Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Morning, you will be met by the Tour-guide at 09.00 am & proceed for a 4 hour ‘walking’ sightseeing tour, using public transport.

Get on to the Subway to travel to Roppongi Hills, where you will visit the Tokyo City View Observatory.

The 2^nd tallest structure in Japan inspired by lattice tower design of Eiffel Tower, the 1,092 ft Tokyo Tower is a communications & observation tower in the center of Tokyo.

From the Observation Deck at 150 meters on the 53^rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Building, the observatory offers an interesting view of the city, despite being only at a relatively moderate height, while also getting oriented to Tokyo & also a glimpse as to just how large Tokyo really is. On a clear day you might even see Mt. Fuji.

From here, get on to the Subway again to go to the famous Ginza district, the most expensive real estate in the world where you will first stop for a lunch of Kushiage (fried meat & vegetables on bamboo skewers).

After lunch, you will have some free time to wander through the numerous boutiques and department stores. Or visit the Nissan and BMW showrooms to see the latest automobile technology. Or explore the Sony Building where you will find many of Sony's products on display, some of which aren't on the market yet.

Walk back to the Subway & proceed to the Hinode Pier, to take a relaxing cruise on the Sumida River back to the Asakusa area. Here you will tour the Nakamise-dori, Senso-ji Buddhist Temple & the Asakusa Shrine where you will learn about Buddhist and Shinto Japanese religious practices.

Your experience finishes with a relaxing 40 minute cruise on the Sumida River along the shores of Tokyo. Climb aboard the Boat & glide beneath 12 of the city’s many bridges, listening to a recorded audio guide that will add context about the history of this unique urban waterway.

Disembark & accompanied by the Tour-guide, return to the coach for a drop-off at Tokyo Station, where the Tour concludes. You will proceed to the hotel on your own (direct payment - cab or subway).

Come back to the hotel / ryokan by afternoon.

In the evening at the co-ordinated time, you will be met by the Journeys Tokyo office staff handling your Japan experience. He / She will explain & answer any questions you may have. You will also be handed over the Japan Rail Pass & flight ticket relevant for the entire Itinerary.

Balance of the day at leisure or perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Overnight.  B L

Today, get up at dawn & accompanied by the Tour-guide for the 2 hour tour, walk to the Subway & travel to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. Largest in the world, it is estimated that 20% of all of the fish caught in the world passes through this market.

The Market is the largest wholesale fish & seafood market in the world, handling more than 2,000 tons of marine products & an estimated that 20 % of all of the fish caught in the world on that day. Although the market wasn’t originally intended to be a major tourist attraction when it opened in 1935, Tsukiji now regularly shows up on visitors’ lists of must-see destinations in Tokyo.

Witnessing the dawn fresh tuna auction before the sun rises is the primary draw. If so, it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis & limited to 120 people, admitted in two shifts of 60. Entry typically opens at 05.00 am for the first 20 minute viewing at 05.25 am & the second at 05:50 am. It is best to arrive at least 2 hours early, as crowds are large & Lines are known to queue up as early as 01.00 am.

However, if you prefer to do your exploring at a more reasonable hour, be aware that by 9.00 am, business will have already started to wind down. You will still see fishmongers filleting the day's catch, but you won't have to dodge so many trucks & trolleys.

The market is comprised of two areas: the public Outer Market, which features shops, sushi & various market stalls; and the Inner Market, where the famous fresh tuna fish auctions are held. Shops in the wholesale market smells too fishy for you, a less pungent alternative is Tsukiji's outer market, a warren of narrow streets packed with stalls selling fresh seafood & other specialty items, such as real wasabi.

Whether you are a sushi connoisseur or just starting to appreciate this popular cuisine, it is a unique experience to stand amidst freshly caught tuna the size of small children & observe how quickly the pieces are snapped up and carted off to be sliced into nigiri & more.

Wander through many of the shops selling numerous items needed for Japanese cooking & even observe how a whole tuna is cut up into sushi & sashimi.

No visit to Tsukiji is complete without a sushi breakfast. There are plenty of sushi counters here, but to find best ones, you need to wend your way to the restaurant area near the wholesale fruit & vegetable market. You can buy bowls & sashimi knives there too.

Come back to the hotel by 09.00 am.

Rest of the morning is at leisure to spend as you wish (we would be happy to offer suggestions).

Go shopping for that perfect souvenir, visit the Meiji Shrine dedicated to the Japanese emperor of the 19^th century, or wander through the trendy Shibuya or Harajuku districts where you will more than likely see interesting & far-out fashions.

Later in the afternoon, proceed to Tokyo Shinjuku (supposedly the busiest train station in the world) Station (on your own) to board the Odakyu Limited Express “Romance Car” for the short ride to Hakone-Yumoto Station. Some versions of these trains feature Observation Decks & saloon seats.

*Before leaving Tokyo, you will prepare your luggage to be transferred to Takayama, and you will be traveling to Hakone & Takayama with an overnight bag only good for 2 days & 1 night.

Arrive at Hakone Yumoto Station & proceed to the hotel / ryokan (on your own) & Check-in.

Balance of the day is at leisure or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Hakone, part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, west of Tokyo, is a mountainous town known for its serene hot spring resorts (onsen), world-class art museums including the Hakone Open Air Museum, traditional inns & spectacular mountain scenery crowned by the iconic volcano Mount Fuji.

When it is not hidden by clouds, Mt. Fuji presents a breathtaking sight on the horizon; the best time to catch a glimpse of the mountain is the winter months of December to February. Weather-permitting, you will get a chance to see it.

Hakone also encompasses Hakone Shrine, a Shinto shrine with a red “torii” gate overlooking Lake Ashi, which can be toured by boat, as well as the boiling sulphur springs of the Owakudani Valley.

Famous for hot springs, natural beauty & the view across Lake Ashinoko of nearby Mount Fuji for centuries, it has been one of the most popular destinations among Japanese & international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo.

Hakone has been one of Japan's most popular hot spring resorts for centuries. Yumoto, at the entrance to the Hakone area near Odawara, is Hakone's most famous hot spring with a particularly long history, high quality water and numerous baths & inns. Nowadays, more than a dozen springs provide hot spring water to the many bath houses & ryokans here.  Many more hot spring facilities are found across the hills & valleys of Hakone and along the shores of Lake Ashi. Visitors can enjoy a hot spring bath in public bath houses or ryokan. Many ryokan open their baths not only to staying guests but also to daytime visitors.

Overnight.   B D

Morning, meet the Tour-guide who will assist you with the Check-out & then proceed for a 4 hour sightseeing tour of Hakone.

Hakone is famous for its natural beauty & the view of nearby Mt. Fuji (weather permitting). In good weather, passengers aboard the sightseeing cruise can get a fine view of Japan's most famous peak, Mount Fuji & enjoy Hakone's rich scenery reflected on the lake's calm surface.

Travel around the Hakone area will be by many different methods including electric train, funicular, gondola, tramway, bus & sightseeing boats on Lake Ashi.

The Hakone Ropeway is a 30 minute, 4 km gondola ride, taking travellers to Togendai from Soun-zan. Along the way, you will be stopping to admire the verdant natural beauty of at the desolate Owaku-dani volcanic valley, a reminder that Japan is a chain of volcanic islands.     

The large windows of the gondola allow visitors to observe the panorama of Hakone's unspoiled natural setting. Owaku-dani offers magnificent views of Mount Fuji in what is still an active volcanic region. Here, you will have free time to explore the thermally-heated pools & boiling mud pots & vents spewing Hydrogen sulphide steam from the yellow ground (the yellow is crystallised sulphur). The 'Great Boiling Valley' was created 3000 years ago when Kami-yama erupted & collapsed, also forming Ashino-ko.

You can buy one of the `black eggs`, hard-boiled in the thermally-heated mineral waters, from the tourist shops beside the ropeway station.  It is said if you eat one of these eggs, it will add 7 years to your life (it is probably a myth driven by the people who sell the eggs).

Takachiho is the site of one of the best known legends of Japanese mythology. Hakone Amano Iwato Jinja Shrine established in the 8^th century, is set in the woods above Ashi-no-ko, but its red torii (shrine gate) is right on the water & very photogenic.

Check out the Hakone Yosegi Zaiku store offering Japanese traditional crafts or visit the Onshi Hakone Park to enjoy beautiful Japanese gardens & a great view of Lake Ashi & Mt.Fuji

In the story, Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess, became so outraged by her brother's cruel pranks that she hid herself in a cave, refusing to come out & depriving the world of her life-giving light. All of the other gods & goddesses gathered to lure her out. They tried everything they could think of to no avail until one goddess performed an outrageously ribald dance that caused the other gods to roar with laughter. Amaterasu left the cave to see what all the fun was about & in doing so she returned her light to the world.

The Shrine was built near the cave where Amaterasu is said to have hid herself away. The Shrine's main buildings are located on the opposite side of the Iwato River from the cave.

The cave is not accessible but there is an observation deck behind the Shrine's main building from where you can gaze across the river.

A short walk down the road from Amano Iwato Shrine is a path that leads down to the river below. After a few minutes on this path, you will see neat little piles of stones stacked along the river by previous visitors to mark their pilgrimage to this "power spot". Farther along, the stacks become more numerous until you are surrounded by literally thousands of them as far as you can see.

