One Month to Go or So and a Kyoto Link

We have just about a month before the Japan 2010 trip kicks off. By Saturday there will be only 4 weeks and counting. Those of us who are going are getting together today to discuss the plans for the trip. I have the itinerary I would like to work with already planned out but I want to run it by them before it is finalized (obviously it will change as needed while we are there but I find it is best to work with reasonable plans ahead of time). I still have to order the limo to the airport through Flightline and notify the bank that I will be out of the country in Japan for the two weeks of the trip. Those are the two main details left to handle before we actually depart.

I think the sakura timing is shaping up to hopefully give us a few days of full bloom in either location. It seems the cherry blossom season has been continually getting earlier and earlier. Still we are going to enough locations we'll manage something. Our Kyoto timing seems to be the best of the lot. Either way we will not get through the trip without seeing some of them and hopefully we will be able to see the Japanese frenzy about them directly. I am curious about that as much as hoping for some incredible picture opportunities on the trip.

One thing I have posited to the group as a potential day in Kyoto is Toei Kyoto Studio Park. It is a theme park that is built on the backlots of the Toei Kyoto Studios. A lot of samurai era films are made by Toei as well as a few modern things you'd probably recognize like the Power Rangers. It appears to welcome foreigners and the website even has a suggested path through the park for the gaijin who go. I know it might be a fun or at least goofy day but it is a matter of the time we have to do it. I also found a half day afternoon tour of the studio escorted by someone in Japanese through this site. I suspect it is a bit cheaper to get in and do it on your own but it might be worth it to have the guided tour.