Konnichiwa and Arigato Japan

Our teacher was Yucco and she was very sweet and her English very good. The ramen we made only cooked for one hour and was so much better than the ones in the restaurants, not too salty, very light. Of course our dumplings were better than any we had in any restaurant.
Food Tour
Another highlight - our guide was an American from Michigan who teaches English at a private HS. He is now married, has children, and settled into life in Osaka.
He took us for mochi strawberries, a local bar or isakaya for cocktails, another isakaya for octopus balls (Osaka's specialty), another place for saki and dumplings and all kinds of food. The tour and our guide were wonderful, a great night.
Sumo show
This is an hour show with retired Sumo wrestlers. They explained the movements, the rules, then had a match. There were 4 wrestlers. We were given a bento box to snack on and could pose for pictures afterwards. An interesting look at the culture.

Kyoto
Our favorite city. It is more subdued, no skyscrapers, narrow streets, not much traffic, and what we imagined Japan would look like.
Ikebana Flower Arranging Class
This activity was taught by an Ikebana expert in her home. Besides learning about the flowers, we had a lovely afternoon tea in her living room. and yes, we sat on the floor. The getting down was easy but getting up quite comical. There was a guide who also was our interpreter. We were more excited about seeing inside her house than the class. lol
Audience with a Maiko
We spent 45 minutes with a Maiko who is a Geisha in training. She served us tea, did a short fan dance, answered questions, and took pictures with us. Definitely a very interesting session and insight into part of the culture. In the evening was attended a dance show - Miyako Odori - which only performs during April. This was performed by the Geishas and Maikos in the Gion area.
Karakami Woodblock Print Workshop
This is another craft which is dying. They use this method to print wallpaper and the sliding screen doors you see on TV shows.
We printed 4 prints each, one of which I am going to have framed as a souvenir. Another activity about the culture. Is anyone seeing a theme here....
Kimono dress up and Photo shoot
It took the men about 10 minutes to get into their outfit but took us about 30 minutes. tying the bow in the back took the longest.
It was a lovely afternoon, and they insisted we go outside, walk down the block and across the street near a cherry blossom for the pictures. I have to say, our husbands are good sports because they were not into it like we were. Thank goodness it was a very quiet, and empty street. PS, it is challenging walking in the slipper.
Samauri and Ninja Experience
Finally, something the guys could get behind. The museum was very interesting with correct info on all the layers of ancient Japan and not so ancient. Also, they let you dress up as a Samauri or ninja and teach you how to throw the ninja star thing. They were very happy.

In addition to the experiences/places above, we visited the Tokyo National Museum, Sh++amachi Museum (our favorite), Senso-ji and Meiji Temples, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Philosopher's Walk, Osaka Castle. Takesh++a Street, Shibuya Crossing and so many other sights.

InsideJapan provided us with a private guide in each city. They took us around by both minivan and subway, spoke lovely English, and were all locals.

