raditional Japan: A 3-Week Cultural Journey from Kyoto to Tokyo

Stopping at Toyama, we'll take the train to Takayama, where we'll stay 2 nights in this traditional city. The city was known for its skilled artisans, many of whom got to work at various sites throughout Kyoto. We'll be staying at a Ryokan Hostel, where we'll have our own tatami room. We are gonna leave our luggage here before check-in. DAY 2: Takayama city side Late morning - We are going south from our accommodation, stopping to visit two traditional houses. As we keep walking south, [optionally] we can visit a retro museum. We can now look for a place for lunch. Afternoon - After lunch, we are gonna reach Sanmachi Suji, where [optionally] we are going to visit a sake brewery and have a tasting. [optionally] we can visit another retro museum. At this point, we are free to walk around Sanmachi Suji before going back to our accommodation to check in. Evening - The rest of the day is gonna be free. DAY 3: Takayama history and nature Morning - By the river, there's a local market; we'll be visiting it. Afterwards, we are going to visit Takayama Jinya, the historical government palace. Then, as we reach Hida no Sato Folk Village Museum, an open-air museum that shows what the region used to be like, we'll be stopping at the Mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. After our visit, we are going to have lunch. Afternoon - [optionally] You can join for a hike right behind the museum. Evening - We are gonna go back towards the city, to the areas of Sakuramachi and Sakyomachi. Here we have an area rich in temples, and as we keep going north, we end at a park. Late evening - Free time until dinner. Next morning we are gonna wake up early to reach our next destination; we have the option to send our luggage three destinations ahead (I suggest taking this option and keep only the essential, we'll get our luggage back in Kanazawa). Places you may be interested in: Hida Takayama Museum of Art (near Hida no Sato); Hida Takayama Teddy Bear Eco Village (near Hida no Sato); Hikaru Museum; Castle ruin area; Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan (in Sakuramachi); [most places have their last access at 16.30]

Shirakawa-go is a traditional village recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. DAY 4: Shirakawa village Morning - We'll explore this beautiful village, admire its iconic thatched-roof farmhouses and beautiful mountain scenery, access some of the traditional houses, and visit the nearby museum. We are gonna have lunch here. Afternoon - We'll take the bus to Suganuma. Late afternoon - We are gonna reach our accommodation in Ainokura, a guesthouse at a local traditional house (dinner and breakfast included). DAY 5: From the village between the mountains... Morning - We can now visit the places that were closed the day before in Ainokura. In this village, there's also the Washi Paper Workshop, where [optionally] we can learn this paper making technique and even do it ourselves. We'll be having our lunch in this village. Afternoon - We are gonna take the bus to our next stop.

The hometown of Fujiko F. Fujio, the creators of Doraemon, and you can clearly see when visiting the city. DAY 5: ...to the hometown of Doraemon Late afternoon - We are gonna check-in at our accommodation. Afterwards, we are gonna visit the Kanayamachi and Yamachosuji districts. Evening - Free time until dinner. DAY 6: Morning with art Morning - We are gonna visit the art museum that has an area dedicated to Fujiko F. Fujio. While reaching the museum, we'll stop to admire the great Buddha statue of the city. Later, we'll take the train for the next stop.

One of my personal favourite cities in Japan. Our accommodation here, depending on availability, will be either a ryokan with breakfast included, or a rented townhouse. DAY 7: Between the historical districts of Kanazawa We'll have lunch once we arrive. Afternoon - Kanazawa offers an amazing castle park with its gardens. There, we also have a villa made for the mother of the feudal lord of the time; now it's mostly used as an art gallery. Afterwards, we'll head to the Nishi Chaya district and [optionally] visit the ninja weapon museum. Later, we'll go to the Nagamachi district and visit the Nomura-ke Samurai Heritage Residence. At this point, we'll go to our accommodation to check-in. Evening - Free time until dinner. DAY 8: Exploring the east side Morning - We'll start the day by visiting the Omicho Market. Then we'll enter the Samurai Residence Kurando Terashima's House and then walk to Higashi Chaya district. We are gonna then visit some temples until lunch. Afternoon - You are free to join in exploring the park to the east of the city. The rest of the day is gonna be free Evening - For dinner, there's a peculiar Izakaya with an amazing host that I'll be more than happy to bring you to. Next morning we are gonna wake up early to reach our next destination. If the service is available, we may want to use the delivery service to send our luggage directly to Kyoto.

