Japan

Northern Japan - Honshu and Hokkaido

Day 1: Tokyo, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi or Mandarin Oriental

VIP Arrival in Tokyo: Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and taken through the expedited customs line. You will be driven in a luxury car to the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi or Mandarin Oriental.

Have dinner at Aronia de Takazawa, a tiny restaurant located in Akasaka, helmed by culinary prodigy Yoshiaki Takazawa, who comes from a family of chefs. His aim is to make every dish unique and unforgettable, and to that end he regularly works 20-hour days to hone his menus, and takes time off to travel around Japan to source the best ingredients.

Day 2: Tokyo, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi or Mandarin Oriental

A trip to the monolithic city of Tokyo is unforgettable - from your plane's window or the upper floors of the city's many skyscrapers, one can gaze upon multi-colored streetlights leading straight to the horizon - a wondrous, awe-inspiring sight. But beyond the streams of neon and giant, flashing flatscreens are examples of Japan's beautifully preserved culture that you will see throughout your stay: women in kimonos on the weekends, feudal architectural masterpieces, and centuries-old shrines. What makes Japan so unique is there is no old Japan and new Japan - there is just one fascinating country with a foot in the future and the other in the past.

Begin your day with a trip to the must-see Imperial Palace, a beautiful castle that was once the world's largest. Construction began in 1590 under Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun who founded the dynasty that would rule Japan for 250 years. Only the inner circle of the original majestic structure remains, but it is still magnificent and the surrounding grounds are lovely as ever. The imperial family still lives here in the west wing of the palace, which is closed off to the public every day except New Year's and the emperor's birthday, December 22.

Embark on a special tour experience of the avant-garde "Akihabara scene" (maid cafes, electronics, and the wild world of the Japanese manga culture.) These tours are a fascinating window into the parallel universe of Japan's youth and otaku cultures, centered around anim, Japanese cartoons, and manga, Japanese comics.

Have lunch at a maid café where the staff dress up in various costumes; this is known as cosplay. While the act of being served by a maid who greets diners with, "Welcome, master", would seem to have sexual overtones, this would be in the eye of the beholder. Think of it as an updated version of being served by a geisha, whose sole purpose was and is to entertain.

Have a private tour of Issey Miyake's Design Sight 21/21 fashion and design museum in the Tokyo Midtown development. The museum aims to share views and ideas with the many parties involved in design, starting with designers and including companies, craftsmen and engineers, as well as consumers, and to launch a movement to foster a greater understanding of design.

Enter a cloistered, venerated machiya, a century-old townhouse converted into a work space, where tofu is made and the sweet fragrance of fresh soymilk hangs in the air. As with anything the Japanese touch with their hands, tofu making is a real art form that requires precision and patience. Learn from the master of the machiya and afterwards taste probably the best beancurd you have ever had.

Have dinner at Ginza Kyubei, Tokyo's finest sushi restaurant. The restaurant has been in operation since 1935 and if you are adventurous, order omakase, which is "chef's choice" of the best sushi and sashimi that he has today. Be sure to let him know if you are opposed to any particular types of seafood or textures; some of the rarer sushi available in Japan is not regularly offered overseas so it is fair to expect offerings far beyond the usual salmon, tuna and yellowtail. In the evening, visit a live music venue, which will give you a clear indication of the vibrancy of Tokyo. For several decades, the Japanese have welcomed musicians from overseas with open arms and ears, so much so that any band's status as "big in Japan" is sometimes met with a scoff. But in most cases, the Japanese are definitely on to something. Their specific tastes within a broad spectrum of music are, to some extent, indicative of the character of the people. Perhaps case in point is the recent popularity of Jero, a Pittsburgh-native who is 1/4 Japanese and sings a traditional form of Japanese music called enka. Seeing Jero in hip-hop garb while warbling his lovelorn heart out in perfect Japanese is truly a unique sight and sound.

Day 3: Tokyo, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi or Mandarin Oriental

Depending on what time of year you are traveling, we suggest one of two half-day trips outside Tokyo. In mid-November, travel south of Tokyo to the beach town of Zushi. If you are here then, you will see yabusame, the rare sport of the samurai. It is a combination of equestrian and archery, with participants riding their steeds at top speed and handling bows bigger than the average person. The competition takes place right on the beach on November 16th and archers wear traditional feudal costume. Sand flies as the horses gallop towards the targets, and with banners flapping in the wind and steely-eyed archers dressed in dapper tunics and upturned hats, you'd swear you were back in feudal Japan.

