Palceside Hotel did ring ahead & book tickets for us for the Miyako Odori - the reception staff there were always helpful.

You guys are great! I wonder how much I missed when I traveled before I found Fodors.

I'm going to book another night in Kyoto. Miyako Odori sounds too good to miss. I'll email the hotel to see if they can help with tickets.

The IACE office in DC is a great tip. I have Friday off and will go there to get my pass.

One week is definitley not long enough. I want my daughter to come home, but if she stays I think there's more than enough to do for more visits.

Thank you everyone!

Wow, that IACE link is good. They have some great airfare specials to Japan, like a RT from D.C. from 4/1 - 5/15 for $460, and RT from CA cities for $340. And if you depart from D.C. you get a $25 AMEX gift certificate. At those rates, I am thinking about going for a week in May. THANKS for that link!

mrwunrfl,

I found about the kyoto ticket from someone in my firm's tokyo office.
http://railway.jr-central.co.jp/tick.../62/index.html
(though this is entirely in Japanese, so you'll need someone to decypher. I'm not sure if you can actually make reservations from this site).

Here's JR Tokai website
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/

Go under Shinkansen Tour, choose originating city (eg Tokyo) and they give you some choice of shinkansen packages. Though I think this is the same as packages offered via JTB Sunrise Tours as I see their logo on the website.

That IACE fare is excluding fuel surcharge.....
When I went to IACE here in NYC last fall their ticket was only $10 less than AA.....

If you got to itasoftware.com and put in dates for Wash. D.C. to NRT, without any taxes and fuel surcharge, the flight is around $460 - but by the time they add everything in it is almost $800 ):

Bonise,

I really don't have any "Japan" advice to offer but I could relate to your situation visiting your daughter. You don't seem anxious to me, just excited and like a typical Mom! (like me!)

I am getting ready to leave for Korea in April where DH and I will visit our son who is also teaching English. He will meet us at the airport and then we booked a hotel in Seoul for a couple of nights and will sightsee there, then travel to the town where he has been living for the last year. He will make all of our travel arrangements while there. He used to get lost driving in Southern California so I had to laugh when you admitted your dread to riding with her! My son is arranging for a hotel for us in his town and he has told us the "Love" motels are actually nice...we have asked him to find something more traditional!

We are going to Japan for a few days prior to Korea for a one day meeting DH has to attend. Both of us have been there several times and I agree that TGIF wouldn't be my 1st choice but as emd notes even TGIF is an experience in Japan. We ate at a McDonalds once just to see what it was like...Even though it would be nice to stay longer I am sure you will have a great time. Seeing your daughter living and being independent in those new and different surroundings will be every bit as interesting to you as spending more time in Kyoto! Have a wonderful time!

Thank you Mary,

It's so strange to have a child that up and goes to another country to live.

In my mind she is still the little kid that needed me.

I'm really proud that she has done this.

Have fun with your son. I've asked my daughter if she might switch to China or Korea. But she likes Japan. She initially went for 7 months but has now signed up for another year.

Another poster, Scarlett, has a son that has lived for years teaching English in Japan.