Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
An Artistic Adventure Through Japan Traditional Crafts & Creative Discoveries
Japan – Honshu – Tokyo – Toyama – Kanazawa – Takayama – Kyoto
The fun kicks off in high-octane Tokyo, where you’ll hit the streets with a local and discover that the bold architecture, neon billboards and head-turning fashion are something of an art form themselves. Then, go from futuristic to centuries-old in one fell swoop, immersing yourself in teamLab Planets’ mind-bending displays before settling in for a traditional kabuki performance at the Kabukiza Theatre.
With inspiration levels officially sky-high, whizz west to Toyama for glass masterpieces galore, followed by a crafty double act of orin bowls and woodcarving. Then, make tracks for Kanazawa to soak up its coastal charm and try your hand at kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold. You might just pick up a few pearls of Buddhist wisdom along the way.
Set your sights on Takayama next, taking the scenic route via Shirakawa-go to admire its storybook thatched cottages, framed by the Japanese Alps. And hopefully your suitcase can handle a few more additions, with Takayama’s morning markets and Old Town artisan workshops bound to test your souvenir-buying restraint...
And for the grand finale? It’s one-of-a-kind Kyoto, where a local guide will show you around the city’s sacred shrines and unveil the age-old rituals at the heart of its geisha culture. Finish on a creative high with Japanese sword making and a ukiyo-e printmaking session, completing what can only be described as a rather eclectic apprenticeship in Japanese craftsmanship.
Itinerary
100% customisable for you
The countdown is over: your adventure to Japan begins today.
Head to the airport, breeze through security then celebrate accordingly with a tipple in the lounge before boarding. It’s a 13-hour direct flight to Tokyo, so kick-start your Japanese immersion with a good anime marathon and try to catch some shut-eye before landing the next morning.
When you touch down in the capital, you’ll be met at the airport and privately transferred to your hotel in the heart of the city – your home for the next three nights. Spend the rest of the day shaking off your journey poolside – dip, lounge, repeat – before making your way to the rooftop bar for a spritzy cocktail and glittering city views.
And after a long day of travel, it’s only fair that dinner comes to you (quite literally) at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. Keep those chopsticks poised, pick out your favourites and watch that plate pile mount rather quickly..
Battling a bout of jet lag this morning? Well, nothing wakes you up quite like Tokyo.
Meet your local guide, who’ll show you the city’s headline sights and local haunts, chatting onsen etiquette, matcha cafés, kawaii culture and all things Japan along the way.
Perhaps follow the lantern-lit streets into peaceful Asakusa before diving into the anime-obsessed Akihabara, where retro gaming stores are a wonderland for any self-confessed tech nerds. Or head for Harajuku, where cosplay is all the rage, before leaving the fashion frenzy behind for the incense-swirled Shinto shrine of Meiji Jingu.
Of course, no Japanese tour would be complete without paying homage to its iconic trains, so swing by Tokyo Station, where streams of locals and tourists board the oh-so-punctual Shinkansen.
All that explorin’ calls for ramen, and your guide is sure to know just the spot. Afterwards, return to your hotel – unless the neon glow of an arcade lures you off course for a few games and a shot at winning that must-have anime figure...
Art aficionados will be in their element this morning, with a visit to teamLab Planets. Here, all conventional gallery etiquette is turned on its head amid a whirlwind of technicolour displays, immersive soundscapes and mirrors galore. Wade barefoot through water, watch flowers bloom around you and try to keep track of your reflection in the dizzying infinity rooms.
We’ve left the afternoon free for you to tick off any wish-list sights at your own pace. Foodies can make a beeline for Tsukiji Market, while those with a head for heights can whizz up Tokyo Skytree. More of a fashion fanatic? Make for glitzy Ginza, where glossy boutiques and rails of vintage gems await. Be warned: one innocent browse can quickly turn into a Japanese wardrobe overhaul.
Come evening, head to Ginza’s Kabukiza Theatre for a Japanese kabuki performance. Settle into your seat as ornately costumed actors, adorned with striking makeup swirl and dance across the stage in unison. Let the oohing and aahing commence...
Ready to clock up some serious speed? This morning, make your way to the station and board the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Toyama. You’ll be there in a flash (around two hours, to be precise).
A few manga chapters and one empty bento box later, arrive in Toyama and pick up the keys for your hire car. Embark on the short drive to Toyama Glass Art Museum, which celebrates the city’s long-standing love affair with glassmaking. Discover the Glass Art Garden – with firmly tucked-in elbows – then mooch around the boutique and scout out a potential additional to the souvenir shelf back home...
