Only in Japan Experiences

Visit a Sumo Stable

Attend a sumo match and you get to feel the power of the gigantic sumo wrestlers. But spend a day at a sumo stable and you enjoy an intimate insight into their beauty and dedication. This unique experience provides a rare perspective on Japan's national sport, as told by those who live it every day. You'll attend an early morning practice and come to understand the spirituality and serenity that lies behind the clashes in the stadium.

Cycling Japan

Japan family vacations can travel in so many directions. Everything is unique here and every day provides something different to explore. How about the legacies of the feudal system and the samurai warriors, colorful Harajuku girls, futuristic robots then world-famous animation? Or maybe make a visit to a private sumo stable where children can learn the ancient art, a Kyoto studio where children can train to be a ninja, or family cycling along the beautiful, remote northern coast where few travelers ever venture? Every moment is tailored to make the most from the country's originality.

With few exceptions, Japan is the most fascinating of all Asia's destinations for children. Japan with kids doesn't involve a standard itinerary with a few tailored activities thrown in. Instead, a Japan family vacation truly immerses you and your children in the cultures that most fascinate.

Japan by Slow Train

Japan is known for its bullet trains but it also has an exclusive slow train service, which crawls past majestic volcanoes, across hills shrouded in bamboo and cypress trees, then onwards to emerald green rice paddies and crisp shorelines of fishing boats and seaweed farms. The suites feature the finest in Japanese craftsmanship, with walls of rosewood and maple, floors of walnut, Shoji paper screens over the windows, and hand-etched glass of flowers and birds. We combine this three-night luxurious train journey with our unique itineraries in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Zen Monastery Stay

The blissful sound of the monk's chanting ritual wakes you each morning at an ancient monastery on the slopes of a sacred mountain. It's a sensual way to start the day, spirituality floating between the temple walls. Japan luxury tours sometimes incorporate an opulent hotel on the highest floors of a skyscraper. But luxury comes in the uniqueness of the experience when you spend the night in a temple, sleeping on traditional tatami mats, sipping on fragrant tea, conversing with and being served traditional vegetarian meals by the resident monks, and soaking in an onsen (hot spring pool). It's the perfect break from the cities and an insight into Zen Buddhism, a part of Japan isn't always apparent, but is at the heart of their culture.

It's easy to mistake the Japanese for a secular society, yet Zen Buddhism and Shintoism lie at the heart of Japanese history and culture. Seeing a dozen temples in Kyoto can provide a superficial snapshot, one that's peaceful and beautiful but only the starting point onto the tradition. There's so much more to discover, as all our luxury Japan travel can show how Buddhism continues to influence Japanese society and art. Spend time with a monk in Kyoto during an annual festival, explore Mount Koya with a nun, and visit with artists behind the changing art scene.

This insight into Buddhism can be an inspiring introduction to Japan, one that contradicts the stereotypes of a fast-paced culture. It's also an interlude, a chance to escape the cities and learn from the equilibrium of local monks. Or our escorted Japan tours can make spirituality their focus, revealing how it perforates all parts of life in the country. We also arrange an immersive luxury Japan tour, exploring the festivals. ceremonies, rituals, and sacred places that make Japan what it is.

Naoshima Art Island

In Tokyo, the art certainly isn't restricted to famous museums. Galleries are hidden on back alleys, unique art fills private residences in tucked-away suburbs, and contemporary design fills derelict warehouses. The challenge is finding it all, for even when you're on the right street, it's hard to find the right door. We arrange insider's guided tours of Tokyo's inspiring art scene, taking you to distinctive galleries and museums that are only known to those invested in the local scene. There's even an anime-inspired castle in the woods and a renovated public bathhouse from the 1950s.

Mastering the Art of Sushi

This master sushi class takes place under the expert instruction of a Michelin-starred chef in Tokyo, a city where food is both art and science, applied in search for perfection. Begin with a visit to the renowned Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest wholesale fish market int he world, with your sushi chef to learn about and pick out the right meats for your class.

Tokyo Arts & Kyoto Crafts

In Tokyo, the art certainly isn't restricted to famous museums. Galleries are hidden on back alleys, unique art fills private residences in tucked-away suburbs, and contemporary design fills derelict warehouses. The challenge is finding it all, for even when you're on the right street, it's hard to find the right door. We arrange insider's guided tours of Tokyo's inspiring art scene, taking you to distinctive galleries and museums that are only known to those invested in the local scene. There's even an anime-inspired castle in the woods and a renovated public bathhouse from the 1950s.

A place renowned for dignified temples and shrines, a massive castle, and tranquil landscaped gardens, Kyoto is also unsurpassed for crafts. There we can arrange visits to authentic shops and factories making traditional goods made from pottery, glass, textile, lacquerware, and bamboo, where one can observe and work hands on with craftsmen. However, Kyoto is also a place of new things and ideas and the city has long been a place of innovation in the arts and sciences. Although modern art in Japan, along with almost everything else modern or new, is centered in Tokyo with contemporary Japanese artists eager to have their work shown and sold there the art scene in Kyoto, although always very small when compared to Tokyo, nonetheless in the last few years there has been a rise in galleries and vibrant scene in Kyoto devoted to ''new'' Japanese art. Several galleries have cropped up in the city, and in recent years, many young people and artists are discovering links to past, renovating machiya (traditional Kyoto merchant homes), converting them into stylish restaurants, cafes, galleries and shops. This has added a new face to the city landscape of ancient Kyoto.

