Real Food of Japan
This amazing 12-day culinary journey through Japan’s most delicious hotspots, your taste-buds are sure to be ignited. From the glittering skyscrapers of Tokyo and the lush alps of Takayama, slurp on soba and sample some sake as you work your way through the contrasting flavours of the land of the rising sun. Experience traditional monastic cuisine of Koya-san to Osaka’s vibrant streets lined with tantalising takoyaki stalls. Master the art of sushi making in an intimate cooking class, savour the flavour of sizzling yakitori in Tokyo's hidden backstreet izakaya, spot geisha with your local leader in Kyoto’s Gion district and eat the freshest seafood. Embark on a tour that has all the best Japanese ingredients.
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Day 1 – International Outbound Flight - Tokyo
Today start your amazing tour by boarding your international outbound flight to Tokyo.
Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, the ultimate 24-hour city. Your tour begins with a welcome meeting, afterwards, join your leader for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, perhaps to try some perfectly grilled yakitori skewers washed down with a local beer or some fine sake. For those not suffering jetlag, why not get together and explore the night-time ambience of Shibuya's tiny backstreets, maybe stopping by a local bar for a cocktail.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant
Meals Included
Day 2 – Tokyo
Enjoy a morning walk around the famous Tsukiji Outer Market, where fresh seafood from Tokyo's largest wholesale fish market (recently relocated to a new site at Toyosu) is delivered and ready to sample daily. Afterwards, learn the art of sushi making first-hand – it's the quintessential Edo-era speciality and possibly Japan's most famous culinary gift to the world. Enjoy free time to explore the historic Asakusa area. Stop by Senso-ji – the city’s oldest temple, founded almost 1400 years ago when Tokyo was nothing more than a fishing village. For those with a sweet tooth, Asakusa is a great place to get your sugar fix – try fried sweet potatoes tossed in sugar and soy or sweet red bean paste sandwiched between baked pancake batter. Tonight, why not head to Tsukishima to enjoy one of Tokyo's most traditional dishes – monjayaki (a type of savoury pancake). For those wishing to explore Tokyo's urban heart, head to the Shinjuku and the Golden Gai area for crowded alleys, izakaya and jazz clubs.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Tokyo - Asakusa guided walk & Sensoji Temple
- Tokyo - Tsukiji Outer Market & Sushi Tasting
- Tokyo - Art of Sushi-making class
Optional Activities
- Tokyo - Metropolitan Government Building
- Tokyo - Shinjuku Golden Gai
- Tokyo - Tsukishima monjayaki meal
Meals Included
Day 3 – Takayama
Leaving Tokyo, you board a bullet train to the 17th-century Edo town of Takayama (approximately 5 hours by Shinkansen). Takayama is a charming town located in the Japanese Alps. The region is famous for its traditional streetscapes, sake breweries and Hida-Gyu (Hida Wagyu beef) – the beef from a black-haired cattle breed that has been raised in Gifu Prefecture for at least 14 months. On arrival, visit the nearby Hida Folk Village – an outdoor museum where the traditional thatched-roof architecture unique to the area has been put on display. Discover the techniques used to build farmhouses that could withstand fierce winters. Each house is like its own self-contained museum, with displays of personal items and traditional tools. For the next two nights, you’ll stay in a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn), where you’ll also get to dine on regional Takayama delicacies.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Takayama - Hida Folk Village
Meals Included
Special Information
- Rooms are equipped with thin futon mattresses that are spread on tatami mats for a comfortable night's sleep and baths are in traditional Japanese communal style.
