SVong-Along

If you love plants/essential oils/lush greenery and want some nature while in Japan and happen to be by Kobe- the Nunobiki Herb Gardens was an unexpected highlight of Japan.  TL/DR: Unless you are scared of aerial tram cars, stop by these herb gardens for pleasant olfactory experience with essential oils, a view of Kobe from atop a mountain, and to have snacks, desserts, drinks, or even a small meal amongst nature or in a greenhouse with a view.  Location/getting there: Kobe  From Osaka station, we took a special rapid on a weekday to Sannomiya Station and then just taxied, also there is a short local Shin-Kobe train option also. It took around 1-1.5 hours total (and we even missed a train since it was rush hour at 8 AM and we opted to not squish). There are some stairs/hills to get to the bottom aerial tram station so taxi drop-off skipped a lot of that. Even taking the elevator up to the ticket area, there was an essential oil diffuser and it smelled amazing. The t...

I attended the Maikoya Kimono Tea Ceremony in Kyoto, and while super touristy, the highlight was dressing up in a kimono and getting a small glimpse of the cultural Japanese tea ceremony.  How to book:  Online in advance on their website:  https://mai-ko.com/ . Using the code smile gets you 10% off if you book on their website. They have time slots ranging from 9 AM - 5 PM. I booked about a month in advance for the last time slot on a holiday Monday. The Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience was ¥ 6,300 / person (around $49 USD/person when I booked).  Other experiences depending on location in Tokyo or Kyoto include samurai sword, a geisha interaction, or museum or food.  Location: (Nishiki market)  Since I wasn't actually staying in Kyoto Nishiki market was a convenient location and we shopped and had lunch in the market before a 2:30 pm afternoon experience. There is a major train/subway station nearby (Kawaramachi) and tons of food options. The Nishiki...

If you are a Hyatt member/have Chase points and are visiting Kansai (Osaka area or near Kyoto), I recommend the relatively new Caption by Hyatt in Osaka . Pros:  Concierge via email was helpful in booking dinners in advance Location - close to Namba Station, Dotonbori for food, and generally convenient Has everything you need at a very reasonable points redemption  Cons:  Pretty crowded, usually shared an elevator with others  Not a ton of space for luggage and generally small room (but still comfortable for Japan)  Only 2 sets of washer and dryers for over 100 rooms Booking: 4 nights - 21,500 Hyatt points, 1 night was a Sunday and that night might've been 6,500 instead of the standard 5k.  Arrival from Osaka Airport:  After an evening flight from Narita to ITM (Osaka International), we took a 8:15 pm Limousine Bus (¥650 per person)  and arrived around 9 pm at stop 10 Namba. The bus stop was kind of a random location next to the plaza, and instea...