Japan Springtime Spectacular

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.

The 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 spring 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)

After breakfast and check-out, we’ll hand over our big luggage for separate 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 after breakfast 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 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)

After breakfast and checking out of our hotel, you’ll pass your luggage over to our courier for separate transport to Kyoto, and we’ll head to the station to catch a morning train to Kyoto.  Upon arrival, we’ll board our private coach for 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, the famed Kinkakuji Golden pavilion, which beautifully embodies 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 the marvellous 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 check into our modern hotel, our home for the next three nights.  Dinner tonight is at leisure.  

Overnight: Double Tree by Hilton Kyoto Station, Kyoto (B, L)

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’ll begin with a stroll through the enchanting Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, the scale of which is genuinely breathtaking. 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 surrounded by cherry blossoms.

Upon our return to Kyoto, there’ll be some time to freshen up before we gather for dinner at a nearby highly regarded Italian restaurant.

Overnight: Double Tree by Hilton Kyoto Station, Kyoto (B, D)

Today after breakfast, we’ll take a day trip to Nara and Osaka via local train. Upon arrival in Nara, Japan’s first capital, we’ll take a stroll through the grassy Nara Park meeting the resident deer as we walk to Todaiji Temple, one the Seven Great Temples of Japan and home to the world’s largest bronze statue, the 8th century Daibutsu Great Buddha. We’ll then take some time to wander through the temple and shrines, which house historically significant and priceless treasures of ancient Buddhist art.

We’ll enjoy lunch together in Nara before heading on to Osaka by train, for the second part of our day.

Osaka is considered Japan’s unofficial culinary capital and the second largest city in the country at 20 million people.  We’ll visit the highly photogenic Dōtombori, the city’s liveliest spot, lined with pedestrian walkways and with a riot of illuminated billboards. See the famous Glico Running Man and Kani Doraku crab signs and walk south of the canal along a pedestrian street that has dozens of restaurants vying for attention with the flashiest of signage. We’ll take a walk through the 600 metre long Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, Osaka’s premiere shopping street and home to trendy boutiques and expensive department stores, before returning to Kyoto by bullet train – travelling the distance in just 30 minutes!  

Your evening and dinner is at leisure.

Overnight: Double Tree by Hilton Kyoto Station, Kyoto (B, L)

After breakfast and check out, we take a bullet train from Kyoto to the town of Kanaya, our first stop on our way to Hakone.  Here, we’ll ride the Oigawa Railway, a historic heritage railway famous for its scenic steam locomotive (SL) from the 1920s and breathtaking views, to Senzu. The train travels along the banks of the Oi River (Gawa) for much of the way, passing by green tea fields, farms, villages and cherry trees that abound along the line, and if the climate is kind, the display of blossoms along the route of our vintage train is a real treat. Upon our arrival in Kawane-Onsen Sasamadu station, you’ll have free time to wander the town and get some lunch at leisure.

Later, we’ll transfer by train to the town of Hakone where we check into our 5-star spa hotel. Our hotel, with a private onsen in every room and elegant décor, sits on a river in a valley of vibrant green where you’ll see springtime cherry blossoms exploding all around you. Relax in your private onsen or in the natural hot-spring public indoor onsen before enjoying fine cuisine for dinner in our hotel. 

Overnight: Hotel Indigo Gora, Hakone (B, 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 little Hakone Tozan Railway from Chokoku-no-Mori Station to Gora Station, then stroll up to the hotel. 

This evening is at leisure. 

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

After breakfast and check out this morning, we’ll travel by coach through the countryside to Oshino Hakkai Village where bridges and pathways lead you around and over eight ponds, transporting you back to another era. You’ll wander past traditional thatched roof buildings, slowly spinning water wheels, and, weather permitting, enjoy amazing views of Mount Fuji. We’ll then continue to the staggering Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine with its almost 300 cherry blossom trees, striking red Torii gate and uninterrupted views of Mt Fuji. In case that photo opportunity isn’t enough, we’ll continue on to the northern part of Lake Kawaguchiko, for probably the best view of Mt Fuji!

The next stop is a visit to Japan’s best-kept railway secret, the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Centre in Yamanashi. Here, we’ll witness the next generation of high-speed bullet trains, operating at twice the speed of the current fleet, and due to come into operation in 2027. If we’re lucky we’ll get the privilege of witnessing one of the daily tests of the current prototype at the centre. The new sleek Maglev train shoots past us at 500 km with only the sound of the wind whooshing past. The future is smooth and fast!

There’ll be time to explore the incredible station food hall and pick up some lunch (maybe a Bento Box) before taking the fast train to Niigata, arriving in the late afternoon. Niigata is a port city on the western side of Honshu, with a population of 1 million people. While it has a humid subtropical climate, it actually receives a higher annual snowfall than cities with continental climates such as Oslo, Montréal or Moscow, due to its high precipitation. The area is known for its scenic mountains and beautiful rice fields with seafood, rice and sake as the main local specialties, and the cherry blossoms here rank among some of the best in Japan. However, the main reason we’re here is to ride on the SL Banetsu Monogatari steam train, otherwise known as “The Noble Lady”.

On arrival, we’ll transfer directly to our hotel and check in, after which we’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Hotel Nikko Niigata, Niigata (B, D)

This morning after breakfast and check out, we depart Niitsu Station, near Niigita on the nostalgic SL Banetsu Monogatari steam train journey to Aizu-Wakamatsu. Built in 1946 and nicknamed “Kifujin” (“The Noble Lady”) due to its graceful appearance, this C57-180 steam locomotive is one of the largest in Japan. Its interior decoration creates a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of Japan’s beloved Taishō Era from the early 20th century, and your access to the Observation Car will ensure you get to soak up the memorable views of the rural countryside.

