Your gift will help fly us safely out of Atlanta to embark on our journey to Tokyo, Japan!

After an amazing trip, it's time to face the music and return home. Your gift will help us travel safely from Tokyo back to Hot 'Lanta.

Help us visit Tokyo's Imperial Palace, the former site of Edo Castle. Located n the heart of Tokyo, the palace has many gardens, tea houses, moats, and forts. In addition, we will visit Ginza, Tokyo's most famous shopping, dining, and entertainment district. Thereafter, we will board a river cruise at Hinode Pier for a 40 minute ride along the Sumida River to Asakusa.

Help us become one with peace at the Sensō-ji Temple. Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple in Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant.

Help us take a tour of Hakone to experience its many hot springs, volcanically active Owakudani geysers, Hakone Shrine, and the Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands.

About 1,200 years ago, the Kobo Daishi pioneered Kanzanji as the center of Spa Street. Here we will experience a stay at a ryokan. Ryokan are Japanese style inns. More than just a place to sleep, ryokan are an opportunity to experience the traditional Japanese lifestyle and hospitality, incorporating elements such as tatami floors, futon beds, Japanese style baths and local cuisine.

After experiencing the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, we want to head over to Kyoto, a historical city that was spared from air raids and saved from the atomic bomb during World War II for its cultural and historical value.

While exploring Japan's traditional and cultural center - Kyoto - we will stay at a rustic hotel featuring an authentic Sukiya-style teahouse in a sculptured Japanese garden, reflecting the very essence of Kyoto elegance.

To truly reach our zen focus, we will travel to Arashiyama and experience the Tenryuji Temple's traditional Zen landscape garden, dense bamboo grove, tea shops, the Togetsukyo Bridge over Hozu River, and the Golden Pavilion covered with 18 carat gold leaf built by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397.

To get a true tea experience that Teavana could never provide, we will partake in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea. A Tea Ceremony is a Japanese cultural event involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of green tea.

Help us visit Gion and Pontocho. Gion district is the setting of much of Memoirs of a Geisha. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors in the Middle Ages to the Yasaka Shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan

As we explore the historic Kansai region, we will rest our heads at a waterside hotel in Japan's second city - Osaka.

Continuing to explore old Japan, we head to Kurashiki, which has a preserved canal area that dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1867), when Kurashiki served as an important rice distribution center. In fact, the name "Kurashiki" can be roughly translated as "town of storehouses", which refers to the storehouses in which the rice was kept. Here we will taste sake as we stroll along the streets of Kurashiki.

As we explore Hiroshima, we will rest our heads at a seaside hotel and enjoy views over the Seto Inland Sea.

We will then take a ferry to Miyajima Island. Miyajima, one of the most scenic spots in Japan, is a romantic and historical island where Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage site, is located, along with numerous preserved shrines, temples, and historical monuments. Here we will relax and take in the sites and sounds.

Oboke Gorge is one of three hidden mountain regions of Japan. "Boke" means "dangerous to walk along," and Oboke (big boke) was named for its jagged V-shaped rocks and narrow path. Here we will enjoy a relaxing boat ride and take in the panoramic view of the valley.

We will stay in a landmark hotel in Imabari, a major hub on the Inland Sea that links Honshu, Shikoku, and the Geiyo islands. Here we will feel the fatigue of your journey fade as we enjoy the beautiful views.

Kobe Beef is considered some of the most delectable, succulent meat in the world. The meat is generally considered to be a delicacy, renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture. Mmmmm...sounds like a plan to us! Help us partake in this memorable meal.

After traveling from Atlanta and exploring the streets of Tokyo, we need somewhere to rest. Tokyo Dome Hotel is located in a business and entertainment district of Tokyo. In addition to great views and comfortable beds, the hotel is right next to Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden. This garden is one of two surviving Edo period clan gardens in modern Tokyo, and one of the oldest and best preserved parks in Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 333 metres, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan and 13 meters taller than its model - the Eiffel Tower. We will eat breakfast there and go up 150 meters to the main observatory deck and get a bird's eye view of Tokyo.

As we explore Tokyo, we have to explore the man-made Odaiba Islands in Tokyo Bay. There we will visit the Fuji TV building, Panasonic Center, Toyota Mega Web Showroom, Venus Fort shopping complex, along with the biggest ferris wheel in Japan. The islands were initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850's, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and have developed since the 1990's into a major commercial, residential and leisure area.

Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains". The mountain has inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries. As we celebrate becoming one, help us take our own pilgrimage to Mount Fuji.

We'll take a Shinkansen bullet train to an Onsen Ryokan at Kanzaiji Onsen, where where we will soak in the therapeutic waters of a spa bath and feast on a traditional Japanese Kaiseki banquet dinner.

We would like to get a hearty start to our day and venture out to the Toyota Kaikan Museum, which displays Toyota's new car models and technologies.

How can we go to Japan and not go to the Iga Ueno - the ninja museum!!! Here, we will explore a ninja residence with revolving walls, trap doors, and hidden compartments. We will also visit the exhibition halls displaying ninja tools, gadgets, and weapons. Lastly we will view a demonstration of ninja skills and real weapons.

While in Kyoto, we will visit the Kiyomizu Temple. Beneath the main hall of the Temple is the Otowa waterfall, where three channels of water fall into a pond. The water fall is believed to have wish-granting powers (ooooh ahhhhh). In 2007, Kiyomizu was one of 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World.

After checking out the new age fashion in Tokyo, we will also travel to the Nishijin Textile Center to see their displays of kimonos and watch a kimono fashion show.

Help us begin our day with a visit to the scenic and historic Fushimi Inari Shrine, where the long tunnel of scarlet torii gates was featured in Memoirs of a Geisha. This complex wraps around a bamboo wilderness that includes mountains, streams, and ponds, the perfect backdrop for a scenic hike.

In addition to the large cities of Tokyo and Kyoto, we will visit Nara. Nara is Japan's first permanent capital, established in 710. Due to Nara's past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples. In addition, Nara is home to a herd of over 1,000 Sika Deer, who roam through the city freely.

The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji Temple houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu. The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism.

Travel to Osaka, Japan. With a population of 2.5 million, Osaka is Japan's third largest and second most important city. Osaka is famous for good eating. The phrase kuidaore (eat 'til you drop) was coined to describe Osakans' love for good food.

We will visit a little bit of history surrounded by shiny newness. Osaka Castle was constructed in 1583 on the ruins of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. The castle was the largest of its time and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century.

Dōtonbori is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal in Osaka. A former pleasure district, Dōtonbori is famous for its historic theatres (all gone now), its shops and restaurants, and its many neon and mechanized signs, including snack/candy manufacturer Glico's giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line.

Next we travel to Himeji to visit the Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle is widely considered Japan's most spectacular castle. Unlike many other Japanese castles, Himeji Castle was never destroyed in wars, earthquakes or fires and survives in its original form.

As we continue our tour of Japan, we head over to Hiroshima, Japan. Founded in 1589 by a warlord, Hiroshima is best known for being the first city in history to be targeted by a nuclear bomb.

Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park is one of the most prominent features of the city. Its trees, lawns, and walking paths are in stark contrast to the surrounding downtown area. The A-Bomb Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall that was destroyed in World War II. The building served as a location to promote Hiroshima's industries. When the A-bomb exploded, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing, and remains so today.

Hiroshima is known for okonomiyaki, cooked on a hot-plate (usually in front of the customer). The dish is cooked with various ingredients, which are layered rather than mixed together as done with the Osaka version of okonomiyaki. The layers are typically egg, cabbage, bean sprouts (moyashi), sliced pork/bacon with optional items (mayonnaise, fried squid, octopus, cheese, mochi, kimchi, etc.), and noodles (soba, udon) topped with another layer of egg and a generous dollop of okonomiyaki sauce (Carp and Otafuku are two popular brands). The amount of cabbage used is usually 3 to 4 times the amount used in the Osaka style, therefore arguably a healthier version. It starts out piled very high and is generally pushed down as the cabbage cooks. The order of the layers may vary slightly depending on the chef's style and preference, and ingredients will vary depending on the preference of the customer.

Shikoku Island is one of Japan's rural areas filled with natural wonder and art. With over 3,000 years of history it has the oldest hot spring in Japan.

In contrast to the Buddist shrines we will visit, Kotohira-gu is a Shinto shrine. We are not sure what that means, but we will find out! In addition, there is a sake museum near the shrine. Hopefully, they have tastings.

In Takamatsu we will visit Ritsurin Park, a masterpiece of Japanese landscape 100 years in the making. This sprawling park features beautiful ponds and pavilions, with Mt. Shiun as the perfect backdrop.