Take a break from the pageantry of yabusame spectatorship and engage in a pastime that has made it into the modern era - eating ramen. Salary men and women line up single file outside ramen houses all over Japan everyday at lunch time, the busiest time of day for these mom and pop operations. Each house serves a different type of ramen, from shio or salt broth to miso broth, thicker noodles served cold to thinner noodles fit for soup. Your guide will let you know of the options available to you such that you can choose the ramen that most suits your palate, or order different varieties and compare.

At any other time of year, drive to Kamakura to have lunch at home with one of Japan's foremost arts collectors. His own home, atop the cliffs overlooking the ocean, is one of Japan's most beautiful. After lunch, have a private tour of his stunning collection.

Kamakura is south of Tokyo and was the seat of the Japanese government before it moved to Kyoto. Even when Kyoto was the capital, Kamakura retained its relatively dominant identity amongst Japanese cities and today, it is still known as the "Kyoto of Eastern Japan" due to its many lovely temples, shrines, historical monuments and other cultural points of interest.

After lunch, visit Kotokuin Temple, home to one of the most memorable sights in Japan, the Great Buddha of Kamakura. The 90-ton, 800-year-old statue was cast in 1252 and sits exposed on the side of hill having survived a huge tidal wave in the 15th century that swept away the temple that once housed it. Continue on to Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, not only the most important Shinto site in Kamakura, but also one of the city's oldest Buddhist temples. Shinto is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religious practices. The most immediately striking theme in the Shinto religion is a great love and reverence for nature; objects of worship are called kami and can really be anything natural occurring: the moon, a waterfall, a beautiful flower. The afterlife is not a primary concern in Shinto; much more emphasis is placed on fitting into this world, instead of preparing for the next.

Head back to the city and spend an afternoon shopping and people watching. Tokyo is a well-known mecca for all kinds of commerce. You will find many top-end items made specifically for the Japanese market, which are always quickly snatched up at unbelievable prices. Shibuya is the place to go to peruse Japanese designers' boutiques, Shinjuku has the city's lion's share of electronics and department stores and Harajuku is home to the most avant garde Japanese fashions, mostly for young adults. On Sunday afternoons is when the famed Harajuku girls (and boys) come here to strut their stuff in what would be costumes anywhere else; they wear their bold attire as badges of honor and individuality and you can't help but admire what Gwen Stefani calls their "wicked style."

Day 4: Tokyo, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi or Mandarin Oriental - Niseko, Private chalet

Awaken at the pre-dawn hour of 4am for what is sure to be a highlight of your trip - a visit to Tsukiji Market, or Central Tokyo Wholesale Market. From 5am to 8am everyday except Sundays, the catches of the day are sold from 1,700 stalls boasting upwards of 450 varieties of seafood. Most of the buyers here are restaurateurs; there is also a sizeable produce market in the same area. Get there as early as possible as the action dies down around 7am. Best of all, there are several sushi restaurants right in the market where you can tuck in to a delicious breakfast of what is likely to be the best sushi you've ever had.

Return to your hotel to check out. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Sapporo.

Fly from Tokyo to Sapporo (1 hour 40 minutes).

Your private car, driver and guide will pick you up from the airport and chauffeur you to Niseko (2.5 hours), Japan's premier area for winter sports. There are seven ski areas encompassing peaks in the Annupuri and Mount Yotei mountain ranges. The area is famed for its near-perfect ski and snowboarding conditions and its incredibly long season, which can start as early as the last week in November and last until May of the following year. Other winter sports available are snowshoeing and ice climbing. No matter how adventurous you, everyone loves a soak in the hot springs at the end of the day, which is another draw to the area. The area is also gorgeous in the summer with a variety of outdoor sports on offer: hiking, river rafting and golfing are popular options.

You will stay in a luxurious villa close to the slopes, fully staffed with private chef, butler, maids and other attendants.

Day 5: Niseko, Private chalet

Spend the day on the slopes skiing or hiking, depending on the time of year you are here. As Hokkaido is the northernmost island of the four major islands that make up Japan, temperatures tend to be cooler and there is significantly less humidity than on Honshu, Kyushu or Shikoku. This makes it a wonderful retreat for local Japanese for picnicking or hiking as the island is lush and green at this time of year.

Day 6: Niseko, Private chalet - Otaru, Ginrinsou Ryokan

Depart Niseko and head west to Shiraoi, which is about 60 miles south of Sapporo. Here you can visit the Shiraoi Ainu Museum, also called Porotokotan. Opened in 1965, the museum is home to a building detailing the history and lifestyle of the Ainus and a reproduction of a traditional Ainu village. Unfortunately there are no authentic Ainu villages left as most Ainus have assimilated into Japanese society. The Ainu have inhabited Hokkaido for centuries and today there are 24,000-60,000 Ainus - not very many, although it is a decent-sized population considering all of Hokkaido has six million people. Their resemblance more to Caucasians than Japanese, and also their strong ties to nature through their animist religion, distinguishes the Ainus.

