Good evening and welcome to the land of the rising sun. 
Tonight we'll arrive to Tokyo, and if time allows we'll go see the cherry blossom illuminated at night in one of the prettiest neighborhood in the city. 

Today we'll start to get to know Tokyo, Japan's capital since 1868, a huge metropolitan that combines tradition and innovation, where you can see sky scrapers near traditional wooden houses, gardens and temples near busy highways. First, we'll visit the famous Meiji temple that was destroyed in ww2 and was rebuilt around 50 years ago. 
From there we'll continue to the young and vibrant Harajuku district, and go through the designer avenue Omotesando, where we could see many luxurious stores and buildings designed by some of the best architects in the world. Then, we'll visit Nezu museum with its impressive architecture. 
Next we'll stop at Shinjuku Gyoen Park, which has 3 different garden types, for a lovely picnic under the blossoming cherry trees. 
In the evening, we'll go to have a look at the vast skyline of Tokyo from the Tokyo metropolin government building observatory. Then, we'll go tour the famous Shinjuku district, which has the largest and busiest train station in its center.

Today we'll start at the the great Edo Tokyo museum that wonderfully illustrates the history of Tokyo from the olden days till now. 
Next we'll go to the traditional district Asakusa, visiting the colorful Sensoji temple which is the most important Buddhist temple in Tokyo, surrounded by bustling streets. 
A short train ride will take us to Aono, where one of the biggest parks in Tokyo is located, and is famous for its lovely cherry blossoms. 
From there we'll take a driverless train to the artificial island Odaiba. Arriving at Tokyo bay, we'll then be able to see one of the most impressive urban views in the world, and visit an alternative reality in the digital museum of TeamLab. 

This morning we'll start at the Tsukiji outer fish market, which was once the largest fish market in the world. Nowadays it's a thriving and lively local market, where you can find plenty of fish, food and houseware. 
Then we'll continue to Ginza, the luxurious business and pleasure district, characterized by its interesting buildings and grand stores. While touring the area, we'll go to one of the fanciest department stores in Japan and see the many stalls that offer a rich variety of food of all kinds.
From there we'll go to the Yurakucho area, where we'll visit the Tokyo international forum, an architectural masterpiece of the architect Rafael Viñoly We'll continue to Roppongi, a district that has seen massive urban growth in recent years, and today is a center for commerce and art. 
In the evening we'll go out to Shibuya, a bright and colorful district dedicated to fashion and leisure, which is popular among Tokyo's youth. It's also known for Shibuya crossing, which is famous for being the busiest crossing in the world! 

Today we leave the big city early in the morning for Hakone. The plan for today- breathtaking views, museums, art, history and hot springs. 
We'll start our day by taking a walk on a tiny 'peninsula', where a former imperial villa is surrounded by a beautiful garden and a great view of Ashi Lake. Then we'll visit an amazing open air museum, with statues from renowned artists from all around the globe that integrate into the surrounding garden and the mountainous view. 
Next we'll ride the funicular to Owakudani, a young volcano from which we could see a wonderful view of Mount Fuji.
Departing from Hakone, we'll go towards Kawaguchi Lake to our hotel where we'll enjoy the hot springs and a wonderful dinner. 

Today our first stop will be at the garden and exhibition hall of kimono coloring artisan Kubota Ichiku, whose works astound people worldwide. We'll learn about his unique coloring method which was forgotten to time and revived by Kubota. 
Next we'll go to Matsumoto city, where we'll visit a family factory which produces miso, a staple of Japanese cuisine, the traditional way. We'll learn about the historic importance of miso as a food source, and its place in contemporary Japanese cuisine. Next we'll arrive at Matsumoto castle, also known as 'Crow Castle' for its dark exterior. It is one of the only 12 castles that survived in their original form to this day. 
Our next stop would be at a wasabi farm, located in front of the Japanese Alps. There we'll go into the wasabi 'fields' and learn about their fascinating growing method. 
From there we'll continue to Shibu, a hot spring town. We'll tour the main street and enjoy the characteristic atmosphere and building style unique to vacation towns. Then we'll continue to a ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel, where we'll spend the night and enjoy a traditional Japanese style gourmet dinner, and meet a local Geisha. 
 

Today we'll pay a visit to the Japanese macaque monkeys that bathe and keep warm at the hot springs of Jigokudani- 'Hell valley'. 
In the town of Obuse we'll visit a museum dedicated to the renowned woodblock printing artists Hokusai, that lived in the town later in life. 'The great wave off Kanagawa' is one of most known Japanese artworks in the world. We'll continue to tour the town, which is also known for its chestnuts, and enjoy the special atmosphere of the place. 
Next we'll drive along the coast to our next destination, Toyama city, where we'll visit a glass museum and enjoy artwork from local and international artists. 
Finally, we'll end our day in Kanazawa, a magical city that was the capital of the second most important prefecture in the Edo period. It has kept its characteristics as an historic center for culture and art to this day. 

Good morning to Kanazawa, we'll start our day with a visit to a neighborhood with typical samurai homes that were preserved, and go into one to learn about the lifestyle of the samurai from the period where they ruled Japan. 
Next we'll visit Yuzen hall, where we'll learn about the beautiful art of kimono dying. 
Then, we'll continue towards the colorful Omicho market, full of plenty of interesting fish, sea food, vegetables, fruits, flowers and more. From there we'll through the reconstructed Kanazawa castle, to the beautiful Kenrokuen garden. Originally the private garden of the castle belonging to the local lord, it's considered one of the three most beautiful landscape gardens of Japan, and was built and developed by the lord's family for 200 years. 
We'll end our day at Higashi-chaya, the tea house district that kept its historic look. There, we'll also visit a place that specializes in gold leaf art, a traditional art typical to the area, done with an interesting and special technique. 