Eventually the path leads to a simple Shrine inside a cave known as Amano Yasukawara. This is said to be the cave where the gods & goddesses met to discuss their strategy of luring Amaterasu out of hiding. The natural beauty of the cave & river lined by countless stacks of stones make Amano Yasukawara a place not to miss.

Depending on the time, walk by the Hakone Open-Air Museum occupying a verdant swath of Hakone hillside.

This unmissable art safari lead visitors past a rich array of 19^th & 20^th century sculptures & installations by leading Japanese artists as well as the likes of Henry Moore, Rodin & Miro, harmoniously plonked into the landscape. If it is raining, one can take shelter in the humongous Picasso Pavilion with more than 300 of his works inside, ranging from paintings & glass art to tapestry. End the walk here by soaking your feet in the outdoor footbath.

Another museum to visit is the mammoth Okada Museum of Art which showcases the dazzling Japanese, Chinese & Korean art treasures of industrialist Okada Kazuo. You could easily spend hours marvelling at the beauty of many pieces, including detailed screen paintings & exquisite pottery. Interactive, multilingual interpretive displays enhance the experience. 

If time permits, visit such historic attractions as Hakone Checkpoint or the stone-paved avenues of Kyukaido (old road).

End at Amazake-chaya Teahouse, the likes of which were once common sights along the old Edo-era (1603 - 1868) foot highways that criss-crossed Japan. This one, with a thatched roof, is one of only a few that remain & run by the same family for 13 generations (& nearly 4 centuries). The speciality here is the namesake amazake, a sweet, nonalcoholic, fermented rice milk.

In good weather, visitors can also enjoy a sightseeing cruise to get a fine view of Japan's most famous peak, Mount Fuji, and enjoy Hakone's rich scenery reflected on the lake's calm surface.

Return to the hotel & after picking up our overnight bags, commence your journey to Takayama driving through a picturesque rural landscape.

Arrive in Takayama by evening & Check-in at the hotel (your luggage delivered earlier, will be waiting for you).

Balance of the evening at leisure (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Hida Takayama - a city in the middle of the Japan Alps in the mountainous Gifu Prefecture has one of Japan's most atmospheric townscapes with a pretty riverside setting. The beautifully preserved old town with its traditional Meiji-era inns, shops, hillside shrines & sake breweries has managed to retain its traditional charm like few other Japanese cities.

Takayama gained importance as a source of high quality timber & highly skilled carpenters during the feudal ages. The city was consequently put under direct control of the Shogun & enjoyed quite a bit of prosperity considering its remote mountain location. The narrow streets of its Sanmachi Suji historic district are lined with wooden merchants’ houses dating to the Edo Period, along with many small museums.

The town's present layout dates from the late 17^th century & incorporates a wealth of museums, galleries & temples within its compact size.

It is also home to one of the country's best-loved festivals.  The famed biannual Takayama Festival, goes back to at least the mid-1600s, celebrating spring & fall with parades featuring ornate, gilded floats & puppet shows. And it also ranks as one of the prime candidates among travelers wishing to add a rural element into their itineraries.

Excellent infrastructure & welcoming locals seal the deal. Although its recent rise in popularity can sometimes take the sparkle off what was a little-known hamlet just a decade ago, there is still plenty worth visiting for - a stay during the shoulder seasons will afford a little more tranquillity.

Takayama is easily explored on foot & is the perfect start or end point for sojourns into the Hida region and the northern Japan Alps.

You can enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants specializing in Hida Beef which is ‘almost’ as famous as Kobe Beef.

Full day at leisure.

Proceed for a sightseeing tour (on your own, we will offer suggestions & guidance).

Start the morning at the farmer’s market strolling past the vegetable stands and stalls selling herbs, pickles & souvenirs, sampling the numerous options as you go.

After that, explore the Takayama-jinya, which was the governing office of Takayama and the surrounding area since the early 17^th century. Go to the Sanmachi-suji district, consisting of merchant homes dating back to the 16^th century.

The choices for what to do are abundant.

You can visit the many temples, shrines & museums, rummage through antique shops, or relax at one of the sake breweries (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Or take the bus to the Hida-no-Sato Open Air Museum. With more than 30 traditional thatched-roof farmhouses & other buildings from the surrounding area, its main attractions are the “gassho-zukuri” style farmhouses. These massive farmhouses with their steep, thatched roofs which look like praying hands (gassho-zukuri translates to praying hand style) were built without a single nail.

Or visit the Yatai Kaikan, a museum chronicling the famous festival held every April & October.

Return to the ryokan.

Evening, enjoy a Kaiseki-style dinner of Japanese Hida beef at a local restaurant. Hida beef (Hida-gyu) is the specific name given to beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, it is known as one of the finest quality varieties of beef.

In the morning, transfer to the Takayama Hida Bus Center adjacent to JR Takayama Station to board the bus for 4 hour journey to the city of Kyoto.

Arrive at Kyoto Railway Station - Hachijo side Bus Drop & disembark.

Kyoto Station which boasts of Japan's 2^nd largest station building & is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store & several local government facilities under one 15 story roof.

Walk (on your own, or take a cab on direct payment) to the nearby hotel & Check-in.  

Balance of the day is at leisure for independent exploration or perhaps opt for one of the optional activities available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Kyoto is old Japan writ large: atmospheric temples, sublime gardens, traditional teahouses & geisha scurrying to secret liaisons.

Japan's Spiritual Heart | Tastebuds | City of Artisans | Cultural Buzz

Kyoto is the storehouse of Japan’s traditional culture & the stage on which much of Japanese history was played out. With 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, more than 1600 Buddhist temples & over 400 Shinto shrines, Kyoto is also one of the world’s most culturally rich cities.

A city of true masterpieces of religious architecture, such as the retina-burning splendour of Kinkaku-ji (the famed Golden Pavilion) & the cavernous expanse of Higashi Hongan-ji. It is where robed monks shuffle between temple buildings, prayer chants resonate through stunning Zen gardens & the faithful meditate on tatami-mat floors. Even as the modern city buzzes & shifts all around, a waft of burning incense, or the sight of a bright vermillion torii gate marking a shrine entrance, are regular reminders that Kyoto remains the spiritual heart of Japan.

Indeed, it is fair to say that Kyoto ranks with Paris, London & Rome as one of those cities that everyone should see at least once in their lives. And, needless to say, it should rank near the top of any Japan itinerary.

While the rest of Japan has adopted modernity with abandon, the old ways are still clinging on in Kyoto. With its roots as the cultural capital of the country, it is no surprise that many traditional arts & crafts are kept alive by artisans from generation to generation.

That is not to say there is nothing modern about Kyoto - arriving into futuristic Kyoto Station is a stark sign of that. And throughout the city, young Kyotoites don the hottest new fashions, while craft beer & single-origin coffee is taking over.

For many, just the name of Kyoto conjures up the classic images of Japan: streets of traditional wooden houses, the click-clack of geta (wooden sandals) on the paving stones, geisha in a flourish of brightly colored silks, and a tea master deliberately warming water & making tea. Steeped in history & tradition, Kyoto has in many ways been the cradle of Japanese culture. A stroll through Kyoto today is a walk through 11 centuries of Japanese history.

Wander the streets downtown, through historic Gion & past machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses) in the Nishijin textile district to find ancient speciality shops from tofu sellers, washi (Japanese handmade paper) & tea merchants, to exquisite lacquerware, handcrafted copper chazutsu (tea canisters) & indigo-dyed noren (hanging curtains).

You will find true masterpieces of religious architecture, such as the retina-burning splendour of Kinkaku-ji (the famed Golden Pavilion) & the cavernous expanse of Higashi Hongan-ji. Within the temple precincts are some of the world’s most sublime gardens, from the Zen masterpiece at Ryoan-ji to the riotous paradise of moss & blossoms at Saiho-ji. And then there are the Shinto shrines, monuments to Japan’s indigenous faith. The mother of all shrines, Fushimi Inari-Taisha, has mesmerising arcades of vermilion torii (entrance gate to a Shinto shrine) spread across a mountainside.

If you don't know your matcha (powdered green tea) from your manga (Japanese comic), have never slept on a futon or had a bath with naked strangers, then it doesn't matter as this is the place to immerse yourself in the intricacies of Japanese culture. Whether you watch matcha being whisked in a traditional tea ceremony, spend the night in a ryokan, get your gear off & soak in an onsen, join a raucous hanami (cherry-blossom viewing) party or discover the art of Japanese cooking - you will come away one step closer to understanding the unique Japanese way of life.

Few cities of this size pack such a punch when it comes to their culinary cred & at its heart is Nishiki Market ('Kyoto's kitchen'). Kyoto is crammed with everything from Michelin-starred restaurants, chic cocktail bars, cool cafes & sushi spots to food halls, izakaya (Japanese pub-eateries), craft-beer bars & old-school noodle joints. Splurge on the impossibly refined cuisine known as kaiseki while gazing over your private garden, taste the most delicate tempura in a traditional building, slurp down steaming bowls of ramen elbow-to-elbow with locals, then slip into a sugar coma from a towering matcha sundae.

