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Essential Honshu 2005
The Essential Honshu tour will take you from Tokyo, Japan's high-octane capital city, down the route of the old Tokaido road to Osaka via Kamakura and Hakone. We will of course be making stops in Kyoto, the historical and cultural centre of the country, as well as staying in the alpine town of Takayama, and the Kamikochi national park deep in the heart of the Japan Alps, before returning via the castle town of Matsumoto, to Tokyo for a final night in the megalopolis! Below you'll find a detailed itinerary along with some of the things we got up this year!
Itinerary summary
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Day 1: arrive Tokyo - meals: dinner
The tour group convenes in Tokyo. Your buddy will come to the airport to meet you and escort you back into Tokyo and onto your Hotel in Asakusa, the 'down-town' area of the old Edo-era city. Many of our customers choose to arrive a day early (your buddy will still be available to meet you at the airport) in order to get over jet-lag and get the most out of the tour.
The first night's dinner (and drinks!) are on us at a restaurant a short subway ride from the hotel.
Day 2: Tokyo - meals: breakfast
If you'd like to join him, your Buddy will be taking a group to Tokyo's morning fish market - A chance to see where all that sushi comes. It's an early start though, leaving the hotel at 4.50am in order to catch the first subway of the day! Don't worry too much though, we'll be back by 6.30am and you can catch a couple of hours more shuteye then if you like.
If you fancy it, there is the option of enjoying a breakfast of the best fresh sushi at the fish market (extra contribution required). If this isn't for you we'll be taking breakfast at a restaurant diner close to the hotel. And of course, breakfast everyday is included in the price of your tour.
Mid-morning you can join us for a boat trip on the Sumida river which runs through the centre of Tokyo. Again this is included in the tour price. The boat takes you down to Hamarikyu tei-en, a tranquil garden which is surprisingly only a few minutes walk from the lively Ginza shopping district. You might like to take a cup of freshly made green tea served in the tea house which is the focal point of the garden.
After leaving the garden there are a whole host of different options and your Buddy will help you decide. You might like to take a ride on the new elevated light-railway which sweeps out into and across Tokyo bay affording stunning views of the Tokyo skyline; or perhaps take the walk into the Ginza for some shopping and a look at the latest electronic wizardry at the Sony Building; or maybe a walk down Ometesando, the 'Champs-Elysee' of Tokyo to Meiji shrine would appeal to you more. Whatever it is you want to do your Buddy will help you out.
Day 3: Kamakura - meals: breakfast and dinner
After breakfast we will move on to Kamakura. The journey takes about 1h45 from leaving the hotel in Tokyo to arrival at the hotel in Kamakura. You'll be able to drop off your bags before heading off to look around some of Kamakura's many beautiful temples and shrines. The town is small enough to see all the major sights on foot and there are some really nice walking routes you might like to take. Be sure not to miss Kamakura's big Buddha who has sat serenely meditating for nearly 800 years. Unfortunately for him, he lost his house some 400 years ago when the building the Buddha was housed in was washed away by a giant tidal wave.
In the evening you will be treated to an exquisite 'kaiseki' meal at a local restaurant. The chef will specially prepare a full course meal containing no meat or fish for the vegetarians in the group.
Day 4: Hakone - meals: breakfast
After enjoying a Japanese style breakfast at our hotel we will move on to Hakone. Total journey time is around 2h30. The tour includes a Hakone free-pass. This allows you unlimited travel on all of the many forms of transport in the Hakone region; buses, rail, funicular railway, cable car, rope-way, and even the sightseeing boat which crosses lake Ashino from where if you're lucky and skies are clear, you will get a stunning view of Mt. Fuji. There are lots of things to see and do in Hakone and we'll make sure you have all the necessary maps and information. We'll be staying at the traditional style Fuji-Hakone guesthouse which boats a very nice outside hot-spring 'rotemburo' bath where you can relax after a hard day sightseeing and look up at the stars! For those of you joining us in summer there is the option of a Mt. Fuji climb, a real once-in-a-lifetime experience. Be warned though, you'll need to be fit!
