Gero to Nagoya to Tokyo

Thursday was a travel day. We went from Gero to Nagoya by our charter bus then caught the shinkansen to Tokyo.

When we are traveling on the chartered bus we have our full-time English speaking guide, Chiaki Aoki, who is assigned by JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) and has been with the Tazuma Group since 2004. Then, of course, there's the driver who is invariably professional and very skillful at manuevering the huge bus on the sometimes narrow roads and tight corners, and we also have a local guide. The driver and local guide may change depending on our route.

Guides in Japan are tested, licensed and retested to make sure they are competent and maintain the required knowledge of the area to properly guide tourists, both foreign and Japanese. They know history and geographical statistics and can sing folk songs from the area.

Our local guide singing a folk song and explaining local points of interest.

The fifteen members of this year's group spread out in a 55-passenger bus.

Japanese tour buses are quite comfortable with individually controlled A/C or heating vents from the rack above, reclining seats, drink holders, individual plastic garbage bags and curtains that can be drawn to block the sun.

I've never traveled on a full tour bus but I can imagine that might not be so comfortable. If you look at the seats on the left side of the center aisle you can see the jump seats. After the main seats are filled these seats rotate down and the back lifts up allowing a passenger to sit in what was the aisle. I should think that might be a little uncomfortably crowded.

Typically the tour bus makes a comfort stop every hour or 90 minutes. This allows a bathroom break, a chance for smokers (we don't have any) to get a fix, time for coffee or other drinks and a chance to stretch your legs.

We said goodbye to our driver and local guide at Nagoya Station and boarded the shinkansen express to Tokyo with stops at the New Yokohama and Shinagawa stations.

Many years ago I used to buy "ekimae bento" (lit. station front lunch) to eat on the train. Now it has been shortened to "eki-ben" short for the same. The old tradition of girls rolling food and drink carts through the aisles persists although the prices are much higher.

We bought bento boxes at the station in Nagoya but I bought some tea from the aisle girl. Eating bento on the train brought back memories of train travel in the old days when it took much longer to get from origin to destination.

In Tokyo we checked in at the Imperial Hotel. More flowers to greet us.

Miyoko and Ikuko in the Imerial Hotel Min Lobby

Another nice arrangement in the Imperial Hotel Tower Lobby.

Thursday night was the last night in Japan for many of our group so we had a special farewell dinner at a nearby restaurant. I've talked enough about food so won't now except to say that the sukiyaki was some of the best I've had.