Oprah Daily: Inside Gayle and Oprah’s Unforgettable Girls’ Trip to Japan

Gayle was joined by Oprah, Ava DuVernay, and her favorite daughter, Kirby, for a trip to Japan. Take a look at their photos and adventures, as told by our editor at large.

By: Gayle King

Of all the countries Oprah, Ava DuVernay, Kirby, and I have traveled, Japan has been unchecked on our bucket list—until now. We traveled to four cities in eight days and saw shrines and sacred temples, ate delicious food, and of course, we had to go on at least one hike.

We wanted to take this trip because Japan is the type of destination that is packed with cultural pride and heritage: You can hardly visit a place deemed sacred and not learn something about the history and values of its people. Plus, we planned our trip around cherry blossom season (more on that below).

Yet, the best part of traveling to this country, and any other, for me is the company. I’m lucky to see the world with my closest friend and daughter by my side. Read on below for my take on yet another successful girls’ trip

Tea steeped in culture

Photo by Gayle King on OPRAH DAILY

I didn’t quite know what to expect out of a tea ceremony, but I know it wasn’t this. During the private ceremony at tea house in Gokokuji Temple, our host told us of the cultural history while demonstrating the ceremonial preparation of tea making. A full ceremony can take up to four hours (though ours was a shortened version).

Read more about Gayle King’s visit to Japan on Oprah Daily: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a60374400/oprah-gayle-japan-trip/ Published: Apr 11, 2024 8:00 AM EDT