Final thoughts on Japan

Food - for us not the greatest. The flavor combinations could be challenging, especially since in our group who doesn't eat beef or sushi, who doesn't like ginger or anything pickled, etc. We did manage to eat. The best thing for me was the Waygu Beef, so tender, it just melted in your mouth. Sushi was best for the men.
Restaurants - reservations are a must. most places are small, maybe only 5 tables. We didn't eat in any place that just had counter service, we wanted a nice, slow, sit down meal at a table. Our hotel helped us make reservations because of the language.
Streets - No eating, drinking, or smoking while walking on the streets - yeah! or on the subway, or in the station.
No littering, take your trash home with you, as many signs told us.
Removing your shoes - be prepared. We removed them so many times I couldn't keep track - in museums, in some stores, in restaurants. Our hotel in Osaka even asked us to remove our shoes before walking into the room. Slippers were provided at every hotel.
Tipping - Don't. The only people we tipped were our tour guides. Otherwise, we did not tip or even attempt to.
Shopping - We are shoppers and Japan did not disappoint. We did our best shopping in Kyoto. Pocketbooks, wallets, coin purses, kimonos, totes, brooches, bag charms, stationery. I even managed to purchase a nice pair of shoes.
Wine - Just as I fell in love with Port Wine in Porto, I became obsessed with Plum Wine in Japan. Delicious. I purchased a few bottles to bring home.
Prices - we found Japan to be very inexpensive. Especially since for years all you heard about was how expensive it was. We were surprised how cheap it was for us.
Kids - I would definitely recommend bring kids, maybe over the age of 12, to Japan. They would love it. We did "old peoples" Japan but you could find so much to do with youngsters.
Money- Yes, we used the ATMs at the 7-11. Cash is used often, but we were able to charge too.
Subway IC card - we had a physical card which was easy to use - tap in and out. BUT, you could only refill it with cash, no cards. A friend had her subway card on her phone. We used it in Osaka too.
Taxis - we only used them in Kyoto because their subway system wasn't near our hotel.
Exchange Rate - was very, very favorable to the $. 1,000 yen was less than $7. We talked to many Australians and they did not have a good exchange rate.
Mass - we are Catholic and attend mass every Sunday at home and try to when travelling. We attended 4 masses, 3 in Tokyo and 1 in Osaka. They were all in English. What was so interesting was that during mass when the altar servers ring the bells, they hit a gong. Also, the priest and everyone on the alter wore socks, no shoes. We discreetly took pictures to show the children at home.
Toilets - they are everything people talk about and more. We especially loved the heated seats. We will be renovating our bathroom next year and are looking to include one of these toilets.
Luggage - we had our luggage forwarded by the hotel to each new hotel. It was very inexpensive and popular.
Laundry - had it done at 2 hotels, so inexpensive I couldn't resist.
Clothing - We did not see one pair of leggings, no shorts, no cleavage, no t-shirts on anyone who was not a tourist. They also do not wear bright colors, all their clothing were browns, blues, blacks, white - not a red, orange, yellow, purple piece of clothing. Most Japanese are small - in height and stature and size. The Japanese women have a definite style - long, oversized skirts and jackets but since they are so lean, it works. The men all wore suits, ties and real shoes, not sneakers. The students all wear uniforms with shoes, again, no sneakers. Women do not wear much jewelry. We saw just a few jewelry stores. I looked because I always buy myself a piece when I travel.

such a comprehensive list, Barbara. Great work. Thanks

Barbara, so glad your trip went well! Thank you for the TR. It's going to be really helpful to reference for when I finally go.

Don't forget wakarimasen*. :)

(*I don't understand)

Thanks for the great report!

Thank you for the awesome trip report. Japan is amazing and I will return in fall for foliage.

There are some great jewelry shops in Tokyo. Some sell precious stones and handcrafted products, while others provide services such as engraving.

I am so happy to read that you loved your trip! Thanks for your report. Were all the hotels good to great? We love wine, and now, excited to try plum wine! We can’t wait to go!

How were the crowds at the sites?
Did you visit a lot of temples and shrines?

Tokyo was very crowded but so orderly we didn’t mind. We visited many shrines and temples, some large and some very small. If you go to Fushimi Anari, go very early. It gets crazy crowded (it’s the famous one with over 1,000 red gates).
The hotels on Tokyo (hotel century southern tower), Osaka (cross hotel), and Kyoto (Celestine Kyoto Gion) were great. The second hotel we stayed in when we returned to Tokyo was not in the center of the city and not as good a location, that was the Gate Hotel.
Kyoto was our favorite city and hotel.

Thank you Barbara!

What fun Barbara, so glad you had a great time! I lived in Tokyo 7+ years, and the longer I lived there, the more I realized how little i know..... Thanks for the great TR.

thanks so much for posting this trip report! we are almost finished planning our fall trip, and I have added a couple of items to our list, based on your report: the printmaking experience and a ramen and gyoza cooking class (if we can find one that works with our itinerary).
you mentioned the Gate Hotel in Tokyo -- is that the one in Ginza or in Asakusa? we are considering the one in Ginza and would love to hear more of your feedback.