We'll start our day in Gokayama, a mountain range in which villages with unique style of houses were preserved. 
There we'll participate in a workshop where we'll learn about the production process of traditional Japanese paper, and make a small souvenir to take with us. 
We'll continue to tour a picturesque village in the mountains, and see up close the unique traditional houses with the slanted straw roofs. 
We'll get to visit the home of one of the locals and hear from the owner about the history of the house and the local atmosphere, and finish with a performance of folk dance and music unique to the area. 
On the other side of the mountains we'll find Takayama, a wondrous town on the foot of the Japanese Alps, famous for its characteristic local craft and spectacular festivals. 
We'll tour the festival floats exhibition hall, showcasing the floats used in the local autumn and spring festivals. Afterwards we'll go wander the streets of the old town area that kept its historical appearance.

Early in the morning we'll go tour the morning market where we could see (and buy) the produce of local farmers and artists, with souvenirs exclusive to this area. 
Leaving Takayama, we'll go to the picturesque town of gero, where we'll pay a visit to a sake brewery, to learn how this famous rice wine is made. 
We'll continue south towards Tsumago, a city built as a rest stop on the Nakasendo road, one of the three main roads connecting Edo to Kyoto. 
After leaving the town we'll travel to Nagoya, the fourth largest city in Japan, so we could go aboard the shinkansen, a bullet train that can travel at a speed surpassing 300 km/h. The shinkansen will 'fly' us to our next destination, Hiroshima. 
 

Today we'll start at the westernmost point of our tour, Hiroshima, that was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945 and symbolizes the devastating result of such weapons, as well as the unprecedented recovery and growth of the Japanese society and economy. 
We'll begin our day by taking a ferry to Miyajima, a holy island that the locals have used as a spiritual center for the past thousand years. We'll tour around the island, see the iconic tori gate that comes out of the water at Itsukushima temple, and ride the funicular to mount Misen for a spectacular view of the ocean and the islands in the vicinity. 
Afterwards, we'll go visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the museum dedicated to the story of the atomic bomb that hit the city. 
Finally, we'll end our day with a traditional experience, eating the local specialty, the Hiroshima-yaki. 

Today will be all about art, architecture and nature. 

We'll sail to the art island Naoshima, that holds many unique attractions. 
We'll visit a village where old houses, some abandoned, have been converted to outstanding art pieces. Then, we'll go to the south of the island where we could find many special museums, including the new Chichu art museum and the Benesse museum that's located inside a spectacular venue near the ocean. 

Leaving Naoshima, we'll go back inland towards Okayama. 

Today we'll begin at the amazingly beautiful Korakuen garden, one of the three most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan.
From there we'll take the bullet train again to Osaka, and continue our way south driving up the mountains towards the holy Mount Koya. Visiting the holy town on the mountain, we'll learn the secrets of Shingon Buddhism and get the full temple experience by staying the night there. 

after a night at the temple, we'll join the morning prayer of the local monks, followed by a special vegeterian breakfast. 
Going down the mountain, we'll arrive to Nara, the old capital of Japan. There we'll visit an ancient temple, which is the largest wood structure in the world. 
We'll also walk around the deer park, where deer who are 'the messengers of the gods' roam freely, as they've been doing for more than a thousand years. 
Fron there we'll go to famous Fushimi Inari, a temple known for the thousands of orange tori gates that are placed all along the steep mountain, and tour around the Fushimi district as well. 
 

Today we'll get to know Kyoto, the traditional capital of Japan for upwards of a thousand years, with countless attractions, famous temples, castles, gardens, hidden gems etc.
We'll visit many interesting and colorful sites and enjoy the spring 'festival' that engulfs the city together with the locals. 

We'll go down to the roots of Japanese culture, while touring the historic eastern district, seeing ancient temples and walking the old streets. There we'll also get to experience a traditional tea ceremony, and hear about the importance of 'the way of the tea' in Japanese culture. 
As evening comes we'll take a stroll in the streets of the traditional Gion district, where the Geisha are active to this very day.

Today will begin by traveling to the west side of town to Arashiyama, which was once a rural area where the nobility of Kyoto used to go lounge. We'll take a walk along the streets filled with small wooden houses up to a magnificent bamboo grove, and visit the bridge that goes across the river. 
From here we'll continue to one of the most iconic temples in Japan, the golden pavilion, a zen temple surrounded by a large and well-kept garden. 
At lunchtime we'll go to explore the plentiful food market Nishiki Ichiba, visiting the various food stalls, browsing and tasting the unique and colorful wares presented for sale. 
Next we'll go to Nijo castle, where the shogun resided while visiting Kyoto. From there he would have governed the city and entertained guests. 
After coming back to the city center we'll tour around Kyoto station, eat dinner in the area and say goodbye to Kyoto. 
From there we'll ride the train towards Kansai airport, where we'll stay the night nearby. 

Today is our last day in Japan; we'll go home with the many experiences we gathered and with a taste for more.