Oshino Hakkai

I joined the tour on January 16th (Friday). I had never bought a one-day tour before, and I compared different options for a long time. The main reason was that I was bringing my sister's family to Japan, and there were three children with us, which made it a bit difficult to get around. So I booked this tour to take them to see the famous Mount Fuji. Our tour guide, Hou Jing, was very professional and eloquent. Throughout the trip, she would tell us how long it would take to get to the next attraction and how long we would stay there (she would also tell us the exact time we would meet). In addition to explaining the history of each attraction, she would also share the cultural differences in Japanese life to keep the trip interesting. At each attraction, she would also tell us where she would take photos for us and that we could contact her if needed. Moreover, because she knew that we had children, she would pay special attention to our seating and meals, which was very thoughtful. Although the tour had five locations to visit, and the time was really tight, I was really lucky to see the entire view of Mount Fuji. The weather was amazing that day, so it was all worth the fatigue! This time, the driver was surprisingly a young man with a surname that sounded like Moriguchi. The tour guide said he was a promising young man who would also suggest changes to the itinerary based on road conditions. He was really handsome and was also learning Chinese. He was very enthusiastic about chatting with everyone! However, it was my first time participating in a day tour like this. When we arrived at the meeting point, there were more than seven other tour groups there, making the situation a bit chaotic. Fortunately, I saw the information posted on KKDay and found the tour guide's sign by looking at the English spelling. Otherwise, everyone was holding yellow flags with different numbers (I only found out after the trip that there was an email with the tour guide's contact information, which I hadn't noticed)! For those joining a day tour, it's highly recommended to arrive at least 30 minutes early. The operation of Japanese trains in the morning is very unpredictable (we had an accident that morning, resulting in two groups from our tour missing the day). Arriving early allows you to have breakfast or use the restroom, as there are generally no restrooms on the bus before the first stop, unless the driver specifically takes you to a service area, which is extremely rare. Also, please don't be late for any meeting times; it will delay the tour. Allow time for walking back to the bus or meeting point. Being late will obviously draw attention and criticism from others. 😏