Discovering Japan

Welcome to Tokyo in Japan! Rich in contemporary urban culture, Tokyo offers many aspects to explore, from fascinating museums and world-class shops to back alleys lined with restaurants and karaoke bars. Our adventure begins with a welcome meeting tonight at 6:00 PM. Afterwards, why not go out for an optional dinner to try some local food and experience the nightlife in this wonderful city.

We'll take the shinkansen bullet train today (about 1 hour) and then a local train (about 1 hour) to go from Tokyo to Nikko. Japanese trains are a quintessential experience and one of the best insights into the country's culture (and efficiency!). We'll arrive in Nikko in the late afternoon and tonight we'll stay in a small inn with shared facilities.

We have an entire day to explore Nikko, an ancient city brimming with beautiful shrines and temples. A number of shrines here are World Heritage Sites and the city is surrounded by lush mountainous nature. We will visit the Toshogu Shrine, a resting place of a Tokugawa shogun who was one of the country's most powerful rulers. The opulent shrine stands in contrast to the traditional minimalist style commonly used throughout Japan. Every corner of this monument is covered with intricate gold leaf, lacquer, paintings, and patterns. Here you can also visit the Nikko Toshogu Museum of Art located at the back of the temple complex (there is an additional charge for admission). This 1920s residence has a beautiful collection of sliding doors and folding screens decorated by the finest Japanese painters of the time. In your free time, you can visit the red-lacquered Shin-kyō bridge, one of the city's most famous landmarks, and the Rinnō-ji Buddhist temple, which houses frightening statues and an elegant garden. Or you might prefer spending time exploring Nikko's stunning natural setting with a visit to Lake Chuzenji and the Kegon Falls. Kanmangafuchi Abyss is another highlight of Nikko that your leader will take you to visit, where you will see about 70 Jizo Buddhas overlooking the river.

Leaving Nikko, today we will have a long day of travel towards our next destination: Hakone. We travel by local train followed by two shinkansen bullet trains and finally a bus. The total travel time can vary depending on the connections, but we usually arrive by mid-afternoon. The journey is definitely worth it as Hakone is a picturesque hot spring resort at the foot of Mount Fuji. Tonight we will stay in a family-run ryokan, with tatami-matted rooms, shared baths, and a delightful open-air hot spring onsen.

This morning we're getting on a boat across Ashinoko Lake and then going up the Hakone ropeway to the top of the surrounding mountains. The area around the lake offers many breathtaking views and, if the weather is clear, we might even catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji in the distance. The afternoon is free for you to further explore the spectacular mountain scenery and volcanic sites of Hakone. Perhaps visit the steaming sulfur springs of Owakudani, or the Hakone Jinja shrine with its red torii gate rising from the shore of Lake Ashinoko. Or take a walk among the hills of the famous Sengokuhara prairie ecosystem. There's also a great art collection at the Hakone Open-Air Museum and at the Pola Museum of Art, an eclectic mix that includes works by artists such as Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gallé.

Our tour of Japan continues with a local train, then a shinkansen to Takayama in the alpine prefecture of Gifu. We will reach speeds of 270 kilometers per hour and it will take us about 4 hours in total to get there. Takayama is a charming Edo-period city located in the Japanese Alps, known for its traditional inns, sake breweries, and the Hida Folk Village. The latter is our first stop, an open-air museum where the area's unique thatched-roof architecture has been relocated to a delightful mountain setting in an effort to preserve traditional Japanese culture. We'll explore the techniques used to build farmhouses that can withstand harsh winters and long periods of isolation due to snow-closed roads. The thick thatched roofs kept the heat in, with roofs sloped to minimize snow accumulation. Each house is like its own standalone museum, with displays of personal belongings and traditional tools. Tonight, we will stay in another delightful ryokan where you can experience traditional Japanese hospitality, sleeping on futons in tatami-matted rooms. The included dinner tonight will give us the chance to taste some of Takayama's famous signature dishes.

This morning we're enjoying a typical local breakfast at the ryokan before our visit to the morning market. Gifu Prefecture is known for producing many excellent high-altitude vegetables, and these markets have been held for over 600 years. Browse the stalls of seasonal vegetables brought in from the surrounding countryside, set up by local farmers every morning from 6 AM. Look for the unique local style of pickles, miso bags wrapped in leaves, Genkotsu ame (soybean candies), preserved fish, spices, and the delicious marshmallow treat called Owara Tamaten. The alpine climate and crystal-clear mountain waters are perfect for creating sake, so later you'll also visit a local brewery for a taste of the region's prized specialty. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this delightful town.

It's time to leave Takayama and travel by express train and shinkansen (about 5 hours) to Hiroshima. Depending on the arrival time, this afternoon or tomorrow morning we will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The Genbaku Dome (A-Bomb Dome) and the Peace Memorial Museum bear witness to the fateful day of August 1945, when Hiroshima was chosen as the target for the first wartime use of the atomic bomb. The dome was just meters from the bomb's hypocenter, so it was able to retain its shape and the fact that it appears almost exactly as it did after the bombing has made it an enduring symbol of peace. The memorial park serves the same purpose and houses museums, memorials, and monuments dedicated to the memory of the victims. This evening, perhaps try one of the city's signature dishes for dinner: okonomiyaki, a tasty pancake made of eggs, cabbage, soba, and meat or fish. Our accommodation tonight will be a simple ryokan or hotel.

