On Location: What’s it like touring Japan with ACV? PAX joins agents in the Land of the Rising Sun

“Stick to me like sticky rice!” shouted our tour guide, Sunny, as he marched forward, leading us into a throng of selfie-taking tourists, up the mountainside of Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, a decorated Shinto worship site – and popular tourist attraction in Kyoto, Japan – that dates back to 711 A.D.

While the temptation to stop and marvel at the shrine’s thousand-plus vermilion torii gates – reddish-orange archways that are believed to ward off evil spirits and bad luck – that straddle the property’s forested pathways, we quickly learned the importance of heeding Sunny’s advice.

In Japan, a volcanic archipelago East Asian country of more than 125 million people, where densely-populated cities form bustling, innovative communities, it’s easy to get lost in a crowd.

For a wide-eyed tourist, innocently stopping to snap a picture of a temple’s gently-curved roof, or a steaming food stand dolling out lightly-fried octopus balls (called “takoyaki” in these parts), while your tour is in motion, may result in you getting turned around, left behind, and wondering, “Hey, where’d my group go?” 

This can happen in go-go Japan, where crowds – especially in urban and touristic areas – can be as thick as a bowl of udon noodles (a Japanese speciality). 

Factor in the rush of culture shock (for Westerners, Japan is a whirlwind of new customs, values, social norms and languages – including Japanese-only signage), and the feeling of disorientation is only magnified.

Air Canada Vacations expands to Asia

But getting lost (and lost in translation) is exactly what makes Japan, where ancient traditions live in harmony with an ultra-modern world, an exciting must-see, must-do destination.

At least in the eyes of Air Canada Vacations (ACV), which now sells guided packaged holidays to Asia as it utilizes Air Canada’s growing network of international flights.

ACV’s guided tours in Asia, first announced in February, explore Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, and have the traits of an all-inclusive vacation. Round-trip flights, transfers, accommodations at four and five-star hotels, gratuities, any domestic flights between cities that may apply, and some meals are all included.

For ACV, this global expansion, which also now includes tours in Australia, is about building on its popular Sun and Europe packages, diversifying and staying competitive.

“We’re evolving, which is key to our success, especially as we celebrate our 50th anniversary next year,” says Rose Riu, ACV’s area sales manager for B.C., Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

To illustrate the point, Riu led ACV’s first-ever FAM in Japan for the Canadian trade this month from Oct. 5-13.

The adventure from Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka, which PAX covered exclusively, invited ten travel advisors from British Colombia and Ontario to experience ACV’s touring style, hotel partners and activities in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Following a “banner year” for travel in 2023, ACV’s Asia expansion reflects the Canadian market’s desire to fly further, beyond Europe, Riu explained.

“After COVID, people have realized that tomorrow’s not a guarantee, so they’re getting out and experiencing the world,” she said.

Unpacking the “Enchantments of Japan”

In Japan, a whole new world awaits, from forested shrines at the foot of majestic Mount Fuji one minute to a speeding bullet train the next.

ACV sells four packages to Japan, as well as two additional options that combine both Japan and South Korea (the combos are top sellers).

The holidays are supported by Air Canada’s twenty-plus flights to Japan – a schedule that includes service from Toronto to Osaka and Tokyo, Montreal to Tokyo, and Vancouver to Tokyo and Osaka (with all connecting links).

This month’s FAM was a slightly-altered version of ACV’s “Enchantments of Japan” itinerary, a nine-day, seven-night journey through Tokyo's metropolitan streets, Kyoto's ancient temples and Osaka’s buzzing food scene, with stops in smaller locales along the way, like Gotemba in central Japan, which sits at the base of Mount Fuji.

(Instead of following the advertised Osaka to Tokyo route, we did the itinerary in reverse to accommodate everyone’s flight times).

There was a special guest, too. Joining us was Toronto-based Angela Chen, assistant general manager for TripOppo (formally Nexus Holidays), which supports ACV’s operations team to develop itineraries.

As a specialist in group travel to Asia, TripOppo has served the North American market for more than twenty years. “We know the needs and preferences of Canadians to properly serve the market,” Chen said.

History, etiquette & "More Moments"

How this translates at ACV is a program that’s hassle free, full of inclusions and packed with value.