Baseball in Tokyo

The famous Tokyo Giants provide a fascinating spectacle of how the baseball-crazy the Japanese are, where games are taken to another level beyond what has even been seen in the U.S., with beating drums, flags, and chanting fans, it is a spectacle not to miss. Games are played at the famed Tokyo Dome from late February through September. If the Giants are not playing during your visit, then the Seibu Lions or Swallows are also another option for taking in a game.

Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail

Explore Japan's bucolic landscapes, traveling along rural coastlines, through remote islands, volcanic peaks, bamboo forests, river valleys, hot springs, and quaint villages. Explore by bicycle, foot, boat, and train, traveling through these quintessentially Japanese settings. Along the way, enjoy comfort and high aesthetics in the country's most luxurious hotels and renowned ryokans. Our outdoor luxury Japan vacations are completely handcrafted, taking you to landscapes that few have even heard about. Some of the featured destinations include Kamakura, Mount Koya, Hakone, the islands of Shikoku, Naoshima, and Kyushu, along with the remote and tranquil northern shores where few travelers venture.

Traditional Ryokan (Inn) Stay

There are few experiences more quintessentially Japanese than staying at a traditional ryokan. Ryokans, or guest houses, are from ancient times yet still popular with Japanese today and range from simple properties are some of the most famous and luxurious accommodation in Japan, such as the renowned ryokans Tawaraya in Kyoto and Gora Kadan in Hakone.

Constructed using traditional Japanese methods in a minimalist style featuring tatami mat flooring, plain sliding doors made from rice paper, and of course, futon bedding, gardens, and onsen (warm spring baths). Breakfast and multi-course kaiseki dinner are served by custom. Some ryokan also offer Western style beds for those with mobility issues or simply prefer an elevated mattress.

While Japanese typically escape the cities to relax in remote ryokans located in the countryside, there are also ryokans in cities, including Tokyo and Kyoto. Some of our travelers enjoy mixing both ryokan and modern properties, even within the same destination, to experience both. Ask us for recommendations.

Explore Japan Luxury Hotels & Ryokans

Tea Ceremony (Chanoyu or Ocha)

Experience the sublime “Way of Tea” during this private traditional tea ceremony lead by a tea master in a traditional machiya (wooden townhouse). A tranquil ancient ritual deeply rooted in history and rich with symbolism, this special ritual is most associated with Kyoto.

The Japanese tea ceremony is a composite art where the sense of beauty, space, etiquette, and the spirit of hospitality coalesce and is based on four principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquility, known as Wa Kei Sei Jaku which was defined by tea master Sen Rikyu (1522-1591).

During this hour-long ceremony, enjoy the pleasant setting of the tea house, surrounding nature, and calming, ritualized engagement with your host. Along with witnessing the choreographic practice of predefined movements and aesthetics in preparing and serving of green tea (matcha), enjoy traditional Japanese sweets called Namagash, that are served with the intent to balance the bitter taste of the green tea.

Tokyo Pop Culture

By now, everyone is familiar with trend-setting Japanese pop and youth culture including the films of renowned director Hayao Miyazaki, to outlandish cosplay (costume play), wildly popular video games, toys, anime and manga (comics), amazing electronic gadgets, and venues and streets beneath neon signs where all of this plays out for Japanese youth.

Experience places you've heard of, including Shibuya crossing — the busiest street crossing in the world — Harajuku's colorful subculture featuring street fashion and boutiques, Akihabara, or ‘Electric Town’ with multi-level electronic stores and wild video parlors, and neon-lit streets, but also the city's most interesting anime and manga shops, and other fascinating experiences and places, including maid cafes and the world's wildest dinner show featuring robots.

Heli Skiing in Hokkaido

What more of an extreme and exhilarating activity in more contrast to Japan's more tranquil ones is there than heli skiing on a volcano? This full-day trips includes a half-dozen flights to the summit of a volcano in Hokkaido with stunning 360-degree views to savor before taking in the fresh powder with your professional guide. The local terrain features a mix of slight forest, steeper chutes, and open glades with slopes ranging from 20-40 degrees (a typical resort black run is 32º).

Average runs from the top are about 2,000 feet long. As with any heli ski terrain, the number of runs per day may depend on the weather, avalanche conditions, and your party’s ability level. Contact us for more details.

Fishing Japan's Ancient Lake

Not far from Kyoto is Japan's largest lake, and most ancient, estimated to be over two million years old. Replete with an old Torii gate the lake provides abundant fishing on bass (the world record bass catch was made here in 2009), trout, as well as salmon.

Enjoy a half-or full-day trip from your Kyoto hotel, joiing your guides on a four-person boat with complete tackle and gear provided. The ideal fishing season stretches between April and November with the best month being May.

Tokyo by Helicopter

With a an area of over 845 miles (Paris is a mere 41) and population of over 38 million, greater Tokyo is astonishing in scale and impossible to grasp from the ground even if one had years to explore it's breadth.

Flying over the massive megalopolis, spy famous landmarks such as Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree and Rainbow Bridge. Night flights are especially breathtaking, with Tokyo ablaze with lights once the sun goes down.