No educated Kyotoite would dare send a letter without making a reference to the season. The city’s geisha change their hair ornaments 12 times a year to celebrate the natural world. And Kyoto’s confectioners create seasonal sweets that reflect whatever is in bloom. Starting in February & lasting through the summer, a series of blossoms burst open like a string of firecrackers: plums, daphnes, cherries, camellias, azaleas & wisteria, among many others. And don’t forget the shinryoku (the new green of April) and the brilliant autumn foliage of November.

Later in the afternoon, you will visit the home of a tea master.

The stylized Tea Ceremony has been performed the same way for over 400 years, and was once considered standard training for Samurai. The tea master also owns a business making custom kimonos, and she will demonstrate how kimonos are dyed & made. And finally, for those who are interested, we will have kimonos for women & hakama for men to experience wearing traditional Japanese clothing.

Return to the hotel.

Balance of the day at leisure or perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Overnight.   B L

Today, find your zen at one of the world’s famous meditative rock gardens - serenity seeking tourists tested, UNESCO approved. Learn about Japanese garden landscaping on a Kyoto walking tour.

With its high ratio of well-preserved temples, Kyoto is a perfect environment for exploring the landscapes that have become a staple of Japan since the time of emperors and nobles.

Morning at 09.00 am, meet the Tour-guide & proceed on a short bus ride to visit one of the most famous landmarks -  Zen Buddhist Ryoan-ji, a temple with its famous zen rock garden, nestled down a wooded path that crosses over a beautiful pond with several walking trails.

Originally a private residence for aristocrats, the site was converted to a Buddhist temple in 1450 by Daimyo Hosokawa Katsumoto. The temple belonging to the Rinzai school, features traditional Japanese paintings on sliding doors, a refurbished zen kitchen & tatami, or straw mat, floors. The luscious setting is as attractive as the temple itself.

You have probably seen a picture of the rock garden here. Ryoan-ji Temple’s main attraction has always been its mysterious rock garden, the most celebrated in Japan, which defies attempts at explanation, known as much for its meditative qualities as well as a desire to find meaning in its minimalistic attributes. So what does the rock garden signify? You can only find out by seeing it for yourself.

It is one of the symbols of Kyoto & one of Japan’s most famous "hiraniwa" (flat garden void of hills or ponds), revealing the stunning simplicity & harmony of the principles of Zen meditation. A serene space shrouded in mystery that holds the promise of spiritual nirvana. The garden is an example of karesansui (dry landscape) garden in its purest form.

Enclosed on three sides by a blank clay wall & on a fourth side by a veranda, the dry-style garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles with three groupings of 15 carefully placed larger stones on moss swaths interspersed seemingly adrift in a sea of raked white gravel.

There is considerable debate concerning the origins & evolution of the garden. The designer, who remains unknown to this day, provided no explanation. Although many historians believe the garden was arranged by Soami during the Muromachi period (1333 - 1568), some contend that it is a much later product of the Edo period.

A viewing platform right above the garden gives visitors an unimpeded view, although from whatever angle you view the garden, you can never see all 15 stones. From the viewing point on the veranda, only 14 rocks can be seen at one time in the garden, notable for its waterless representations of flowing rivers and sea waves through a philosophical arrangement of granite & stone. Those able to spot the fifteenth stone are said to have reached the ultimate stage of enlightenment. Move slightly & another rock appears at the same time that one of the original 14 rocks disappears

The number “15” is mythical in Buddhist numerology as it’s the exact number it takes for the moon to become full - a reflection of perfection. And yet, the garden’s abstract design thwarts any effort to view all 15 stones at the same time from any angle (hinting at the inevitable state of human imperfection?)

Reflection upon the rocks is open to interpretation - whatever the meaning. For some the rock garden & raked gravel represent islands in the sea, for others mountains rising above clouds, some even see animals. Ryoanji is a place where you can come to discover zen and what it means to you.

After sitting & pondering the garden's "sermon in stone," you can stretch your legs by touring the extensive grounds of the Temple, which includes larger gardens with trees & moss, and the Kyoyo-chi pond, which is particularly striking in autumn.

After spending a couple of hours, accompanied by the Tour-guide, hop on to another public bus & proceed to the nearby Kinkaku-ji. Known as the Golden Pavilion, it was originally built in 1393 as a retirement villa by Yoshimitsu Ashikage, the 5^th Ashikage Shogun.

After his death, his son converted the villa to a Buddhist temple.

The gleaming building covered in gold leaf seems to float on the aptly named Mirror Pond. In the Shinden style of the Heian Period, the pavilion sits on the edge of the pond, surrounded by a Chinese-influenced garden whose focus is the pond studded with rocks & pine-covered islands.

Each floor of the three-story structure has a different architectural style, with a golden-colored phoenix standing on the roof. The original building was destroyed by a fire in 1950 set by a mentally-ill monk with metaphysical aspirations. The copy, as seen today, was quickly rebuilt in five years. The exterior of the building was regilded in 1987 at great expense.

Yoshimitsu lived his retirement years here in seamless luxury while the rest of the country & Kyoto suffered from a series of famines, earthquakes and plagues. It is thought, the local Kyoto death toll alone reached 1,000 people per day during this time. It is unknown, however, if he told his aides to "Let them eat cake". Yoshimitsu designed the garden on the basis of earlier Heian Period gardens, with the pond as the focus of the garden. Though there is a path around the pond, the garden was designed to be viewed from a boat or from the Golden Pavilion itself. The banks of the pond are planted with bushes & pruned trees, whose size in the foreground, near the pavilion, is small. Taller trees & bushes on the further bank lie in front of even larger trees to create the illusion of considerable space, augmented by the borrowed mountain scenery in the distance.

Before continuing, we will take a short walk to a nearby noodle shop for lunch.

After lunch, hop on to another bus to Nijo Castle.

Built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, its ostentatious style of construction was intended as a demonstration of the Shogun's prestige & to signal the demise of the Emperor's power. The garden next to the Nijo Castle is a perfect example of a Warrior's Garden, meaning it was designed by a Samurai. The finest artists of the day filled the castle with delicate transom woodcarvings & paintings on the sliding doors. One of the castle’s most intriguing features is the so-called “nightingale” floors. To protect the Shogun from real or imagined enemies, these floorboards creak when stepped on

After finishing the tour of the Nijo Castle garden, walk to the nearby Shinsen-en Garden. Shinsen-en is the remnant of a garden that was exclusively used by the Imperial family during the Heian Period (8^th - 12^th centuries).

Return to the hotel / ryokan by afternoon.

Balance of the day at leisure or perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Overnight.  B L   

Morning, Check-out & proceed to JR Kyoto Station near the Old Town on the opposite side of Miyagawa River (you will travel to Koya-san with overnight bags only. The rest of the luggage will be delivered to your hotel in Takamatsu where you will reach the following night).

Board JR Tokaido Shinkansen bound for Osaka.

Reach JR Osaka Station & immediately transfer to regular local Nankai Koya Line for the 90 minute ride to Gokurakubashi Station at the base of Mount Koya. On arrival, transfer directly to the Koyasan Cable Car for the 5 minute ride to the Koyasan Station at the foot of Mount Koya (or Koyasan), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the location of a historic Buddhist monastic settlement, a popular tourist location & a center of spiritual retreat..

From here, you can walk or take the bus for the short distance to reach the Shukubo you will be staying at.

Did you know that in Japan tourists can spend the night at temples? Shukubo, (temple stay) literally means "sleeping with the monks" & is a must for foreign visitors who want an immersive Japanese cultural experience.

Check-in at one of the Shukubo.

Balance of the day is at leisure to roam around roam on your own and visit one of the 100 + temples in the area, wander through the nearby ghostly cemetery at the famous Okuno-in temple, or just rest in the garden at the Shukubo (we will be happy to offer suggestions).

Dotted across Wakayama Prefecture’s Mount Koya, there are currently around 117 temples & 30 of them

offer overnight accommodation and the opportunity to try vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, participation in meditation & other Buddhist ceremonies.

More & more tourists want to stay in lodgings known as “Shukubo” originally meant to lodge Buddhist monks. The story goes that Shukubo (temple lodging) became available for ordinary pilgrims coming to worship at temples, around 1,200 years ago during the Heian Period. About 400 years ago, during the Edo period, Shukubo became even more popular & became a tourist attraction & gradually lost its authencity. Currently, there are many so called Shukubo facilities which should really be called hotels or guest houses.

Each Shukubo facility has its own unique charm & offer different facilities. Lodgings come with open air baths & so on. A typical & real Shukubo is a temple facility & essentially follows stringent rules. In particular, there are many cases where there is a strict curfew & in order to be prepared for the next morning of prayer study. In particular, one of the unique temple experiences is the early morning devotional exercises.

What you experience differs based on the place but you can typically experience things like copying sutras by hand, sitting in zazen (cross-legged position) & so on. Only vegetarian food is served at Shukubo and meat & fish is strictly forbidden. However, there are many Shukubo facilities that boast a high-quality, varied selection of foods like a Japanese ryokan.

Mount Koya or Koya-san in Wakayama Prefecture, is one of 3 sacred sites in Japan's Kii Mountain Range, is a ‘must visit’ site for spiritual Japanese. It attained global popularity globally subsequent to its designation as a UNESCO Heritage site.

Mount Koya is the location of a historic Buddhist monastic community is a popular center of spiritual retreat. As a sacred site for Buddhism in Japan, Koyasan features many temples dedicated to the practice of Shingon Buddhism. While each is important in their own way, none is as central to Buddhism in Koyasan as the Dai Garan Complex.

