Time for the next chapter of the Festival of Fifty, our slightly unhinged mission to celebrate turning 50 with adventures that feel equal parts meaningful, ridiculous and memorable.
This chapter takes us back to Japan with Malcolm swapped out for a group of girlfriends, plus the occasional husband tagging along for the ride...
The plan? Ten nights of fun with hiking, onsens, mountain towns, good food and, naturally, a detour to Tokyo Disney because apparently we believe in balance.
Our main goal for the trip was hiking a section of the historic Nakasendo Trail, walking from Nakatsugawa through beautifully preserved post towns to Narai-juku. After that, we’d continue on to Matsumoto and Takayama before looping back to Tokyo for a few days of Disney fun.
The trip had been booked almost a year earlier, so by the time departure day finally arrived, the excitement levels were high. We had organised the trip through a local travel agency which meant we could largely switch our brains off and let somebody else worry about itinerary, logistics, and transport tickets.
Despite the usual organised chaos at Sydney Airport, the lines moved surprisingly well and we still had enough time to relax in the Amex Lounge and catch up before boarding.
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| Transport 2 is away! Serena & Jay flew with Japan Airlines |
The flight itself was pleasantly uneventful, exactly what you want from a long-haul flight. ANA’s legroom felt remarkably generous, particularly for economy, and before long we were descending into Haneda Airport. As much as 10 hours in the air flying economy felt long...it was infinitely better and a relief to have only a single flight to reach the end destination!
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| For those interested in the economy food offerings |
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| Lunch was meat patty pictured above, or fried salmon with rice |
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| Desert |
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| Snack pack aka our dinner prior to landing |
Arrival procedures were slightly confusing with the introduction of Visit Japan Web, Japan's attempt to part with its treasured love affair with paper. Passengers being funnelled in multiple directions at once depending on whether you had pre-registered or stuck with old school paper, but there were plenty of staff everywhere patiently redirecting travellers. Aside from one impressively sour-faced immigration officer who looked personally offended by our question of a passport stamp for the all important duty free shopping, the process was actually fast and relatively painless.
A comfortable private transfer whisked us into the city, and soon we arrived at the hotel with the longest name I have ever encountered - Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome Italia-gai.
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| Private transfer |
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| Not bad size wise for a Japanese hotel room |
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| Same for bathroom |
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| Hot bath time |
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| Clean, boiled and ready for tomorrow's adventure! |
After checking in, we collected the package our travel agency had left for us — complete with transport passes and Disney tickets — grabbed the complimentary toothbrushes, dumped our bags and headed straight for the public bath.
Honestly, there are few better feelings after a long flight than sinking into a steaming hot bath. The warmth melted away the stiffness from hours in the air and felt like the perfect beginning to the trip — and excellent preparation for sleep.
