My Joyous Days in Japan

Last year, my mother suggested a mother-daughter bonding trip and we chose to venture to Japan, a country I love for its great food and culture!
We started off with Kyoto. It has a rustic charm, and every shrine had its own unique characteristic. Some had beautiful flower gardens, some with intricate architecture and some with special rituals. It did not matter that we were not fluent and adept in the Japanese language; the sights, sounds and scents were enough to create a memorable experience.
Our next stop was Takayama, an extremely beautiful and quaint small town, famous for its close proximity to the UNESCO world heritage site, Shirakawa-go.Feeling adventurous,we ventured about without a map, instinctively turning into streets and alleys based on what we saw, heard and smelt. A turn brought us to a shop selling adorable hand-crafted knick-knacks; another turn took us to a place that sold the most amazing pumpkin pudding in a bottle; yet another turn brought us to dinner - grilled beef on a miso-coated leaf! It was an incredibly liberating experience to be able to roam about and explore, and along the way we met friendly locals who tried their best to communicate with us in broken English and animated gestures.
The visit to Shirakawa-go was simply breathtaking. It was like a scene out of a fairytale, with wooden houses depicting the changes in architecture, and large areas of greenery and flowers abound. Definitely deserving of its UNESCO title!
The next few days saw us spending our time in Nagano where we trekked to visit the Snow Monkeys. One can roam freely about these animals, and it was fun to see how they interacted with each other on extreme spectrums - they could be picking insects off each other and fighting and biting within seconds!
We ended off our trip in Osaka, a huge bustling city that provided a stark contrast from the countryside areas we had previously visited. Yet, this city displayed its own charm with its vibrant night-life and amazing eateries.
Throughout the trip we stayed in family-inns, and the warmth and hospitality our hosts displayed be it through the sumptuous feasts they prepared for us, the kind acts of providing us with extra futons for comfort, and going the extra mile to send us to the train stations, touched me.
It was the first time I planned an itinerary and saw it bear fruit, and the wonderful experiences I had throughout the week made me fall even more deeply in love with Japan.
I will definitely be back!