The Soul of Japan

We welcome you on an exciting adventure exploring the ageless mysteries of the Orient. We’ll spend our first night at the Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel. 

After you have checked in, you’ll have time to relax, unpack, and get to know the hotel before we meet for a welcome cocktail.

We'll indulge in a delightful dining experience at Zen House, the esteemed restaurant at the hotel. You'll have plenty of time to get to know your fellow travelers over dinner.

The best way to discover a city is by walking and riding its rails. Today we will do both. Our first stop is a visit to the Tsukiji Outer Market on the edge of Tokyo Bay. The market is a maze of streets where we can feast on fresh sushi, or pick up unique souvenirs, like seaweed, sushi knives, or handmade ceramics. We will also pop into one of the fabulous knife shops along the way. 

We'll walk back to the Ginza district. Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous up-market shopping, dining, and entertainment district. It is known for its architecture, dining, tea rooms, and all-round fun. One of Tokyo’s most divine ‘design’ bookstores, Tsutaya is next on our agenda followed by a visit to the Mitsukoshi Ginza Depachika Food Hall famed for its comprehensive array of gorgeous sweets and confectionery, immaculately packaged food, ready-to-eat dishes and picture-perfect bento. 

We’ll have lunch at Hakkoku Sushi, an upmarket a la Carte sushi restaurant in the heart of Tokyo. 

The afternoon adventure starts at Itoya – one of the city’s most beautiful stationery shops. Next, we’ll hop on a train to Shibuya to take in the view from the 360° open-air observation deck at the top of the Shibuya Sky Tower. Shibuya Sky is more than just an observatory. It spans three floors. An indoor section incorporating dazzling digital art displays will encourage you to see the city differently. While we are here, we will sit back with a drink and enjoy the aerial views of Tokyo from the café and bar on the 46th floor. 

Dinner will be on your own tonight. We can recommend local restaurants such as Tempura or you can dine at the hotel.

After a lazy breakfast, we’ll board a train to Matsumoto around mid-morning. The three-hour first-class train trip will take us to Matsumoto.

Matsumoto is the gateway to the Northern Japanese Alps and the home of internationally renowned artist Yayoi Kusama. Many of the artist’s pieces can be seen in the Matsumoto City Museum of Art. Matsumoto is part of the famed “Mitsuboshi Kaidou” (the Three-Star Road); one of the most notable sightseeing routes of Japan. It connects the cities and towns of Kanazawa, Nanto, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, and Matsumoto.  “Three-star Road” is named to celebrate the many World Heritage Sites, national treasures, and vital cultural kogei (arts and crafts) on show in all these cities. 

An afternoon tour of the city will take us to Matsumoto Castle (designated as a “National Treasure of Japan”, the oldest extant castle in Japan), Nawate Dori Shotengai Street, Nakamichi Street, and the Matsumoto City Museum of Art. 

We’ll check into the recently opened Matsumoto Jujo Hotel for the night. Look forward to dinner at Restaurant 367 in the hotel. 

Our first trip of the day is to the Ishii Miso Brewery. Perhaps we'll also sneak in an early morning miso ice cream. Ishii Miso is one of the few remaining breweries that still crafts its miso using wooden barrels in the traditional way, instead of using modern methods to quicken fermentation. 

Next, we head out of the city, to explore Azumino’s Daio Wasabi Farm – one of Japan’s largest producers of wasabi, a beautiful destination well worth a visit. Known in the West for its nasal-clearing heat, real wasabi is a much more subtle and versatile taste than many people realize. Wasabi needs large amounts of clear water to grow, and the streams and pools across the farm form a picturesque and idyllic setting. 

Lunch in a local ramen/noodle shop on the main street follows coffee at Café Fuka. 

After the farm tour, we’re off to Narai post-town to wander through the streets of the old town. Narai (Narai-juku) is a picture-perfect town that feels like a historical film set. Overhanging second stories and eaves are a special feature peculiar to this post-town. 

While in the town, we’ll visit Nakamura Residence, the Taihoji Temple, the Chosenji Temple for its dragon ceiling, the Kamidonya Shiryokan House, and the Kiso Ohashi Bridge.   

We will spend the night at the Ryokan Asunaro in Takayama.  

Today, we’re doing a walking tour of Takayama were, old traditions are alive and well. Along the narrow streets of Takayama, you’ll stumble upon beautifully preserved wooden houses built in the Edo period. 

A stroll through the Miyagawa Morning Market, Takayama Jinya, and Sanmachi Street will take us to historic shops, sporting beautiful archaic architecture - Yoshijima Heritage House 

A sake brewery like Funasaka is next on the agenda, followed by a local lunch and free time to do your own thing. 