Although the Ainus have many traditional forms of dance and music performance that you will see at Porotokotan, lately younger Ainus have been injecting modern influences into their music. Ainu jaw harps and stringed instruments that produce haunting, warbling sounds feature alongside turntables and hip hop beats in Ainu performances in large cities in Japan such as Tokyo, where many of the younger generation have settled. Chat with Ainus young and old about their vision for the future of their people and their culture.

Drive back up to the northern coast of Hokkaido to Otaru, a seaside town a 30-minute drive west of Sapporo. Check in to Ginrinsou Ryokan, the first of a few traditional Japanese hotels that you will be staying in.

After a long day of sight-seeing and driving, take a soothing soak in Ginrinsou's private onsen that overlooks Ishikari Bay. Onsens are great places to meet Japanese at their most relaxed and free. Going for a communal bath is not just about undressing your clothes. You also undress your worries and remove social boundaries. There are no white collars or blue collars, so it's an easy environment to start up a conversation.

Day 7: Otaru, Ginrinsou Ryokan

Start your day with a stroll through Sapporo Art Park with a noted contemporary art expert. This serene park is home to a contemporary art museum, sculpture park and a variety of artists and artisanal studios.

Around the world, Japanese alcoholic beverages are nearly as ubiquitous as the country's cuisine. Stop by the Sapporo Beer Garden and Museum for a peek into the making of one of Japan's best-loved brews and have a tasting of the different beers available.

Just before sunset, stroll along Otaru's charming cobblestone walkways along its canals, remnants of a bygone era when the city was a major port. Commercial barges made their way through here and unloaded their cargo in the many warehouses that line the canals. Today, these buildings have been converted into charming glassworks shops, coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques.

Return to Ginrinsou for a traditional, multi-course dinner known as kaiseki. Anywhere from six to 15 courses are served, each incorporating local ingredients and classic dishes such as sashimi, sushi, light hot pot stews, miso soup, grilled meats and Japanese pickles to perk up the palate.

Day 8: Otaru, Ginrinsou Ryokan - Kyoto, Private Machiya Home

Depart Sapporo for the two-hour flight to Osaka Itami airport, the closest domestic airport to Kyoto. From Osaka, it is a one-hour ride to Kyoto. Alternatively, you may fly to Tokyo Haneda domestic airport from Sapporo (1.5 hours) and take the shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto (2 hours 14 minutes).

Kyoto was one of the cities in Japan that was spared the carpet-bombing tactics of Allied planes during World War II. It is said that the city was simply too beautiful, and pilots couldn't bring themselves to do it. Whether or not that story is true, it certainly is still true that Kyoto is as breathtaking today as it was when it was the imperial capital.

Stay in a restored townhouse, or machiya, the city's centuries-old traditional wooden merchants houses. You will have a team of private chefs, maids and butlers at your service but what is most attractive about staying here is the privacy of having a residence in Japan that is tastefully decorated with antiques and nestled amongst other single-family dwellings. Here, you will truly feel at home and get a feel for what it is like to live in Japan.

Day 9: Kyoto, Private Machiya Home

The highlights of Kyoto that shouldn't be missed on a first visit include the following temples:

Go on "the Philosopher's Walk," named after a Kyoto University philosophy professor, Nishida Kitaro, who trod this path along the Shishigatani canal daily. The route takes you past several temples and shrines within a park that is also home to coffeehouses, boutiques and craft shops. Cherry blossoms and maple trees line the walkways; this is indeed the perfect place to reflect and contemplate. As the cherry blossoms only bloom in April, this is the best time to go.

In terms of shopping, Kyoto is famous for its traditional handicrafts and the city is a fabulous place to go antiquing. Items can be roughly divided into three categories - Buddhist art, tea ceremony accouterments and everyday items - and shops generally carry an assortment of wares, although some specialize in one category such as furniture, ceramics or screens. Reputable shops are between Nawate and Higashio-ji along Shimnonzen and Furumonzen streets. If you happen to be in Kyoto on the 21st of any month, there is a wonderful flea market at Toji Temple where you can unearth vintage treasures at bargain prices.

