WINTER IN JAPAN: TOKYO, NAGANO, KYOTO, HAKONE

• Enjoy the different faces of Tokyo, from cutting-edge digital art to the traditional beauty of the Meiji Shrine and the Nezu Museum garden

• Ascend to Nagano, the ‘roof of Japan’, where snow monkeys bathe in mountain hot springs and Hokusai left masterworks in a charming village

• Appreciate Kyoto’s wintry elegance at Zen temples and in small museums dedicated to raku and to tea ceremony

• Take a day trip to the contemporary Miho Museum, perfectly nestled in the mountains outside Kyoto

• Relax in Hakone, known for its onsen culture but also for excellent private collections of art and sculpture

• Benefit from the leadership of Dr Kathleen Olive, an experienced guide who has designed and led numerous tours to Japan

THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2027 – ARRIVAL (D) – NATIONAL HOLIDAY

The tour begins in the lobby of our hotel at 3.00pm, with an orientation stroll of the Sensō-ji temple complex next to our hotel. Later, we enjoy a welcome dinner near our hotel. Overnight Tokyo. Please note: an arrivals transfer from Haneda or Narita international airports to our group hotel in Tokyo is included for each tour participant; contact us for further information.

FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2027 – MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART IN TOKYO (B)

In recent years, Japan has developed a reputation for contemporary art that is innovative both from the perspective of aesthetics and from that of the medium. We spend today surveying the excellent collections of modern and contemporary art to be found in the city, beginning with a visit to the teamLab Borderless project at Azabudai Hills. This digital art collective, founded in 2001, designs immersive digital art projects that are engaging, responsive and deeply beautiful. They offer thoughtful perspectives on our changing environment, our physical health and emotional wellbeing, and the place of art in the contemporary world. After lunch at leisure, we continue to Roppongi. In the twentieth century, this neighbourhood developed an international flavour thanks to foreign embassies and residents; postwar, it became known for a number of significant museums and galleries, many established by the large corporations that dominated Japan’s financial landscape during the Bubble Economy. We visit two galleries, selected for their temporary exhibitions. Returning to the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Tokyo.

SATURDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2027 – GARDENS & SHRINES OF TOKYO (B)

From the seventeenth to mid-nineteenth century, Tokyo – or “Edo”, as it was known – was the shogun’s administrative capital. After the Meiji Restoration of imperial rule, the city became an imperial capital for the first time. Today we survey two sites associated with the wealth and power of Edo’s ruling class. At the Nezu Museum, we admire the collection of classical Chinese antiquities and fine Japanese tea ceremony objects collected by a connoisseur whose family grew to wealth thanks to the modern railroad. Kaichirō Nezu’s appreciation of tea ceremony led him to create one of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens, which thankfully escaped bombing during World War II. There is time for lunch at leisure on Omotesandō, the wide boulevard now associated with luxury shopping that is actually the road leading up to the Meiji Shrine. We visit the shrine together after lunch: it was constructed by the Meiji emperor in the early twentieth century as a commemoration of his wife, and his spirit is also enshrined here. It is one of the country’s most representative shrines, surrounded by a large sacred park with evergreen trees. We return to the hotel for an evening at leisure. Overnight Tokyo.

SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2027 – TO NAGANO (B, D)

We check out today and travel to Nagano via the comfortable Shinkansen, our bags shipped directly to Kyoto by van. (Please note: you will be travelling with carry-on luggage only for two nights.) There is time for an “ekiben” lunch on the train, the delicious and varied bento boxes that can be bought at railway stations throughout Japan. On arrival in Nagano, we meet our coach and make the short drive to the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum. Renowned architect Yoshio Taniguchi designed a special extension for the gallery displaying works by Higashiyama Kaii. This twentieth-century artist was known for his works in the Nihonga or “Japanese” style, taking traditional techniques and aesthetics and using them to return again and again to the landscape of the Japanese Alps. Afterwards, we continue to Zenkō-ji, a much-loved temple complex. It is believed to house the first statue of Amida Buddha ever brought to Japan, in the fifth century, and the temple is one of the country’s oldest – it was founded in the seventh century. If you are willing to navigate a short, underground passage – absolutely devoid of light, you can even feel your way to the “Key to Paradise” at this temple, a key embedded in the wall in the darkness that will bring salvation in the Pure Land to all who touch it! Continuing to our hotel, we check in and enjoy dinner together tonight. Overnight Nagano.

MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2027 – HOKUSAI IN OBUSE & SNOW MONKEYS IN THE ALPS (B, L)

This morning we head to Jigokudani Monkey Park, where wild Japanese Macaques luxuriate in the warm waters of natural hot springs, all set against a snowy mountain backdrop. (Please note: it is an approximately 30-minute walk from the coach to the springs where the monkeys bathe. It is an easy walk in itself, but snow can make the conditions slippery. Waterproof shoes with good grip are essential, and you may like to bring collapsible hiking poles. There is the option to sit out this visit in a local café.) Afterwards we continue to the small village of Obuse. Hokusai spent part of his later years here, under the patronage of a wealthy merchant, Takai Kozan. A collection of works can be seen during our visits to the Hokusai Museum and in the nearby Gansho-in temple complex. Lunch today is in Obuse; when we return to Nagano, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Nagano.

TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2027 – TO KYOTO (B, D)

We check out this morning and travel with our carry-on luggage to Kyoto on the Shinkansen. Lunch is again an ekiben purchased from the regional food court in Nagano station. Upon arrival in Kyoto, we meet our coach and travel to Sanjusangendō. This extraordinary twelfth-century temple enjoyed imperial patronage and is known as the Hall of 33 Bays for the regular intervals of its architecture. Its long interior is filled with 1,001 gilded wooden statues of the Kannon Buddha, or goddess of mercy, herself known for having a symbolic 1,000 arms. The proliferating statues – apparently identical but in point of fact each different from the next – are absolute masterpieces of Kamakura-era sculpture. Continuing to our hotel, we check in and have an orientation stroll before dinner together. Overnight Kyoto.

WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2027 – ZEN TEMPLES & A RAKU MUSEUM (B, L)

While Kyoto is not where Zen Buddhism first took root in Japan, its temple complexes from the fifteenth century in particular are generally considered to be the most emblematic in the country. Zen aesthetics could run the full gamut, from the severe dry landscape gardens that we associate with this style in the West through to a lavish display of wealth and power. We head first to Kinkaku-ji, or the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Originally a pleasure villa, it was converted into a Zen temple and it is entirely covered in goldleaf from Kanazawa. Its garden is one of Kyoto’s most beautiful. We then continue to Daitoku-ji, an enormous complex of Zen temples, in order to visit two of the most representative. At Daisen-in and Zuiho-in, we appreciate the history of dry landscape gardening and its Zen symbolism, before a shojin ryori or traditional Buddhist lunch. No animal products are used in this elaborate meal of successive and small courses of inventive dishes. (Please note: visiting Zen temples will mean removing your shoes for interior visits. Lunch today will require you to sit on the tatami flooring or on a low chair.) After lunch, we continue to the Raku Museum, a small private museum that explores the inventiveness of a pottery style strongly associated with the traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto. Returning to the hotel, the evening is at leisure.

THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2027 – CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE IN THE KYOTO HILLS (B)

Today we take an excursion into the hills outside Kyoto, in order to visit the Miho Museum. This extraordinary private museum complex is the headquarters for a Japanese faith group, who are dedicated to the purity of nature – in our physical surroundings but also in how we nourish our health. The striking I.M. Pei-designed buildings are therefore perfectly situated within the landscape, and have great beauty in all seasons. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions on themes connected to the group’s beliefs, and also has an excellent collection of antiquities. Lunch is at leisure in the museum restaurant. Afterwards, we return to Kyoto for the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight Kyoto.

FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2027 – KYOTO’S TRADITIONAL ARTS & CRAFTS (B)

This morning we focus on the refined arts and crafts scene of Kyoto, commencing with a visit to the Heian Shrine. A modern building and garden, it was designed in 1895 as a commemoration of Kyoto’s founding in 895 as “Heian-kyō”, the city of peace and tranquillity. Its garden is one of the most important modern recreations of classical Japanese garden design in the country. Afterwards, we continue to the Hosomi Museum, a private collection that is dedicated to the refined arts and crafts of the tea ceremony. There is the option to stay in this area to visit another museum, such as the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design or the National Museum of Modern Art. You would then make your way independently back to the hotel. Otherwise, a coach returns us to the hotel for an afternoon and evening at leisure. Overnight Kyoto.

SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2027 – THE BEAUTY OF MOUNT FUJI IN TEXTILE ART (B, D)

We check out today and depart Kyoto by Shinkansen, travelling with carry-on luggage only and enjoying an early ekiben lunch. (Please note that you may be travelling for up to two days without your checked luggage.) Near Mount Fuji we meet our coach and begin the drive towards the extraordinary sacred volcano that dominates the landscape in this region. It will come and go into view, with the clear winter skies usually ensuring the best perspectives on the mountain. Our destination is the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum, a private museum that recounts the passion project of a postwar kimono designer. Itchiku Kubota was determined to revive an ancient style of dying the panels for kimono, and the 36 kimono of his Symphony of Light were designed as a contiguous view of the Fuji landscape throughout the seasons. After visiting this outstanding small museum, we continue skirting Mount Fuji in order to arrive at Hakone, a series of small towns that are similarly dominated by the volcano and volcanic lakes of Mount Hakone. Dinner tonight is in our hotel. Overnight Hakone.

SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2027 – CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY ART IN HAKONE (B)

The beautiful landscape of the volcanic area around Mount Hakone, and the healing properties of its thermal waters, have long attracted holidaymakers. In the twentieth century, a number of prominent businessmen and corporations began to buy property in Hakone, endowing private museums with their extraordinary collections of art. Today, we visit two sites associated with this modern development. We begin at the Okada Museum of Art, which showcases the idiosyncratic tastes of a gambling tycoon. A lover of celadonware, ceramics from Arita and Imari, and painted screens of the Edo period, he has amassed a superlative collection of artefacts, housed in a modern museum that includes an outdoor public footbath to enjoy the thermal waters! We continue to the Hakone Open Air Museum, where lunch is at leisure before we survey its sculpture park of works by great Japanese and international sculptors. The park enjoys beautiful vistas over the surrounding hills. Returning to the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Hakone.

MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2027 – A BEAUTIFUL MUSEUM IN THE FOREST (B, D)

This morning and lunch are at leisure, an opportunity for you to relax and enjoy the thermal waters in the hotel onsen, or to stroll into town for a browse of the shops and small restaurants. Afterwards, we meet and travel by coach to panoramic Lake Ashi, before making a visit of the Pola Museum of Art. It showcases the large collection – over 9,500 works! – of a businessman with a passion for French Impressionism. The museum has one of the country’s largest collections of these works and they are beautifully displayed in a glass box that takes full advantage of its mountain location. We then continue to a fine local restaurant for an early farewell dinner, an opportunity to reflect on our experiences together. Overnight Hakone.

TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2027 – KAMAKURA & DEPARTURE (B, L) – NATIONAL HOLIDAY

We check out today and travel by private coach, together with our luggage, to the nearby seaside town of Kamakura. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the military government that first wrested power away from the imperial family, and it became associated with an outstanding art movement: in sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy in particular. The best known example of this style is the so-called Daibutsu or Great Buddha of Kamakura, a giant bronze sculpture cast in the twelfth century for the hall of a temple. The temple was washed away by a later cataclysmic weather event, and today the Great Buddha sits benevolently in the open air. After a light lunch together, we continue to Kamakura’s Hokokuji, a small temple known for its serene bamboo grove. Continuing together to Tokyo’s Haneda international airport, we arrive ca 5.00pm in time for evening departures to Australia. Those continuing their journey within Japan can travel easily into central Tokyo from the airport. Contact us before booking your flights, to ensure that your departure airport and flight time coincide with our tour plans. Tour arrangements conclude upon arrival at Haneda international airport.

Asakusa View Annex Rokku 4* Tokyo, 3 nights

https://www.viewhotels.jp/asakusa-annex/

Our Standard Twin rooms are a generous 28sqm in size.

Hotel Metropolitan 4* Nagano, 2 nights

https://nagano.hotel-metropolitan.com/

Note that at this property only, we will use Single category rooms for solo travellers. They are 18sqm and well designed, with true double beds. As you will be travelling with carry-on luggage only, we believe the room category is appropriate.

Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Premier 4* Kyoto, 4 nights

https://solaria-kyoto.nnr-h.com/

Our 26sqm rooms are in the Standard Twin category.

Tenseien ryokan 4* Hakone, 3 nights

https://www.tenseien.co.jp/language/

In this traditional hotel, we have reserved 44sqm tatami-mat rooms with Western-style beds and a simple private bathroom. The hotel also has a thermal onsen for bathing.

NB: hotels of a similar standard may be substituted. Note that, in Japan, twin-bedded rooms are for sharing and double-bedded rooms are limited. Contact us for further information.

• 13 nights’ accommodation at 4* hotels

• All breakfasts and 8 lunches or dinners, including drinks

• All ground transport, guided tours and entrance fees to sites as mentioned in the itinerary, and tipping

• Private transfer from Tokyo Haneda or Narita airport to the group hotel on arrival

• Commentary and expertise of an Australian tour leader

• Commentary by and services of an English-speaking Japanese national guide throughout

• Access to a set of online tour lectures, as hotels do not have talk rooms

A $1,500pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

A second deposit of $2,000pp is due on 14 October 2026.

We will invoice you for final payment for the tour, due on 28 November 2026.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.