After a seafood lunch by the bay in Iwase, make the short drive to a traditional inn surrounded by rice paddies (how quintessentially Japanese), where you'll stay for the night. Don your yukata (Japanese robe) and settle in for a multi-course kaiseki dinner. Several beautifully presented plates later, bedtime beckons...
Creative caps on – today's activities call for a little artistic flair.
Head to a local workshop to meet a master craftsman specialising in orin, Japanese singing bowls known for their melodic, resonant chime. You’ll even dabble in the art of suzugami, embellishing the metal with intricate patterns before giving the orin a ring and letting its undulating tones work their magic. Used in Buddhist rituals to clear the mind and bridge the physical and spiritual worlds, it’s meditation made musical...
Mastered metal? Now it’s time to turn your hand to woodcarving. Choose your wood, wield traditional tools to shape your coaster and finish with natural beeswax to keep your handiwork looking tip-top. Then, christen your creation over a well-earned tea break with your artisan guide. And the best bit? Your handcrafted coaster is yours to take home as a one-of-a-kind reminder of Japan.
Artsy ambitions fulfilled, make your way to your guesthouse for the night and tuck into a well-earned feast.
Hop in your hire car this morning for the one-hour drive west to the dreamy coastal city of Kanazawa.
When you arrive, check in to your hotel – your home for the next two nights – then spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace.
In need of a little zen? Amble around Kenroku-en's immaculate gardens. More of a history buff? Roam Kanazawa Castle and the Samurai District, once the stomping ground of the city’s sword-sporting warriors.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a day in Japan without a foodie feast. Duck into the teahouses of Higashi Chiya, before browsing the treats at Morihachi confectioners – if ever there was a place to channel your inner child in a sweet shop, this is it...
For another crafty pursuit, we can also arrange a Kutani pottery workshop where you’ll put your own spin on a blank ceramic... and add another souvenir to your collection.
Japan has a knack for making even broken crockery beautiful. After breakfast, make your way to a local workshop and delve into the art of kintsugi, which translates to ‘golden joinery’, an ancient technique that forges shattered objects back together using urushi lacquer (tree sap mixed with gold powder).
It all taps into the Buddhist-influenced philosophy of wabi-sabi, which embraces life’s imperfections and accepts that nothing lasts forever. A handy outlook when your favourite bowl hits the floor...
Then, take matters (and the broken pieces) into your own hands and have a go yourself, joining a jumble of shards into something shiny and new.
From one Japanese art form to another (albeit a rather more modern one), return to your hotel, order in some noodles and unwind with that anime you’ve been meaning to watch.
Fuel up with a matcha this morning, then embark on the one-hour drive to Shirakawa-go, pulling over for photo stops along the way (the views of the Japanese Alps warrant plenty).
When you arrive in this UNESCO-listed mountain village, you’ll find a huddle of traditionally thatched cottages, their steeply pitched roofs cleverly designed to withstand the region’s harsh winters. Take in the whole ensemble from the old castle observatory which is storybook perfection (particularly in winter, under a blanket of snow).
Hop back in the car for the final drive of your trip, winding 45 minutes onwards to Takayama. Drop off your trusty hire car before making your way to your ryokan, your peaceful hideaway for the next two nights.
Settle into your new digs, complete with tatami-mat floors and sliding paper doors, then round off the day with a hearty dinner, a glass of sake and a long soak in a nearby onsen – just the tonic after a day on the road.
Rise and shine early this morning and follow the throng of locals into the dizzying Miyagawa or Takayama Jinya Monument market. Here, farmers pile stalls high with sun-ripened produce, while fresh blooms are bought and sold in a fragrant whirlwind of activity.
Then, mooch around the treasure trove of trinkets, including decorated chopsticks and sarubobo dolls, each promising a little help in the luck, love, health or wealth department (tempting souvenir alert).
Shopping bags filled, it’s time to meet the makers behind Takayama’s traditional crafts. Join your local guide and explore the Old Town, calling in at artisan workshops to watch skilled hands carve wood, shape pottery and embroider patterns into textiles. And with a few recent artistic endeavours of your own, you’re bound to have a whole host of questions about their techniques and tricks of the trade.
Back at your ryokan this evening, continue your culinary discoveries with another Japanese classic: a steaming bowl of udon noodles. Time to perfect that chopstick dexterity...
Another day, another adventure. Head to the train station this morning and make a beeline for Japan’s famously well-stocked vending machines which dispense everything from piping-hot coffee to ice-cold fizzy drinks at the press of a button. Stock up on snacks, then board the three-and-a-half-hour train to Kyoto, with a quick stop in Nagoya en route.