The tours are presented in English (French ones are in the works), cover the logistics (like bus and train transfers) and come with one local guide who sticks to the group (like sticky rice) from start to finish.

Our smiling guide with silver hair, Sunny, from Osaka, was a walking Wikipedia when it came to articulating his homeland, from Japan’s history – a blend of indigenous traditions, imperial rule, feudalism, modernization, as well as a post-war transformation into a tech and economic powerhouse – to local etiquette (like the fees, and shame, that come with cancelling a restaurant reservation on the same day, or how it’s polite to slurp your noodles out loud).

Participants can't deviate from an ACV tour once it begins, but pre and post extensions, as well as cruises, are encouraged for those who wish to linger longer.

That’s not to say there isn’t room for some customization.

While ACV’s tours include “More Moments” (activities that are pre-booked and included, like visits to the Tokyo National or Toyota museums), there are add-ons, like a multi-course kaiseki dinner (a Japanese culinary tradition) upon arrival, or a full-day excursion to Kyoto’s otherworldly Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (highly recommended), which includes an elaborate sushi and teppanyaki-style lunch and Japanese candy-making workshop.

Or, if guests prefer, they can explore locations on their own when blocks of free time arise.

ACV’s brand presence, meanwhile, injects a dose of familiarity.

“That holds a lot of weight – when your clients arrive in a foreign country and see the Air Canada Vacations sign,” Riu told agents during a workshop that was held during the FAM. “It gives them added comfort.”

Shrine time, temple crawl

But can we take a moment to talk about Japan?

Firstly, it was a good time of the year to go. Temperatures hit the low to mid-twenties, creating a comfortable Goldilocks effect of being not too hot, not too cold, but juuust right.

It was also a great time to buy Japanese yen. The Canadian dollar, during our trip, went a long way.    

Then there’s Japan itself. It may have not been cherry blossom season (that’s an end-of-March, early-April thing), but the country’s blend of tradition and innovation – where ancient temples and shrines sit harmoniously with skyscrapers and mountains – left a lasting impression.

In Tokyo, a metropolis of some 15 million people, boxed-in buildings fill the sky, while temples and gardens provide peaceful escapes on the ground below. (Want the ultimate view? The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observation Deck takes you 202 metres up).

And the cleanliness! Big cities, through a Western lens, are often synonymous with garbage, graffiti and the potential threat of crime. But not in Japan, where urban areas are spotless and considered quite safe.

Japanese etiquette, we learned, is rooted in respect and social harmony, emphasizing politeness in every interaction. That extends to the way locals treat their surroundings. You won’t find many trash cans on Japan’s streets. That’s because people, generally speaking, take their garbage home with them.

Maintaining a litter-free society isn’t just a warm thought in Japan. It’s considered a personal responsibility.

We visited Meiji Shrine, hidden away in a thick forest, in the heart of Tokyo’s cityscape, where the sounds of honking horns (despite there being thousands of cars on the streets) are virtually non-existent. In Japan, it is considered rude to honk your horn while driving.

Here, temples enshrine Buddhist statues, while shrines enshrine sacred objects. The ancient architecture that surrounded us was mesmerizing.

At Senso-ji, the oldest temple in Tokyo, we spread out into a busy complex that includes a main hall, large gates and a magnificent five-story pagoda.

Here, rattling sounds fill the air as visitors insert 100 Yen coins into collection boxes, and shake them, in hopes of receiving a good fortune.

What’s fortunate about ACV’s Japan tour is that it covers a lot of ground.

Our journey took us to all kinds of iconic sites, such as Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) a Zen temple in north Kyoto whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf; Osaka Castle, which played a key role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century; and Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine, which sits in the lush foothills of Mount Fuji, set off from the road by a pathway of beautiful stone lanterns.

The grounds, here, are shaded by 300-plus-year-old cypress and cedar trees (one cypress has stood for 1,000 years). It drizzled a little that day, but the moody sky cast a spell on our visit, which had spiritual undertones.

The only moment the clouds rained on our parade was the day we took a boat cruise around Lake Motosu, one of five crater lakes, located about 100 kilometres southwest of Tokyo.

