Japan Unveiled
Day 1 – Tokyo
Touch down in one of the world's great cities, a place where ancient ritual and hyper-modernity coexist with extraordinary grace. After settling in, let Tokyo find you: the hum of the subway, the lantern-lit alleys, the precision of everything. There is nothing quite like the first evening here.
Day 2 – Tokyo
A private guide helps you get your bearings and takes you around the city, from centuries-old temples to the neighborhoods most visitors miss. When the season allows, take a ringside seat at a sumo tournament. Tokyo hosts them in January, May and September.
Day 3 – Hakone
Board a scenic train out of the city and into the mountains toward Mount Fuji. The skyline gives way to forested slopes and mountain villages as you climb. Check into a traditional ryokan, trade your shoes for slippers, and soak in natural hot spring baths. End the day with a multi-course kaiseki dinner, each dish a small work of art drawn from the season.
Day 4 – Hakone to Kyoto
Glide by gondola over the steaming volcanic valley of Owakudani, where you can try the famous black eggs said to add seven years to your life. Then cross Lake Ashi aboard a sailing ship with Fuji on the horizon and the vermilion torii gate of Hakone Shrine rising from the water. In the afternoon, board the bullet train to Kyoto.
Day 5 – Kyoto
Step into Gion, Kyoto’s historic geisha district, where wooden teahouses line stone lanes and lanterns flicker on at dusk. Wander Hanamikoji Street and the willow-lined Shirakawa canal, then climb the sloping lanes of Higashiyama toward Yasaka Pagoda. Keep an eye out for a maiko hurrying to an evening engagement, a glimpse of a world that has endured for centuries.
Day 6 – Kyoto
The day Kyoto reveals itself fully. A private tea ceremony draws you into the meditative world of wabi-sabi, where simplicity becomes something profound. Later, an exclusive geisha encounter offers a rare window into an art form refined across centuries. Intimate and utterly unforgettable.
Day 7 – Nara
Just a short journey from Kyoto lies one of Japan's oldest capitals, where over a thousand wild deer roam freely among ancient temples and mossy stone lanterns. Walk among them, bow back when they bow to you, and visit the colossal bronze Buddha housed within one of the world's largest wooden buildings.
Day 8 – Kanazawa
Often called Little Kyoto, Kanazawa rewards those who make the journey with beautifully preserved geisha districts, world-class seafood, and a pace that invites you to slow down. A private evening guide leads you through lantern-lit streets and local izakayas, introducing the flavors that define this remarkable culinary region: fresh crab, sweet shrimp, delicate tofu.
Day 9 – Kanazawa
Kanazawa was once one of Japan's most powerful feudal domains, and its samurai heritage remains remarkably intact. Today you will explore the historic samurai quarters and step into the discipline and philosophy that defined this warrior class. The city's cultural legacy runs deep, and here you get to feel it from the inside.
Day 10 – Kaga Onsen
A short journey brings you to Kaga Onsen, a cluster of hot spring villages tucked among forested hills that has welcomed travelers for more than a thousand years. Settle into your ryokan, slip into a cotton yukata, and spend the afternoon moving between indoor baths and open-air pools. Dinner is a seasonal feast of local seafood and mountain vegetables served in your room.
Day 11 – Kaga Onsen
Walk the riverside trail through Kakusenkei Gorge, a favorite of the poet Basho, where mossy stone bridges cross the rushing river. Then meet the artisans behind Yamanaka lacquerware and Kutani porcelain, crafts born in these very hills, and watch pieces take shape on the wheel and lathe. Spend your final evening here with one last soak beneath the stars.
Day 12 – Tokyo
Ride the bullet train back to Tokyo, watching the mountains and rice fields roll past your window. After a restful afternoon, join a local expert for a guided ramen tour through the city’s most beloved noodle shops. You’ll slurp your way through rich tonkotsu, delicate shio and everything in between, and learn the stories behind Japan’s favorite comfort food.
Day 13 – Tokyo
Enjoy a free day to explore at your own pace. Browse the elegant food halls of Ginza, hunt for ceramics and design in Daikanyama, or stroll the gardens of Meiji Jingu beneath towering trees. I’m happy to arrange anything you’d like, from a sushi-making class to a knife workshop. In the evening, toast your journey at a farewell dinner.
Day 14 – Depart for HomeSay sayonara to Japan and fly home with a suitcase full of treasures and a heart full of stories. Somewhere between the hot springs, the temples and the quiet lanes of Kanazawa, Japan will have left its mark. I can’t wait to hear all about it, and to start dreaming up where you’ll go next.
Consider this an invitation, not an itinerary.
Every Tern & Meridian journey is built around the traveler, not the template. If Japan has caught your imagination, let's shape a version of this trip that's entirely yours.
My recommendation: Consider extending your journey along the Kumano Kodo. Spend a few days walking thousand-year-old pilgrimage trails through towering cedar forests on the Kii Peninsula, resting each night at family-run inns with riverside onsen. It's a wild, deeply spiritual counterpoint to Japan's great cities and temple towns, and one of the country's most rewarding hidden journeys.