Days 1-2 Tokyo
Arrive in this bustling metropolis and check into our traditional ryokan in the heart of the historic Asakusa
district. A stone’s throw from Tokyo’s most venerated and oldest Buddhist temple our Ryokan introduces you to
traditional Japanese living – with tatami mat floors, futons and a shared bath with views over the nearby temple
complex.
We have a day of free time in Tokyo with options including
- Meiji Shrine, Tokyo’s most important Shinto shrine and nearby Harajuku and Yoyogi Park which are the
meeting place on a Sunday of an eclectic collection of youth in their best punk/goth/French maid finery.
Ueno Park, home to Tokyo National Museum and a great place to wander and people watch especially
if the cherry blossoms are out.
- The Akihabara district, sacred ground for computer geeks and manga lovers.
- Ginza – Tokyo’s original shopping district where classy cafes jostle with designer shops for street
frontage in Japan’s most expensive real estate.
- Kabuki – check out Japan’s traditional performing art that was popular with the lower classes during the
Edo Era. A boat trip from Asakusa to Hama Rikyu Garden along the Sumida River. Hama Rikyu was a
detached palace garden and the contrast between the tranquil grounds and the tall buildings nearby is
fascinating.
- Shinjuku’s government offices give a great birds eye view of the city while down on street level Shinjuku
Garden contrasts with the rough and ready atmosphere of the infamous Kabukicho entertainment area.
Day 3 – Mito daytrip
We take a day trip to Mito (80 mins one way by train), home to one of Japan’s 3 most famous gardens, Kairaku-
en. Designed and built in 1841 by the Lord of Mito who was also a member of the ruling Tokugawa clan, it’s
name means “to share pleasures with other people” and was open to the public long before public gardens
became common. As well as being famous for the many of plum trees which produce beautiful blossoms in
spring, the garden also has groves of bamboo and cedar forests. There is also a well preserved samurai style
residence on the grounds and the hillside location of the garden provides views over the surrounding hillsides
which, if timing is right, will be covered in blossoms.
Days 4-5 – Tokyo/Takayama
Start the day early at the world’s largest fish market. An incredible 450 different types of seafood are on sale at
any one time and the 1,700 stalls bustle with activity as Tokyo’s many restaurant owner and retailers come to
the wholesale market to buy their supplies for the day. Frozen tuna auctions are held early in the morning,
finishing up at 6:30am and it’s for this that we pull ourselves out of bed at the crack of dawn. Japan consumes
an incredible 30% of the world’s annual tuna auction and many of them pass through the auction floors here
before being distributed across the country. After taking in the atmosphere of the market we head to one of the
many restaurants surrounding the inner market to eat some of the freshest sushi you are ever likely to lay your
chopsticks on.
After returning to the hotel to pick up our bags we head to Takayama (5 hours). The first half of the journey is on
the world famous bullet train, speeding through the countryside at up to 330kmph! Keep an eye out for Mt Fuji
rising majestically from the Kanto plain but don’t be to disappointed if we miss it – it is a notoriously shy
mountain for a reason.
Takayama was once a bustling castle town and has preserved a whole neighborhood of traditional shops,
restaurants and sake breweries. Wander amongst these wooden houses and pop into some of the well
preserved merchant houses, stunning examples of traditional Japanese architecture, visit the float exhibition
hall which displays some of the floats used at the bi-annual festival or stop in at a sake brewery for a taste of
the local brew.
The foyer of our ryokan in Takayama is a 170 year old farmhouse and the solid beams and sunken hearth are
a stunning introduction to the stunning rooms and delicious dinners that await us here.
Day 5 – Takayama/Kanazawa
We visit the nearby Hida Folk Village which has preserves a variety of traditional buildings in a pleasant valley
setting. It’s a great chance to get inside some of the area’s thatched roof houses, known as “hands in prayer”
architecture for their steep roofs. The buildings are constructed without a single nail, learn about the care and
maintenance to keep the roves dry and the ropes taut.