Day 4 – Takayama
Gifu Prefecture is known for its excellent high-altitude vegetables, explore the morning markets that date back 600 years, browsing the stalls of seasonal produce. Stalls are set up by local farm women from 6 am every morning. Look out for the unique local style of pickles, bags of miso wrapped in leaves, genkotsu ame (soy-bean candy), preserved fish, spices, and the delicious marshmallow treat of owara tamaten. While your exploring Takayama, you might come across popular regional dishes – mitarashi dango (rice dumplings roasted in soy sauce), houba miso (miso vegetables cooked in magnolia leaf) and Chuka soba (Hida's favourite noodle dish). Later, take a short local train ride to the neighbouring Hida-Furukawa – another alpine town known for its relaxed pace and picturesque tree-lined canals. Enjoy a visit to a local sake brewery to sample and learn about the sake-making process. Gifu's alpine climate and crystal-clear mountain waters are perfect for creating Japan's signature liquor. Back in Takayama for dinner, sample some more of the town's iconic dishes.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Hida-Furukawa - Sake Brewery visit
- Takayama - Morning Market visit
Meals Included
Day 5 – Kanazawa
Enjoying the train journey towards Japan's northern coastline to Kanazawa – sometimes known as the hidden pearl of the Sea of Japan (approximately 2 hours). Having avoided much of the warfare in World War 2, this is a place where both modern and traditional Japan are found. On arrival, take an orientation walk with your leader before visiting 17th-century Kenroku-en Garden – a highly intricate landscaped acreage of bridges, ponds, waterfalls, fountains and tea houses that are beautiful whatever the season. Perhaps stop for a cup of freshly whisked matcha tea as you stroll through its extensive grounds. Depending on time, you may get the chance to visit the Chaya Gai district, with its well-preserved streets of old wooden tea houses, and where geisha continue to perform music and dance for small private functions. In the evening, join your leader for an optional dinner to sample some of the delicious regional food found in Kanazawa, particularly fresh seafood fished from the Sea of Japan.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Kanazawa - Orientation Walk
- Kanazawa - Kenroku-en Garden
- Kanazawa – Chaya Gai district walking tour (Day 5 or Day 6)
Optional Activities
- Kanazawa - Matcha tea JPY750 or green tea JPY350 with sweets (Kenroku-en Garden)
- Kanazawa - 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (excl. special exhibitions)
- Kanazawa - Nomura Samurai House
- Kanazawa Castle Park
Meals Included
Day 6 – Osaka
This morning, head to Omicho Market, where the city's quality food producers gather. Seafood from Ishikawa Prefecture are brought in from the port every morning and, as well as selling fresh, there are a number of restaurants in the market which whip it up into rice bowls or sushi – almost 200 stalls to get lost in! Later, taking an express train (approximately 2.5 hours) to Osaka – Japan’s third-largest city and unofficial culinary capital. There are sprawling shopping hubs and tiny backstreets full of restaurants and bars, serving up local delicacies as well as Japan's answer to fast food. Osaka is credited with the first kaiten-zushi (conveyer belt sushi) restaurants, after its inventor – the owner of a sushi restaurant with staffing issues – saw the success that Asahi Brewery's conveyor belt has in serving its customers. The city is also renowned for its take on okonomiyaki (fried savoury pancake), kushikatsu (deep-fried meat and vegetables on skewers) and perhaps its most renowned dish – takoyaki (a hot snack of shredded octopus, pickled ginger and spring onion cooked into the batter). After checking into the hotel, walk through Osaka’s unmissable Dotombori district, sampling some street food as you stroll along its main neon-lit canals.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Kanazawa - Omicho Market
- Osaka - Dotombori Tour
Meals Included
Day 7 – Osaka
Today, visit Osaka’s lively Kuromon food market and stroll through the quirky Doguyasuji Arcade, where you can pick up some kitchen gadgets and all the Japanese bowls you’d ever need. Later, pop into a depachika – the food basement hall of one of Japan's department stores – which is a treasure trove for food lovers, given the endless range of products exquisitely displayed. It is one of the best ways to understand what locals eat on a daily basis. Today, learn about one of Osaka’s signature dishes and try your hand at perfecting takoyaki or noodles. In the evening, take a dive into Osaka’s twisting back alleys and experience one of the city’s typical tachinomi bars (drinking while standing) – perhaps sharing a few friendly drinks with your travel friends.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Osaka – Tour of Kuromon Market and Doguyasuji Arcade
- Osaka – Depachika visit
- Osaka – Noodle or takoyaki experience
Optional Activities
Meals Included
Day 8 – Koya-san
An early rise this morning to board the train (approximately 3 hours) into an important region for Shingon Buddhism. Founded in the 8th century by the Buddhist saint Kobo Daishi, Koya-san has been a centre for religious activities for over 1200 years. isit Okuno-in, the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered people in the religious history of Japan. Your unique accommodation tonight is in one of the many temples still operating here. You will live alongside Buddhist monks and follow their routine of evening meditation and morning prayers. Temple lodgings, known as shukubo, have similar facilities to Japanese ryokans. Rooms are equipped with thin futon mattresses that are spread on tatami mats for a comfortable night's sleep. Tonight for dinner you’ll enjoy an introduction to shojin ryori, or monastic cuisine, prepared by novice monks. Shojin ryori was popularised in Japan in the 13th century by Zen monks from China. Shojin ryori is vegetarian, and prohibits the inclusion of meat and fish, following the teaching that it is wrong to kill living animals. Instead, meals are prepared with seasonable vegetables and wild plants from the mountains.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Koya-san - Okuno-in Mausoleum walk
Meals Included
Special Information
Temple lodgings, known as shukubo, have similar facilities to Japanese ryokans. Rooms have thin futon mattresses that are spread on tatami mats for your night's sleep.
