Yonago
Nagoya
Nagoya is located at the head of Ise Bay on the south eastern coast of central Honshu. Sights of interest include Nagoya Castle (1610 rebuilt 1959), one of the largest of the Edo period, Tokugawa Art Museum, Citizen Hall, Aichi Cultural Centre, Chunichi Hall, and Misono Theatre. You can also visit the zoological and botanical gardens in Higashiyama Park. Further afield, the Atsuta Shrine and the Grand Shrine of Ise are the oldest and most highly esteemed Shinto shrines in Japan.
Okayama
Okayama is home to some of the most beautiful attractions in Japan. Nature lovers will enjoy visiting the stunning Japanese Gardens at Koraku-en, which includes lawns, ponds, hills, tea houses, and streams. Another popular stop for visitors is the Okayama Castle. This medieval castle is a national treasure and was at one time captured by the infamous Tokugawa Clan. Okayama also has a number of museums exhibiting Japan's history including the residence of a former Ashimori Samurai Clan.
Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.
Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place.
The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions.
Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.
Excursions
Wheeling Your Way Through Tokyo - 6 Hours
Forget the bus, get out of the car, and by no means take the subway – experience Tokyo by bicycle a seemingly unusual way to explore one of the world’s largest megalopolises. But once on your bike and pedaling through the city’s many and varied neighborhoods you will experience Tokyo in a truly unique way.
You will transfer to Chuo-ku, Tokyo where you choose your bicycle and try it out before setting off. Once ready and under the supervision of your cycling guide set off for the Tour de Tokyo pedaling your way through some of the distinctive districts that make Tokyo so memorable:–
↓
Tsukishima (traditional market area famed for its monjayaki savoury pancake) and Tsukiji Outer Market the largest seafood market in the world.
↓
Ginza (Tokyo’s chic shopping district – the city’s “Fifth Avenue”)
↓
Shinbashi Station (Japan’s oldest railway station)
↓
Azabu Juban Village (eclectic, eccentric and exciting – where trendy meets traditional)
↓
Roppongi, Aoyama and Harajuku & Omotesando (iconic architecture and fashion forward for today’s Tokyo)
↓
Yoyogi Park (site of the 1964 Olympic Village – weather permitting enjoy a picnic lunch)
↓
The New National Stadium (site of the 2020 Opening Ceremonies)
↓
Meiji Jingu Shrine (Tokyo’s revered Shinto Shrine set within a verdant forest park)
↓
Yoyogi National Stadium (Tange Kenzo’s stunning design for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games)
↓
Jingu Gaien Mall (the beautiful Gingko lined Avenue)
↓
Akasaka Palace (the magnificent State Guest House)
↓
Parliament House (the site of the National Diet)
↓
Imperial Palace Grounds (The Iconic Nijubashi Bridge and the moat)
↓
Tokyo Station + KITTE (Marunouchi Minami Exit side)
↓
15:00: Arrive at Chuo-ku, Tokyo – the end of this Tokyo tour
Hiroshima
Hiroshima in southwestern Honshu has grown rapidly as a commercial city, and after 1868 it was developed as a military base. Every August 6 since 1947, thousands participate in multidenominational services in the Peace Memorial Park built on the site where the bomb exploded. After the war the city was largely rebuilt, and commercial activity gradually resumed. Visit the Peace Park but also explore Miyajima Island and its colourful shrines and mysterious forests.
Kyoto
If you can visit only one city in Japan, Kyoto is the one. This ancient city, 30 mi/50 km northeast of Osaka, was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years and still is considered the country's spiritual capital. Thousands of shrines and temples dot the city, including more than a dozen on the UNESCO World Heritage list. That list is far from all-inclusive, and many excellent places that might be the star attractions of other cities crowd the streets of Kyoto. It is a center of Japanese Zen and has several huge monastery complexes where serious students still sit in meditation.
Kyoto is also the nation's capital of traditional arts. Whether your interest be in pottery, textiles, dance, the tea ceremony or any of the other innumerable arts, Kyoto has excellent galleries, museums, shops and tea houses. Japanese people from the countryside and foreign students flock there to learn under the great masters. Much of what is considered Japanese haute cuisine was developed there too, as an offshoot of the tea ceremony.
Kyoto is Japan's heartland of history. With 1,300 years of tumultuous existence, the city's past intrudes upon the present day as in few other Japanese cities. In Gion, you can spot a geisha (or geiko, as they are called in Kyoto), one of the last hundred or so in Japan, slipping down a side-street to entertain rich guests with witty conversation, dance or music. A shopping arcade may suddenly fill with discordant clanging music as a shrine festival passes among the shoppers, or you may hear the long chant as Zen monks pass through the neighborhood, calling for alms.
Kyoto is an understated city that might disappoint visitors at first (at first glance, it is a large city with modern buildings that might not align with one's original perception); its charm lies in small details, pocket gardens, tiny traditional restaurants and refined artwork.