We'll get the train early in the morning and stop at Hikone and then at Ōmihachiman, two cities on Lake Biwa. DAY 8: The castle on the lake Morning - We are gonna visit Hikone's castle, one of the few that's considered a national treasure, with its gardens; this castle is one of the 12 still original ones in Japan. Depending on the time, we'll have lunch now or at the next stop. Late morning/Afternoon - Ōmihachiman was a merchant city. We get to visit some of its temples, the castle ruins, and walk around what used to be a very important city for commerce. When we are done, we'll get the train for Kyoto.

The cultural capital, there's always something to see here. We'll be arriving here in the late afternoon or evening, depending on how long we stay at the previous stops. Our accommodation is either gonna be a private room at a guesthouse, or a rented townhouse. DAY 8: Kyoto, the capital city Late afternoon - We'll be checking in at our accommodation. The rest of the day is gonna be free, you can rest or visit Kyoto on your own. I'll be visiting the Kyoto Railway Museum, feel free to join. DAY 9: The Golden Temple and exploration Morning - We are gonna admire the famous Kinkaku-ji, followed by Ryōan-ji and Ninna-ji. Afterwards, we'll start a [optional] little adventure going south. Going in this direction, we'll find the Uzumasa Kyoto Village [optional]. As we keep walking, we'll reach the Imperial Katsura Villa [optional]. Afternoon - At this point we'll have had lunch, and as we keep going in the same direction, we'll find a lesser known bamboo park. Afterwards, we can keep going south to visit the Mukō sanctuary, this will put an end to our little adventure, after which we'll go back to central Kyoto. The rest of the day is gonna be free. DAY 10: The palace and the castle Morning - We'll go to the Nijou Castle (Built under the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu). Afterwards, we are gonna stop at the old imperial palace, and also spend time in its garden. We can then have lunch at the Ramen factory (own expense). Afternoon - We can [optionally] visit a nearby sake brewery. The rest of the day is free, as I go north to explore Kurama; feel free to join. DAY 11: Fushimi Inari and more Morning - This day we'll be exploring Fushimi Inari, probably my favourite place in Kyoto. We are gonna do the complete main path, and then diverge by taking a northern exit. From there we'll keep walking north, stopping at temples along the path, until we reach Kiyomizu-dera. Afternoon - Afterwards, we'll keep our walk towards the north, passing by Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, and through Nene-no-michi. At this point, we'll reach the Yasaka sanctuary, then walk through Murayama Park and reach Chionin Temple. If you want to keep going, we are gonna take the Philosopher's Path, then visit the Yoshida Shrine, and stop at a spot on the hill to relax and eat something (own expense). This is gonna be the end of the day, at this point, we are gonna go back to our accommodation for a deserved rest. If you decide to take a free afternoon or want a suggestion during free time, I suggest going north of the Kamo River delta, there you can find some amazing temples. Then from there walk south along the river. You can also take a detour to Uji or the nearby Ogura, where you can find the Nintendo museum. Close to where we'll stay, there's the Nishiki Market and the Teramachi-dori. There's also the option for a late walk around Gion. DAY 12: Goodbye Kyoto... Morning - We can go to our next destination or spend one last morning in Kyoto. (Only the Day 8 first 3 temples, the Nijou Castle, and Kiyomizu-dera are included in the price. Kyoto has multiple temples that require a fee. This only affects day 10, as the plan includes paid temples that have not been factored into the price).

Known as "Japan's Kitchen", an amazing city we'll use as a hub for multiple day trips. We are gonna stay the next 4 nights at a hotel in Namba, with the option to include breakfast. DAY 12: ...and welcome Osaka Afternoon - We'll check-in and have the rest of the day free. Late evening - We can walk down Nipponbashi until we reach Shin Sekai and have dinner nearby. Night - You'll very probably find me at an arcade near our stay, where I'll spend my time until closing hour. Feel free to enjoy the nightlife.

DAY 13: Okayama and Kurashiki Morning - We are gonna take the train to Okayama, where we'll visit its castle and the amazing garden. Then we'll go to Kurashiki, where we'll walk around the historical district. We are going to have lunch here. Afternoon - Once we are done, we can go back to Osaka. If you have any places you want to visit, feel free to suggest or even go on your own. At this point, the rest of the day is gonna be free.

