Japan keeps coming up in conversations with my clients. Food lovers, couples, families and people who've already done the beaches all seem to have it on their someday list.
Here's what I'd want you to know before you go.
Tokyo and Kyoto feel like 2 different trips
Tokyo is big and modern. Skyscrapers and designer shops sit right next to quiet temples and gardens. You can have a private omakase dinner one night and come back to a great hotel.
Kyoto slows everything down. Stay in a ryokan with a private onsen bath and a multi-course kaiseki dinner, and you'll see omotenashi, Japan's style of hospitality. It's quiet, thoughtful and very personal.
Most first trips should include both.
The details are where Japan gets tricky
Japan is one of the more complicated places to plan well.
The best restaurants can be very hard to get into, and some of the smallest sushi counters are easiest to book through a hotel concierge or a local contact. The best ryokans book up months ahead.
The trains are wonderful, and the Green Car is the first-class option on the Shinkansen. But hauling big suitcases onto a bullet train is no fun. Japan has a luggage-forwarding service that sends your bags ahead to your next hotel, and it's worth setting up.
And rooms matter here more than ever. Hotel rooms in Japan, especially in Tokyo, can be smaller than you'd expect, so the room category really counts. You're in your room more than you think.
Pick your season
Cherry blossoms usually arrive from late March into early April. It's gorgeous and it's busy, so plan early. Fall color usually peaks in November and is just as pretty. Summer is green, hot and humid. Winter brings snow to the mountains and some of the best skiing in the world.
[Susan: which season would you pick, and why?]
Who I'd send to Japan
Food lovers, for sure. Couples. Families who want somewhere safe and fascinating for the kids (and multi-gen works well here too). Skiers. And well-traveled clients who want something completely different from a beach.
Getting there
The vacation starts the moment you leave home, and Japan is a long flight. I look for the most direct routing, lounge access when it makes sense and an easy first day so you aren't jet-lagged at your most important dinner.
So tell me: what's drawing you to Japan?