Japan ABD coming back?

[LittleFluffyFox]

Is the Japan ABD coming back now that Japan is open again? I don't plan on doing the ABD, because I'm doing a study abroad there in the spring instead. I'd be in Hokkaido (the northern most part of Japan) and doing a homestay and later go to a language school. But if I ever get to the Honshu part of Japan, I might try and imitate the ABD itinerary. Actually since I love travel so much I like reading all the posts under Adventures by Disney, even if I don't post anything. Also any tips for Japan in general are welcome! It'll be my first time going.

 

[sayhello]

The Japan ABD is *scheduled* to start running again starting in April of this year. We shall see if it happens or not, but as far as I know, there's no reason for it not to start again. They have a large number of trips scheduled for this year, and many of them appear to be sold out. So hopefully all is a go for this trip. Japan is beautiful and amazing, as are the Japanese people! I'm not sure what kind of tips you are looking for, but feel free to ask any questions you have! We have several people on this Forum who took the trip back in 2019, the only year it has run so far.

Sayhello

 

[LittleFluffyFox]

The Japan ABD is *scheduled* to start running again starting in April of this year. We shall see if it happens or not, but as far as I know, there's no reason for it not to start again. They have a large number of trips scheduled for this year, and many of them appear to be sold out. So hopefully all is a go for this trip. Japan is beautiful and amazing, as are the Japanese people! I'm not sure what kind of tips you are looking for, but feel free to ask any questions you have! We have several people on this Forum who took the trip back in 2019, the only year it has run so far.

Sayhello

Thank you so much for the reply! For tips I guess, since I'll be living there, maybe things about safety or the culture. I'm so scared I'll make horrible mistakes since the culture is so different.

Has the trip really only been around during 2019? It makes one think about how awful the pandemic was and has been.

 

[Eastridge]

2019 was the inaugural year. I was scheduled to go in summer 2020 but of course that was cancelled, and I don't think there has been an ABD Japan trip since then.

The itinerary has changed significantly since the initial trips

 

[MeDisney]

2019 was the inaugural year. I was scheduled to go in summer 2020 but of course that was cancelled, and I don't think there has been an ABD Japan trip since then.

The itinerary has changed significantly since the initial trips

What are the changes from 2019?

 

[sayhello]

What are the changes from 2019?

First off, the trip is a day shorter (10 days vs 11 days).
Day 2, they dropped a visit to Tenryu-ji Zen Temple, and the Sogenchi Garden (which were beautiful). They also dropped the Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (the Pure Water Temple) which were on beautiful grounds. They weren't replaced with anything, just an afternoon on your own.
Day 5, they dropped the visit to the Tōdai-ji Temple and Park in Nara, where the "Big Buddha Hall" is (purportedly the largest wooden structure in the world). I really enjoyed that. They also dropped the mochi-making demonstration, but that was logistically bad.
Day 8 was completely dropped. It was a drive from Takayama to Tokyo, which included a visit to the Hakone Open Air Museum which was absolutely fabulous! Then you had lunch by the beach, and visited Kōtoku-in Temple, which is home to one of Japan’s National Treasures – the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Then there was a seriously fun stop at the CupNoodles Museum where you got to design and watch them package up your own CupNoodles in a cup you decorated. It really was fun and unique. Instead, the current trip takes the train straight to Tokyo.
On the new Day 8, they skip the visit to the Hamarikyu Gardens Metro Park, and instead do a tea ceremony at Happo En, the restaurant where the farewell dinner was in 2019. They did add in a visit to Tokyo Tower, which I hear is great, and they dropped the Sushi-making lesson, the visit to Senso-ji Temple (which was mostly a good shopping opportunity) and the Sumida River Boat Cruise, which I enjoyed, but I know a lot of people did not (if there'd been some sort of narration of what we were seeing, it would have helped).
New Day 9, they skip the Meiji Jingu Shrine, which had a gorgeous, lush park, but I do have to admit, at that point we'd seen a lot of shrines. They instead go to the Toyosu Fish Market. They skip Takeshita Street, which really was a trippy street filled with anime-inspired shops and they added in one really good thing, a visit to Teamlab Borderless, a fabulous Digital Art Museum that I and a few others did on our On Your Own time in 2019. It's really quite cool, and I'm glad ABD took a page from a bunch of us and added it in.
Hopefully that all makes sense.

Sayhello

 

[AquaDame]

That seems like a lot of subtractions and not a lot of additions…! I’ve been to many of those temples and sites, and while I agree that may have been a lot of temples over the course of a week, I’m a tad shocked to see them /all/ dropped. Maybe it’s going to be better for American audiences… we’ll have to see how reviews we when folks return compared to your own!

 

[LittleFluffyFox]

I agree that that's a lot of subtractions. If they were going to add anything, isn't the Studio Ghibli museum really popular? I don't think that would be such a controversial decision when Disney World's Epcot happily includes anime-related goods.
Is the boat cruise they dropped, the same boat cruise that I think I saw on Youtube at one point? I remember thinking that was really cool.

