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"A celebration of traditional Japanese arts and crafts awaits while on this Ultra-Deluxe travel tour to Japan. The traditional arts and crafts of Japan have been practiced for hundreds (if not thousands) of years and has been carefully preserved by the artisans of this incredible country from generation to generation. You will be given the chance to look at and/or learn a good variety of traditional arts and crafts, including sushi preparation, sumo wrestling, ninja and samurai culture, ca... View More
"A celebration of traditional Japanese arts and crafts
awaits while on this Ultra-Deluxe travel tour to Japan.
The traditional arts and crafts of Japan have been
practiced for hundreds (if not thousands) of years and
has been carefully preserved by the artisans of this
incredible country from generation to generation. You
will be given the chance to look at and/or learn a good
variety of traditional arts and crafts, including sushi
preparation, sumo wrestling, ninja and samurai culture,
calligraphy, origami folding, tea ceremony, Zen
meditation, and much more.
The tour begins in Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in the
world. In exploring this urban jungle, you can enjoy
specialty experiences like making sushi under a
professional chef, viewing a live kabuki theater
performance, and tour of a sumo stable. Also in the
itinerary are delightful excursions to Asakusa Sensoji
Temple, Tsukiji Outer Market, and the Tokyo Imperial
Palace East Garden. From there, the tour proceeds to
Hakone and the Mount Fuji region, one of the most
picturesque places in the country. While exploring this
region, in addition to viewing the iconic mountain, you
will learn about classical silk dyeing techniques at the
Itchiku Kubota Museum, study fascinating artwork at the
Open-Air Museum, learn a Japanese form of marquetry
at Hakone Yosegi Saiku Experience. The next stop is
Matsumoto, where you behold the imposing Matsumoto
""Black Crow"" castle, as well as take a trip to the Japan
Ukiyo-e Museum. Then travel through the mountainous
towns of Takayama and Shirakawa-go, which preserve
an old-fashioned culture and lifestyle particular to that
area. Shirakawa-go is especially prized, protected by
UNESCO for its ""gassho-zukuri"" architecture, which
features large, thatched roofs folded ""like hands in
prayer"" The tour then stops in Kanazawa, Japan's
center for gold leaf production, where you will attend a
gold leaf workshop as well as breathtaking Kenrokuen
Garden. Finally, reach the ancient city of Kyoto, where
you can discover some ancient historic locations such
as the Golden Pavilion,. Kiyomizu Temple and Fushimi
Inari Shrine to name a few. Immersive experiences are
found here as well, on days when you can enjoy Green
Tea Ceremony, Zen Meditation, Calligraphy, Ikebana,
and Origami, and even enjoy performance arts like you'll
find when having a kaiseki dinner with a Maiko, or within
the more eccentric ""GEAR Theater"". Finally, take in
the
bucket-list sights of Osaka while visiting Osaka Castle
and Dotonbori, but be prepared to indulge in a few more
traditional Japanese crafts, including a knife-making
experience, a Taiko drum lesson, and a Noh
Performance at a Noh Theater.
There are many more traditional arts, crafts, and cultural
sites for you to enjoy while on tour to Japan. Please feel
free to browse our detailed itinerary below."
