Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo.
Arrive at Tokyo, pass through immigration; collect your luggage and clear customs. If you have booked an arrival transfer through us, then our assistant will meet you just outside of the secure area, and they will take you to the hotel by private van transfer.
Check into the hotel and relax.
Arrival time is scattered this evening, so have a good rest, ready for the week ahead.
Overnight: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier.
Day 2: Tokyo – New & Old
*Our luggage will be forwarded to Kyoto this morning.
We meet this morning for breakfast to say hi to each other, and to go over our upcoming journey. After breakfast, we embark on a full-day tour to discover some of the complex and rich culture, history, and society that underlie the city.
We catch the train to the charming neighborhood of Yanaka Ginza. Yanaka Ginza retains the nostalgic charm of old Japan while still buzzing with the energy of the present. Often referred to as one of Tokyo’s “shitamachi” (literally means lower town), it is a district that offers a glimpse into the city’s past, a world away from the high-tech modernity and neon lights you might associate with Tokyo. From beautiful temples and historic cemeteries to the bustling shopping street filled with local vendors selling traditional Japanese goods, there’s so much to love and explore here.
We visit Nezu Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest shrines, set in lush greenery with ponds of carp, pathways that are tunnels of small shrine arches, and elegant, beautifully colored, wooden structures that reflect Japanese culture in all its age and beauty.
We return to the Ginza district, where we are staying where we will browse floors of art at the incredible Ginza Okuno Building. Hidden amidst Ginza’s glitzy shopping malls and boutiques, it is a time capsule, an apartment built in the Showa era (1926–1989) that’s a prime example of early modernist architecture. The Ginza Okuno building is beautifully preserved, with many of the lots now turned into antique shops and art galleries. For a glimpse into what life was like back then, walk into Room 306, which has been left as is since its last tenant.
From here, you can call it a day and head back to the hotel, or continue wandering. You’ll find magnificent examples of architecture all over the city, but the upscale neighborhood of Ginza is the mecca of modernist Tokyo architecture. It centers around a major avenue called Chuo-dori, which some call the 5th Avenue of Tokyo: a broad street lined with high-end fashion stores, each trying to outdo one another with impressive displays and buildings. You can visit a depachika, shop at Ginza 6, stop at Itoya, one of the city’s most beautiful and well-stocked stationary shops, and shop at the Muji Super Store or the UniQlo Flagship Store. You can take some time to walk past the likes of Nissan Crossing, Ginza Place, Louis Vuitton Ginza, Hermes, Mikimoto Ginza, and Yamaha Ginza.
After a long day, your evening is free.
Overnight: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier (B / L)
Day 3: Tokyo to Kyoto
This morning, we taxi to the station and board our shinkansen to Kyoto. This is about a 2-hour journey. (We grab a Bento Box at the station before we board for our lunch.)
We are met at Kyoto Station by our driver and we transfer to a minimalist, highly contemporary and deeply Japanese teahouse which emphasizes natural materials such as wood and stone, and provides an incredibly calming setting. Matcha (or any other variant of green tea), is precisely prepared by experts in front of you, and is accompanied by delicate wagashi that follows the rhythm of the seasons. As an intentional, precise ritual, the tea ceremony forces you to put aside other thoughts in order to focus on the visceral actions of measuring, scooping, pouring, stirring and swirling a chawan. It involves all the senses – sight, sound, smell, touch and taste – with the final sensation being the warm, slightly bitter and umami drink flowing down the throat and warming the stomach. There is a selection of carefully selected Japanese teas, with a focus on tea from Uji, Kyoto. You can enjoy seasonal sweets, matcha, Japanese tea brewed in a teapot, and the world of handicrafts.
After this sublime expereince, we transfer to our hotel, and check in. This evening, we dine together at the hotel.
Overnight: TBC (B / L – Bento Box / D)
Day 4: Kyoto
After breakfast, we visit the The Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design, The museum highlights the city’s 74 traditional craft categories through multimedia displays and pop-up exhibitions that zero in on themes such as geiko (or geisha) costumery and kabuki dance-dramas. If we are lucky, we will be there when traditional ceramicists, kyo-nui embroiders and lantern makers pop in for craft demonstrations.