 

[sayhello]

That seems like a lot of subtractions and not a lot of additions…! I’ve been to many of those temples and sites, and while I agree that may have been a lot of temples over the course of a week, I’m a tad shocked to see them /all/ dropped. Maybe it’s going to be better for American audiences… we’ll have to see how reviews we when folks return compared to your own!

It *is* a lot of subtractions without additions. A lot of really great stuff *is* still included in the trip (the rickshaw tour of the bamboo forest & around Kyoto, the visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine and Torii Trail in Kyoto, the trip to Shirakawa-go & Takayama, the Shinkansen train trip to Miyajima Island & Hiroshima, the Taiko Drumming lesson, Bento box lesson & the Hozugawa River Boat Ride and the Sumo demonstration) but they eliminated almost all of the shrines, which I agree is an over-reaction. It was an amazingly fabulous itinerary before, and it's still an excellent itinerary, but not nearly as good as it was (and yet more expensive).

I agree that that's a lot of subtractions. If they were going to add anything, isn't the Studio Ghibli museum really popular? I don't think that would be such a controversial decision when Disney World's Epcot happily includes anime-related goods.
Is the boat cruise they dropped, the same boat cruise that I think I saw on Youtube at one point? I remember thinking that was really cool.

Yes. The Studio Ghibli museum is really popular, but it's very hard to get tickets to and if I remember correctly is open weird hours/days.

The boat cruise in the long boat with the men steering you by pole is probably what you're thinking of on YouTube. That is still a part of the trip (the Hozugawa River Boat Ride) and it *is* really cool! The one that was cut was a boat ride through Tokyo, looking at architecture surrounding the river on a ferry-type boat. I enjoy those kinds of things (I've done those sorts of tours in Chicago), but it wasn't what I'd call cool.

Is this what you were thinking of? This is the Hozugawa River Boat Ride.



This was the boat ride that was cut:



Sayhello

 

[Eastridge]

Another change is that I don't believe ABD still offers an add-on package for the Tokyo Disneyland resort.

One reason I selected a New Zealand 2022 trip was to do it before ABD starts cutting it, since I saw what happened to the Japan trip.

 

[sayhello]

Another change is that I don't believe ABD still offers an add-on package for the Tokyo Disneyland resort.

One reason I selected a New Zealand 2022 trip was to do it before ABD starts cutting it, since I saw what happened to the Japan trip.

Yes, I do believe that they no longer offer the Tokyo Disneyland Resort add-on, which is too bad, because it's a great park, and one you should really see if you are there, anyways, and the add-on made it SO much simpler!

And I'm glad I'm doing the New Zealand trip with the 2022/23 itinerary before they start cutting it, also. Not only did they do that with Japan, they did the same thing with the Scotland ABD, which was really a phenomenal trip the first couple of years, with some very unique activities and locales. They really eviscerated it, removing so many of the really special activities. It's now a very nice itinerary, but nothing that different from what any other company offers. They've done it to the Australia trip, also. I'm afraid by the time I'd get around to doing the Portugal trip, it will be stripped down, too.

Sayhello

 

[AquaDame]

I agree that that's a lot of subtractions. If they were going to add anything, isn't the Studio Ghibli museum really popular? I don't think that would be such a controversial decision when Disney World's Epcot happily includes anime-related goods.
Is the boat cruise they dropped, the same boat cruise that I think I saw on Youtube at one point? I remember thinking that was really cool.

It is, but it is also very small and intimate. I know anime is mainstream, but this museum still feels pretty niche. Its subdued and meant to be savored, plus much is geared towards kids. No pictures are allowed inside, the exhibits are in Japanese, and having an interpreter would be very disruptive to the other guests. The Ghibli Park has opened its first sections and will be expanding; that might be a better choice if they wanted to go that route.

 

[AquaDame]

It *is* a lot of subtractions without additions. A lot of really great stuff *is* still included in the trip (the rickshaw tour of the bamboo forest & around Kyoto, the visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine and Torii Trail in Kyoto, the trip to Shirakawa-go & Takayama, the Shinkansen train trip to Miyajima Island & Hiroshima, the Taiko Drumming lesson, Bento box lesson & the Hozugawa River Boat Ride and the Sumo demonstration) but they eliminated almost all of the shrines, which I agree is an over-reaction. It was an amazingly fabulous itinerary before, and it's still an excellent itinerary, but not nearly as good as it was (and yet more expensive).

I suppose if I had to keep just one shrine Fushimi Inari Taisha is the one, given how striking it is, and it fits in so well with the other activities. Having folks visit Meiji Jingu was a lovely nod to something special, but I know most folks might see it as a waste....but... at least take folks to Akihabara instead! That is an event in and of itself and a great shopping opportunity. Plus folks can stop by Kanda Myojin for an extra anime hit and some fun history and layers of folklore - the difference between it and Fushimi Inari Taisha would keep it interesting. I honestly don't begrudge those poor folks having to decide what to do with only 2.5 days in Tokyo... everything seems wrong.

