Jane and I had the pleasure of touring Japan from October 26, 2019 to November 6, 2019. We were on an escorted tour, Majestic Japan, one of the Luxury Gold itineraries offered by Insight Travel. The entire tour was on Honshu Island, the largest island in the Japanese archipelago. The tour started in Osaka. From there we traveled to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island before settling in Kyoto for a couple of days. From Kyoto, we traveled to Tokyo for a two night stay. From Tokyo, we ventured to the northern part of the island for some impressive fall colors. We returned from the north for a two night stay in Tokyo before departing for home.

There were nineteen people on the tour plus our delightful tour director, Yoshiko. Most of the traveling around the island was done on shinkansen aka bullet trains. These trains were extremely fast, quiet and comfortable. When necessary, we were bussed to destinations by deluxe motor coaches.

We found the Japanese people extremely polite to each other and us and showed respect for all around them. One of the things that stuck out to us was the complete lack of litter around the country. Japanese culture requires one to respect the environment. This includes disposing at home of any trash you generate. There were very few trash receptacles in the public.

It was a delightful trip and gave us a high altitude look at Japan, its people and its culture. As a tour guide told us several years ago, with this type of trip, you have a sip of much, but a taste of none. We are grateful for the sips we enjoyed.