Tonight, you’ll enjoy a traditional sukiyaki dish containing Hida wagyu beef, beautifully presented with a collection of colorful and delicious sides at the hotel restaurant. 

This morning, we will travel to Shirawago, a small, traditional village showcasing the gasshō-zukuri, style of building. The village is a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with Gokayama in Nanto, Toyama. These villages subsisted on silkworm production and the cultivation of mulberry trees. The steeply pitched thatched roof houses are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the village is an outstanding example of a traditional way of life, perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances. In existence since the 11th century, the village has a strong sense of community. 

We continue to Kanazawa to check into our hotel before heading to a local restaurant for some traditional Japanese cuisine. Tonight, we’ll overnight at the UAN Hotel. 

This afternoon, we will visit Kaga Yuzen Kimono Centre. Kaga Yuzen is the Kimono Silk of Kanazawa. There are three schools of hand-dyed kimono. All follow a basic, yet painstaking, process. However, they differ greatly in theme and ornamentation. Edo-yuzen from ancient Tokyo was made for the merchant class, depicting scenes from city life or simple landscapes in muted colors. Crafting these kimonos often required fewer artists. Kyo-yuzen from Kyoto catered to the aristocracy and featured an array of embellishments, including gold and embroidery, set against vibrant colors and geometric patterns. The silk dyeing of the Kaga Domain, whose capital is today’s Kanazawa, was neither for the highest nor lowest classes. Kaga-yuzen reflected the Buddhist values of the samurai class: nature with all her imperfections, creating refinement from simplicity, and the calm and stillness of the tea ceremony. Kaga-yuzen centers on three things: simplicity, especially in the lessons we take from nature; grace, that is, to be respectful and thoughtful; and mastery, in that it matures over traditional study, technique, and attention to detail. The Kimono Center features a gallery of traditional and contemporary examples of Kaga-yuzen silk products. Artists regularly work in the front room where visitors can watch them crafting beautiful garments. After a busy day, you’ll enjoy some free time at the hotel. 

Today, you’ll enjoy a full-day tour of Kanazawa.  

We start off with a visit to Nagamachi, the old samurai district of Kanazawa. Here we’ll find Nomura-ke, a restored samurai house with a stunning garden that showcases artifacts from the golden era of Japanese warriors. 

We walk to the nearby Omicho market. It dates to the Edo period (17th century) and is known throughout Japan for its fresh seafood and delicate sushi. We’ll have lunch at the market. 

Our next stop is the Higashi Chaya District, one of three well-preserved chaya districts in Kanazawa. (Cha-ya which means ‘tea house’ in Japanese). The Kaikarao Tea House, with over 200 years of history, is the largest chaya in the Higashi Chaya-gai District and is a registered historical building. At Kaikaro you have a rare opportunity to see the exquisite interior of a traditional chaya. Entering through the wooden sliding door, we see a vermilion-lacquered staircase, Ozashiki banquet rooms positioned on the second floor, bold fusuma-e paintings, an impressive golden tearoom, and many other notable architectural and design elements. We’ll sip matcha green tea and savor Japanese confectionery at a historical cafe with an old sunken hearth., where. The specialty luxury desserts are well worth a try.  

Across the Asano-gawa River, we’ll find the smaller and less crowded Kazuemachi Chaya Area, a former geisha district, known for its beautiful cherry tree arcade. A stroll along the banks of the Asano-gawa River is the perfect way to end the day in Kanazawa. 

The evening at the hotel is yours to enjoy.

This morning we visit Kenroku-en Gardens. At almost 12 hectares (29 acres), this spacious garden forms the green heart of Kanazawa. The Japanese rank it as one of the top three gardens in the country, and it’s a fine place for a peaceful, contemplative walk. The name means “six attributes garden,” a Chinese book describing the perfect garden's six attributes. Located adjacent to Kenroku-en is Kanazawa Castle. 

We’ll enjoy a Kaiseki-style lunch at nearby Kanazawa Gyokusen House, a 200-year-old samurai residence built in the late Edo period. The expensive 720-tsubo two-level pond spring stroll garden is said to boast a history that is nearly 120 years older than Kenrokuen. 

After lunch, we‘ll board our train to Tokyo, traveling Gran Class. We’ll return to the Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel for a farewell dinner and drinks.  

The holiday is over, but the memories will live on.   

On departure day, it's time to bid farewell to the enchanting land of Japan. Take this opportunity to prepare for your smooth transfer to either Haneda or Narita Airport. 

Reflect on the memorable experiences and cherished moments from your journey through the Samurai Way. As you depart, carry with you the essence of Japan, the spirit of the samurai, and the warmth of its people. Until we meet again!