Japan by Rail – Highlights of Honshu for the Colours of Autumn

Our tour kicks off this morning after breakfast with a gentle look at a couple of local ‘must do’s in Tokyo. Led by our local guide and your tour leader, Chris, we’ll visit Tokyo’s most significant Shinto monument, The Meiji Shrine.  Located near the Harajuku Station in an evergreen forest that covers an area of 70 hectares (170 acres) and consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, this grand complex, dedicated to the memory of the Emperor Meiji who ruled during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, displays the dignified grandeur of Japanese history.

Right next door, and in stark contrast to the majestic yet gentle Meiji Shrine, lies Harajuku, home to some of the world’s wackiest fashion trends and a gathering place for fans and aficionados of Japanese street fashion and associated subcultures, and a place where quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops stand side by side with traditional, upmarket boutiques. Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani are among those who find fashion inspiration here.  There’ll be time to grab a cup of coffee while you wander the streets.

After a sit-down lunch together in another area of Tokyo, we’ll return to Tokyo Station beneath our hotel to have our Japan Rail passes validated and the tickets issued for the journeys we’ll be taking over the next 14 days. 

The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax in the luxury of the hotel or get out and about and explore the area before we gather in the evening for a very special welcome dinner involving the canals of Tokyo. 

Overnight: The Tokyo Station Hotel, Tokyo (B, L, D)

Our exploration of Tokyo continues today after breakfast. Using the city’s incomparable rail network, you’ll get to enjoy the contrast between the old and new city. We’ll start by visiting the 634m Tokyo Sky Tree, one of the world’s tallest towers. After a high-speed elevator ride to the observation platform, you’ll enjoy a breathtaking panorama and a clear view of the sheer scale of the city of Tokyo.

This remainder of the day is yours at leisure. You may like to return to the hotel to relax, or stroll through the magnificent Imperial Palace Gardens, ablaze with autumn colours, or alternatively, take in a little more culture with a visit to the Hokusai Museum, showcasing the works of the most famous ‘ukiyoe’ wood-block print artist in history; or a trip by local rail to Ueno Park where you can visit numerous Museums (including the Tokyo National Museum) or the pandas at Ueno Zoo. 

Dinner tonight is at leisure.

Overnight: The Tokyo Station Hotel, Tokyo (B)

This morning we’ll relieve ourselves of our big luggage for separate same day arrival transport to Kanazawa. After breakfast and check out we’ll embark on the next leg of our journey, heading north-west into the Japanese Alps on the Hokuriku Bullet-Train “Kagayaki”, for the 2-hour journey to Toyama. 

Here, we’ll pick up our private coach and travel south into Japan’s rural heartland, exemplified by the village of Gokayama, the less crowded, less-developed sibling of the now-famous Shirakawa-go settlement. After enjoying a local lunch, we’ll learn about the traditional thatched-roofed ‘Gassho’ houses, and visit a ‘washi’ Japanese-paper making atelier in charming Ainokura, where you’ll personally experience the traditional craft of paper-making.

After this immersion in the sights and sounds of rural Japan, we’ll head to our next home-away-from-home, the medieval Samurai city of Kanazawa.  

Dinner tonight will be in a local restaurant.

Overnight: Hyatt Centric, Kanazawa (B, L, D) 

This morning after breakfast we’ll transfer by Shinkansen and local rail to the departure point of the charming Kurobe Gorge Railway for a scenic ride through a beautiful, forested ravine in the rugged mountains of the northern Japan alps with panoramic views of the gorge below. We’ll collect Ekiben lunch boxes at the station to enjoy on our return train journey back to Kanazawa.

Upon our return to Kanazawa we will board our private ‘Saloon car’ coach for the unforgettable experience of a sunset drive along the beach whilst enjoying some drinks on the 8 kilometre long Chirihama Nagisa Driveway! We’ll then head back to our hotel in Kanazawa for an evening at leisure.

