Arigato!

So the much desired Japan trip...not very hyped out actually.
Most folks were asking why Japan of all places..
Am go glad I went!
I love that country and their people! I really do.
Never have I felt so safe in a country...not in chennai..not in atlanta.
and SO clean!..what do they do with dust of any kind...this is even true for country sides!!

PLANNING

So the planning started half-assed as always...
The final provider was Oku travel in Japan, but was done via Macs adventure...to be fair they did respond back quite well...So I booked..changed dates...tried to switch bookings! Grr...I ended up changing the flight tickets this time as well..So took a one stop over on the way to Tokyo, but slurged on a non stop on the way back...Stopped in Chicago I think...was a relaxed stop over

All other bookings were done partly via booking.com (Kyoto) and via airbnb in Tokyo...All the places were nice to stay

PLACES

Tokyo
- Mt Fuji 
Kyoto

Kumono Kodo

Kyoto
 - Nara 
Toyko
- was supposed to go to Nikko...lets not go there now...:|

STAY
The places stayed were all cute, small and highly utilitarian in Tokyo
Kyoto the hotel accomodation was comfortable without fluff
Kumono Kodo...was a mixed bag..it was interesting to say the least....not luxury certainly..but some were quite  old. The bath aspect in those places were interesting.. I am glad I went when there was not much crowd, else it would have been quite awkward.So they don't have showers and such. They have this large space with a large pool of hot water to soak in, and smaller little sit down showers with a small stool. and some had large windows that opened towards the mountains or the country side literally...and no one could care less literally about who was in or not. LOL

FOOD
Aaaammmazing!! I loved everything I ate...Nothing attacked me :) and the grocery store sushi with toku soaked in sweet sauce with rice and picked radish was YUM, so was the street food I ate :) The only sit down mean outside of Kumono Koda was the tempura lunch...all the rest was all some type of snack! Loved it!
The steamed buns in the Kyoto market
The mochi is Tokyo streets
The rice cracker with soy sauce glaze and pepper!!
yum YumYUM!
The sit down elaborate meals were quite lovely too...except the green tea ice cream had in a moment of obliviousness..got me bad with GRED...
After all the battle of 2.5 years, ended up taking Nexium. I think I did hike one day with a slight fever and sore throat! The next day was belching up a storm, climbing those steep hills.

PEOPLE
What lovely people in Japan....somehow they know to tap down their greediness? in public..you don't feel so much want for commercialism in most people.  They don't make u feel left out, but they just don't bother you..they let you be, biut if you ask for help they help well. The two guides I had were both SO sweet..the one for Nara and George in tokyo for two days..
Man the old people can really walk and are active! So many old people overtook me on the trail