Art, Culture & Cuisine: An Immersive Japan Experience - 15 Days

Highlights

• Make your own sushi in Tokyo and sample Kobe beef in Kobe itself
• Visit the art museums of Naoshima and Teshima Islands
• Enjoy the views of Mount Fuji from Hakone's Open-Air Museum
• Participate in a tea ceremony and have dinner with a geisha in Kyoto

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo, Fine Dining Experience

Welcome to Tokyo, the intense and exciting capital city of Japan. After you arrive at the airport, take a private transfer to your hotel in the city. After taking some time to settle in and unpack, get ready for a special night out. Make sure to dress smartly for an upmarket meal.

With such a huge population and a wide variety of restaurants (including more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere in the world), Tokyo is one of the best places in Japan for a fine-dining experience. From authentic Japanese cuisine featuring bite-size sushi to exquisite French and Italian dishes, Tokyo offers plenty of choices for a gourmet experience. Tonight you can enjoy kaiseki cuisine, a traditional Japanese multicourse meal that highlights fresh, in-season local produce.

Day 2: Art & Culture Encounter: Senso-ji Temple & Tokyo National Museum

After a good night's sleep, explore Tokyo's rich art and culture on an exciting tour. Start at the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, the only place within the palace grounds that's always open to the public. The garden sits on the grounds of the former Edo Castle and features seasonal flowers, lush green lawns, water features, teahouses, and guardhouses. Take in the sight of the double-arched Nijubashi Bridge, originally built with wood but later rebuilt with steel.

Next, visit the seventh-century Senso-ji, one of Tokyo's most significant Buddhist temples. After passing the giant lanterns on the Kaminarimon (meaning "outer gate of the temple"), stroll along the lively Nakamise-dori, a long street lined with shops selling traditional souvenirs, snacks, and sweets. Then arrive at the second gate, Hozomon, beyond which stands the temple's main hall and a five-story pagoda.

Spend the afternoon in the Tokyo National Museum in the sprawling Ueno Park. It's the oldest and largest of Japan's top-level national museums, boasting a comprehensive collection of 120,00 items of art and archaeological artifacts, including 89 national treasures. Each of the six buildings in the complex specializes in a different exhibition, ranging from ancient and modern Japanese art to art and artifacts from China, Korea, India, and other Asian countries.

Day 3: Visit the National Art Center, Hands-on Sushi-Making Class

Delve deeper into the art world today with a visit to the National Art Center. It is one of the largest exhibition spaces in the country, with 12 gallery spaces. The exhibits here are strikingly diverse, with artworks from the Tate collection, paintings by Henri Matisse, numerous works by Yves Saint Laurent, and much more. 

After enjoying your time there, get hands-on with an upscale cooking class. Discover the secrets behind sushi, the iconic Japanese dish, and learn the art of making nigiri sushi, inari sushi, and other delicious dishes from an instructor. You'll learn to form rice into a bite-size, oval shape and top it with thin slices of raw or cooked fish or other ingredients—complimenting each creation with wasabi paste, soy sauce, salt, or other items like shiso leaves. 

Day 4: Train to Kanazawa, Kenrokuen Garden & Museum of Traditional Arts & Crafts

Take a three-hour train ride west to Kanazawa today, which sits on the western coast of Honshu, facing the Sea of Japan. Start with a stroll around the Kenrokuen Garden. Constructed during the Edo period (1603–1867), this was once the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle. It has water features, bridges, tea houses, trees, flowers, and stones, all elegantly designed to achieve the six attributes of a perfect landscape garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and broad views.

After, head to the adjacent Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts. Kanazawa is renowned as the epicenter of traditional Japanese crafts—it was recognized by UNESCO in 2009 as a City of Crafts and Folk Art—and in this museum, you can learn about 36 different crafts. From Wajima-Nuri lacquerware and wagasa paper umbrellas to Kaga Yuzen silk dyeing and gold-leaf-pasting, prepare to be dazzled by the sophisticated skills on display here.

Day 5: Traditional Crafts & Kimono Experiences

Try your hand at some of Kanazawa's traditional crafts today. Start by coloring a lacquer tray at NOSAKU Lacquerware, a store that's been in business since 1780. The store displays a vast collection of exquisite lacquerware products, including kitchenware, hair brooches, bento boxes, and even cellphone covers. Under the guidance of an instructor, pick up a traditional brush pen, choose your colors, and apply the powder within the patterns on a plate, before adding gold dust to enhance the design.