Overnight: Hyatt Centric, Kanazawa (B, L)

Kanazawa is a charmingly walkable city, and so this morning after breakfast we’ll transfer by coach to Kenrokuen Gardens, and there embark on a Garden and Kanazawa Castle and Park walk, followed by a city tour on foot, taking in the Higashi Chaya and Nagamachi Samurai Quarters and enjoying a traditional tea ceremony.

The city tour will end before lunchtime, allowing the opportunity to eat and stay longer in the city centre or to return to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon and evening at your leisure. You might like to visit the spectacular 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art housed in a unique architecturally designed circular building with no facade or main entrance or head to the Omicho Market to delight in the colorful sights and enjoy lunch at one of the restaurants inside the market which specialise in rice bowls topped with fresh Kanazawa seafood.

Overnight: Hyatt Centric, Kanazawa (B)

After checking out of our hotel, and handing your luggage to the courier for separate transport to Kyoto, we take a morning Thunderbird Express train to Kyoto where we’ll head straight into a city tour. Our first stop is the 400 year-old Nijo Castle, built as the Tokyo Shogun’s home in the Imperial Capital of Kyoto, and suitably ostentatious and eye-catching, in comparison to the much more discreet, almost subdued, Imperial Palace and Gardens just to its north. Discover some of the secrets of medieval Japanese architecture and enjoy the castle’s splendid gardens.

After lunch in a restaurant converted from a traditional Kyoto ‘machiya’ house, we finish our tour of Kyoto’s highlights with the ultimate must-see attraction, visiting Rokuonji Temple to see the famed Kinkakuji Golden pavilion, beautifully embodying many of the principles of traditional Japanese architecture. From there, we switch our focus back to railways for our last stop of the tour, a visit to Kyoto Railway Museum. Opened in April 2016 on the site of the city’s famous Umekoji Railway Park, the museum’s core theme is ‘railways revitalising local communities’ and was created to balance historical rail exhibits with a variety of interactive areas aimed not only to demonstrate, but educate visitors on advances in technology and safety. 

After a long day, we’ll return to the hotel to be reunited with our luggage and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s popular Italian restaurant.

Overnight:  The Thousand, Kyoto (B, L, D)

This morning we’ll venture west by local train to see the part of the city most beloved by Kyoto’s residents – Arashiyama, an area dotted with temples, old imperial villas, and famous historical sites, many of which are National Treasures, or have been recognized as World Heritage sites. The entire region is designated by the Japanese government as a Place of Scenic Beauty. 

Walking up from the station, we will begin with a stroll through the enchanting Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, whose scale is genuinely breathtaking. This is one of the most photographed sights in the city and we will arrive early enough to beat the crowds. After a brief stop at the unique Mikami Shrine dedicated to hair, located at the end of the winding bamboo forests of Arashiyama we will find the Okochi Sanso Garden, which surrounds the one-time home of one of Japan’s most famous film stars of the early 20th Century. Seated in the foothills of Mt. Ogura, the Japanese-style gardens were designed to showcase the best of each of the four seasons. Here we will soak up the expansive views of the Hozugawa river, the Arashiyama mountains and Kyoto city.  

In the afternoon enjoy some free time to explore the lively streets of Arashiyama and have a bite to eat before embarking on a spectacular scenic train journey on the Sagano Romantic Train along the stunning Hozu River Valley aflame with autumn colour.

Overnight: The Thousand, Kyoto (B)

After breakfast and checking out, we will again hand over our big luggage for separate same day arrival transport to Hiroshima.  Our day then starts with a walk from our hotel through the railway station complex to the bullet train platforms for a journey on the Shinkansen to Himeji, a small city west of Kobe, famous as the home of Japan’s finest castle, Himeji Castle. 

Upon arrival at Himeji Station we’ll board our coach to transfer to the castle affectionately known as ‘the White Heron’ for its elegance and dazzling white facades. Both a national treasure and a World Heritage Site, it is a rarity among Japanese castles in that it has retained its original form. It took 200 years to erect in the middle ages and has never been rebuilt, although extensive repairs have been done over the last five years to ensure its continuing stability and safety for visitors. You have free time for lunch in the main shopping street which runs between the station and the castle. 