Koya-san is also one of the best places to experience an overnight stay at one of the over 30 Temples offering a temple lodging to both pilgrims & visitors, where you can get a taste of a monk's lifestyle, eating vegetarian monk's cuisine (shojin ryori) &  attending the morning prayers.

Koya-san is the world headquarters of the Shingon School of Chinese-influenced Esoteric Buddhism. Kobo Daishi, considered by many to be the most influential religious person in Japanese history, established a religious community here in the year 826.

A small, secluded Temple town with a population of about 3,000 people has developed around the Sect's headquarters built on Koyasan's wooded mountaintop. Kobo Daishi began construction on the original Garan temple complex after wandering the country for years in search of a suitable place to center his religion.

Legend has it that Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, threw his sankosho (a double ended, three pronged Buddhist ceremonial tool) from China, where he had been studying, toward Japan. Back in Japan, while in search of a place to headquarter his new religion, he came across his sankosho stuck in the branches of a pine tree on Koyasan & started construction of the Garan, Koyasan's central temple complex. The pine tree, that caught the sankosho, is still growing there.

Since then over one hundred temples have sprung up along the streets of Koyasan. The most important among them are Kongobuji, the head temple of Shingon Buddhism & Okuno-in, the site of Kobo Daishi's mausoleum. Ancient cedar forests share space with historic pagodas, paved roads, restaurants, schools, cafes & souvenir shops.

Kobo Daishi started building the Kondo Hall, a large wooden temple hall where major ceremonies are held, & the huge Konpon Daito Pagoda. However he was not able to finish them himself. His successors completed the construction of the two main structures and also expanded the grounds of the Garan with multiple additional halls & pagodas over time. Among these are the Toto (eastern pagoda), Saito (western pagoda), Miedo (founder's hall) and Koya Myojin Shrine, which enshrines Mount Koya's local kami (Shinto deities). The building has burned down multiple times over the centuries & the current hall dates back to 1932. It enshrines an image of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of medicine & healing.

Shingon Buddhist monks have been coming to Dai Garan for over a millennium to study, train & perform important rituals. Today, the Garan is still the centre where the monks gather for their practices & hold many important annual ceremonies & events. Visitors are welcome to come & appreciate the Garan’s many important halls, shrines & pagodas.

Wander through the nearby ghostly cemetery at the famous Okuno-in temple, or just rest in the garden at the Shukubo. . Kobo Daishi is buried at this temple & many Japanese still believe that he is not dead, but merely in a very advanced state of meditation, waiting to awaken at the appropriate time

Your dinner of shojin-ryori (traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine - no meat, fish, onions or garlic) will be served by the Buddhist Monks from the temple. After dinner, one of the monks from the temple will give instructions on meditation. Meditation is an important part of Buddhism, and the path to enlightenment. The lesson will concentrate on the proper breathing techniques which will allow you to relax and free your mind.

After dinner, you may visit more temples or just rest in the garden at the Shukubo.

Very early in the morning, we attend o-inori (Buddhist prayer services).

Then, after a vegetarian breakfast, transfer to the Station to take the Shinkansen to Takamatsu, enroute stopping at Himeji.

Disembark at Himeji Station.

With half a million inhabitants, Himeji is the 2^nd largest city of Hyogo Prefecture after Kobe in the Kansai region, most famous for its sprawling centuries-old magnificent UNESCO listed white Himeji Castle, widely considered to be Japan's most beautiful surviving feudal castle, designated as a national treasure.

Built about 400 years ago, Himeji Castle is a hilltop complex, regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled & rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346, and then remodeled into Himeji Castle 2 centuries later. It is frequently known as Hakuro-jo or Shirasagi-jo ("White Egret Castle" or "White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior & supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.

Himeji Castle was then significantly remodeled in 1581 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who added a 3 story castle keep. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Battle of Sekigahara, and Ikeda completely rebuilt the castle from 1601 to 1609, expanding it into a large castle complex. Several buildings were later added to the castle complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618.

For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II, and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake

The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site & five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures. Along with Matsumoto Castle & Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan's three premier castles. In order to preserve the castle buildings, it underwent restoration work for several years & reopened to the public on March 27, 2015. The works also removed decades of dirt & grime, restoring the formerly grey roof to its original brilliant white color.

The top floor of the 6 story main keep offers views over the extensive castle grounds. The Nishi-no-Maru section of the complex contains royal residential quarters. Next to the castle, Koko-en is a traditional Edo-style garden.

After touring the Castle, transfer back to the Station to board the Express train & continue to Takamatsu.

On arrival at Takamatsu Station, transfer (on your own) to the ryokan / hotel.

The sprawling port city of Takamatsu is located on the northern shore of Shikoku, the smallest, the least populated & least visited of the four major islands of Japan. It is urban Japan at its most pleasant & pretension-free. Despite a relaxed atmosphere, Takamatsu hums with an urban energy - venerable castle grounds that host contemporary crafts fairs, the small-town-big-city energy of a prefectural capital, regional culinary specialities like Sanuki udon and the heritage of traditional gems like Ritsurin-koen.

The Matsudaira Clan, relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun, controlled Takamatsu's former castle town & surrounding area, then known as the Sanuki Province, during most of the Edo Period. The ruling clan is also responsible for the construction of Ritsurin Koen, one of Japan's most beautiful gardens.

Designated a core city by the Japanese Government & the city's port used to be the main entry point to Shikoku Island until the opening of the Seto Ohashi Bridge in 1988.

Walking down the city’s wide, sunlit boulevards or numerous covered shopping arcades you will find funky shops, artsy cafes and exciting nightlife.

Balance of the day at leisure or perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Full day at leisure (we will be happy to offer suggestions & offer guidance and arrange any optional arrangements, if you want).

We suggest you start the day by visiting Ritsurin Garden, thought by many to be one of best gardens in Japan.

Begun in about 1625 by Ikoma Takatoshi, the feudal lord of what was then called Sanuki (now Takamatsu), construction was taken over in 1642 by Matsudaira Yorishige. However, it was to take more than a century before its final completion. 

For more than another 100 years it was the private retreat of the Matsudaira family, but following the Meiji Restoration of 1868 it was ultimately designated as a prefectural park and in 1875 it was opened to the public for the first time.

Not only is this 16 hectare strolling garden on a grand scale but it is also contiguous with a range of low, forested hills conveying the impression that the garden is endless. Combined with the plantings of Black Pines & flowering plants, the 13 carefully placed artificial hills guarantee that at each turn, almost at each step, the scenery changes and is reflected in the still waters of the equally carefully located ponds. The more than 1,400 twisted & contorted pines set this garden apart from other gardens.

It is when the early Edo era (c1640) teahouse known as Kikugetsu-tei comes into view beside one of the ponds that the scene becomes one of exquisite elegance. This is surely one of the most beautiful classical gardens of Japan. The paths encourage strolling and the many corners & unfolding scenes invite contemplation, but the teahouse was located particularly for enjoying the full moon in autumn.

You can stop for tea & sweets in the tea house overlooking a beautiful koi-filled pond.

Next, you can travel by street car to the nearby city of Kotohira, where you will visit Kompira Shrine.

Kompira Shrine is the main shrine of multiple Kompira shrines found around Japan that are dedicated to sailors & seafarers. Located on the wooded slope of Mount Zozu in Kotohira, the approach to Kompirasan is an arduous series of 785 stone steps.

You can also visit the Kanamaruza Kabuki Theater.

Built in 1835, Kanamaruza Theater is Japan's oldest surviving, complete kabuki playhouse, and from time to time, it still stages kabuki performances. The theater is open to visitors who can explore Kanamaruza's audience hall, stage & dressing rooms. In the basement you will see the workings of the human powered rotating stage & trapdoors used by actors to dramatically enter & exit performances.

Return to Takamatsu by train & transfer to the ryokan (direct payment - on your own).

Morning, transfer to the Station (on your own) & depart by Express train to Matsuyama.

Arrive in JR Matsuyama Station & transfer (direct payment - on your own) to the ryokan / hotel.

Matsuyama located in a lush river basin, is the largest city on Shikoku Island & the refined capital of Ehime Prefecture, with a hint of 'mainland' hustle.

At the heart of the city stands Matsuyamajo, a beautiful, original castle whose hilltop vantage point offers a view of the city & a glimpse of the Seto Inland Sea. It is also known for being the setting of Natsume Soseki's popular novel, entitled "Botchan" which is part of the Japanese school curriculum & describes Matsuyama during the turbulent Meiji Restoration. It frequently mentions Dogo Onsen.  Natsume's novel helped make the city renowned throughout Japan.

Famed across Japan, Dogo Onsen Honkan, is a  luxurious 19^th century public bathhouse with its ornate, tiered wooden buildings dating from the Meiji Period, built over ancient hot springs, located on the northeastern outskirts of the city,.

Nearby is Shiki Memorial Museum, dedicated to Masaoka Shiki’s haiku poetry. To the west is the restored, feudal-era Matsuyama Castle, with its hilltop gardens & seasonal cherry blossoms. Matsuyama is also home to eight of the 88 Temples, including Ishite-ji, one of the most famous stops on the pilgrimage.

Balance of the day at leisure or perhaps opt for one of the options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Exploring independently, we suggest you start the afternoon at Matsuyama Castle.