Day 5: Hakone - meals: breakfast
More time to explore Hakone (or rest up if you viewed this morning's sunrise from the top of Fuji-san!). You may like to take a short hike along what remains of the old Tokaido highway which used to be the major road linking Edo (modern day Tokyo) with Kyoto and Osaka. The open air sculpture museum features pieces by many world renowned artists all set against a stunning mountain backdrop. There are also all kinds of museums to visit and this is a great chance to pick up one of Hakone’s famous “trick boxes” as a unique souvenir.
Day 6: Osaka - meals: breakfast
After breakfast we’ll be moving on to Osaka, taking a three hour ride on the world famous ‘Bullet’ train. Osaka is the concrete beating heart of the Kansai region and home to the best food, drink and entertainment in all of Japan. Osaka is a city buzzing with energy and life. Your hotel is right in the heart of the city, in the Umeda district, about a 10 minute walk from Osaka station.
Day 7: Day trip to Nara or free-time in Osaka - meals: breakfast
Today is a day trip to Nara, if you would like to join us. Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan and the Nara period saw the rapid assimilation of Chinese religious ideas and cultural influences in to Japan. Nara is the home of the 'Big Buddha' and enormous bronze Buddha which is housed inside the world's largest wooden building. There are many smaller shrines and temples to explore and if you dare, many extremely bold deer to feed. You should beware though, the deer show no mercy once you have those deer biscuits in your hands!
Alternatively you may like to remain in Osaka to explore this exciting city. There is fantastic shopping, one of the world's best aquariums, an Olympic sized swimming pool, and an enormous proliferation of video game arcades and karaoke parlours.
Day 8: Kyoto - meals: breakfast
We'll head off to Kyoto reasonably early this morning so as to allow you a full day's sightseeing in this historic city. Kyoto is a great city in which to sight-see on foot. There are several walking tour routes all of which have many different places of interest along the way. Your Buddy will accompany the group along a chosen route. After lunch people might like to go their separate ways and take in some sights of particular interest to them. The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto is among our favourite museums and gives visitors a chance to see how modern Japanese artists are interpreting the many contrasts, contradictions and dichotomies that make up modern Japan. A white rapids river trip in Arashiyama is another popular option and a good to chance to see some of the countryside surrounding the city.
Day 9: Kyoto - meals: breakfast and dinner
Another day in this most famous of Japanese cities. Check out some more temples and shrines or perhaps book a tour of the Imperial Palace gardens. This evening there is an optional "Geisha Walking Lecture" with one of our partners in Kyoto, Peter Macintosh, available at no extra charge. His eight year's experience of living in Kyoto and close involvement with the Geisha community mean that you'll get a truly unique insight into this hidden world. The tour will be followed by dinner in Gion at a local restaurant.
Day 10: Takayama - meals: breakfast and dinner
Today it's on by bullet train and express train to Takayama. We'll be arriving early afternoon and after leaving our bags at the Minshuku will have a chance to start exploring this intriguing mountain town. Dinner will tonight be served at our Minshuku so we'll be sure to have some delicious home cooked fare to enjoy.
Day 11: Takayama - meals: breakfast and dinner
There are loads of things to see and do in Takayama. In the morning your 'Buddy' will be visiting the Hida-Takayama folk village. This fantastic outdoor museum is made up of a collection of old traditional style houses from all around the 'Hida' region. This is a rare chance to catch a glimpse of what life was like for ordinary Japanese before industrial advancement was undertaken by the new Meiji regime in 1868. In the afternoon you might like to check out some of the museums in the area or perhaps take a stroll round some of the many beautiful shrines and temples.
If you would like to send on your luggage to Tokyo before we head up into the mountains, now is the time to do it. Your Buddy will help you out and your bags will be waiting for you when we check in to the hotel in Tokyo.
Dinner will again be served at the Minshuku this evening. More top tucker!