Day 10: Kyoto, Private Machiya Home

Spend the morning with an abbot of the Zen temple Kodai-ji in the foothills above Gion. Zen and the tea ceremony grew up hand-in-hand in Kyoto, so a joint introduction to both will be most meaningful. After sitting zazen meditation in the Gesshin-in temple hall, you will walk with the abbot to his temple home next door, which features an ancient teahouse and garden. There you will join him as guests in a tea ceremony hosted by a tea and calligraphy master. Finally, you will join both masters for a simple but elegant vegetarian lunch of Shojin-ryori in traditional Zen style.

In the afternoon, meet with students and professors at the venerable Kyoto University. Founded in 1897, Kyoto University is the second oldest in the nation and has produced six Nobel laureates and two Fields Medalists.

Follow up your "school day" with a trip to Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, a city landmark that is continually bombarded with students praying for high exam marks and good grades. The shrine is home to the god of learning, Tenjin-san. After your day with the executors of Japan's future, you will have a clearer view as to why Japan has sustained its position as a major world power.

Over a private dinner in the Gion-kobu neighborhood, you will be entertained by a geisha, also called geiko, "child of the arts," as they prefer to be called. Kyoto is the birthplace of this time-honored practice, which began in the 17th century. Geishas are known for their encyclopedic knowledge of traditional arts, wit and beauty. In modern times, their position and reputation has been somewhat tarnished by onsen geishas and women calling themselves geishas, however there is a waiting list for women waiting to be trained as geishas and carry on this tradition.

Day 11: Kyoto, Private Machiya Home

Take a day trip from Kyoto to the Miho Museum.

Designed by I.M. Pei, the Miho is arguably the most beautiful museum in Asia, set deep in the mountains of Shiga to the east of Kyoto, with a stunning approach and design. The permanent collection of the museum includes pieces that are world highlights in the areas of Egyptian sculpture, Near East and Silk Road art, Gandharan sculpture, and early Chinese works. Remote Lands is privileged to know a longtime scholar and collector of Japanese and Asian art, and can arrange for a private tour by one of the curators of the Miho. However, for a more informal tour of the museum, we would recommend that our expert take you around the exhibits himself.

Have lunch at the Peach Valley Restaurant, with a selection of gourmet dishes all prepared using fresh organic produce grown locally by the owners of the museum.

Return to Kyoto to visit Nishiki Market, a conglomerate of individual shops in central Kyoto that sells produce, prepared foods such as tamago, a sweet egg omelet served on sushi rice, or oshinko, Japanese pickles, and other foods or food-related items. You will be met here by a master chef who will return with you to your machiya to give you a private cooking lesson.

Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food quality of ingredients and presentation. It is based on combining staple foods, typically rice or noodles, with a soup, and okazu - dishes made from fish, meat, vegetables, tofu and the like, designed to add flavor to the staple food. These are typically flavored with dashi, miso, and soy sauce and are usually low in fat and high in salt. The modern term "Japanese cuisine" means traditional-style Japanese food, similar to what already existed before the end of national seclusion in 1868. In a broader sense, it could also include foods whose ingredients or cooking methods were subsequently introduced from abroad, but which have been developed by Japanese who made them their own.

Your chef will teach you how to make whatever you wish, whether it is a simple, home-style oyako-don (a chicken omelet with sweet onion over rice) or a more intricately presented dish. Presentation is another fascinating hallmark of Japanese cuisine used to honor the ingredients. Feast on your creations for dinner.

Day 12: Kyoto, Private Machiya Home

A great day trip from Kyoto is Nara, an architecture and history buff's dream. Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784, lending its name to the Nara period. The original city, Heijo-kyo, was modeled after the capital of Tang Dynasty China, Chang'an (present-day Xi'an).

Located at the foot of Mount Mifuta, a sacred place where deities were believed to descend to earth, Kasuga Grand Shrine was officially established in 768 by the Fujiwara clan, but is believed to date from the beginning of the Nara period. The Fujiwara clan was one of the most powerful aristocratic families of the period, and the Imperial court worshipped here. The basic configuration of the shrine buildings has remained unchanged since the early Heian period (794-1185). The main buildings are the haiden (worship hall), the hoden (main hall built to house the kami), the utsushidondo (transfer hall), the homostuden (treasure hall) and the naoraiden (entertainment hall). The present structure was last reconstructed in 1893, although according to Japanese Shinto rituals, shrines were often destroyed and rebuilt every 20 years for purification purposes. Although this is technically the 57th Kasuga Grand Shrine, exact reconstruction based on the original layout makes it an outstanding example of 8th century Japanese architecture.