We can then wander over to Kyoto Okazaki Tsutaya Books – for perusing and coffee. This amazing store is where “tradition and the cutting edge” of art and culture resonate throughout all floors and divided into four different scenarios -“Eat & Drink”, “Interiors”, “Wear” and “Think”. In addition to some 60,000 books covering a wide range of fields, as well as stationery and handicrafts that bring art into daily life, the store also has several art spaces featuring the trending contemporary artworks.
We will also drop into the stunning Essence Kyoto, a refined ceramics shop showcasing modern Japanese folk art and seasonal collections from local artists.
Lunch will be at along the banks of a lovely canal near the Shirakawa Bridge where a small kitchen showcases truly good products made in the Tango Peninsula.
After lunch, we visit the divine and serene Shōrenin Temple. Shoren-in is one of the five Monzeki temples of the Tendai sect in Kyoto; the head priests at these temples originally belonged to the imperial family. It is is an intimate temple situated against the green of the Higashiyama Mountains. Because it was originally built as a residence rather than a religious building, the place looks more like a villa than a temple. The buildings look over an exquisite garden, which is centered on a tranquil carp pond.
From here, we wander over to the Tenjuan Garden which has the most beautiful garden among the sub-temple buildings of Nanzenji Temple. Tenju-an is a small temple of Japanese Zen Rinzai Buddhism, and is a dry garden enhanced in Autumn by the reddening leaves of Japanese maple trees.
We return to our hotel, and your evening is free..
Overnight: TBC (B / L)
Day 5: Kyoto
This morning, we discover the Higashiyama district of the city, starting with a visit to Kawai Kanjiro’s house and studio. For lovers of design, art, and architecture, a visit to Kawai Kanjiro’s house will not disappoint. It’s a rare opportunity to discover the style and humanity of a wonderful Japanese artist who influenced generations of potters and craftsmen. Kanjiro not only designed the house but also crafted most of the furniture and artwork that gave this memorial museum its unique character and style. Left exactly as it was when Kanjiro lived in it with his children and grandchildren, the home features his vast body of work, which includes ceramics, sculpture, wood carvings, and calligraphy. Part Machiya townhouse and part rustic country home, it is one of very few original Kyoto residences open to the public.
We will then wander over to the World Heritage-listed Kiyomizu-dera, one of Kyoto’s most ancient temples, built without a single nail. The temple’s wooden stage is undoubtedly what the temple is most famous for, offering an outstanding panoramic view of Kyoto rising out of a sea of maples. Two streets near Kiyomizu-dera temple, the steep Sannenzaka and meandering Ninenzaka, are among the most popular shopping streets in Kyoto. Composed almost entirely of traditional wooden buildings, on these streets it’s easy to feel as if you’ve slipped back in time while making your way up the stone paths, passing by shops selling a variety of goods, from traditional crafts to more local treats.
Two streets near Kiyomizu-dera temple, the steep Sannenzaka and meandering Ninenzaka, are among the most popular shopping streets in Kyoto. Composed almost entirely of traditional wooden buildings, on these streets it’s easy to feel as if you’ve slipped back in time while making your way up the stone paths, passing by shops selling a variety of goods, from traditional crafts to more local treats.
Gion district was originally developed to serve food and drinks for pilgrims visiting Yasaka Shrine, and this district has flourished as the largest geisha quarter in Kyoto. Gion is now home to exclusive restaurants, casual cafés, sweet shops, and art and crafts shops. We will stroll through picturesque cobblestone streets as well as Gion Shirakawa, where weeping willow trees are lined along the canal. If you are an art lover, you will love Shinmonzen Street, with many antique shops that carry Japanese pottery, paintings, woodblock prints, hanging scrolls, and other art and crafts.
Return to the hotel for rest & refresh before we meet for dinner.
