To celebrate the first anniversary of dog-friendly hotel Inumo Shibakoen by Villa Fontaine in Tokyo, the hotel is offering a special cherry blossom-viewing bus tour for pups and their owners. The tour period is from 9 to13 April. Dog owners can book the tour as a day trip or an overnight stay, with a maximum of 24 places available for each option.
According to the tour operators, the tour takes place on Japan’s first “dog-exclusive special bus. While the bus looks like any other tour bus from outside, the inside of the bus has special specs to maximize comfort for both dogs and their owners.
Not only is the bus fitted with a non-slip wooden-style floor mat, the seating areas are more spacious than those on regular buses, to provide ample room for large dogs and owners with pet buggies.
Every row in the bus has a roll screen to keep dogs apart and provide them with the privacy they need.
Those taking the bus tour will be able to pose for a commemorative photo, but on this trip they’ll be making memories with their pooches.
The bus tour starts at the hotel in Tokyo and goes out to Yamanashi Prefecture, where it stops at Arakurayama Sengen Park and Oshino Hakkai, a natural springs area. Yamanashi is home to one half of Mount Fuji, so participants can expect plenty of glorious views of the iconic mountain during the tour.
One of the local specialties of Yamanashi Prefecture is Hoto Nabe, a noodle hot pot, and both dogs and their owners will be able to enjoy the specialty for lunch.
Dogs will be able to stretch their legs and enjoy the cherry blossoms with their owners at Arakurayama Sengen Park and Oshino Hakkai, a natural monument in Japan.
The one-day plan is priced at 29,800 yen ($226) per person (including pooch), while the bus tour and accommodation plan is priced at 46,800 yen per person on weekdays and 49,800 yen($378) per person on weekends.