Nagoya is located at the head of Ise Bay on the south eastern coast of central Honshu. Sights of interest include Nagoya Castle (1610 rebuilt 1959), one of the largest of the Edo period, Tokugawa Art Museum, Citizen Hall, Aichi Cultural Centre, Chunichi Hall, and Misono Theatre. You can also visit the zoological and botanical gardens in Higashiyama Park. Further afield, the Atsuta Shrine and the Grand Shrine of Ise are the oldest and most highly esteemed Shinto shrines in Japan.
Okayama is home to some of the most beautiful attractions in Japan. Nature lovers will enjoy visiting the stunning Japanese Gardens at Koraku-en, which includes lawns, ponds, hills, tea houses, and streams. Another popular stop for visitors is the Okayama Castle. This medieval castle is a national treasure and was at one time captured by the infamous Tokugawa Clan. Okayama also has a number of museums exhibiting Japan's history including the residence of a former Ashimori Samurai Clan.
Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.
Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place.
The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions.
Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.
Excursions
Wheeling Your Way Through Tokyo - 6 Hours
Forget the bus, get out of the car, and by no means take the subway – experience Tokyo by bicycle a seemingly unusual way to explore one of the world’s largest megalopolises. But once on your bike and pedaling through the city’s many and varied neighborhoods you will experience Tokyo in a truly unique way.
You will transfer to Chuo-ku, Tokyo where you choose your bicycle and try it out before setting off. Once ready and under the supervision of your cycling guide set off for the Tour de Tokyo pedaling your way through some of the distinctive districts that make Tokyo so memorable:–
↓
Tsukishima (traditional market area famed for its monjayaki savoury pancake) and Tsukiji Outer Market the largest seafood market in the world.
↓
Ginza (Tokyo’s chic shopping district – the city’s “Fifth Avenue”)
↓
Shinbashi Station (Japan’s oldest railway station)
↓
Azabu Juban Village (eclectic, eccentric and exciting – where trendy meets traditional)
↓
Roppongi, Aoyama and Harajuku & Omotesando (iconic architecture and fashion forward for today’s Tokyo)
↓
Yoyogi Park (site of the 1964 Olympic Village – weather permitting enjoy a picnic lunch)
↓
The New National Stadium (site of the 2020 Opening Ceremonies)
↓
Meiji Jingu Shrine (Tokyo’s revered Shinto Shrine set within a verdant forest park)
↓
Yoyogi National Stadium (Tange Kenzo’s stunning design for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games)
↓
Jingu Gaien Mall (the beautiful Gingko lined Avenue)
↓
Akasaka Palace (the magnificent State Guest House)
↓
Parliament House (the site of the National Diet)
↓
Imperial Palace Grounds (The Iconic Nijubashi Bridge and the moat)
↓
Tokyo Station + KITTE (Marunouchi Minami Exit side)
↓
15:00: Arrive at Chuo-ku, Tokyo – the end of this Tokyo tour
Hiroshima in southwestern Honshu has grown rapidly as a commercial city, and after 1868 it was developed as a military base. Every August 6 since 1947, thousands participate in multidenominational services in the Peace Memorial Park built on the site where the bomb exploded. After the war the city was largely rebuilt, and commercial activity gradually resumed. Visit the Peace Park but also explore Miyajima Island and its colourful shrines and mysterious forests.
If you can visit only one city in Japan, Kyoto is the one. This ancient city, 30 mi/50 km northeast of Osaka, was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years and still is considered the country's spiritual capital. Thousands of shrines and temples dot the city, including more than a dozen on the UNESCO World Heritage list. That list is far from all-inclusive, and many excellent places that might be the star attractions of other cities crowd the streets of Kyoto. It is a center of Japanese Zen and has several huge monastery complexes where serious students still sit in meditation.
Kyoto is also the nation's capital of traditional arts. Whether your interest be in pottery, textiles, dance, the tea ceremony or any of the other innumerable arts, Kyoto has excellent galleries, museums, shops and tea houses. Japanese people from the countryside and foreign students flock there to learn under the great masters. Much of what is considered Japanese haute cuisine was developed there too, as an offshoot of the tea ceremony.
Kyoto is Japan's heartland of history. With 1,300 years of tumultuous existence, the city's past intrudes upon the present day as in few other Japanese cities. In Gion, you can spot a geisha (or geiko, as they are called in Kyoto), one of the last hundred or so in Japan, slipping down a side-street to entertain rich guests with witty conversation, dance or music. A shopping arcade may suddenly fill with discordant clanging music as a shrine festival passes among the shoppers, or you may hear the long chant as Zen monks pass through the neighborhood, calling for alms.
Kyoto is an understated city that might disappoint visitors at first (at first glance, it is a large city with modern buildings that might not align with one's original perception); its charm lies in small details, pocket gardens, tiny traditional restaurants and refined artwork.