Overnight: TBC (B / L / D)
Day 6: Kyoto – Miyama – Kyoto
*Our luggage will be forwarded to Takamatsu this morning.
Today after breakfast, we drive out of Kyoto for a day trip. We will head into the countryside for amazing architecture, art, nature and traditional crafts.
For centuries, Miyama has provided a peaceful mountain retreat from nearby Kyoto. The region is well known within Japan for its traditional village atmosphere, with many small hamlets nestled between steep forested mountains. Miyama means ‘beautiful mountains’. The mountains have not only dictated the name of the region but also played a key role in the development of Miyama’s culture and way of life. This culture is still alive today, the farmers of Miyama grow more food than is needed to support the population of around 4200, and houses are still built using local wood harvested from the forests. The people of Miyama maintain a deep connection with the nature that surrounds them, and the rhythm of the seasons dictates much of what people do and when they do it. Appreciation and gratitude for nature remain the foundation of the culture that has been preserved for more than 1000 years in these valleys.
We spend the day exploring the thatched village of Kayabuki no Sato and surrounds; the Kayabuki Art Museum & Folklore Museum; the Little Indigo Museum (a privately owned museum of indigo dyeing artist, Hiromichi Shindo); Chii Hachiman Shrine; the Ishida Farm House; and the Shrine of Karasu Dengaku (designated a Kyoto Prefectural Intangible Folklore Cultural Property); all dependent on opening days.
Lunch will be home-grown buckwheat noodles, Miyama water, and hand-made soba served in a thatched roofed house.
We return to Kyoto in the early evening. Your evening is free.
Overnight: TBC (B / L)
Day 7: Kyoto to Takamatsu
This morning we transfer to the train station for our Shinkansen to Okayama. In Okayama, we switch to the Rapid Mariner Train headed for Takamatsu, on Japan’s fourth largest island, Shikoku. The Rapid Marine Liner runs directly to Takamatsu across the scenic Seto-Ohashi Bridge, over the Seto Island Bridge. The bridge, or rather the series of bridges jumping from islet to islet, opened in 1988, spans 9.4 km and took nearly a decade to build. And the views from the train are amazing!
We walk to our hotel (about a 2-minute walk), check-in, and refresh.
We are then picked up by our van and whisked off to the incredible Ritsurin Garden. Ritsurin Garden is the largest Cultural Property Garden in all of Japan and has been maintained for nearly 400 years. The garden features six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills in front of the green vista of Mt. Shiun. Seasonal flowers and one thousand carefully maintained pine trees create gorgeous scenery that changes throughout the seasons. We will have a cup of matcha tea at the Kikugetsutei teahouse, view old tools and crafts at the on-site Sanuki Folk Craft Museum, and ride in one of the traditional wooden boats that circle the garden’s South Pond.
We then return to our hotel.
Tonight, we dine in-house and get a good night’s sleep to prepare for our Naoshima adventure.
Overnight: JR Clement Hotel (B / L – Bento Box / D)
Day 8: Naoshima
Today, we go by ferry to Naoshima Island, which has gained international acclaim for its remarkable fusion of contemporary art, stunning architecture, and serene coastal landscapes. We are picked up by our Private Van, and begin our Naoshima discovery.
We start our day with a visit to the Ando Museum, followed by entry to one of the Art House Projects nearby. The Art House Project sees artists take empty houses scattered about residential areas and turn the spaces into works of art, weaving in history and memories of the period when the buildings were lived in and used. You not only engage with works of art but also sense the layers of time and history interwoven in the community and the fabric of local people’s lives.
Before jumping back onto our bus, we will visit the Naoshima New Museum of Art, designed by Tadao Ando, and it will be his tenth architectural work among the art facilities of Benesse Art Site Naoshima.
We visit the standouts: the Chichu Art Museum, designed by architect Tadao Ando, and Benesse House Museum which features contemporary artworks displayed in various indoor and outdoor spaces where we can admire works by acclaimed artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and David Hockney. We also stop at Velley Gallery which showcases Yayoi Kusama Narcissus Garden and Tsuyoshi Ozawa’s Slag Buddha 88-Eighty-eight Buddha Statues Created Using Slag from Industrial Waste at Teshima.
