Story Bright, Wide Smiles During Their Well-deserved Japan Trip! By JNTO on 27 January 2020
The winner of the 2019 “The Perfect Gift for You and Your Family, A Trip to Japan” campaign was presented with round-trip plane tickets and Japan Rail Passes. With this set of prizes, the winner and her husband, bringing along their 2 children, embarked on their journey to Japan in December 2019. From the bright smiles on their faces, you can feel their satisfaction with their trip. Let’s take a look at the adventures they had on their trip!
Departure day
Waiting to board the plane, our winner said, “Looking forward to our Japan trip as we embark on our first family adventure together to capture those beautiful winter memories!”
Day 1 - Tokyo Disney Resort®
First attraction stop, this happy family visited the ever popular Tokyo Disney Resort®, and they had so much fun with the rides in this dreamland!
The lovey-dovey couple also found a lovely, hidden spot to mark the end of their day 1 adventure. The winner teasingly said, “Behind such romantic photo is a husband saying, ‘Quick take the photo, very heavy!’ ”
Day 2 - Majestic Mt. Fuji and Yamanashi Prefecture
With the blessings of beautiful weather, the family found several sites where they managed to take splendid photographs of themselves with Mt Fuji while travelling around in Yamanashi Prefecture. Being impressed with the magnificent Mt Fuji, the winner told us, “Someday we will climb it together as a family! We heard that a 4-year-old boy climbed up! So, two more years of training for the kids!”
While moving on for lunch, the winner was looking forward with excitement to having Yamanashi prefecture’s famous houtou udon, saying, “The famous noodles right opposite Kawaguchiko station.” She and her family then went into the restaurant for a sumptuous meal.
After travelling for the entire day, the family rested in Yamagishi Ryokan. “After a 6-hour flight from Singapore, we indulged in the beauty of Mount Fuji and the spread of oishii kaiseki in a ryokan. Love sleeping on tatami because we don’t have to worry that the kids might fall of the bed while dancing around.”
Day 3 – The Place of Gold & Tradition, Kanazawa
The winner has heard about Kanazawa even before the trip. While travelling to Kanazawa, she expressed her excitement and said, “Kanazawa, the city of gold. A city that’s not commonly part of the tourist route but has so much to offer - from the modern to the traditional.”
At the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa, the family had bewildered, yet wondrous facial expressions as they enjoyed Leandro Erlich’s famous “Swimming Pool” art piece. It appears that winner and her family are indeed swimming in the pool.
Day 4 - Oh, my “deer” Nara!
After visiting the Kanto and Hokuriku (northwestern part of Japan) regions, the family headed to the Kansai region. Before starting the day’s adventure in Nara, the winner told us, “A day trip to Nara and we decided to cycle to Nara park with the kids. What an adventure as we navigate the narrow streets.”
The family, of course, gave it a shot at feeding Nara’s iconic symbol with senbei (crackers). The winner then said while recalling the close encounter with the deer packs, “We also realized that mei mei (winner’s younger girl) is quite afraid of the deer, while SY (winner’s older boy) keeps saying ‘no more food!’ to them as they kept licking him.”
Around Nara Park and Todaiji Temple, there are various types of ice creams and matcha (green tea) drinks that use the motif of Nara’s iconic deer. Furthermore, there are various local cuisines which should not be missed, including kakiage donburi (rice bowl with shrimp tempura) and sushi wrapped with persimmon leaves. This happy family certainly also tasted these delicious foods.
Day 5 – Strolling the Kyoto old streets in Kimono
©Photo Credit: Kai Nagayama
In Kyoto, the well-known place for Japan culture and history, is where the winner, along with her family, concluded their Japan family trip in Japanese style by strolling along Kyoto’s ancient streets and having a family photoshoot in Kimono. After spending a fruitful day here, the winner related her choice of having the photoshoot, “As we grow older, we begin to collect memories through experiences and photos of the kids instead of physical things. To mark mei mei’s first trip to Japan, we did a family photoshoot in Kyoto to capture her growing up years.”
The campaign’s winner had the chance to spend time with her family in Japan. Furthermore, they were able to incredibly cover a total of 6 prefectures over the course of a week with the rail passes, visiting numerous famous sightseeing spots, and tasting local, authentic Japanese food. As such, they ended the trip very satisfied.
So, what do you think? Have you not been attracted by their bright smiles and delightful experiences? To have such satisfying and joyful experiences, just come to Japan!
