket List item for me and with all the activities we participated and all the places we visited, I have nearly completed my list. This holiday is one I will remember for the rest of my life because it was as close to perfect as you could get and that can only happen when all things work in harmony, and Japan showed me that this is possible and can be achieved in our daily lives.
We are deeply and humbly thankful to all the people who made this trip a TRIP OF A LIFETIME, and one we will never forget.
Our Deepest and sincere thanks
Dale & Sheree