Before arriving back at the port, we will drop into Valley Gallery, unlike any conventional art experience. Along the winding path that leads to the entrance, visitors pass a small lake with mirrored stainless steel spheres on its banks, part of Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden installation. Nearby is Tsuyoshi Ozawa’s Slag Buddha 88, which features 88 Buddha statuettes created using slag from illegally dumped industrial waste
And, of course, we see Yayoi Kusama’s famous giant pumpkin, and SANAA-designed Marine Station at Miyanoura Port.
We return to Takamatsu in the evening on the ferry. After a huge, but fabulous, day your evening is free.
Overnight: JR Clement Hotel. (B / L)
Day 9: Teshima Art Island
This morning, we board our ferry to Teshima Island. (*We take a 30-minute high-speed Ferry to Naoshima first, then another 30-minute high-speed ferry to Teshima.) Again, we have a Private Van to ferry us around the island.
What once was a rural island suffering from depopulation has been revitalised by the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival and several museums built on Teshima. It offers stunning coastal views, rolling hills, and vibrant flora.
We visit sites including Yokoo House and Les Archives du Couer, one of multiple locations worldwide where visitors can make recordings of their heartbeats and listen to the recorded heartbeats of other people .
We eat lunch at a restaurant with an ocean view that offers popular fare made with a wide variety of Teshima Island ingredients.
One of the main highlights of Teshima is the Teshima Art Museum, a remarkable architectural and artistic creation nestled within a hillside. Designed by Ryue Nishizawa and Rei Naito, the museum combines the natural environment with innovative design. Standing amongst terraced rice fields, the simple concrete structure stimulates its visitors’ senses with the play of water drops on a concrete surface.
We return to Takamatsu by ferry and to our hotel. Another big day, your evening is free.
Overnight: JR Clement Hotel. (B / L)
Day 10: Shodoshima
This morning, after breakfast, we take a take a high-speed ferry to Shodoshima (about 30 minutes) and discover not only more art, but also tour a soy sauce factory and check out the olive production. It is the largest island in the area, and thanks to its size, it is the island that hosts the largest number of artworks for the art festival.
Shodoshima literally means “small bean island”. This technically refers to the azuki bean, but today it could more fittingly refer to the soy bean or olive, as the island has traditionally been a producer of soy sauce and is now even better known for its olive plantations. Shodoshima is the first place in Japan where olives were grown successfully, an achievement celebrated at Shodoshima’s Olive Park. Olives are still grown and processed here from 2,000 olive trees in a setting reminiscent of Mediterranean Greece.
Shoyu, or soy sauce, has been produced on Shodoshima for more than 400 years. Marukin established their business on Shodoshima in 1904 because the three main soy sauce ingredients—salt, soybeans, and wheat—were all available on the island. The Marukin Soy Sauce Museum is a repurposed soy sauce factory that features a massive indoor space and exposed wooden beams. Here, we learn about the history of the production of soy sauce, and see how it’s made up close.
Time permitting, we will also visit Nakayama village, famous for its 800 rice paddy fields located on the slopes of Yufune Mountain.
We ferry back to Takamatsu.
We can join together tonight to enjoy a cocktail to celebrate our fabulous Art Islands experience before our final meal together.
Overnight: JR Clement Hotel. (B / L / D)
Day 11: Depart
Your final day. Time to say farewell, Arigatou Gozaimashita. (B)
Enjoy a lazy breakfast, and then prepare for your transfer to the airport or walk to the train station.
*Transfer to Takamatsu airport to board your Domestic flight, connect with International, or carry on elsewhere in Japan.
*Walk to Takamatsu train station to board your train back to Osaka, Kyoto, or Tokyo, or to carry on elsewhere in Japan.
*Departure transfers to the airport are not included, as guests depart at different times.
*We will help arrange transfers, and match up guests departing at the same time.