There are no western bathing facilities at the monastery. Instead, bathing occurs in a traditional onsen. This two-step Japanese experience is quite unique but often a highlight for travellers. The first step is to thoroughly clean yourself, then to enjoy a soak in a communal bath. As bathing suits are not permitted, it may seem intimidating at first, but once you are used to it, you will come to appreciate this longstanding cultural tradition. For those who are more sensitive about public bathing, your leader can suggest times when you are likely to have more privacy.
Today you have the option to send your main luggage direct to Kyoto (at your own expense) and pack a smaller bag for your one-night stay at Koya-san. This is recommended for travellers with larger baggage.
Day 9 – Kyoto
Today make your way to Kyoto – a city regarded as the cultural heart of Japan. Originally founded as Heian-Kyo (tranquillity and peace capital) by Emperor Kammu in AD794, Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years; however, the emperor and government are now located in Tokyo. The journey from Koya-san to Kyoto via Osaka takes approximately 4.5 hours. On arrival, get acquainted with this beautiful city on an orientation walk with your leader, taking a stroll through the glass-covered walkway of Nishiki Market. Finding a range of Kyoto's regional specialities like pickled vegetables hidden beneath layers of fermented rice, ornate Kyo-wagashi (Kyoto sweets), Uji green teas, as well as souvenirs and a renowned hand-crafted knife shop. Later in the afternoon, take a step back in time on a walk through the narrow streets of Kyoto's charming Gion district and learn about the city’s geisha culture. You may be lucky and spot geiko (geisha) or maiko (apprentice geisha) in their elaborate dress and makeup. Join your leader for an optional dinner to sample some of Kyoto's trademark cuisine.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Kyoto - Gion District walk
- Kyoto - Nishiki Market walk
- Kyoto - Orientation Walk
Meals Included
Day 10 – Kyoto
Food is taken seriously in Kyoto. Today, experience the simple pleasures of obanzai ryori in a cooking class. Perhaps not as well-known as kaiseki, this ancient style of a multi-course Japanese feast has strict rules that must be adhered to. It must be simple and follow a seasonal approach – at least half of the ingredients must be Kyo-yasai (Kyoto heirloom vegetables grown locally) – plus the meal should embody the spiritual elements of genuine things, such as balance. Obanzai is increasingly gaining popularity in Kyoto as people seek to ensure that this culinary tradition is preserved. Once you have prepared your meal, enjoy the fruits of your labour for lunch. Enjoy the free afternoon for you to explore at your own pace. You could find a theatre putting on shows of Noh, Kabuki or Bunraku puppetry, or a traditional maiko dance. If you still fancy a bite to eat, why not try some yudofu hotpot, using Kyoto's smooth tofu perfected over centuries by Buddhist monks.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Kyoto - Obanzai cooking class
- Optional Activities
- Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Kyoto - Kinkakuji Temple Visit
- Kyoto - Nijō-jō
- Kyoto - Sanjusangendo Temple
Meals Included
Day 11 - Kyoto
Explore the traditions, culture and history behind tea today, playing a critical part in traditional Japanese society. Learn about the long-lived customs surrounding this brew, which is more than simply a drink, and discover the difference between the fine matcha powdered tea served in the tea ceremony and the other varieties of green tea commonly enjoyed in Japan – everyday houjicha and genmaicha to premium gyokuro. The careful symbolism of Japanese society reaches its peak in the tea ceremony and today attending a private ceremony with a long-time practitioner of this art in Kyoto. Learn about the importance of the preparation and cleaning of tea utensils, the bow on receiving a cup of freshly whisked tea and the three clockwise turns before a sip is taken. After this experience, you have time to explore this ancient city yourself before joining with your group for a celebratory dinner with your group leader and travel friends.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Kyoto - Kyoto-style Final Night Dinner
- Kyoto - Private Tea Ceremony experience
Meals Included
Day 12 – Kyoto
After your final breakfast of this delicious Japan Real Food Adventure, transfer to Osaka airport for your return flight back to the UK.
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