Today we head to the nearby island of Miyajima with its famous "floating" torii gate. You could further explore the island by climbing to the top of Mount Miyajima (using the cable car instead) for a 360-degree view of the Inland Sea. Keep an eye out for the curious and hungry deer roaming the streets. You have the rest of the day free to enjoy some of the other sites of this very welcoming and pleasant city. You might stop by the magnificent five-story Hiroshima Castle, which originally dates back to 1590. It was destroyed by the bomb but rebuilt in all its glory in the 1950s and now houses an informative museum. The wonderful Shukkeien Garden, with its charming tea houses and waterfalls, is also a perfect place to relax during a break from sightseeing. For something a bit louder, there are local baseball and soccer teams (if the day is right) or endless shopping possibilities.

Lasciamo Hiroshima e proseguiamo il nostro viaggio in Giappone verso il più imponente castello samurai del Giappone a Himeji in shinkansen (circa 1 ora). L'edificio, sopravvissuto a terremoti e guerre dalla metà del XVI secolo, è stato riportato al suo pieno splendore nel 2015. I fossati, i cortili, le torri e i vicoli murati sono stati ingegnosamente progettati per ingannare gli aggressori, forse in modo così intimidatorio da non esserlo mai stati. testato. Esplora il castello che un tempo ospitava oltre 10.000 famiglie di samurai e osserva i terreni del castello e la città sottostante dal settimo piano. Torna sullo shinkansen per il viaggio in treno di 1 ora a Kyoto. Originariamente fondata come Heian-kyo (letteralmente "capitale della tranquillità e della pace") dall'imperatore Kammu nel 794, Kyoto conobbe il suo periodo d'oro durante il periodo di massimo splendore della corte imperiale dal 794 al 1185. Kyoto fu la capitale del Giappone per oltre 1.000 anni (il nome significa "Capitale") ma l'imperatore e il governo si trovano ora a Tokyo. Con oltre 2.000 templi, santuari e giardini, Kyoto è un ottimo posto in cui perdersi. Il tuo leader ti accompagnerà in una passeggiata di orientamento all'arrivo per orientarti e potresti trascorrere un po' di tempo in più per conoscere Kyoto girovagando per le sue strade storiche fiancheggiate dalle tradizionali case machiya. Soggiorna in un ryokan o in un semplice hotel durante il nostro soggiorno qui. Il tuo leader ti accompagnerà in una passeggiata di orientamento all'arrivo per orientarti e potresti trascorrere un po' di tempo in più per conoscere Kyoto girovagando per le sue strade storiche fiancheggiate dalle tradizionali case machiya. Soggiorna in un ryokan o in un semplice hotel durante il nostro soggiorno qui. Il tuo leader ti accompagnerà in una passeggiata di orientamento all'arrivo per orientarti e potresti trascorrere un po' di tempo in più per conoscere Kyoto girovagando per le sue strade storiche fiancheggiate dalle tradizionali case machiya. Soggiorna in un ryokan o in un semplice hotel durante il nostro soggiorno qui.

With its numerous cultural landmarks and historical sites, and the abundance of traditional art and literature, Kyoto is considered the cultural heart of Japan. We will visit two of the finest temples this morning. Later, we will have free time to explore this fascinating ancient capital. You will have almost a day and a half here to explore, and there's a lot to see and experience.

Fushimi Inari è sicuramente uno dei santuari più fotografati del Giappone. Per i più attivi, scalare la montagna seguendo le porte delle torri rosse è un ottimo modo per godersi l'ampia foresta sul terreno del santuario e la vista della città sottostante. Altrimenti, magari dirigiti verso Arashiyama per goderti una passeggiata nella foresta di bambù di Sagano o pedalare lungo il fiume Kamo. Un'altra grande tappa è l'imponente tempio Higashi Honganji dal punto di vista architettonico e il quasi surreale Sanjusangendo, sede di 1.001 statue di Kannon, o il mercato alimentare di Nishiki. Si consiglia anche una dolce passeggiata attraverso le colline orientali di Kyoto lungo il "Sentiero della Filosofia" che collega Ginkaku-ji, il Tempio del Padiglione d'Argento, con il Tempio di Nanzen-ji. Questa passeggiata può essere estesa verso sud attraverso le aree ben conservate della "città vecchia" fino a Kiyamizu-dera (Tempio dell'acqua limpida) con la sua famosa piattaforma panoramica. Inoltre, per coloro che visitano in primavera, è consigliata una visita al teatro per una rappresentazione di Miyako Odori (danza dei fiori di ciliegio) eseguita da maiko (apprendista geisha) vestita in modo elaborato, o una visita al tempio Kinkakuji stravagantemente decorato, immortalato nell'opera di Yukio Mishima romanzo “Il padiglione d'oro”. In una delle serate, il tuo leader ti accompagnerà a fare una passeggiata attraverso Gion, il famoso quartiere delle geishe di Kyoto. Ancora oggi è possibile osservare l'antica tradizione delle geishe mentre escono per esibirsi in balli e canti per i membri della ricca élite in piccole case da tè nascoste in stradine secondarie.

There are no scheduled activities for the day and you are free to leave the hotel at any time after the 10:00 AM check out. If you leave later, you can arrange to store your luggage at the hotel. Our journey to discover Japan thus comes to an end. Until the next tour!