By Marie Imai, four-time traveler from Scotts Valley, California
Every person on the trip credited our fabulous Trip Experience Leader, Keiko Ishii, with being the reason our experience was so wonderful. She was amazing with our four grandchildren, and consistently found excellent restaurants, hiking trails, and shopping experiences for everyone. Keiko quickly became part of our family—one night, she even took us to a karaoke center where we all had a great time singing together.
We have a relative in Japan who lives near Shizuoka, and Keiko kindly called them for us, arranged a dinner and an afternoon of conversation, and served as our translator, which helped strengthen our family’s connection to Japan. Watching our children and grandchildren experience Japan for the first time and connect with their Japanese heritage was incredibly special. Our 15-year-old granddaughter studied Japanese on Duolingo for nine months before the trip and felt inspired to continue afterward; our youngest grandson delighted in buying Pokémon cards at large department stores and celebrated his 12th birthday in Kyoto with a big family celebration. Our son-in-law Geordie also got to enjoy his daily long-distance runs through city streets and countryside paths.
Our family trip was full of memorable moments, and O.A.T. did a marvelous job offering a variety of experiences: Nature, city life, ancient and modern history, home visits, and opportunities to meet local people. We are deeply grateful to O.A.T. and the Groups team for creating a trip of a lifetime for our family—these are memories we will always treasure.