Continue on to Todai-ji Temple, home to the largest Buddha statue (Daibutsu) in Japan. It is also the world's largest wooden building, even though the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple's size. Eva will walk you through Todai-ji and the halls that flank it, Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do.

Stroll through Nara Park where you will see hundreds of freely roaming deer. Considered messengers of the gods in Shinto, Nara's deer have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated a national treasure. Vendors in the park sell small packets of rice crackers that you can use to feed the deer. The paper looped around the stack of crackers is edible, too, so feel free to feed that to the deer as well such that there is no waste. The park itself is beautifully landscaped and has views of the surrounding temples and shrines.

Before you leave Nara, see the Horyu-ji temple complex, home to the two oldest wooden buildings in the world, Horyu-ji's East temple and the West temple. These examples of ancient Japanese architecture were built in the 607 AD by Buddhist carpenters from the Korean kingdom of Paekche. The original structure burned down in 670, but the structure you will see today is the reconstructed temple finished in the 8th century.

Day 13: Kyoto, Private Machiya Home - Naoshima, Bennesse House

Travel from Kyoto southwards to Naoshima, an island located in Seto Inland Sea, the body of water between Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, three of Japan's four main islands. The Japanese have populated the island for ages, and it has come to the attention of art connoisseurs of late because it is home to the radical Chichu Art Museum, completed in 2006.

Have a simple meal of home-style food in perhaps the world's tiniest restaurant, Fuji shokudo. With a capacity of 3-5 patrons, you can easily take over the entire izakaya, a Japanese restaurant that serves only cooked food.

Check in to Bennesse House, the best place to stay on the island, a luxurious property unlike any other in the world. Every room has its own individual design and artwork, with 49 guest rooms across four buildings: Museum, Annex, Park and Beach, all designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando.

Born in Osaka, Ando's route to starchitect-dom has hardly been linear. Never formally trained, Ando worked as a truck driver and a professional boxer before becoming an architect at the age of 28 in 1969 when he established the firm Tadao Ando Architects & Associates. He is known for designs that harness as much natural light as possible; his visionary works include the Rokko Housing units (1983, 1993 and 1999) in Hyogo Prefecture in southern Honshu where Kobe is located, the Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum (1995) and Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester (2003). He was awarded the Pritzker prize in 1995 and donated the $100,000 he received for this honor to the Kobe earthquake relief fund.

Day 14: Naoshima, Bennesse House - Kobe, Hotel Okura

Visit Chichu Art Museum, which was also designed by Ando. It is a striking expression of the integration between art and architecture; there are also many ways in which the museum complements or even enhances the island's stunning topography. The museum's permanent collection includes pieces by Claude Monet, Walter de Maria and James Turrell. You will be met by a museum curator who can tell you more about Ando's design and the museum's building process.

Naoshima is also known for its Art House Projects, the conversion of old village homes into modern art galleries. It is a permanent work initiated in 1998 using the town of Naoshima as a stage. Artists remodeled old houses in the Honmura District, transforming the space of each house into an artwork open to the public. The artistic space, the architecture, and the pasts of those who once resided in these spaces converge here with Japanese tradition and aesthetics. Meet with residents of Honmura and chat to them about their reaction to the art the surrounds their living environment.

Check out of Bennesse house and travel to Kobe, Japan's sixth largest city.

Day 15: Kobe, Hotel Okura

Kobe is a prominent port city with a population of about 1.5 million. It was one of the first cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen.

Himeji Castle is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings. It is occasionally known as Hakurojo or Shirasagijo ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior. Visit this castle with an expert in feudal Japanese history, a colorful, intriguing time of shoguns and samurai. Note that a five-year renovation of the castle has recently begun; the facade of the castle will be scaffold-free until March 2010, though, and even during the restoration period, the castle will still be worth a visit to see artisans at work from inside the roofed scaffold structure that covers the main keep.

Visit a small batch sake brewery. Besides its ubiquitous beer brands such as Sapporo and Asahi, Japan's most famous alcoholic export is sake. There are varying grades of sake based on the polishing of the rice; the more the rice is polished, the fruitier it tastes. Have a private tasting with a sake sommelier and learn more about the intricacies of sake making and the culture of sake drinking.

For your last meal in Japan, feast on Kobe's most famous export - beef. Renowned for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty well-marbled texture, Kobe beef can be prepared a variety of ways: steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki. Toast the end of your journey over a multi-course meal complete with beverage pairings, including umeshu, or plum wine, shochu, a distilled liquor native to Japan, beer and wine.

Day 16:

Depart Kobe for Tokyo to meet your connecting flight home or onward.

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