In the afternoon, we’ll continue by Shinkansen to Hiroshima and check in to our centrally-located hotel for the next four nights. Dinner this evening has a particular local theme – the regional delicacy, Okonomiyaki!

Overnight: Hotel Granvia Hiroshima Southgate, Hiroshima (B, D)

This morning we’ll travel on a special private vintage tram charter along some of Hiroshima’s extensive tram network and learn more about this important city with our local guide. 

Arriving at the heart of the city, the rest of the morning will be dedicated to learning about Hiroshima’s unique place in global history as the first in the world to experience an atomic explosion. This tragic event, its aftermath, and the city’s resurrection back to life, is all part of the revealing story you will find on today’s visit. We’ll start at the A-Bomb Memorial Mound and walk through the Peace Park, stopping at monuments including the Peace Bell, and the Children’s Peace Monument,  to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Each is individually moving, but all together they represent one of the most emotionally-challenging testimonials to human tragedy and resilience one can experience. 

After some time for lunch at leisure, we will take the ferry to the sacred island of Miyajima for a deer-dodging walk through the island’s central streets to see the stunning Itsukushima Shrine with its famous red ‘torii’ gates sitting in the sea just off the island. We’ll also enjoy a walk through the lesser-known but equally impressive Daishoin Temple. Perched on the side of Mount Misen, the steep peak which dominates Miyajima, this temple is where the current Dalai Lama resided for almost a week during his visit to Japan to celebrate the temple’s 1,200th anniversary in autumn, 2006. 

We return to our hotel (and our luggage) in the afternoon and your evening is free to enjoy the many delights of the city and its surroundings.

Overnight: Hotel Granvia Hiroshima Southgate, Hiroshima (B)

Today we switch the focus from railways to a totally different element of Japanese Culture –  its original national sport of Sumo. After a sleep in, a lazy breakfast and leisurely morning, we’ll head to the westernmost point of our visit, taking the Shinkansen to Hakata, the local name used for Fukuoka Central Station. 

Here, we’ll attend the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, a unique opportunity to enjoy and participate in the centuries-old ceremony of official Sumo Tournaments. From our reserved seats, we’ll enjoy the pageant of the Ring-circling Ceremony, the carefully defined pre-fight protocol, and the sudden explosive action of the actual bouts, some of which last only for the blink of an eye. After seeing the top wrestlers fight in the final bouts, we’ll return to the station for a convivial post match dinner at a nearby local restaurant before returning to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen.

Overnight: Hotel Granvia Hiroshima Southgate, Hiroshima (B, D)

Today we hand over our big luggage to our private courier for overnight transport to Hakone, keeping only what we need for tonight in an overnight bag. After breakfast, we’ll take the train to the coastal city of Yamaguchi, passing through stunning country vistas ablaze with autumn colours. Here we will collect our Ekiben bento boxes to enjoy aboard the SL Yamaguchi, a C – 571 model steam engine that originally entered service in 1937. The engine has been lovingly restored to operate on the two-hour journey between Yamaguchi and an “off-the-beaten-track” gem, the charming town of Tsuwano. The town’s white walls and red-tiled roofs add splashes of vibrant colour to the peaceful and unspoiled townscape. Keep an eye out for carp swimming in the aqueducts flowing alongside the main street! We will continue by private coach to another of Japan’s glorious undiscovered highlights, the Kintaikyo Bridge. This unique five-span edifice across the Nishiki River is a truly amazing piece of timber architecture. After some time exploring the area we will continue by coach to Iwakuni station where we will board the bullet train back to Hiroshima in the early evening for an evening at leisure.  

Overnight: Hotel Granvia Hiroshima Southgate, Hiroshima (B, L) 

(*an overnight pack is required for this evening)

Today we begin our journey back towards Tokyo covering close to 800 kms with most of it on our high speed trains. Around midday we will turn our attention to another famous element of Japanese cuisine, Kobe Beef. On the way to Kobe we’ll visit a small but fascinating museum introducing the history and a host of fascinating facts relating to Kobe Beef before enjoying a Kobe Beef Lunch.

