JOIN KATHLEEN FUNG, founder of Far Fung Places, for this unique journey to Japan, to off the beaten path places where traditional life is intact, and where time-honored handicrafts are still being produced as they were 300 years ago. We visit the main Japanese cities to get a sense of history but leave them for journeys into rural Japan to focus on the natural beauty of the country. The trip is scheduled in May when mountains and valleys will be lush with possible late-blooming cherry trees in the Noto Peninsula, temperatures will range from the 60s to high 70s with just a small chance of precipitation. 

We start with the iconic city of Tokyo, and then make our way to the rugged and wild Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan, formerly a vital trading port with Korea. Not far are Kanazawa, with its feudal samurai houses and Fukui, known for its 13th-century Eihei-ji Temple where 180 monks meditate, eat, and sleep on a small tatami mat measuring only three by six feet. 

Next, we journey to Takamatsu, Shikoku located on the shore of the Seto Inland Sea with its splendid Ritsurin Koen, a vast 185-acre Japanese garden dating back to the 17th century. 

We bullet train to Fukuoka, a multi-faceted city: modern, yet traditional with its 900-year-old temples, festivals, and a history of hand-made arts and crafts that preserve its cultural heritage. 

From Fukuoka, we make a spectacular drive to Nagasaki, known for more than just the atomic explosion. In fact, it was the only foreign port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch from 1641 to 1853, and its hidden Christian sites have been included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. 

We wrap up with Kyoto, one of the greatest classical cities in the world. Aside from the castles, the city has over 400 Shinto shrines and 1,650 Buddhist temples scattered throughout its regions.  

You will meet guest speakers who will enhance your understanding of the Japanese culture. On a day’s trip outside Fukuoka, we meet a textile artisan and his family who creates kurume kasuri, or double ikat, a skill so demanding that only a handful of weavers in three countries around the world are masters of this art form. 

In the Noto Peninsula, we meet Susanne Ross, a master lacquerware artisan, who will enlighten us on this ancient craft at her mountain top studio. 

We’ve arranged a private curator talk and demonstration of woodblock printing at the renowned Adachi Woodblock Institute in Tokyo. 

Japan’s culinary delights offer you tastes of slurpy udon noodles, and sweet desserts made from fiddlehead ferns, to formal kaiseki sit down dinners where the artistry surrounding the culinary presentation will astound you. Fresh bounty of the sea will be a main component of our meal program, although we do have vegetarian options. 

And for those who yearn for more: join our extension to the Oki islands, a giant step ‘beyond Japan’. 

From Osaka we fly to the Oki Islands, a place of astonishing natural beauty, one that epitomizes old Japan with pastureland, cedar forests, and walking trails that lead to villages set back in time. The little-known inhabited volcanic islands are about 40 miles from the mainland, just tiny specks in a sea of blue water. Tourism is in its infancy stage here and the local people are our tour guides for our three-night stay.

Meet farmers, fishermen, and the women from the local women’s association who educate us on the rituals of a tea ceremony or teach us how to make origami art.  Sit in meditation as a Shinto priest bestows a blessing for our group whilst chanting to the kami spirits. 

Lori Chobanian, Far Fung Places operations manager, will accompany the group to the Oki Islands along with Tomomi Azuma, a frequent visitor to these remote islands.  

Each city, town, or village was chosen for its special contribution to the image we wanted to capture of the country. In succession, they provide a Taste of Japan, and its unique cultural, artistic and culinary highlights.  

Please inquire about our day-to-day itinerary for more details.

Land/Air Cost