Matsuyama Castle is one of Japan's twelve "original castles", i.e. castles which have survived the post-feudal era since 1868 intact and is also one of the most complex & interesting castles in the country.

Located on Mt. Katsuyama, a steep hill in the city center, it provides visitors with a bird's eye view of Matsuyama & the Seto Inland Sea. The castle was constructed between 1602 & 1628. In 1635, the castle got assigned to a branch of the Matsudaira family, relatives of the nation ruling Tokugawa, and it remained in their hands until the end of the feudal era. 

The current three storied castle tower was constructed in 1820 after the original five storied one was destroyed by lightening. The Castle provides an excellent example of a feudal castle. The main circle of defense (Honmaru) is located on the top of the hill, accessible through multiple, well defended gates. The main keep is one of only a few in the country that boast multiple wings. The Complex also includes a secondary keep & multiple turrets, giving Matsuyama Castle a grand appearance & making it very interesting to explore. Inside the castle, some exhibits offer information on Matsuyama's history & the feudal period. The finest castle on the island towers above the stylish trams criss-crossing the city streets & the harbour glistening in the distance.

There are about 200 cherry trees on the castle grounds, making this a lovely cherry blossom spot typically around late March to early April each year.

Trams connect all the areas, including circumnavigating the castle's hill and in spite of the castle's steep hilltop location, a ropeway & a chairlift makes it easily accessible. Riding the single-chair chairlift is a pleasant & popular way to ascend Mount Katsuyama. Alternatively, it is possible to climb up the hill in about 15 minutes from the base of the ropeway station or from the Ninomaru Garden. 

Next, you can visit the city's most famous Ishite-ji Temple, located near Dogo Onsen to the northeast of Matsuyama's city center.

Ishite-ji was first established in the 9^th century by a rich merchant. He built the temple as repentance after refusing to give food to Kobo Daishi thinking he was nothing more than a beggar. Ishiteji's name literally means "stone hand temple", referring to a local legend in which an aristocrat had held a stone tightly in his hand at his death bed after seeking the priest Kobo Daishi to no avail, and was later reborn with the stone still held in the baby's hand. It is number 51 of the 88 temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage & you can see a multitude of Pilgrims dressed in white.

The sprawling temple compound boasts several halls & temple buildings, a three-storied pagoda, various statues & a unique inner temple connected to the main grounds via a cave behind the main hall. Interestingly, statues & religious objects are periodically added to the temple.  The tastefully maintained ‘sheltered’ temple approach leading to Ishiteji's temple ground is lined by shops with wooden facades.

The dimly lit cave is about 200 meters long & is remarkable by itself, branching off in two directions & housing many Buddhist statues, carvings & drawings. The building & statues here reflect a very different, somewhat peculiar, style than those on the main grounds.

Ishiteji is known for its Niomon Gate, designated as a National Treasure. The main hall & pagoda are also designated as important cultural properties, and all of these structures exhibit the typical architectural style of the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). In particular, carvings & drawings of the historical Buddha Shaka reduced to the bones, just before he gained enlightenment, leave a deep impression. A huge statue of Kobo Daishi, a celebrated figure in Japanese Buddhism, stands on top of the forested hill above the temple.

In the evening, you can visit the famous Dogo Onsen with its history going back 1,000 of years. The current main onsen building was built in 1894, and includes a bath reserved exclusively for visiting Emperors. Dogo Onsen has also been a frequent destination for Japan's most prestigious guests, the Imperial Family.

The interior of the Onsen is a maze of stairways, passages & rooms, all of which bustle with bathers & staff. The Honkan has two indoor baths: Kami no Yu is the larger public bath & Tama no Yu is the smaller, more noble & less crowded bath. Four different options provide visitors with varying levels of access to the Honkan's facilities, with some price plans including a snack & some green tea. Visitors on the highest price level can view the exclusive bathing facility reserved for visiting emperors. It is said to have served as inspiration for Miyazaki's popular animated film "Spirited Away".

The Dogo Onsen area also features many other attractions such as a shopping arcade, the secondary bath house Tsubaki no Yu, interesting temples & shrines, Dogo Park and a Museum about Masaoka Shiki, one of Matsuyama's most celebrated figures.

Ryokan guests can often be seen walking around the streets in their yukata, giving the Onsen town a very traditional atmosphere.

Return to the ryokan after an exploring whatever you want to.

Morning, transfer (on your own) to the Pier to board a high-speed Ferry to Miyajima Island via Hiroshima.

*While departing from  Matsuyama, you will prepare your luggage to be transferred to Nagasak, and you will be traveling to Miyajima Island  & then to Beppu with an overnight bag only).

Arrive at the Miyajima Ferry Terminal, disembark, walk to the ryokan & Check-in at the hotel.

Balance of the day is at leisure to independently enjoy the solitude & ambience of the island after all of the day-trippers head back to the mainland (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).  

The small island of Miyajima just outside the city of Hiroshima, has a long history as a holy site of Shinto & is one of the most scenic spots in Japan. It has long been regarded as an Island of Gods on the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. The island's highest peak, Mount Misen, was worshiped by local people as early as the 6^th century. In 1168, Taira no Kiyomori, the most powerful man in Japan during the end of the Heian Period, selected the island as the site of his clan's family shrine & built Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site located along with the Virgin Forest of Mt. Misen amidst numerous other preserved shrines, temples & historical monuments.

While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine island" The centuries-old Itsukushima Shrine (Itsukushima Jinja) is the source of both the island's fame & its name.

Its star attraction is the internationally acclaimed & oft-photographed vermilion iconic giant Torii Gate (shrine gate) of Itsukushima-jinja, built over water & which seems to float on the waves at high tide - a scene that has traditionally been ranked as one of the 3 best views in Japan. It is also at its evocative best at sunset, or when lit up after dark.

Like the Torii Gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water. Seemingly floating in the sea during high tide.

The beautiful Shinden-zukuri style structure (architecture representative of a nobles' residence in the Heian period) is located in a small inlet, while the torii gate is set out in the Seto Inland Sea. Paths lead around the inlet & visitors enjoy walking along them while looking out onto the sea.

The complex consists of multiple buildings, including a prayer hall, a main hall and a noh theater stage, which are connected by boardwalks & supported by pillars above the sea. The contrast of the green of Mount Misen behind the lacquered shrine pavilion & the blue of the Seto Sea is beautiful & evocative of the underwater palace of Ryugujo.

Because the experience of Itsukushima Shrine involves the water over which it is built, it is good to be aware of the timings of the tides during one's visit. At high tide, the shrine & its gate appear to float above the water, and this is certainly the time at which they are most picturesque. At low tide, the water drains out of the bay. This is when visitors can take the opportunity to walk out & see the gate from up close.

Discover the cultural treasures of the island as you walk to the famous Itsukushima Shrine - one of Japan's finest. Then revitalize with a delicious lunch in a local eatery (own expense).  

Miyajima is a romantic place, best enjoyed by staying overnight at one of the island's Ryokan. There are also cheeky wild deer on the island that have become accustomed to people. In the day the deer wander around the same sites as the tourists & in the evening they sleep along the walking paths.

Morning, we take the ferry back to Hiroshima & embark on a surreal ‘spiritual’ journey.

Disembark & hop on to a bus to proceed to Peace Memorial Museum & Park to reflect on the heartbreaking history of the region, both sobering testaments to the dropping of the A-bomb on August 6, 1945.

To most people, Hiroshima means just one thing. The city's name will forever evoke thoughts of 6 August 1945 - at 8:15 am,  when Hiroshima became the target of the world's first & upto now only atomic-bomb attack, by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), during final stages of World War II. The second BOMB was dropped on Nagasaki 3 days later, on 9^th August1945.

Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park is a constant reminder of that day, and it attracts visitors from all over the world with its moving message of peace. And leafy Hiroshima, with its wide boulevards & laid-back friendliness, is far from a depressing place. Present-day Hiroshima is home to an ever-thriving cosmopolitan community at its vibrant best.

Peace Memorial Park is one of the most prominent features of the city. Even visitors not looking for it will likely stumble upon the large park of over 120,000 square meters. Its trees, lawns & walking paths are in stark contrast to the surrounding downtown area. Before the bomb, the area of what is now the Peace Park was the political & commercial heart of the city. For this reason, it was chosen as the pilot's target. Four years to the day after the bomb was dropped, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to peace memorial facilities.

This large-scale Park was established in 1949 after the Pacific War ended & is visited by countless visitors as a symbol of peace. The Park's main facility is the Peace Memorial Museum, dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. It is an important Cultural Property of Japan, built to remind future generations of the terror wrought by atomic bombs.

At 8:15 am - August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. The fierce blast wind & heat rays completely or partially destroyed or burnt down 90% of the city’s 76,000 buildings. The Museum lies within the Peace Memorial Park close to the hypocenter of the bomb.

According to the introduction in the Museum's English guide: "The Peace Memorial Museum collects & displays belongings left by the victims, photos & other materials that convey the horror of that event, supplemented by exhibits that describe Hiroshima before & after the bombings and others that present the current status of the nuclear age.

Each of the items displayed embodies the grief, anger, or pain of real people. Having now recovered from the A-bomb calamity, Hiroshima's deepest wish is the elimination of all nuclear weapons & the realization of a genuinely peaceful international community". 

