DAYS 1–2
Tokyo
A welcome dinner in Akasaka’s lantern-lit side streets. Then a day across the city: the Edo-period Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, old-town Yanaka, the shrine gates of Nezu, Senso-ji (Tokyo’s oldest temple) and Kappabashi, the cookware street chefs love.
DAYS 3–4
Nagoya and Inuyama
Bullet train to Nagoya and the Noritake porcelain museum, then on to Inuyama, a riverside castle town with onsen hot springs. Watch a goma fire ceremony, walk the old town, climb one of Japan’s twelve original castles and finish with matcha and wagashi sweets in a garden teahouse.
DAYS 5–7
Kyoto
A kaiseki lunch on Lake Biwa and the temples of Mii-dera on the way in, then an evening with a maiko. Explore Kyoto’s quieter side: the 1,001 statues of Sanjusangendo, Daigo-ji’s ancient pagoda, the Heian Shrine gardens and the sake breweries of Fushimi. A free day for antiques, favorite neighborhoods or a day trip to Himeji Castle or Hiroshima.
DAYS 8–9
Nagasaki
First-class Green Car on the bullet train. Glover Garden’s harbor views, the old Dejima trading post, a reflective visit to the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum, and one of Japan’s great night views from the top of Mount Inasa.
DAYS 10–11
Kyushu and Fukuoka
Walk the tea rows of Higashi-Sonogi with the farmers who grow it, then visit Okawachiyama, the “village of secret kilns.” A boat ride through the willow-lined canals of Yanagawa, an Edo-period samurai residence, and an evening at Fukuoka’s yatai food stalls.
DAYS 12–13
Osaka
A street-food night in Shinsekai: kushikatsu, takoyaki and okonomiyaki. A free day for Nara’s deer and temples or Kuromon Market, then teamLab’s glowing digital garden after dark.
DAYS 14–15
Tokyo
Back by bullet train for Ginza’s food halls or Hamarikyu Gardens, and a farewell dinner to toast the trip.