Following this we’ll continue on to Mishima by Bullet Train, and take our private coach up into the foothills, forests, and glorious lakes surrounding Mount Fuji, to Hakone. Located in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park west of Tokyo, Hakone is a mountainous town known for its hot springs resorts (onsen) and views of the iconic Mount Fuji. You’ll spend two glorious nights here in accommodation that combines the relaxation, atmosphere, and private onsen amenities of a traditional ryokan with the comfort of a top international hotel.  Tonight we’ll reunite with our luggage and enjoy a very special dining experience in the hotel restaurant.

Overnight: Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, Hakone (B, L, D)

This morning we’ll transfer by coach to the famous Great Boiling Valley in the Owakudani area, 1000m above sea level, where volcanic geysers fill the air with pungent sulphur. After exploring the area we’ll continue via Ropeway to Togendai travelling past Mount Kamiyama, part of the large Hakone Volcano, the massive eruption of which created the stunning physical beauty of this area. 

Upon arrival in Togendai we will board an ornate replica pirate ship for a cruise around Lake Ashinoko and see the red Tori Gates of the Hakone-jinja Shrine amongst the mountain scenery. After a stop for a very pleasant lunch we continue by private coach to the magnificent Hakone Open Air Museum, a breathtaking combination of the area’s natural beauty as a backdrop for an expansive and high-quality collection of sculpture and art, including sculptures by Henry Moore, and highlighted by the remarkable Picasso Pavilion, housing the world’s largest private collection of Picasso’s ceramics – more than 100 pieces by the 20th Century’s most iconic artist.  After our visit we will return to the hotel by coach or you may like to stay on and take the Hakone Tozan Railway from Chokoku-no-Mori Station to Gora Station. 

This evening is at leisure. 

Overnight: Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, Hakone (B, L)

Today, after handing over our luggage to our private courier for separate transport, we will make the final leg of our journey back to Tokyo, incorporating a glimpse of the future of rail travel. The day starts with a coach trip to visit the Yamanashi Maglev Exhibition Centre and an opportunity to catch an exciting glimpse of Japan’s next generation of high-speed trains, the 500-kmh Linear Motor Cars due to go into operation in 2027. 

Then, we venture south to the coastal town of Atami, once the honeymoon destination of choice for Japanese newlyweds during the ‘Showa-era’ years. Here we will enjoy lunch at leisure before taking our seats on the elegant Saphir Odoriko train, named after the sapphire-esque Izu sea views you’ll enjoy as it trails along the coast for our journey into Tokyo, where we’ll return to our familiar hotel and reunite with our luggage for the next two nights.

Dinner tonight is at leisure.

Overnight: The Tokyo Station Hotel, Tokyo (B)

Today you have a number of optional activities to choose from. You may like to stay in Tokyo for a mix of culture and technology with your tour leader, starting with a morning in Ueno, Tokyo’s cultural cradle, where most of the city’s major museums can be found around the boundaries of the famous Ueno Park. In the afternoon there is the opportunity to ride the popular monorail that runs across the Rainbow Bridge to the new vibrant area of Odaiba, renowned for its museums and cultural hubs including the iconic Fuji Television Building, the Science and Technology museum, Toyota’s Megaweb Showcase and the Panasonic Centre. 

Alternatively, you might like to poke around Tokyo on your own and enjoy shopping in Ginza and Shinjuku or stroll the Ginko tree lined avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien using the extraordinary subway system, or use your JR Pass to explore further afield. A few ideas just a short Shinkansen ride from Tokyo are the port city of Yokohama, where the past and future seamlessly blend; Nikko, where you can explore more of Japan’s natural beauty and history at the Toshogu Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site that showcases the splendor of the Edo period; or travel along the stunning Pacific coast to the charming, historic coastal town of Kamakura.  

Tonight, the final night of our tour, we’ll enjoy a special farewell dinner and drinks together.

Overnight: The Tokyo Station Hotel, Tokyo (B, D)

Our tour ends this morning after breakfast. Your JR Rail Pass is still valid today, so for those not travelling onward until the evening, make the most of it exploring the city or beyond before boarding your flight or train.