In the afternoon of we take a train to Kanazawa (3 hours), home of Kenroku-en which is another of Japan’s
three famous gardens. Quite apart from this star attraction Kanazawa has a well preserved samurai district as
well as a thriving craft culture. The area was made rich by its bountiful rice production and the local lords
patronized the arts of laquerware, pottery and dying that are still common in the area today.
Day 6 – Kanazawa
This morning we head to Kenroku-en, private garden of the wealthy Maeda clan who ruled the area. At the gate
of the restored castle it once formed the outer garden and has been continuously developed since 1676 by
various generations of the Maeda family. The name refers to a passage about a garden in China which
incorporated 6 apparently irreconcilable qualities a good garden should have: spaciousness/seclusion,
artificiality/antiquity and abundant water/broad views.
The afternoon is free to tread in the footsteps of geisha and samurai as you wander Kanazawa’s picturesque
streets
Days 7-11 – Kyoto
This may seem like a long time to spend in one place but we guarantee you won’t run out of things to see and
do! With over 2,000 temples and shrines there are plenty of gardens to explore in Kyoto. Spared bombing in the
final days of World War 2 due to its historical and cultural importance Kyoto is full of quaint backstreets and
historical areas.
As the imperial capital for over 1,000 years Kyoto has long been a center for Japanese culture. While the
military power laid with various shoguns since the 12th century they were, in theory at least, subordinate to the
emperor who was believed to be the human descendent of the Shinto sun goddess. Between 794 and 1868
the emperor’s court was here and the residents of Kyoto still have a taste for the finer things in life. Kaiseki
cuisine, silk kimonos and lavish geisha parties are much more popular here than in other parts of Japan and
while it’s said that an Osakan may die from overeating a Kyotoite is much more likely to go broke buying
expensive kimonos.
Take a wander through Gion’s backstreets and spot some of these elusive women on their way between
appointments with wealthy clients. The number of geisha is declining all over Japan but the Gion district still
has many geisha houses and the 5 “flower towns” remain active. If we’re lucky we’ll be able to see one of the
dances the geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) put on to celebrate the spring blossom season.
We visit Ryoan-ji rock garden, the ultimate in Zen raked pebble design with its 15 rocks seemingly randomly
placed in the otherwise empty rectangular space. To see all 15 at once you must gain enlightenment. Nearby
is the stunning Golden Pavillion, the most popular attraction in Kyoto. Set in what was once a feudal lord’s
private villa the pavilion was converted to a temple after his death. We also visit Katsura Imperial Villa, which
was built for the brother of the emperor in 1624. Both the buildings and the garden is meticulously designed
and is a fascinating insight to the private life of the imperial family.
Options for our free time include visiting historical Kiyomizu for a view over the city, seeing a thousand gold
statues of the bodhisattva of compassion at Sanjusangendo, walking through a tunnel of tori gates at Fuhsimi
Inari Shrine or listening to the rustle of the wind through Arashiyama’s bamboo forests.
On day 8 we take a daytrip to Himeji castle and the last of the 3 famous gardens – Korako-en in Okayama. First
we take a train to Himeji (1 hour) to visit one of Japan’s best preserved feudal castles and a masterpiece of
defensive design. Designed and built in 1580 it was then enlarged and further developed in 1610 and
designed to be impenetrable. Tricks in the design include deceptive paths, hidden gates, stone throwing
holes, paths that zig zag and leave the attackers vulnerable and bottle necks to slow invading forces. Make sure
you stay with the group as even with well marked routes first time visitors have been known to get lost!
From there we head further west to Okayama (30 mins) to see the final of the three best gardens in Japan.
Again designed and built as a private garden for the feudal lord of the region, Koraku-en is unusual in its use of
large expanses of lawn. Other features include a noh stage, a pavilion with a stream running through the
middle, a hill that provides a beautiful panorama of the whole garden, a tea plantation and rice fields.
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Departure dates
Private departures to suit
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