The primary objective & mission of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum are the same as those of the Museum in the city of Hiroshima: the abolition of nuclear weapons & the realization of genuine & lasting world peace.’

Consisting of two buildings, the museum surveys the history of Hiroshima & the advent of the nuclear bomb. Its main focus though is on the events of August 6: the dropping of the bomb & its outcome in human suffering. The personal details displayed are quite upsetting & serve to remind that we should not take peace for granted.

The East Building explains the history of Hiroshima City before the bomb, development & decision to drop the bomb, the lives of Hiroshima citizens during World War II, after the bombing, and ends with information about the nuclear age & efforts for international peace. Included in this section is a model showing the damage done to the city. It also displays some important letters exchanged between scientists & top leaders of that era talking about atomic development & the predicted result of its use.

The West Wing, which was part of the old Museum, concentrates on the damage of the bomb. See intriguing exhibitions that articulate the carnal destruction the bomb caused & marvel at the city’s regenerative recovery. Sections include Material Witness, which shows articles left by the victims, a-bomb-exposed materials, clothing, watches, hair, photographs & other personal effects of the victims. Damage by the Heat Rays, is a curated  section that looks at what happened to wood, stone, metal, glass & flesh from the heat; Damage by the Blast, focuses on the destruction caused by the after-shocks of the blast. Damage by the Radiation which goes into details about the health effects suffered by humans.

From here, board a bus to go to the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome) - a skeletal structure that miraculously survived the 1945 attack.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the A-Bomb Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. A tangible link to Hiroshima's unique past, the building served as a location to promote Hiroshima's industries. When the bomb exploded, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing & remains so today.

The A-Bomb Dome is a symbol of the disastrous atomic bombing during WWII, the first atomic bombs used in human history, and has been preserved as it was to promote peace & elimination of atomic weapons around the world.

Between the Museum & the A-Bomb Dome is the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims. - an arched tomb for those who died because of the bomb, either because of the initial blast or exposure to radiation. Below the arch is a stone chest holding a register of these names, of which there are over 220,000.

Every year on the anniversary of the bomb, a ceremony is held at the park. Speeches are made, wreathes are laid at the Cenotaph, and a moment of silence is observed at 8:15 am, the precise moment of detonation

Late in the afternoon, reach Hiroshima Station & set out on a 3 hour journey to Beppu on the island of Kyushu on Shinkansen Sakura Line Train # 567, with 2 Stops enroute

Arrive at Beppu Railway Station.

Transfer to the hotel / ryokan (on your own) & Check-in.

Balance of the day is at leisure for independent exploration or perhaps opt for one of the optional activities available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

You may enjoy the sand baths at one of the 19^th century onsens nearby.

You don't have to look far in Beppu to see the reason for its popularity: steam rising from vents in the earth means there are onsen-bathing opportunities galore.

Set between Beppu Bay & volcanic mountains, Beppu on the southern island of Kyushu, is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resort town, producing more hot spring water than any other resort in the country. The city is blessed by as many as 8 different springs, named Beppu Onsen, Kannawa Onsen, Myoban Onsen, Kankaiji Onsen, Hamawaki Onsen, Kamegawa Onsen, Horita Onsen & Shibaseki Onsen, each featuring public baths & ryokan with bathing facilities. Together they produce more hot spring water than any other onsen resort in the country.

What sets Beppu apart from other onsen (hot springs) resort towns, is not only its abundance of thermal waters, but also the wide range of bath types that can be enjoyed there. Aside from conventional hot water baths, Beppu offers an unmatched range of baths to be enjoyed including ordinary hot water baths, sand baths where bathers are buried in naturally heated sand, steam baths that are heated by the steam of a hot spring & mud baths which are basically muddy hot water baths. There are thousands of small therapeutic onsen baths with mineral-laden water or thermally-heated sand baths that can steam, boil or poach vitality into aching muscles of weary travelers.

In addition, the Hells of Beppu are several spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing. The 8 Hells of Beppu - 6 in Kannawa, 2 in outlying Shibaseki - are dramatic landscapes of thermal pools. To the west is Mount Tsurumi, accessible by cable car.

Beppu is by turns quaint & touristy, modern & traditional, solid & rickety, but the charm of this hilly, hospitable city grows on visitors as sure as the waters are balmy. Winter visitors get the seasonal treat of seeing the entire town filled with warm escaping steam.

Start the day by touring (on your own) the famous Beppu "Hell." The boiling mud, forming concentric circles as it oozes through the ground & the colors of the ponds of this "hell-on-earth" are sure to fascinate & entertain.

*You will Check-out & leave the luggage at the Bell Desk.

Later in the afternoon, proceed by train for an excursion to the nearby city of Usuki.  a former castle town located on the east coast of Oita Prefecture in Kyushu, best known for its astounding thousand-year-old stone Buddhas.

60 stone Buddhas are sculpted into the walls of soft stone cliffs about 5 km southwest of Usuki's city center during 12^th – 14^th centuries & are designated as national treasures.

Buddha statues are usually made of wood or metal & stone Buddhas are rare. Usuki's are the only stone Buddhas in Japan, estimated to have been created around the late Heian Period (794-1185). They are carved from highly workable, soft, volcanic rock from nearby Mount Aso. However, the relatively soft material, in combination with high moisture levels in the area, make these masterpieces susceptible to erosion.

The town also has several temples. Across the field from the stone Buddhas is Mangatsuji Temple, a simple temple in the tranquil neighborhood. A pair of stone sculpted Nio guardians stand in front of the temple with interesting expressions on their faces. There are also a few other stone sculptures on the temple's grounds, including one of the Buddhist priest that according to legend created the stone Buddhas.

The pretty downtown city center maintains a charming old castle town atmosphere & the former samurai district here is characterized by its stone paved alleys lined by well-preserved traditional historic houses & shops made of wood & stucco. Some former samurai residences open to tourists. On the last Saturday in August the town hosts a fire festival & many other festivities are held throughout the year.

Usuki is also famous for being the its soy sauce production hub for Japan. There are factories which offer a tour of the production process.

You may visit a factory to uncover the ancient art of making soy sauce, experience the sights, smells, sounds of the production cycle. And, get an insight on the secrets of making a delicious soy sauce.

Find out the secrets of making this popular Japanese condiment & visit the site where a Guinness World Record was created. Oita Shoyu Cooperative in Usuki City won the Guinness World Record in 2002 for creating the world's largest wooden barrel, measuring nine meters in height & diameter, with a capacity of 540,000 liters.

Return to Usuki Station by evening to board the train back to Beppu.

Procced to the hotel / ryokan (on your own) to pick up the luggage & proceed to Beppu Station to board Sonic-Nichirin Limited Express Sonic 56  for the 4 hour + journey to Nagasaki.

Arrive at Nagasaki Station & & proceed to the hotel (on your own).

Nagasaki is a city on the northwest coast of the island of Kyushu, set on a large natural harbor, with buildings on the terraces of surrounding hills.

Today, Nagasaki is best known as one of the cities destroyed by A-Bombs at the end of World War II. It is both unfortunate and important that the name Nagasaki is synonymous with the dropping of the 2^nd atomic bomb. in August 1945.  WWII history can be overlooked: it is as much a part of the city's fabric as the hilly landscape & cobblestones and a visit to the scenes of atomic devastation is a must

The event is memorialized at the city’s Atomic Bomb Museum & Peace Park

This history undeniably overshadows everything else, yet if that is all you experience during your visit you will be missing the point. As paradoxical as it may seem, Nagasaki is vibrant & charming, and it begs to be explored far beyond the bomb museums, monuments & memorials.

Spend some time here & you will find that this welcoming, peaceful city also boasts a colourful history of trade with Europe & China, interesting churches, shrines and temples, and an East-meets-West culinary scene, all set prettily around a gracious harbour. It was once the most culturally significant port in Japan. It was here most foreigners & missionaries entered Japan during the late 16^th & early 17^th centuries. And it was here where the only foreigners were allowed to stay from the mid-17^th to the mid-19^th century.

Morning, meet the Tour-guide at 08.00 am & proceed for a 4 hour tour visiting the highlights of this iconic city.

Start at Dejima, a man-made island in the port of Nagasaki constructed in 1636 to segregate Portuguese residents from the Japanese population & control their missionary activities. A few years later, the Portuguese were expelled from Japan, and the Dutch Trading Station, formerly located in Hirado, was moved to Dejima. The Dutch were restricted to Dejima during Japan's two centuries of isolation as the only remaining Westerners allowed in the country. The Dutch workers, the only remaining Westerners allowed in the country, were restricted to Dejima during Japan's 2 centuries of isolation.

Today, Dejima is no longer an island, as the surrounding area has been reclaimed during the 20^th century.

However, a number of Dejima's historical structures have been reconstructed, including various residences, warehouses, walls & gates. There are many displays in these buildings documenting the daily life of the Dutch residents.

Next, we will tour Glover Gardens, an open air museum, exhibiting mansions of former foreign & Western residents of Nagasaki. It is located on the hill where Western merchants settled down after the end of Japan's era of seclusion in the second half of the 19^th century. You can also enjoy a panorama of the city from the garden.