Day 12: Kamikochi - meals: breakfast and BBQ dinner
After breakfast at the ryokan we will take the bus up into the mountains. After around 1h25 we will enter the national park and it is about another 15 minutes to the drop of point. The Kamikochi plateau is nearly 1500m above sea level and later in the season it will be cool. So anyone coming in September or October remember to bring warm clothing for night time as temperatures can fall below freezing. The park is one of the most beautiful places in Japan with each season providing a different experience. In Spring the leaves are green and the freshly melted winter snows swell the river which runs through the heart of the park. In Autumn the turning leaves provide a backdrop of stunning reds, oranges and browns.
The night before we will have stocked up at the local supermarket in Takayama and tonight we shall barbecue over a real fire!
This is a great chance for you to relax and perhaps do some walking or hiking. There are a variety of trails to walk and if you are lucky you might get to laugh at the antics of the park's many resident wild monkeys! There is also an onsen where you take a natural hotspring bath. Customers should note that there are no private washing facilities here. Bathing is at the communal bath house (or 'onsen') Men and women are separate.
Day 13: Kamikochi - meals: breakfast
A second day in the Japan Alps for some more walking, relaxation or hot spring dips!
Day 14: Tokyo - meals: breakfast
We'll be taking an early bus down to Matsumoto, from where we will transfer by express train back to Tokyo. The journey is absolutely stunning as the road twists and turns down the valley through a series of seemingly never-ending tunnels. Once we reach Matsumoto we will have time if people wish to stop off for a couple of hours to visit the famous castle. It is one of the finest examples of an original castle still surviving in Japan, escaping as it has the ravages of fire and war which have destroyed so many of Japan's other feudal castles. After the castle we'll take some lunch before heading back to the station to catch the train to Tokyo. Don't worry about your luggage; you can leave it in coin lockers at the station when we first arrive.
You can't get two more contrasting faces of Japan in one day and when you step off the train at Tokyo's Shinjuku station it will be hard to believe you are still in the same country. It is quite a long journey with a travel time of around 6 hours in total. We will aim to arrive back at the Tokyo hotel by around 6pm at the latest. This evening may be a good opportunity to visit the kabuki for a bit of traditional Japanese theatre. If you buy a full ticket an English simultaneous translation is available which will enable you to understand quite why it is that everyone around is splitting their sides with laughter! Or perhaps you'd rather go to the imposing Tokyo Dome and catch a spot of baseball, Japan's modern day national sport.
This is the final day of the tour so we hope that you might join with your Buddy for a farewell meal in the evening. A chance for one last night of good food before heading home.
Day 15: sayonara!
Sadly the tour is over and we all have to say our farewells and go our separate ways. Your transfer ticket back to Narita airport is included and your Buddy will check out the times for you to make sure you're in good time for your flight home.
Important Practical Information
Transport: Please note that all transfers are by public transport making use of Japan's first-rate transport network. All the hotels and ryokan have been chosen for their location close to the nearest station. However, you will have to carry your bags for short distances and some stations do not have escalators. We highly recommend that to make your stay more enjoyable you pack reasonably light. Large suitcases will be an inconvenience to you. A small case or bag or best of all, a rucksack, are most appropriate for this tour. Clothes washing machines are available in Tokyo, Hakone and Osaka for a small fee.
Accommodation: The hotels in Tokyo, Kamakura and Osaka and the ryokan in Kyoto are equipped with full en-suite facilities (attached bath, shower and toilet). The traditional Japanese Inn in Hakone has private-use communal facilities. The traditional inn in Takayama has shared single sex showers and large baths. Customers should note that in Kamikochi the only private washing facilities are pay showers. Bathing is at the communal bath house (Men and women are separate) or at the Kamikochi Onsen (hot-spring) Hotel. You will need your own towel in Kamikochi. We are also not able to provide single rooms in Kamikochi as we will be staying in log cabins where this is not an option. We may also ask single travellers to share a room (same sex share) in Kamakura, Hakone, Kyoto and Takayama.
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