Then try making ceramics at Kutani Kosen Kiln. Opened in 1870, it's the city's only kutani (Japanese porcelain) ceramics kiln. Sit down at a potter's wheel, roll up your sleeves, feel the fine texture of the clay, and see a cup or other vessel form beneath your hands. A potter will guide you through the whole process, and the finished product will be mailed to you at home in about three months. Alternatively, paste gold leaf onto kitchenware or other small items or color a piece of Kaga Yuzen silk—choose a craft to suit your interests.

Later on, enjoy a different kind of cultural experience. Since the Edo period, the chaya (teahouse) has been a place for feasting and entertainment. Among Kanazawa's chaya districts, the Higashi Chayagai is the most expansive. Rent a kimono and roam around the district to soak up the quiet, traditional vibe and snap some beautiful shots. Move on to Nagamachi, near Kanazawa Castle, to learn more about samurai culture. Once the residential area for the middle-to-high-ranking samurai and their families, the district has many restored traditional residences with earthen exterior walls and wooden gates.

Day 6: Train to Kyoto, Zen Temples Tour: Kinkaku-ji & Ryoan-ji

Take the train south to Kyoto today, a journey of around 2.5 hours. Meet your private driver upon arrival and proceed to your hotel in a private car. Considered the cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto is home to numerous temples, shrines, palaces, and gardens. First, you'll visit the temple of Kinkaku-ji, the famed Golden Pavilion, shining above a peaceful lake. Its top two floors are entirely covered in gold leaf, with the first floor featuring white plaster walls and wood pillars, presenting a sharp contrast.

The 11th-century Ryoan-ji temple is your next destination. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ryoan-ji is famous for its rock garden, which is one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui, a style of Japanese gardening founded on Zen ideology. The garden's layout may seem simple at first sight—it features 15 rocks of different sizes surrounded by white gravel—but it has a deeper meaning. One interpretation is that the rocks represent islets in a sea. Take a seat on the veranda of the adjacent Hojo Hall and immerse yourself in the peaceful vibe.

Day 7: Sanjusangendo Hall & Fushimi Inari Taisha, Reigen-in Zen Tea Ceremony 

Today, learn more about Japanese religions with a tour of some of Kyoto's most beautiful, significant, and atmospheric spots. Start at Sanjusangendo, a temple featuring a grand main hall and Japan's longest wooden structure. Within the main hall sit 1,001 statutes of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, all made of Japanese cypress and covered in gold leaf.

Move on to Fushimi-Inari Taisha. Featured in the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha," this shrine has more than 10,000 picturesque red torii gates, all donated by individuals and businesses as a sign of appreciation to the god Inari for the blessings received. Follow the torii-lined route up to the viewpoint at the mountaintop for a sweeping view of the surroundings, or take the trail deep into the forest, stopping at different shrines along the way.

Continue to a Zen meditation and tea ceremony at the 14th-century Reigen-in, a sub-temple of Kennin-ji, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. The temple's juji (chief priest) will first take you on a tour of Kennin-ji and Reigen-in. Then experience Zen meditation guided by the juji, learn about Buddhist teachings, and participate in a traditional tea ceremony.

Day 8: Miho Museum, Free Time in Kyoto, Private Maiko Dinner Show

Tucked within the lush natural beauty of Koka city, an hour's drive from Kyoto, the unique Miho Museum makes a perfect day trip for those with a taste for art and architecture. Designed by the renowned architect I.M. Pei, this small yet stunning museum, built on a mountain, features sleek steel and glass structures. The Miho Museum owns over 2,000 pieces of Asian, African, and European art and artifacts, although only 250 to 500 works are exhibited at any time. Browse the museum at your leisure.

Return to Kyoto for the afternoon and relax at your hotel or make the most of some free time to do as you like. You might want to visit the Samurai & Ninja Experience Museum, a small but insightful museum where you can better understand traditional Japanese culture.

Spend an unforgettable evening at a premium restaurant, where you'll enjoy a private maiko (trainee geisha) dinner show in a traditional tatami floor-lined room. Savor a delicious multicourse kaiseki dinner while being captivated by an elegant maiko dance performance. You'll even get the chance to participate in some interactive games with your maiko hostess and take some lovely photos.

Day 9: Transfer to Kobe, Saké Brewery, Kobe Harborland, Ferry to Naoshima

In the morning, you'll be picked up by private car and driven to Kobe, a journey of less than 1.5 hours. Kobe's Nada district has long been famous for its saké. Visit the Hakutsuru Saké Brewery Museum, an old brewhouse-turned-museum. Here you'll learn about the traditional and modern brewing process of Japanese saké and sample a few varieties.

Next, stroll around Kobe Harborland, a waterfront area with shopping malls, restaurants, cafés, and amusement facilities. Head to Mosaic, where you'll find a selection of eateries with views of the Kobe Port Tower and the Kobe Maritime Museum, or roam around the Renga Soko district to see its 19th-century brick warehouses.

