I loved returning to Japan through your detailed trip report. Thank you for taking the time to write it.
We loved the food we had every meal, from simple Udon shops to elegant dinners. We also loved Tokyo and Kyoto but our favorite was Takayama in the Japanese Alps. We can’t wait to go back to Japan when we feel comfortable traveling again.
Nepalese restaurants? This will surprise you I bet. There are many in Burlington, Vermont due to the large number of immigrants from Nepal.

HappyTraveler,
Visiting Japan was one of the highlights of our anniversary trip around the world. We would love to travel there again someday. If we ever can do that, we will definitely put Takajama on our itinerary.
You are right, we are surprised about the Nepalese restaurants in Burlington. We enjoyed the Nepalese cuisine in Kyoto. Maybe we can sample it again sometime in Burlington. That would be fun!
Hopefully, we will all be able to feel comfortable traveling again eventually. We miss it so much.
Happy Holidays!
Candace

Candace, I enjoyed your trip report, thank you.

I chuckled at the "However" after writing that you thought your hotel would be easy to find. It wasn't and you got lost, but JSYK, I had the same experience at Osaka station and was far from a newbie to Japan. Like I was just going to go outside and see it.

I feel like mentioning that you can rent a kimono. You can do a try on just to see what it is like or you can get it for the day to go out and about, which is what some of the Japanese that you saw were probably doing. As I understand it, which is as I would expect, it would not be seen by the Japanese as the "cultural appropriation" that some Westerners might see it. You might be ignored or maybe noticed but with no reaction, or noticed with a pleased reaction as they see it as you are honoring Japanese culture, But no frowns (at least not from a Japanese who is acting Japanese).

What I like most about Japan is the Japanese. I definitely appreciated your comments about your experiences with them.

Hello, mrwunrfl.
The Japanese people were so gracious and welcoming to us, two senior citizens out of our comfort zone. We much appreciated their kindness and patience. One man even went so far as to exit a train to lead us back on when we got off at the wrong station. (As you see, we got lost more than once.) And the colorful kimonos dazzled me. I ended up buying one, along with matching fan and hair decorations for my little granddaughter. So pretty!
Thanks for your interesting comments. Much appreciated!
Candace

Enjoyed reading about your trip. Would note that late March is often a good time to visit Japan as the weather is often springtime pleasant and not as crowded as cherry blossom time which is typically early April. Weather in spring however can be quite variable. Best time to go is mid October through November which is after typhoon season and before winter.

Yes, mjs, we were somewhat worried about the weather in Japan in March, but fortunately we had mostly sunny pleasant days. It was chilly at times but we were prepared for that and dressed accordingly. It did rain the day we visited the bamboo forest near Kyoto but the mist just added extra ambiance to the atmospheric bamboo groves and the drizzle kept the crowds down. Although it was way too early for cherry blossoms, we did see some other flowering trees that were just beautiful.

It must have changed. Yes Japan appears spic and span, but at the end of a train ride there are cleaners with their big bamboo recipients

https://flic.kr/p/7q1Zby
who clean up the detritus on the floor from the bento boxes eaten on their way to a day of golf. And at midnight in the commercial center of the Ikebukuro neighborhood where I stayed, you had to step carefully around the vomit from the drunks; all this cleaned up by the time of morning rush hour. Observations from 1981.