On board, there’s a kiosk where you can buy an Ekiben lunch box and some Japanese snacks for lunch, all made with locally-produced ingredients. The train makes a pit-stop at Tsugawa Station where maintenance staff replenish their water supply during a 15 minute break – make sure you hop off the train for a close up look at this fascinating operation!  Disembarking at Aizu-Wakamatsu, we’ll enjoy lunch at leisure before catching a train to Sendai. 

On arrival in Sendai in the afternoon, we will walk to our magnificent hotel and check in. Later in the evening we will regroup for dinner together at a local favourite.

Overnight: The Westin, Sendai (B, D )

Sendai, also known as ‘The City of Trees’, is a significant commercial hub, one of Japan’s greenest cities, and home to 1.2 million people.  While it’s a major hub connecting northern and central Japan, Sendai is also the gateway to another of Japan’s little-known jewels – the magnificent Matsushima Bay, known for offering one of Japan’s three most scenic views. Like all bays, there’s no better way to discover it than from the water. So, this morning after breakfast, we’ll cruise among the more than 250 small, pine tree-covered islands, enjoy views that have been celebrated for centuries as some of Japan’s most scenic, see live oyster pot farms in action, visit the incredible eighth century Zuiganji Buddhist Temple, and have an opportunity to feed the seagulls that have chased our boat around the bay.  

We’ll enjoy lunch together at a local restaurant and return to Sendai in the late afternoon. The evening is at leisure.  

Overnight: The Westin, Sendai (B, L)

This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll take the 90 minute express train to Aomori arriving just before lunch. A port city at the northern tip of Honshu, Aomori is also the main departure point for the ferry to Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido. On arrival in Aomori, we’ll pause for lunch at a typical Japanese restaurant.

After lunch, we’ll take the train an hour south to Hirosaki known as the ‘Kyoto of the North’. There, we’ll transfer to our private coach for a visit first to the Tsugaru Nebuta Village, focused on the Nebuta Culture which particularly defines the northern area of Honshu and then on to the majestic Hirosaki Castle and its famous cherry blossoms. Impressive in scale and picturesque in setting, the Hirosaki Park cherry blossoms are one of Japan’s top locations for hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. After a memorable day, we’ll return to Aomori in the late afternoon where the rest of your afternoon and evening is at leisure.

Overnight: Daiwa Roynet Hotel, Aomori (B, L)

Today, we go on an adventure to introduce you ever so briefly to Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, with a bullet train journey to Hakodate through the world’s longest undersea tunnel. 

The Seikan Undersea Railway Tunnel opened in 1988 replacing the ferry’s role as the only connector of the Honshu and Hokkaido’s rail networks. The 54 km dual-gauge Seikan railway tunnel runs for 23.3 km under the seabed to the northern island of Hokkaido with the track level being 100 metres below the seabed. It is the world’s longest undersea tunnel by overall length, the second-deepest transport tunnel below sea level after Norway’s Ryfylke Tunnel and the second longest main-line railway tunnel after Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel.

Hakodate is best known for the spectacular views from Mount Hakodate, deliciously fresh seafood, and its magnificent public gardens. Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy some seafood delights for lunch before going on to Fort Goryokaku, a massive, star-shaped, Western-style citadel, built in the last years of the Edo Period (1603-1868) for the defence of Hakodate against the imperialist threat posed by the Western powers. A few years later, the fort became the site of a civil war between an army of the shogunate and the superior troops of the newly established Meiji government. Converted into a public park in the early 20th century, it boasts over one thousand cherry trees along its moats, making it one of Japan’s best cherry blossom spots – if you happen to be there at the right time!

Later, we’ll take a thrilling ropeway journey up to the 334 metre high Mount Hakodate for some incredible views of the city. We’ll return to Aomori the same way we came, by bullet train through the Seikan Tunnel, arriving in the late afternoon.

Your evening is free to relax at the hotel or head out to explore the city. 

Overnight: Daiwa Roynet Hotel, Aomori (B, L)

This morning, after an early breakfast and check out, we’ll head to the railway station to board the Resort Shirakami Train no. 2, also known as the “Joyful Train”, for our journey south along the Gono Line, a coastal railway generally considered to be one of the most beautiful train rides in Japan, arriving in Akita in the early afternoon.

The train follows the scenic and sometimes rocky coastline of northern Tohoku, giving rise to magnificent panoramas, fields of wildflowers, rural landscapes and spectacular mountain scenery of the Shirakami Sanchi known as the land of the white mountain Gods. For lunch, you’ll enjoy a traditional bento box onboard. There’s also a bar eatery and small art gallery in the middle of the train, selling local delicacies from different stops along the way, along with small art items, such as pottery and craft works. If you’re up for it, you can sample different local Japanese sake rice wine, purchased from the bar.

Akita, located in the heart of Japan’s rice growing region and known for its Sake breweries, is a historic town, also known as the “Autumn Field City” in a nod to the meaning of its name being ‘rice field’. After checking into your hotel, enjoy some free time before taking a stroll with your tour leader to the nearby Senshu Park to enjoy dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Senshu Park is home to over 700 cherry trees, so again, if the flowering season does the right thing, you’ll be in heaven.

Overnight: ANA Crowne Plaza, Akita (B, L, D)

This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll depart Akita on the bullet train bound for Tokyo, arriving in the early afternoon. Upon arrival in Tokyo, we’ll have some time for lunch at leisure before checking into our familiar hotel.

The remainder of the afternoon you are free to rest and freshen up or catch up on some last minute shopping. 

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

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

Our tour ends this morning after breakfast. Check out time is 12:00pm. If you have a late flight you are welcome to leave your bags at reception while you continue to explore this magnificent city. Alternatively you can request a late check-out subject to availability at advised rates.

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