Treat yourself to a meal of Kobe beef while you're in its city of origin, either prepared as steak, grilled on an iron plate (teppanyaki), boiled in a sukiyaki hot pot, or enjoyed as sashimi. After, transfer to Okayama, then take a 20-minute ferry to Naoshima, an island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea famous for its art museums.

Day 10: Art Museums of Naoshima Island

Explore Naoshima's famous art trails and museums today. The Benesse Art Site Naoshima is an art project on three small islands in the Seto Inland Sea: Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima. On this day tour, you'll discover some of the site's unique museums and projects. Head to Honmura to see the Art House Project, a collection of abandoned houses, a temple, and a shrine converted into art installations and venues for contemporary art.

Chichu Art Museum then offers the chance to admire works by Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. The museum is an artwork in itself, built mostly underground to avoid disturbing the surrounding area's natural beauty, with natural light coming in through the structure. After, visit the Lee Ufan Museum, a semi-underground structure surrounded by lush hills and blue ocean that houses works by the Korean minimalist painter and sculptor.

A trip to Naoshima wouldn't be complete without seeing Benesse House Museum's splendid art collection. Admire works by Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Shinro Ohtake, Kan Yasuda, and other Japanese and international artists in the museum's buildings, along the shoreline, and in the nearby forest. Don't forget to look out for Yayoi Kusama's famous pumpkin standing by the sea.

Day 11: Ferry to Teshima Island, Self-Guided Art Museums Tour

Take the morning ferry to Teshima, an island west of Naoshima. First, visit Teshima Yokoo House, which was once an old private residence but has been renovated by artist Tadanori Yokoo and architect Yuko Nagayama. There are artworks indoors, a rock garden, and a pond outdoors with further installations. Next, visit Les Archives du Coeur, a facility by one of the most significant French contemporary artists, Christian Boltanski. This place stores the recordings of people's heartbeats. In the recording room, record your own heartbeats for the archives, together with a personal message.

Then it's on to explore Teshima Art Museum, a unique space designed by Ryue Nishizawa in the shape of a water droplet. It's a brilliant example of art, architecture, and nature becoming one. The museum is unique because it only houses one piece of art, "Matrix," a minimalist work by Rei Naito, in which water flows slowly toward the center, depicting the birth of life.

Day 12: Bullet Train to Hakone, Self-Guided Hakone Tour

This morning, take the ferry back to Okayama, then ride the Shinkansen (bullet train) northeast to Odawara via Nagoya. The journey takes about 3.5 hours. From Odawara, you'll take a taxi to Hakone.

Explore Hakone on your own, enjoying the views and natural attractions around the town. Head to Hakone Jinja, a shrine said to have been founded in the eighth century, to learn more about the local religious culture. One of the most prominent features of the shrine is its gigantic torii gate that stands in Lake Ashi. Stop at the centuries-old thatched-roof teahouse of Amazake Chaya for local drinks and snacks. The teahouse specializes in amazake, a non-alcoholic drink made with rice that is subtly sweet even though no sugar is added. 

Nature lovers will appreciate a visit to Owakudani. Created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone (over 3,000 years ago), the valley is characterized by active sulfur vents, sulfurous fumes, and hot springs. It's also possible to see beautiful Mount Fuji from here on a clear day. Or, simply stay at your hotel or ryokan to soothe your muscles in the mineral-rich hot spring waters of an onsen bath.

Day 13: Open-Air Museum & Hakone Museum of Art

Today, explore Hakone's culture and art with your private guide. The Hakone Open-Air Museum displays many sculptures on its grounds, with views of the surrounding valley and mountains when the weather is clear. Stroll among the grounds, admiring works by Picasso, Henry Moore, and many other artists. Continue to the Hakone Museum of Art, which displays mainly Japanese ceramics from prehistoric times through to the Edo Period and features a pretty moss garden with stone paths winding through the shade of its maple trees. 

Day 14: Bullet Train to Tokyo, Free Time

After breakfast, head to the train station to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo, about an hour's journey. Meet your driver at the station and proceed to your hotel by private car. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. As this is your last full day in Japan, you might want to get out and discover more of Tokyo on your own. You can head to Shibuya (one of the largest shopping districts in Tokyo) to do some souvenir shopping or stroll around Shinjuku Gyoen in the shade. Alternatively, head to Akihabara and be immersed in a world of electronics, manga, anime, and video games.

Day 15: Depart Tokyo

Your time in Japan ends today. After a final breakfast, check out of your hotel and head to the airport at the appointed time in a private car. Safe travels!

More Great Japan Itineraries