 

[aggiedog]

We're currently planning a trip with InsideJapan for December 2023, trying to catch the kids at their various Christmas breaks. It will be a self guided tour, focusing on the food, with guides in the various towns. Dh and I lived in Japan back in the '90's. They also have guided small group tours of all interests and luxury levels.

The kids are huge Ghibli fans. When we asked about the museum and park, we were told that currently it's nearly impossible for foreigners to get tickets, but hopefully by December it will be doable. We're building in a day to try for the park and if it doesn't work, will do something else in the area.

 

[sayhello]

It is, but it is also very small and intimate. I know anime is mainstream, but this museum still feels pretty niche. Its subdued and meant to be savored, plus much is geared towards kids. No pictures are allowed inside, the exhibits are in Japanese, and having an interpreter would be very disruptive to the other guests. The Ghibli Park has opened its first sections and will be expanding; that might be a better choice if they wanted to go that route.

I did not know all that about the museum. Makes sense that it's not a good choice for the ABD.

I suppose if I had to keep just one shrine Fushimi Inari Taisha is the one, given how striking it is, and it fits in so well with the other activities. Having folks visit Meiji Jingu was a lovely nod to something special, but I know most folks might see it as a waste....but... at least take folks to Akihabara instead! That is an event in and of itself and a great shopping opportunity. Plus folks can stop by Kanda Myojin for an extra anime hit and some fun history and layers of folklore - the difference between it and Fushimi Inari Taisha would keep it interesting. I honestly don't begrudge those poor folks having to decide what to do with only 2.5 days in Tokyo... everything seems wrong.

Yes, Fushimi Inari is definitely the one to keep, but I think they could easily have kept at least 2, maybe 3 more, because they are all beautiful, and have different importance, history, traditions, etc. Oh, well. Folks probably complained it was too many shrines, and they just made broad cuts. It's too bad, because it really *is* such a big part of life in Japan!

And it does seem hard for them to pick what stuff to do in Tokyo. But I think opting for SO much OYO time is not a good choice, either!

Sayhello

 

[LittleFluffyFox]

It is, but it is also very small and intimate. I know anime is mainstream, but this museum still feels pretty niche. Its subdued and meant to be savored, plus much is geared towards kids. No pictures are allowed inside, the exhibits are in Japanese, and having an interpreter would be very disruptive to the other guests. The Ghibli Park has opened its first sections and will be expanding; that might be a better choice if they wanted to go that route.

That may be a good point. Disturbing other people would not be ideal at all.

 

[LittleFluffyFox]

Is this what you were thinking of? This is the Hozugawa River Boat Ride.

Yes that was probably the one I was thinking of. I'll probably try to do that one on my own if I ever get to Kyoto.

I'm sad they have done so many cuts then. I guess I can always come back here and see what they cut at one point, and try it on my own. Would they ever add anything more again? After they feel more properly established as a tour in Japan? I think it would be cool if ABD also went to Hokkaido since it has so much gorgeous nature.

 

[sayhello]

Yes that was probably the one I was thinking of. I'll probably try to do that one on my own if I ever get to Kyoto.

I'm sad they have done so many cuts then. I guess I can always come back here and see what they cut at one point, and try it on my own. Would they ever add anything more again? After they feel more properly established as a tour in Japan? I think it would be cool if ABD also went to Hokkaido since it has so much gorgeous nature.

There's always a chance they will add things. They've added stuff to the very popular China ABD over the years, and not taken away much that I'm aware of.

Sayhello

 

[LittleFluffyFox]

There's always a chance they will add things. They've added stuff to the very popular China ABD over the years, and not taken away much that I'm aware of.

Sayhello

Ok that's good to hear! Do you recommend the China ABD? I would love to visit China. When I become fairly fluent and confident in Japanese, I'd like to learn Chinese (Mandarin) at some point.

 

[sayhello]

Ok that's good to hear! Do you recommend the China ABD? I would love to visit China. When I become fairly fluent and confident in Japanese, I'd like to learn Chinese (Mandarin) at some point.

I *do* recommend the China ABD. It's a really wonderful itinerary that covers a lot of different areas and includes some really great activities. I was a bit ambivalent about taking it until they added in the Terra Cotta Soldiers in Xi'an. Once they added that, I knew I had to take it. The one caveat I always give folks is that it can be a bit of an exhausting trip, because it requires 5 internal flights to get to all those amazing places. But it's totally worth it, as long as you know that's what you're signing up for. You stay in some AMAZING luxury hotels on this trip, also! And the food is really good, which is not in general something ABD is known for. I learned *so* much about China on this trip, and dispelled a few mis-conceptions I had about the country. Definitely a trip I'd recommend.

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