When you arrive in shrine-studded Kyoto, check in at your hotel in the heart of the city – your home away from home for the next four nights. And as tradition dictates, start your stay with a calming cup of locally-grown green tea – just the thing to ease you into a slower afternoon of well-earned downtime...
When hunger strikes this evening, follow the irresistible aromas and glow of neon lights into the nearest street food market. Gyoza, anyone?
Lace up your best walking shoes this morning and meet your local guide, who’ll take you on a greatest-hits tour of Kyoto.
Step inside Kinkaku-ji Temple, where worshippers adorn the grounds with offerings of fruit and flowers, before visiting Nijo Castle, where the fortified architecture is bound to spark the imagination with visions of battles and royal conquests.
Next, saunter around the Gion district, home to Kyoto’s geisha, highly trained entertainers who have mastered everything from traditional dance and music to the art of conversation. You may catch a fleeting glimpse of one making her way to an evening appointment, donning an ornately patterned kimono.
As you explore, fire off a whole host of questions about Kyoto’s spiritual traditions and age-old rituals – as well as the all-important matter of where to find the best sushi and karaoke bar...
Still have some sightseeing stamina? Squeeze in Sanjusangen-do Temple, gaze up at Arashiyama’s sky-high bamboo or explore Higashiyama’s winding lanes – even prettier during cherry blossom season.
Channel your inner samurai today by heading to a local blacksmiths, where you’ll learn how to make a traditional Japanese sword. Yes, really.
First, your guide will give you the lowdown on all things samurai, from historic battles and legendary warriors to the status attached to these prized blades.
With your sword knowledge suitably sharpened (pun intended), watch the experts heat the metal until it glows red-hot, then try your hand at hammering and shaping the blade yourself, with plenty of guidance along the way. And just like that, your holiday repertoire has a rather impressive new addition...
For dinner this evening, settle into an izakaya for some beers and a hearty katsu curry, a feast fit for... well, a samurai.
Roll up those sleeves and tie your aprons – another artsy activity is on the agenda today.
Make your way to a local workshop, and meet your expert guide, who’ll teach you all you need to know about Japanese ukiyo-e printmaking. Translating as ‘pictures of the floating world’, this iconic art movement has some serious artistic heavyweights among its ranks, including Katsushika Hokusai, the man behind The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
Suitably inspired (and with Hokusai setting quite the benchmark) it’s time for the crafty bit. Carve your design into a wooden block, brush on the ink and carefully press it onto paper. Then, jazz up your creation with different colours, patterns, or whatever designs take your fancy (your artistic vision, your rules). And the best bit? It’s all yours to take home as a one-of-a-kind reminder of Japan.
Masterpiece complete, celebrate accordingly with a top-notch restaurant recommendation from our local Concierge, who’ll know just the spot for one last foodie hurrah.
Time flies when you’re having fun and, sadly, it’s time to zip up that souvenir-stuffed suitcase and say sayonara to Japan.
Polish off one last traditional breakfast at the hotel this morning before your one-hour private transfer to Itami Airport, in Osaka. Put any remaining yen to good use, stocking up with Japanese snacks, before boarding your one-hour flight back to Tokyo.
Back in the big city, depending on your flight connections, you’ll either stay overnight at an airport hotel in Tokyo or board your connecting flight directly home to the UK.
All in all, you’ll spend around 15 hours in the air, ample time to contemplate your newly acquired artistic prowess and tackle the next creative challenge: deciding where to travel next...
Suggestions
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
KUTANI POTTERY WORKSHOP IN KANAZAWA
You’ve carved wood, tinkered with orin bowls and mended pottery with gold, so why not add another skill to your artistic arsenal and try your hand at pottery? In Kanazawa, make your way to a cosy Kutani pottery workshop and delve into this distinctive style of Japanese porcelain, famed for its floral motifs, swirling patterns and bold bursts of colour. Your expert guide will fill you in on Kutani’s history and time-honed techniques, explaining each stage of the process and the traditional tools of the trade. Then, it’s your turn to take the wheel – the potter’s wheel, that is – and shape your very own piece of Kutani porcelain. Bowl, plate or something altogether more ambitious, the shape and size are up to you. When your masterpiece has been finished and fired, it’ll be carefully shipped back home, ready to make its grand debut at your fanciest dinner party (or take pride of place on the mantelpiece).
Why visit Japan with Original Travel ?
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
Enquire nowA few of the benefits of travelling with us to Japan
- Our local Concierges
- The Original Travel app
- Wi-Fi router and e-Sim
- Destination Dossier
- 24-hour helpline
- Expert guides
- 100% carbon absorption
