Tour of the extremes of Japan
In many ways, Japan is a land of great contrasts, and this trip will give you ample opportunity to experience them. A thoroughly modern lifestyle and deeply rooted traditions coexist effortlessly in Japan. However, the balance shifts remarkably once you leave metropolises like Tokyo and Kyoto, and settle down in small, historic towns. There are also the climatic extremes, due in part to altitude differences. At the foot of Mount Fuji , you will still seek coolness in the shade, in the Japanese Alps you will experience the hot springs as a blessing. Even more extreme are the differences between Hokkaido - the far north - and Okinawa - the subtropical south. From ice festival to coral reefs, there is only one travel day between them.
Comfortably, you will travel from the urban jungle to ancient mountain forests and cities of character in a short time. The pace of your journey constantly changes from fast and efficient, to almost whisperingly slow. You will have plenty of time to explore the major cities, experience the tranquility of temples and shrines, and enjoy very diverse landscapes. Some days you will be accompanied by an expert guide, but you can also regularly set out at your own pace to discover the many faces of Japan.
Tips & tops from Japan, land of extremes:
- Explore Tokyo's very diverse districts: the trendy fashion-avenue Ometesando and the ancient Geisha district of Asakusa. A cruise on the Sumida River ends with a visit to a teahouse in the gardens of Hama-Rikyu Teien.
- The beautiful Fuji Hakone National Park is home to much thermal activity. Here, taste the kuro-tamago, an egg cooked in the sulfur-rich, hot springs. It is claimed that eating such an egg extends your life by seven years!
- Matsumoto Castle is among the most beautiful and complete castles in Japan. It is also called "Crow Castle" because of its black walls and roofs that resemble wings.
- Enjoy the vistas while hiking through the beautiful countryside around Matsumoto. The mountain peaks you see to the west are about 3,000 meters high.
- Travel back in time, higher into the mountains. The village of Takayama was so difficult to reach for centuries that its historic and quirky character has been wonderfully preserved. A fitting place to spend the night in a traditional ryokan.
- Would you like to see and especially hear "chirping nightingale floors"? Then visit the Nijo Castle in Kyoto. The wooden floors are deliberately constructed so that it is impossible to walk down the corridor unnoticed. A special security measure that still works very convincingly after more than four centuries.
- From the holy island of Miyajima , you will visit the vermillion-colored Itsukushima shrine, which seems to float on the waters of the Seto Inland Sea. Several festivals take place here every year. The Kangen-sai festival is truly impressive ritual celebration that takes place on boats. The enchanting sounds of flute, drums and stringed instruments carry far across the water, and the paper lanterns add to the fairy-tale atmosphere.
- In Osaka, visit the Kamigata Ukiyo-e museum. It is one of the best museums of Japanese printmaking in the world. Refined, caricatural and sensual, the finest woodblock prints are on display here.
- The entire color palette is represented in Hokkaido's four seasons: awakening nature with fresh green and pink cherry blossoms in spring, seas of blooming lavender in summer, overwhelming autumn colors and deep blue skies, steaming onsen overlooking a crystal white snowy landscape.
- Deep in the caverns of the Kin Kannon-do cave on Okinawa is an extraordinary treasure chamber. Thousands of bottles of Tatsu Awamori (the local sake variety) are stored here for years, maturing and waiting for the bottle's owner to claim it for a special occasion. Each bottle is labeled with a name tag and date, sometimes a photo. Will you leave a bottle for your next trip to Japan?
- We can offer this trip in different classes of accommodations.
