Japan in two weeks for a dedicated gardener

March 9, 2009 2:25 PM

My aunt's 60th birthday is coming up, and I'm thinking of sending her on the trip she always dreamed of - Japan.

Last time she went to the Far East, she didn't have enough money for Japan, but she decided China was a good enough. That was in 1989, and one week into her trip she was evacuated, arriving at the airport less than an hour before it was surrounded by tanks. Help me make this one better!

The details: I want it to be in the region of 10 days to two weeks. Late spring would be the best time of year I think, given the climate. Her languages are not such that she would be able to get by in Japanese - basic phrases possible, conversation not. She is particularly interested in far eastern culture and history, but also a very keen gardener so things that combine the two would be ideal. She is also an experienced foreign traveller, having covered Greece, Italy, Spain, China, Nepal and quite a few others over the course of the past 30 years, almost entirely in the company of her late friend. I only regret that I can't send them both.

That said, I would like your recommendations for destinations and travelling arrangements, keeping in mind that the especially built up areas would be less to her liking than the more rural. Should we get a tour or should we just set her up with some places to go and set her off? Should she visit more than one of the islands? I have a good idea of the price of a flight, it looks to be around £500 return right now, but how much should I budget for on top of that? She'll be travelling from the UK (hence the price in pounds) and considering the cost of the rest of the trip it doesn't really matter which airport she starts from.

posted by fearnothing to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

Kyoto and Hiroshima were by far my favorite parts of Japan. Kyoto has dozens upon dozens of beautiful temples, and the Hiroshima Peace Park and the memorial museum there is... well, I'm having difficulty finding the words. But I think it's important for anyone visiting Japan to go see it.
posted by easy_being_green at 2:39 PM on March 9

You might try looking at the tourism sites for various cities (here's Osaka and Kobe for starters, googling the city name + "tourism" should find you more) to get a feel for the kinds of options that are available.

Some cities have international centers with volunteer interpreters that can help you around -- their services are generally free, but you'll have to pay their way during the time they're assisting you. Still, it's a bargain if you don't speak Japanese and have any off-the-beaten-bath plans.

Formal gardens and temple grounds may be satisfy her green thumb, but if you really want to get out in the countryside, you might try looking for international centers in smaller towns. (Here's one example.) These organizations generally cater to foreign populations living in their city, but if you email them and enquire after possible points of interest for a gardener, you might well be able to see something you'd never even know to look for otherwise -- perhaps even a private garden, some of which are quite spectacular.
posted by pts at 2:48 PM on March 9

I used to know a English School / Bar called "The Spot" in a small city called Omura near Nagasaki. About 2 years ago there was a western guy (maybe american) that worked there who was also working as and obviously experienced in the art of Japanese gardening.

The school is run by westerners, so easy to contact them through their website.

Not sure if this is of any use at all......but you never know where a lead can lead!
posted by mairuzu at 3:43 PM on March 9

You will want to go to Nara. In fact, I would recommend spending a few nights in Nara to explore that town, and also to make an excursion to Kyoto. Kyoto is a nice town with lots to see, but Nara is cleaner, smaller, more beautiful, and perfect for strolling and exploring.

Nara is home to the Japanese National Museum at Nara, and if your aunt is interested in East Asia culture she will like Nara, because it is the terminus of the Silk Road and contains just a ton of cool artifacts from that period. In terms of ancient history, Nara is the most cosmopolitan (if we're talking perhaps 1300 years ago) of Japanese tourists towns.

But, like I said, it's a really relaxed place to explore and contemplate. You can go to Asuka and Tenri and Horyuji (or even Yoshino, which would blow your aunt's mind) from Nara city proper.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:07 PM on March 9

I'll leave the points of interest to others more knowledgeable than myself, but for the bookings, I'd highly recommend checking out IACE. They're currently running a special that goes until March 18th for travel between April 1st and May 31st. Round-trip to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, or Kobe from L.A. is $634.40, from New York it's $744.40.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:01 PM on March 9

Oh, rats, didn't see that she was coming from the U.K.

Well in that case, the most reliably-cheap-but-reliably-decent (mechanically-speaking) is Cathay Pacific. Round-trip to Tokyo leaving in May looks to be about £650.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:08 PM on March 9

I hope she arrives before the Hanami season is over! Those sakura blossoms are just amazing to see. If she arrives in Tokyo then she can go to Ueno Park to experience the Hanami festival. Kyoto would also be a lovely place to go see the sakura, lots of gardens and temples to visit there. And she can stop in Himeji to see "Japan's most spectacular castle", which also has very nice grounds and gardens.

Please look into getting a japan rail pass for her, getting around on the shinkansen will make it so much easier to go from place to place really quickly. You have to arrange those with a travel agent beforehand.

Japan's "3 most beautiful gardens" are in Mito, Kanazawa, and Okayama. Personally I lived in Okayama for 10 months and think that garden is very beautiful, excellent for viewing around the time your aunt would be there. Okayama is on the main Shinkansen line between Hiroshima and Kyoto, and the garden isn't that far away from the train station (and there's a castle too). Visiting this garden would be very nice if you're planning for your aunt to also see Nara and Kyoto (and Himeji). If she wants to see "rural" then Okayama might be a good place for her to stop for the night, there's also a lovely little historical town nearby called Kurashiki that she can get to on the local train, has a section of the town that's been kept up in the Feudal Japan style of buildings. If you would like some more info on these places feel free to message me.
posted by lizbunny at 5:50 PM on March 9

I lived near Kanazawa for ten years, and it is worth the trip. I would live in the city for the rest of my life, and maybe I will if I could figure out how to earn a decent living.

As for Mito, I also spent a couple of years working for Hitachi there, and it is not worth the trip.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:29 AM on March 10