DAY 14: The city of peace Morning - We are going to have a 2 day trip (bring only the essentials), starting by taking the train to Hiroshima. Here we'll visit the Peace Park and its museum. Afternoon - After lunch, we can visit the Hondori shopping district. Once we are done, we'll be going to Miyajima, where we'll be checking in at our stay (a guesthouse with dinner and breakfast).

DAY 14 Evening: After check-in, we can visit the famous shrine of the island and walk around freely. Remember to go back to our stay for dinner and make sure to rest. DAY 15: Miyajima Morning - Here we'll explore Mount Misen with its shrine. We can then visit Takifudo, Henjo cave, and Daishoin. As we hike around, Miyajima has an aquarium you can choose to visit on your own. We are gonna have our lunch on the island. Once we are done exploring, we are gonna go back to Osaka. The rest of the day is gonna be free. Make sure to enjoy your last night in Osaka.

Another very important city historically, with its two castles (which have been rebuilt). Here, for the next 3 nights, we'll either rent a small apartment or stay at a hotel. DAY 16: Exploring Nagoya Morning - As we reach the city, we are going to visit the city science museum, known for having the biggest planetarium in Japan. Even if the show is only in Japanese, we are still going to attend it. We are gonna then have lunch together. Afternoon - Free time. The city has multiple options, some examples are: Toyota technology museum; Samurai Museum Nagoya Touken World; The city aquarium; Legoland. I'll be going to the SCMaglev and Railway Park, feel free to tag along. The city is also home to the Osu Shotengai Shopping Street, Tokugawaen Garden, and Oasis 21.

DAY 17: Inuyama and Sekigahara Morning - We'll go visit Inuyama Castle, another one of the 12 original castles. We'll then walk around in the area near the castle. We are then going to visit the Museum Meiji-Mura, another open-air museum. Afternoon - The rest of the day is optional. You can join for a trip to Sekigahara, where the last battle of the Sengoku Jidai happened. Here we can visit the battlefield and related museums. As we reach Sekigahara, we can stop to visit the Gifu Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum [own expense]. We'll then go back to our accommodation.

DAY 18: The goddess of the Sun Morning - we'll take a trip to Ise, home to the most important sanctuary in Shintoism. We'll visit both Geku and Naiku, then we'll take a stroll around Oharaimachi Street, where we'll have our lunch. Afternoon - Free time to visit Ise. Feel free to go back to Nagoya if you want. We'll spend one last night in Nagoya before going to Tokyo the next morning.

Finally, we are in Tokyo, where we have countless options for visiting, depending on your interests. Here we are going to stay at a hotel or hostel. DAY 19: Shopping Late morning - We are going to leave our luggage and have lunch. Afternoon - We are going to Nakano Broadway for some shopping. We can then continue shopping at Animate Ikebukuro Flagship Store. We are going back to our accommodation. The rest of the day is going to be free time. DAY 20: Akihabara, Ueno and Asakusa Morning - We are gonna start the day by going to Akihabara, where everyone will be free to go around and shop as we want. We'll then reunite to go to Nippori, where we'll visit Yanaka Ginza, a traditional shopping street, and have lunch here. Afternoon - We are going to Ueno to walk around its famous park, then go to the Ameyoko commercial district Suggestions you may want to visit: Nippori has the Asakura Museum of Sculpture; Ueno has the National Museum of Tokyo, and the Ueno Zoo. Late afternoon/Evening - We are going to Asakusa to visit the Senso-ji and Nakamise shopping district. We'll then spend time at Sumida Park. Suggestions you may want to visit: Samurai Ninja Museum Asakusa Tokyo; Ninja Experience Cafe Asakusa In Tokyo; Sumida Aquarium; Tobacco and salt museum; Japanese sword museum. Feel free to explore. Late evening - We are going to have dinner together at a local restaurant of my knowledge in Asakusabashi. DAY 21: Rest and relax Free day. I'll be taking a day trip to Oarai for my seichi junrei. If you know the city, feel free to join.

DAY 22: The bay city Morning - We are going to take a trip to Yokohama. Here we'll stop to visit the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. Then we'll visit the NYK Hikawa Maru, a civilian ship made into a museum. Afterwards, we are going to take a stroll at Sankeien Garden. Finally, as we get back to the station, we are going to stop at Chinatown for lunch.