Tours to Japan

Japan is an archipelago of four main islands, Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, stretching from subarctic north to subtropical Okinawa. Most first trips follow the Golden Route along Honshu, linked by the Tokaido Shinkansen: Tokyo, with districts as different as Shibuya, Asakusa and the shrine forest of Meiji Jingu; the lakes and viewpoints around Mount Fuji in Hakone and the Fuji Five Lakes; then Kyoto, home to the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the gilded Kinkaku-ji and the wooden lanes of Gion and Higashiyama. Nearby Nara has the giant bronze Buddha of Todai-ji, and Osaka adds street-food energy in Dotonbori and the moated Osaka Castle.

Two weeks allows the classic circuit plus one extension: the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go, the preserved merchant town of Takayama and the mountain scenery of the Japanese Alps, or westward to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the floating torii of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. Ten days covers Tokyo, Fuji, Kyoto and Osaka at a steady pace. Spring, from late March to early April, brings cherry blossom, while October and November bring autumn colour and comfortable temperatures; both seasons are busy. June is the rainy season, July and August are hot and humid, and winter offers clear views of Fuji and powder snow in Hokkaido and Nagano.

Food varies by region as much as scenery. Tokyo is known for sushi and Edo-style tempura, Osaka for takoyaki and okonomiyaki, Kyoto for kaiseki multi-course dining and Buddhist vegetarian shojin ryori, and Hiroshima for its layered style of okonomiyaki. Ramen changes from city to city, from rich tonkotsu in Fukuoka to miso ramen in Sapporo. A night in a ryokan, with tatami rooms, a hot-spring bath and a seasonal dinner, is one of the most distinctive experiences the country offers.