The idea was to motor around the tree-lined coast and take in awe-inspiring views of Mount Fuji, an active volcano, and Japan’s tallest peak, at 3,776 meters. The only problem were the thick, grey clouds that completely covered the mountain.

Mount Fuji, the main event, was nowhere to be seen. Hopes and dreams, shattered!

Cutting our losses, we proceeded to Peace Park in Gotemba City, which houses a magnificent chalk-white stupa. This green space, which sits on a hill, also offers unobstructed views of Mount Fuji.

It was here that the travel Gods gave us a second chance. Within moments of our arrival, the clouds opened up, revealing the graceful and conical Mount Fuji in all her glory.

We cheered. Call it luck, or maybe it was just the workings of Erin Hill, a travel advisor from Marlin Travel St. Albert.

“I prayed for good weather when I was at the shrine,” she said while marvelling at Fuji’s magnificence. “Praying works!”

Tantalize your taste buds

Cities and landscapes paint a picture, the but the true flavours of Japan come out in the country’s culinary scene, which can range from street food to Michelin-starred restaurants.

Get ready for sushi, grilled seafood, fried pork, crispy tempura, tofu, miso soup, rich ramen bowls and chilled soba noodles.

And hot pots, where a heat source is placed in the centre of a dining table and diners add (and cook) their own vegetables and meats in a simmering soup stock.

Every meal in Japan is an opportunity to tantalize your taste buds. It’s also an invitation to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new – especially if you live a meat-and-potatoes kinda life.  

Japan’s culinary map extends far and wide, but the highlight, for us, were the delicacies of neon-lit Osaka, which is known as "the kitchen of Japan” for its street food culture.

On shoulder-to-shoulder Dotonbori Street, we dived into a world of food stalls, where takoyaki (bite-sized balls of dough, filled with octopus) and okonomiyaki (a savory pancake) were served hot and fresh.

The crispy and chewy takoyaki, for one, was irresistible. Our guide Sunny almost jumped out of his skin when I told him I ate twenty balls. 

“There's very little you have to worry about”

PAX’s take? ACV’s Japan tours are a good option for clients who are visiting Japan for the first time and who enjoy the benefits of a packaged holiday.

This is one reason why Krista Page, an independent travel consultant with Travel Best Bets from North Vancouver, applied to participate in ACV’s Japan FAM.

“I sell a lot of ACV’s Europe packages and receive great feedback. This is something my clients would look at. There's nothing better than experiencing something yourself, as a travel consultant, and bringing that experience back to your clients,” Page said.

What makes ACV’s tours attractive, Page said, are Air Canada’s direct gateways to Japan, the variety of itineraries that are offered, and how the tours cover “all the highlights,” including different types of cuisine.

ACV “takes the guesswork out of it,” Page said, reflecting on her experience. “There's very little you have to worry about. I also loved how we had the same guide throughout the entire tour.”

As for Japan itself, Page, who was visiting the country for the first time, called it an “eye-opening” destination.

“Japan is a country that's very welcoming,” she said. “It's clean and very organized. And the history is remarkable.”   

ACV Japan need-to-knows

• ACV’s target market for Japan are couples – travellers aged 30 to 70 (active seniors). Families are welcome, however. Children who join tours are typically aged ten and up. Families of four (or more) must book additional rooms as the maximum occupancy at hotels is three.
• The average tour size is roughly 35 passengers.
• Transfers are a mix of road and rail. A spacious bus will shuttle guests to cities and attractions, but there is also an opportunity to ride Japan’s famous bullet train, which reaches speeds of up to 320 kilometres per hour!

• Some luggage hauling is required. Most drop-offs happen in front of hotels, but in large cities, like Osaka, a short walk to accommodations may be required. In these cases, guests have to roll their own luggage to the hotel. This wasn’t a problem for us (but might be for others, depending on their expectations or abilities).

• ACV’s hotel partners are a mix of middle-level and high-end properties. Some are traditionally Japanese, like the Motosu Phoenix Hotel, which is located in a forest near Mount Fuji, complete with tatami floors, low mattresses and complimentary yukatas (kimonos). This hotel also had its own hot spring. Other hotels, like the DEL style Osakashinsaibashi by Daiwa Roynet in Osaka, were filled with modern amenities. Brace yourself for high-tech toilets with electronic bidets!

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