The main attraction of the garden is that the former Glover House is the oldest Western-style wooden building in Japan. Thomas Glover (1838-1911) was a Scottish merchant who moved to Nagasaki after the opening of its port to foreign trade in 1859. He later assisted some of the revolutionaries who would eventually overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Meiji Restoration. Active in various industries, including shipbuilding & mining, Glover features prominently in the early history of Japan's industrialization.

Several more Western-style buildings were relocated to the garden from other parts of the city. Visitors can enter the buildings & explore the well-preserved rooms, witnessing the lifestyle of the wealthy figures who inhabited them. The often opulent residences are ornately decorated and feature the furniture & appliances of the day.

In addition to the historic buildings, the garden offers nice views of the city & the harbor, including some of Nagasaki's important industrial sites. There is also a cafe & souvenir shop.

You may also visit the Nagasaki Museum of History & Culture dedicated to Nagasaki's history as one of Japan's major international trading ports. The fairly large, permanent exhibition is spread over two floors & is comprised of various sections, each focusing on a different facet of Nagasaki's rich history.

During the Edo Period the Japanese government adopted isolationism, effectively cutting the country off from the rest of the world. At this time, Nagasaki became one of the only ports where international trade was permitted, namely with the Chinese & Dutch. This temporarily made the city Japan's main window to the outside world & allowed a rich economy, culture & history to flourish.

The Museum has a section each dedicated to telling the story of Japan's relationship with its 3 main trading partners of the era: China, the Netherlands & Korea. The history of these relationships is recounted through the exhibition of artifacts, including tools, art pieces & documents, as well as through diagrams & dioramas depicting trade routes & city districts where foreign traders lived.

The Museum's other sections include a gallery showcasing arts & crafts influenced by Nagasaki's cosmopolitanism. The collection includes porcelain, lacquerware & blue shell works influenced by both domestic & foreign aesthetics. There is also an exhibition that reveals what life was like in Nagasaki for city dwellers during the height of the port's trading & a section focusing on the development of technology. Temporary exhibitions are held on the 3^rd floor.

At 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, the explosion of an atomic bomb devastated Nagasaki.

The ferocious heat & blast indiscriminately slaughtered its inhabitants. Even the people who managed to survive continue to this day to suffer from late effects.

Five decades have passed since that day. Now the atomic bomb survivors are advancing into old age & their memories are fading into the mist of history. The question of how to inform young people about the horror of war, the threat of nuclear weapons & the importance of the peace is therefore a matter of passing concern.

Proceed to Nagasaki Peace Park, a tranquil space that commemorates the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, which destroyed a significant portion of the city & killed tens of thousands of inhabitants. The complex is comprised of 2 parks & the memorial museum.

In the center of the complex is the Hypocenter Park with a simple, black monolith that marks the explosion's epicenter. Not far from it stands a damaged pillar of the former Urakami Cathedral which was destroyed in the blast. Furthermore, there is an area that allows visitors to take a look at a layer of soil below the park's surface where broken roof tiles, bricks & pieces of glass remain from the explosion.

North across the street from the Hypocenter Park lies the Memorial Park that contains the iconic Peace Statue, a large fountain and various other memorials presented to the city by various governments & groups from across the world. There are also monuments for the Korean and Chinese victims who died in the bombing.

On the hill above the Hypocenter Park stands the sobering Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum with the mission to inform future generations about the horror of war. Next to the museum stands a memorial hall for the victims of the atomic bomb with a strikingly modern architecture. The hall is located mainly underground and its design involves water and light.

The citizens of Nagasaki pray that this miserable experience will never be repeated on Earth. We also consider it our duty to ensure that the experience is not forgotten but passed on intact to future generations. it is imperative that we join hands with all peace-loving people around the world & strive together for the realization of lasting world peace.

Return to the hotel.

Balance of the day is free to contemplate or to go out to explore (we will be happy to offer suggestions).

Morning at leisure.

Later, you will be met by the Journeys Rep / Driver & transferred to Terminal? - Nagasaki International Airport for the flight to Sapporo via Tokyo.

Arrive at Narita International Airport. You have a little bit of wait here (if you are conscious of the timings, you may even take the train to downtown).

In time, proceed to Check-in for the next flight.   

Arrive in Sapporo, capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, famous for its beer, skiing & annual Sapporo Snow Festival featuring enormous ice sculptures.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Sapporo New Chitose Airport, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in and also discuss the program for the next few days.

*If, for any reason you are unable to make contact with our representative within 30 minutes of waiting, please call the local Emergency telephone # listed on your Contact List. Please follow the advice given by our 24 / 7 Duty Officer.  Please do not exit the Airport & make your own way to the hotel, unless advised. Transfer can be via Train or Airport Limousine Bus (to be advised prior to arrival in Osaka).

Reach the hotel / ryokan & Check-in.

Established in the latter half of the 1800s, Sapporo is one of Japan's newer cities. Nevertheless, the city's population has grown from seven in 1857 to nearly 2 million today.

As a new city by Japanese standards, it has less in the way of traditional architecture & infrastructure when compared to older cities such as Kyoto & Nara. However, what it lacks in perceived, traditional "Japanese-ness," it makes up for with many historical "Western-style" buildings; lovely, open, tree-filled boulevards to enjoy in summer and excellent snow & skiing facilities in the long winter.

Japan's 5^th largest city & the prefectural capital of Hokkaidō, Sapporo is a dynamic urban centre that offers everything you would want from a Japanese city: a thriving food scene, stylish cafes, neon-lit nightlife, shopping galore - & then some. While many travellers see the city as a transit hub from which to access Hokkaido's mountains & hot springs, there are enough worthwhile attractions to keep you here for days.

Probably best known for its eponymous beer, Sapporo has maintained the youthful & open atmosphere of the 1972 Olympic Winter Games with its Ski hills & jumps & Niseko, a renowned ski resort, scattered within the city limits, drawing international visitors for its annual Snow Festival & its world-famous ramen.

Summer is the season for beer & food festivals. In February, despite the bitter cold, Sapporo's population literally doubles during the famous Snow Festival. You can also try some of the delicious food that Hokkaido is so well known for including juicy hairy crabs.

Iconic Sapporo is the oldest brand of beer in Japan, first brewed in Sapporo in 1876 by brewer Seibei Nakagawa. The world headquarters of Sapporo Breweries is in Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo. The company purchased the Canadian distiller Sleeman Breweries in 2006. The Sapporo Beer Museum traces the city’s brewing history and has tastings & a beer garden.

Shortly after arrival, accompanied by the Journeys Rep, proceed to visit the 38 stories high JR Sapporo Tower that rises 173 meters on the east side of JR Sapporo Station. This skyscraper is part of the station building & is directly connected to that building’s other facilities. Officially the name “JR Tower” is given to all the commercial facilities in the station building excluding the railway station itself & it includes 5 department stores, a cinema & a parking lot.

On the top floor of the skyscraper there is JR Tower Observatory T38 - an observation deck which is popular for its unobstructed 360-degree bird's eye view over the city.

This Observatory closes quite late, so it is also popular for its night views over the sparkling city lights. On a clear day you can see the sea & even as far as Otaru from the north side of the tower. In addition to these splendid views there are wall charts written in Japanese and English which introduce local geography, history, city design, and wildlife.

Later in the evening, enjoy dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden, located in the original Sapporo Beer brewery, where you can try the local specialty of grilled lamb, cooked yourself at the table.

The morning is free to explore the Noboribetsu area (on your own).

You can enjoy the nature, animals, special products & of course, hot springs of Hokkaido.

Located to the northeast of the city, “Jigokudani” (Hell Valley), is a 450 meter diameter crater that was created 10,000 years ago as a result of a volcanic explosion. It is the largest source of Noboribetsu Onsen in an area of approximately 11 hectares, with many gushing points & fumaroles. 3000 liters of hot spring gush out every minute.  During the wintertime you may see many foxes trying to keep warm on the warm grounds in Jigokudani.

There is a trail that takes 10 minutes to walk. You will find many steam vents, thermally heated pools & small geysers as well as natural foot baths. You will smell a strong sulfur scent & clouds of steam vapor will surround you.

You may also take a 10 minute bus ride to Noboribetsu Date Jidai Mura, a touristy, but fun village built as a reproduction of a feudal-era Edo period village.

Shops, restaurants, theaters, the downtown & a samurai district are built exactly as they were of yore, staffed by people dressed in period clothing. You will see ninja warriors fighting in a trick mansion or outdoor theater, local merchants hawking their wares, Edo-Era tenements with life-size models, a ninja museum showing tricks of the trade & courtesans performing in this Disney-esque re-creation of how Japan might have looked when the shogun reigned.

Although shows are in Japanese (the ninja shows are probably the only ones that would interest children), the various attractions are fun for the entire family & if you haven't seen another historical theme village elsewhere in Japan, this rather small one is well worth a 2 hour visit.

You can try your hand at Shuriken (throwing-knives) or using a bow & arrow, and eat rice dumplings as seen in historical dramas. To commemorate the day forever, you can don a kimono, samurai, or ninja outfit & have your photo taken in front of a traditional backdrop.

Another option, depending on the available time of course, is the Noboribetsu Bearpark reached by a gondola.

The bears you will find here are super-charming. Visitors can feed the bears & apparently, the “begging pose” that the bears take to beg for food is very cute. Some bears will even stick their tongues out or wave to you. There is also a “Human cage” where you can observe the bears from just a couple of centimeters away. Here, you will also find the only “Brown bear museum” in the world.

