Treasures of COASTAL JAPAN

October 28-November 9, 2024

Tokyo, Kanazawa, Noto Peninsula, Yamanaka Onsen, Amanohashidate, Kyoto

Escorted Group Tour

Journey to the less-visited side of Japan on Esprit’s newest tour. Treasures of Coastal Japan (October 28-November 9, 2024) introduces you to stunning waterfront scenery, historic cities, remote villages and relaxing hot spring towns of the Sea of Japan coast, all while bringing you the up-close-and-personal encounters that define the Esprit Travel experience: art and craft, nature, cuisine, spirituality and history - and some surprises. Stays in some of the country’s finest inns and hotels round out the experience.

After meeting up in Tokyo, we’ll travel by Shinkansen (bullet train) to beautifully preserved Kanazawa, where we follow the footsteps of samurai and geisha and get to know the arts and crafts that have been practiced since those refined times. A side trip to nearby in Toyama is our entrée to the alluring metal and glass arts of the region.

Continuing southwest, we arrive at Yamanaka Onsen for two nights at one of Japan’s top ryokan (traditional inns) where omotenashi hospitality is matched only by the quality of its meals and the beauty of the riverside town.

Heading down the coast, the sprawling “power spot” temple Eihei-ji offers a peek into the world of Zen, before a couple days taking in the coastal paper, textile and ceramic arts of Fukui and northern Kyoto Prefectures. Our hotel with western-style bedding is at Amanohashidate, called one of Japan’s top three coastal views.

Our tour ends in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital. Arriving in Tokyo and departing from Kyoto makes this tour ideal for first-time visitors wishing to experience these traveler’s favorite destinations (using sightseeing suggestions from Esprit’s proprietary Client Information Portal), as well as returning visitors seeking a deeper dive.

Day 1

Depart Home



Depart for Japan on your individually arranged flight.

Day 2

Arrive Tokyo Japan

After arrival at one of Tokyo’s two international airports, transfer to our tour hotel, conveniently located to sights, shops and restaurants. As a tour guest, you will have access to Esprit’s exclusive Client Information Portal offering detailed sightseeing and cultural tips for use during your free time in the world’s largest metropolis.

Accommodations: Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi

Meals: None

Day 3

Tokyo to Kanazawa

A 2½-hour ride on the futuristic Shinkansen (bullet train) takes us to our first stop along the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa, enjoying a bento lunch of your choosing along the way. Gracious Kanazawa was one of Japan’s most prosperous cities during feudal times, and it retains a wealth of historic buildings, alongside some of Japan’s finest contemporary art and architecture. From our conveniently located, modern hotel (with its own impressive in-house art program), we’ll immerse ourselves into local history, touring a samurai house and strolling the narrow lanes of the Nagamachi Samurai Quarter. A short drive across town takes us to the Higashi Chaya-gai geisha district, where we will visit a centuries-old teahouse where top-flight geisha entertained an exclusive clientele.

Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4

Kanazawa

This morning we depart early for Kenroku-en, the former pleasure garden of Kanazawa Castle and considered one of Japan’s top three strolling gardens, followed by museum visits introducing some of the local crafts for which this region is famous: silk weaving, Kutani and Ohi pottery, lacquer, paper-making and more, before a fun roll-your-own sushi lunch. This afternoon, a short drive out of town takes us to one of Kanazawa’s leading artisans for yuzen silk dyeing, a signature local craft of intricate resist dyeing for luxurious kimono. Dinner this evening is wagyu beef in the traditional style, around a teppan-yaki counter.

Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Kanazawa (Toyama day trip)

Following breakfast in our hotel, we will depart by coach for neighboring Toyama Prefecture, approximately one hour. We will visit a local artisan in metalworking and art sites including the landmark Glass Art Museum before returning to Kanazawa for the evening.

Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6

Kanazawa

On our final day in Kanazawa, we take in the city’s contemporary art and architecture scene. We begin with the D.T. Suzuki Museum, a quietly stunning modern building by Yoshio Taniguchi (architect of New York’s Museum of Modern Art) and dedicated to the internationally known 20^th Century Buddhist philosopher and Kanazawa native who helped spread Buddhist teachings around the world. A walk along a contemplative path brings us to the cutting-edge contemporary exhibits and design of the 21st Century Museum of Art, by Japan’s Pritzker Prize-winning SANAA team. After lunch in the museum’s café, the remainder of the day is free until dinner.

Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Kanazawa

Enjoy your free day in Kanazawa for craft shopping, sightseeing and dinner on your own at one of Kanazawa’s many fine restaurants.with sightseeing suggestions from your tour leaders.

Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8

Kanazawa to Yamanaka Onsen

After breakfast in the hotel, we continue south along the coast to the charming village of Hashitate, an important fishing town famed for its delectable snow crab and sweet shrimp, which we will try for lunch.  A short drive away, Natadera Temple, a warren of caves and forested paths, has been considered a sacred place since the Jomon era (ca. 14,000–300 BCE). Arriving in remote Yamanaka Onsen and our deluxe ryokan for the next two nights, there will be time to stroll the banks of the rushing river through town and its quiet main street, before hot spring baths and a kaiseki banquet dinner of local specialties.

Accommodations: Kayotei Ryokan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Yamanaka Onsen

Today we will visit the home studios of local artisans, including a wood turner who crafts vessels from sake cups to vases, and a specialist in the art of maki-e, embossing gold leaf into lacquer for elegant effect. We’ll break for lunch at a local Italian restaurant, before free time for further exploration of the lovely surroundings. Tonight’s dinner features French-Japanese fusion cuisine at a nearby bistro.

Accommodations: Kayotei Ryokan
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Yamanaka Onsen to Amanohashidate

After breakfast in our inn, we continue along the coast to Fukui Prefecture and Eihei-ji, one of Japan’s grandest Zen sites. The spirituality is palpable while strolling the expansive grounds of this nearly 900-year-old temple. The prefecture is also known for Echizen washi (traditional Japanese paper), and we will visit a workshop to see how this prized paper is made. We end the day in the coastal region of Kyoto Prefecture, where Amanohashidate lives up to its name “Bridge to Heaven,” a causeway linking an archipelago jutting into the Sea of Japan. Our luxury accommodations for the next two nights feature western bedding in a modern Japanese setting.

Accommodations:
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Amanohashidate

Today we will explore the region around Amanohashidate, including the fishing village of Ine where funaya (fishermen’s houses) are perched picturesquely over the water, leaving mooring for boats underneath. Our afternoon visit, Yosano village, is known as Japan’s center for the production of chirimen crepe fabric.

Accommodations:
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 12

Amanohashidate to Kyoto

Our route to the ancient capital of Kyoto takes us via Tamba, one of the 6 great kilns of ancient Japan. Here, potters have been crafting storage jars, mortars and sake bottles since the late 1100s. After a visit to the Old Tamba Pottery Museum to see historic pieces, we will meet one of the contemporary artists in the area, whose work covers functional and decorative pieces. Arriving at our Kyoto hotel in the afternoon, we will meet for a farewell dinner at one of the city’s many fine restaurants.

Accommodations: Granvia Kyoto
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13

Depart for home

Our Kyoto hotel is located above Kyoto Station for easy transfers on your own to the airport of your choice in nearby Osaka or via Shinkansen bullet train to other parts of Japan. Alternatively, you may wish to extend your stay in the ancient capital using sightseeing suggestions from Esprit’s Client Information Portal.

Meals included: Breakfast

Let's Work Together