Spending Quality Family Time in Japan

Last December 2014, we spent a short yet sweet and memorable holiday in Tokyo, Japan. I had no clues yet on how to start planning. Thankfully, Universal Holidays was there to help us find and book the most affordable flight to the capital city. They also helped in processing our visa.

I think all travelers, be it solo or group, can conveniently benefit from the service of Universal Holidays. Should you need assistance, you can visit their workplace on the mezzanine floor of Dusit Thani in Makati City

While researching for tourist spots in Tokyo, I came across Tokyo Free Guide‘s website. They have comprehensively laid out what tourists can expect in the city. It is also filled with travel tips and budget hacks that I really find useful. Additionally, the website offers overseas visitors a free guided tour in and around the popular metropolitan city.

Tokyo Free Guide has more than 150 volunteer guide members, who speak at least one language besides Japanese (such as English, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese, and Korean).  The guides are so helpful and detailed when giving tips. In fact, they even go out of their way to support a traveler in need. Most of the group’s members are students, housewives, retirees, and office workers who are all passionate about traveling.

To finally put up my itinerary, I requested for a tour guide the third week of November. A few days after sending my request and several weeks before our actual trip, I received an email from Takano Yoko, our designated tour guide. If you don’t want to get stressed scheduling your trip, it’s best to request for a tour guide about two to three months before your date of travel.  Based on my experience, getting a tour guide is one of the best decisions I made for this trip. We were able to maximize our time and budget with the help of our friendly guide.

Then our trip finally happened. On our first day, we watched a sumo training session. It was my first time seeing such act. It’s action-packed and thrilling, to say the least. I can say that the entire family loved it. It’s new and refreshing, making our trip really one to remember.

My husband would have wanted to watch a sumo tournament in person. Unfortunately, there were no scheduled tournaments when we went to Tokyo. We decided to visit a sumo stable to watch a training session instead. It’s still fun and exciting.

I’m so thankful Yoko was the one who was assigned as my family’s tour guide. She was friendly, accommodating, and generous in giving tips as well. She suggested routes on how we can visit the Sumo Stable in a faster manner.

When we were on our way to the stable, we were worried that we might not be able to catch the session as it was already 9:30 AM (we were told that training sessions usually end at 10:30 AM). Thankfully, we were able to get inside as the training started late that day.

We headed towards the Ueno Zoo to see and experience more during our trip. I’ve been to a zoo before, but this one is positively unusual. First, the environment is way different from the ones in the Philippines.

There, we were able to see a real panda. Before that day, the pandas I saw are those from cartoons and movies! The feeling of seeing a furry panda right in front of my face is indeed surreal. I can say that there astonishingly cute black-and-white mammals are among my favorite animals as of now. They’re really adorable; I wish I can take one home!

Aside from the aforementioned attractions, we were able to visit other must-see attractions in the city.

Of course, we did not miss the opportunity to feel like a kid again at Tokyo Disneyland. It is indeed a magical place for all kids and kids at heart. My child was able to complete a lot of rides. I’m proud to say that he has this strong and outgoing personality and that he’s able not to cry even when he’s riding a really exhilarating ride.

Overall, the first part of trip went magnificently remarkable. It was a perfect time for me and my family to bond, talk about happy things, and make new and wonderful moments we’ll talk about in the future for sure.