Or, you can just enjoy the baths at the ryokan till it is time to leave.

Later in the afternoon, depart for the city of Hakodate.

Arrive by early evening & Check-in at the hotel / ryokan.

Built on a narrow strip of land between Hakodate Harbour to the west & Tsugaru Strait to the east, Hakodate is Hokkaido's 3^rd largest city, located at the island's southern tip, best known for the spectacular views to be enjoyed from Mount Hakodate & its delicious, fresh seafood.

Under the Kanagawa Treaty of 1854, the city was one of the first ports to open up to international trade, and as such hosted a small foreign community. That influence can still be seen in the Motomachi district, a steep hillside that's sprinkled with early 20^th century European style buildings & churches; the waterfront lined with red-brick warehouses & in the nostalgic streetcar that still makes the rounds of the city.

Hakodate was one of the first cities open to the West after the Meiji Restoration & as one of the first Japanese harbor cities to be opened to international trade after the country's era of isolation, Hakodate has experienced notable influence from overseas. The foreign population's former residential district & a Western style fort are among its main tourist attractions. A city landmark is the grand Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward, built in 1910.

Later in the evening, proceed to Hakodateyama Ropeway Station in Motomachi to board a gondola to the 334m high summit of Mt. Hakodate, the wooded mountain at the southern end of the peninsula on which much of central Hakodate is located. On clear days and nights, in particular, the views from the mountain are spectacular &  included among the list of Japan's 3 best night views alongside the views from Nagasaki's Mount Inasa & Kobe's Mount Rokko.  

Facilities at the summit, which is accessible by ropeway, bus or car, include observation platforms (free of charge), souvenir shops, a cafe and a cafeteria style restaurant.

Spend an hour here, enjoying the panoramic view of Hakodate's night lights.

Return to the ryokan.

Early in the morning, meet the Tour-guide at 07.00 am & proceed for a 3 hour tour of the city.

First stop will be at the Hakodate Morning Market, where products on sale include various types of fresh seafood such as crabs (kani), salmon eggs (ikura) & sea urchin (uni), as well as fresh produce direct from the farms. The market area spans about 4 city blocks & is held daily from 05.00 am to noon.

Sellers can prepare the specialties of Hakodate (crab, sea urchin & squid) fresh from their stalls for breakfast available at many restaurants in the market offering fresh seafood breakfasts, such as uni-ikura domburi.

Next, proceed to massive Goryo-Kaku, Japan’s first western-style fort, built in 1864 by the Tokugawa Shogunate in the shape of a 5 point star that was designed to trap attackers in a deadly crossfire.

Fort Goryokaku was built in the last years of the Edo Period for the defense 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 & the superior troops of the newly established Meiji government

After the fort had lost its military importance, it was eventually turned into a public park in the 1910s. Over 1,000 cherry trees were planted along its moats, making it one of Hokkaido's best cherry blossom spots. The peak of the blooming season usually takes place around early May.

In the center of the Fort stands the Former Magistrate Office, from where the officers of the shogunate administered Hokkaido. The original building was demolished after the fall of the shogunate in 1871, but the city meticulously reconstructed a part of the complex and opened it to the public in 2010.

For a bird's view of the huge fortress & the surrounding city, you will ascend to the Observation Deck of the adjacent 107 meter tall Goryokaku Tower that replaced its original 60 meter tall predecessor in 2006.

Finally, stroll around Motomachi historic area where many of the westerners in Hakodate resided at the end of the 19^th century. Overlooking the western bay at the foot of Mount Hakodate, there are numerous sloping streets lined with churches, consulates, shops & homes of the foreigners who first opened this area of Japan to commerce.

The Hakodate harbor of  was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1854 after Japan's era of isolation had come to an end & as a result, many traders from Russia, China & Western countries moved to Hakodate. Motomachi, at the foot of Mount Hakodate, became a favored area among the new foreign residents.

Many foreign looking buildings remain in the area today. Among the most famous are the Russian Orthodox Church, the Old British Consulate, the Chinese Memorial Hall, the prefectural government's former branch office building & the old Hakodate Public Hall.

In time, transfer to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to board JR Hakodate Shinkansen Hayabusa 48 (going towards Tokyo) to Sendai.

Arrive at Sendai Station & transfer to the hotel (on your own). 

The capital of Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai  is a lively regional city northeast of Tokyo on Honshu island. With roughly one million inhabitants, Sendai is by far the largest city in the Tohoku Region & one of the country's 15 largest cities. Known as the “City of Trees,” Sendai seamlessly blends the beauty of nature & the expected hubbub of a city, with beautiful zelkova trees lining its main streets

Sendai is considered a cultural center & is home to many different festivals and the city's wide, tree-lined streets fill up in summer for the spectacular Sendai Tanabata Matsuri, one of Japan's most famous & largest festivals.

The city of Sendai was founded around 1600 by the samurai benefactor Date Masamune, one of feudal Japan's most powerful lords. Date Masamune is synonymous with Sendai & his lasting legacy is a ‘now’ ruined castle set in a pleasant garden. Many of Sendai's tourist attractions are related to Masamune & his family.

With broad streets & an abundance of greenery in parks & public spaces, Sendai has a compact downtown which is generally centered to the west of JR Sendai Station. The nightlife district is impressive for a relatively small city & this a favoured stop for domestic visitors en route to the wilder climes further north.

Trees can even be found in the covered shopping area, Ichibancho Arcade, the covered Mall that connects several streets together in the downtown area to create the largest arcade in the Tohoku region. The shopping area includes several different arcade malls & encompasses a T-shaped area along Ichibancho & Chuo dori

.

Sendai is also known as being the origin for several different Japanese food dishes & for its specialty crafts.

Sendai was the closest major city to the epicenter of the earthquake of March 11, 2011. The tsunami devastated the city's coastal outskirts but did not cause major damage in the city center. Virtually all tourist spots reopened within a few months of the earthquake.

Early morning, Check-out transfer to Sendai Station to board the JR Shinkansen Yamabiko 122. Arrive at Utsunomiya after a 70 minute ride & change to the local JR Nikko Line for the 43 minute ride.

Arrive in Nikko & proceed (on your own) for sightseeing tour of the city.

A natural sanctuary that enshrines the glories of the Edo period (1603-1868), Nikko is one of Japan's major attractions & a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pristine forests of towering cedars enclose a wealth of historical Shinto shrines & Buddhist temples that blend harmoniously with the topography of the setting & reflect in their artistic splendour the awesome power of the Tokugawa shogunate.

As Nikko had been a sacred center of Shinto & Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in the 1600s, many people visit the place for its distinctive mystical atmosphere.

Nikko National Park continues to offer scenic mountainous landscapes, lakes, gorgeous waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys & hiking trails. Nikko & the Okunikko area around Lake Chuzenji, in particular, are well known for their beautiful autumn colors (koyo). In the average year, the colors start descending from the higher elevations of Yumoto Onsen in early October, are best around Lake Chuzenji & the Irohazaka road in mid to late October & reach the town of Nikko in the first half of November.

Visit Tosho-gu Shrine, the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. He is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light".   

Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Tosho-gu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Tokugawa Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s as a dedication to his grandfather, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (James Clavell's fictional Shogun in his novel Shogun was based on this person).

One of the most elaborate monuments in Japan, no expense was spared in this shrine's construction. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings & large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan, where simplicity has been traditionally stressed in shrine architecture.

Toshogu contains both Shinto & Buddhist elements. It was common for places of worship to contain elements of both religions until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Across the country, Buddhist elements were removed from shrines & vice versa, but at Toshogu the 2 religions were so intermingled that the separation was not carried out completely.

Among the many buildings at Toshogu, particularly notable ones include a pretty 5 story pagoda in front of the main entrance gate. The main pillar of the pagoda hangs 10 centimeters above ground - an interesting feature installed to combat the lengthening & shrinkage of the wood over time. The interior of the pagoda is only periodically open to visitors at a separate fee.

Upon entering, visitors will first come across a group of ostentatiously built storehouses. Of the many colorful & elaborate wood carvings that decorate the storehouses, the most famous ones are those of the "see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil" monkeys & the Sozonozo Elephants ("imagined elephants") that were carved by an artist who had never seen elephants.

This lavish Mausoleum together with Futarasan Shrine & Rinno-ji are among the 42 structures that are listed in the Shrines & Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Get back to the Station to board JR Nikko Line for the 41 minute ride to Utsunomiya. Immediately transfer to Shinkansen Yamabiko 216 for the 56 minute ride to Tokyo.

Arrive at Tokyo Station & reach the hotel (on your own).

Check-in & relax.

Later, you will be met by the Journeys Rep & proceed to enjoy a "Sayonara" dinner in a nearby restaurant.

Come back to the hotel.

Finally, the experience comes to an end & it is time to say "sayonara" (goodbye) to the Land of the Rising Sun. But, we are sure you may want to visit this enchanting destination again & discover some more.

Check-out of the hotel by 12:00 noon (if the departure time is later in the evening, we will request the hotel to allow the use of the hotel facilities & leave the luggage at the Bell Desk if you have the time to walk out). 

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to Tokyo train station.

From there, you will take the Express Train on your own to Terminal? - Tokyo Narita or Haneda International Airport, for your onward journey.  B

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