Our guide Narumi, was excellent. She was a very pleasant person to be with, and also very helpful to make changes as needed. All the drivers were good too. And we also highly recommend our Yakushima nature guide Nobu. He speaks English almost like an American, and he was able to tailor our visit.
As you had warned us, the cherry blossoms were early, so we missed their peak. However, Narumi remembered a temple garden in Kyoto, which had a grove of late-blooming cherry trees; she took us there, and they were spectacular! Also, the flower-viewing situation turned out fine, because the wisteria and azalea were blooming early, and we got a chance to enjoy those.
We enjoyed the Ritz Carlton, Kyoto, Chikurintei, Sankara, and Aman Tokyo. At Chikurintei, our suite was exquisite, and our private onsen in the garden was very special. We were able to enter their extraordinary gardens through our own back garden gate. The azaleas in their garden were in full bloom, so that was an extra treat for us.
The bottom line is that we enjoyed the trip and we appreciate all your efforts.