Japan Now & Then

Japan Now & Then


Coming in November 3-14/16, 2023

11 Days, 10 Nights; 2 night extension



NOTE: This tour will not likely be offered in 2024.

Tokyo, Matsumoto, Narai-juku, Kyoto, Benesse Art Site

Escorted Group Tour

Esprit's Premier Arts Tour to Japan

Enjoy spectacular fall foliage while learning about the arts and culture of Japan on our, premier, cultural journey to the heart of Japan. Travel back in time, from the contemporary capital of Tokyo, down the Nakasendo Road, to the traditional and spiritual heart of Japan, Kyoto. This Japan Arts and Crafts tour will take you deep into the spirit that underlies the arts of Japan.


Tokyo is vibrant, dynamic, exciting and cosmopolitan. We will visit museums and galleries, explore career-defining architecture, sample fine cuisine and learn how the historical has been integrated into the modern life of Japan. We then travel back through Japan’s history, heading to the Nakasendo Road; the well-traveled route taken by daimyo between their provinces and the capital of Edo (Tokyo).  We’ll visit the original castle in Matsumoto and explore the kura district before heading to our luxury ryokan for onsen baths and a multi-course Kaiseki meal. The next day takes us to Narai, one of the post towns along the original Nakasendo Road to explore this historic reconstruction of one of the critical links in the economic and political life of pre-Edo Japan. We end this travel day in Kyoto, alive with the blazing colors of autumn foliage, at our five-star hotel. Kyoto, with its wide-range of arts, crafts, traditions, gardens and history will fill the remainder of our trip with its delights. We’ll learn firsthand the importance the Japanese put on the concept of mastery and meet some of the masters, or sensei, who carry forward Japan’s rich artistic heritage. We will visit artists ranging from Nihonga to gold-leaf, textile, kumihimo and more.


You may also decide to join us for a tour extension to see Benesse Art Site, located on the Inland Sea, while spending two nights at one of Benesse House’s Tadao Andoh designed hotels. In addition to visits to the museums on Naoshima Island, we will have a chance to also explore Teshima, another of the islands that now comprise this extensive site dedicated to contemporary and installation art. This special two-night extension is contingent on a minimum number.

Tour Leaders

Andy Bender

Tour Manager

Keiko Kamei

Assistant Tour Leader

The moon and sun are travelers through eternity.
Even the years wander on.
Whether drifting through life on a boat or climbing toward old age leading a horse, each day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.


Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

Japan Now & Then Highlights

φ Learn about the aesthetic of Japanese arts and fine crafts, from traditional to contemporary


φ Share thought-provoking introductions to Buddhism and Shintoism, through private meetings with priests and monks in their temples or shrines


φ Enter the studios of revered artists and craftsmen, the sensei who carry forward Japan’s rich artistic heritage. Meet masters of cha no ya (tea ceremony), calligraphy, textiles and more.


φ Visit selected galleries and museums in exciting Tokyo


φ Tour one of Japan’s authentic castles


φ Spend time in exquisitely maintained gardens


φ Visit a restored post-town on the Nakasendo Road


φ Ride on Japan’s famous Shinkansen bullet train


φ Sample a variety of local, seasonal cuisine

Japan Now & Then Tour Daily Itinerary

Day 1

Friday November 3

Depart Home


Depart for Japan on your individually arranged flight.

Day 2

Saturday November 4

Arrive Tokyo Japan


Travel by private car transfer to our downtown hotel, the four-star Hyatt Centric, in the centrally-located Ginza district.


Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo or Marunouchi Hotel
Meals included: None

Day 3

Sunday November 5

Tokyo


We’ll start our time in Tokyo at Meiji Shrine to learn about Shinto and experience kagura, a blessing ceremony of ancient, sacred music and dance. A short walk through Harajuku, a center of Japan’s renowned youth fashion and culture, is followed by a walking tour on nearby Omotesando to see contemporary architecture and trendy street life. We will lunch today at a restaurant specializing in tofu and unique Japanese creations. After lunch, visits to some of the interesting museums in Tokyo Midtown will be followed by a private presentation at Nuno Gallery, known for innovative textiles and clothing by renowned designer Reiko Sudo. This evening you are free to enjoy dinner on your own.


Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo or Marunouchi Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 4

Monday November 6

Tokyo


Today, we will set out to enjoy a leisurely walking tour of the Ginza neighborhood, including a visit to one of Tokyo’s famed department stores for the opening ceremony. After lunch we will visit a small, architecturally significant museum (pending exhibit announcement), before heading to Aoyama, home to some of Tokyo’s most fashionable and elegantly civilized stores and shops. Our visits there will include the Noguchi Sculptures on display at Sogetsu Hall. End the evening with a welcome dinner in one of Tokyo’s fine restaurants, which are continually re-interpreting traditional cuisine.


Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo or Marunouchi Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5

Tuesday November 7

Tokyo


This morning we’ll take a stroll through one of the quiet sections of Tokyo where we’ll get introduced to a Nihonga artist, who creates delicate Japanese masterpieces on paper and silk. We’ll end our touring day with a guided tour of the Tokyo National Museum. Afterwards you will be on your own for lunch and to explore other areas of Tokyo–Asakusa and the famous Senso-ji Temple; perhaps the Edo-Tokyo Museum and the nearby Sumo Museum or even to enjoy shopping in the newly revived Nihonbashi district.


Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo or Marunouchi Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6

Wednesday November 8

Matsumoto


Today we will start our journey back in time. We head by train to Matsumoto where we will enjoy lunch in a restaurant set in a beautifully restored traditional storehouse. We’ll then start our touring at Matsumoto Castle, circa 1595, one of four remaining from Japan’s feudal period in its original condition. We will have some free time for you to explore Nakamachi, a pretty neighborhood of historic homes, many of which have been converted to cafes and galleries for crafts and antiques. Afterwards, we continue by coach to our ryokan for the evening, the deluxe, Relais & Chateaux property, Miyojinkan, where you can enjoy the onsen (hot spring) baths and a full-course kaiseki (multi-course) banquet dinner served Japanese style.


Accommodations: Myojinkan Ryokan
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7

Thursday November 9

Narai


After our luxurious Japanese ryokan breakfast, we will travel by coach to one of the original eleven post-towns along the Nakasendo Road. The winding and arduous road through the mountains and the Kiso valley connected Kyoto to the capital in Edo. Several post towns have been carefully restored and a visit to one of these truly is like walking the path of the samurai and ronin of old. Narai juku was a prosperous inn town (called Narai Senken – a thousand inns) and its unique architectural style of overhanging second-floors survives to this day. We will have several hours to stroll through the town, explore the small local temples and lunch on your own. Afterwards, we will transfer by express train to Nagoya before heading to Kyoto via Shinkansen (bullet) train. Our hotel for the remainder of our tour is the five-star Hyatt Regency Kyoto, located in the quiet Higashiyama area. Dinner will be at your leisure this evening.


Accommodations: Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8

Friday November 10

Kyoto


Start our touring day with a tea ceremony where you will be given a basic introduction to the Way of Tea, including the proper etiquette, in a private, authentic setting. Spend the rest of the morning at nearby Daitoku-ji Zen monastery, including visits to Koto-in and Zuiho-in.   After a Zen-style vegetarian lunch travel to eastern Kyoto to visit a young Rinzai zen priest at Zenge-in in the eastern hills, for a chat about his years cloistered in a classic Zen monastery and his new life as the abbot of a small Zen temple. To end the day, we visit a friend’s gallery for an introduction to Japanese ceramics. Afterwards you can have an optional walk along the Philosopher’s path or a visit to Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavillion). Tonight we will enjoy a shabu-shabu dinner of luxurious Wagyu beef and crisp vegetables dipped into bubbling broth tableside and served with traditional condiments and dipping sauces.


Accommodations: Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9

Saturday November 11

Kyoto


This morning we travel to eastern Kyoto to visit an artisan whose intricately woven silk cords and tassels are commissioned by shrines, temples and Tiffany and Co. Our next stop is Renge-ji, a classic Taoist-inspired garden with special symbolism, including references to the crane and the turtle as well as the land of the Immortals. A Kyoto-style lunch will be served in a private room at Kyoto’s oldest inn and garden, located along the Takano River. The current proprietor is the 20th generation in his family to run the inn. Afterwards we will have an ikebana demonstration featuring a wide array of ceramics and baskets used to enhance the display of seasonal blooms. End the day with a visit to the studio of a calligraphy master and performance artist to see her wield her gigantic brush to create a masterpiece-in-the-moment. Dinner will be on your own this evening.


Accommodations: Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10

Sunday November 12

Kyoto


We begin today in Western Kyoto in Arashiyama, where the hills will be ablaze with the bright scarlet and burnished gold of fall foliage. We will start at Tenryu-ji, one of the oldest gardens in Kyoto, dating from the early 14th century. The garden was designed by Muso Kokushi, a renowned priest, diplomat, meditation teacher and garden designer. After a short walk through the Bamboo Forest, we will have a private tour of the Hogo-in villa, which is not open to the public. The villa is an outstanding example of highly refined and inventive sukiya-style carpentry. After our group lunch, we have a visit to one of Kyoto’s many stroll gardens, made special by the autumn foliage. the Nishijin textile district to meet a 5th generation master of gold leaf. In his beautifully preserved, traditional Kyoto-style merchant house, he will introduce you to his intricate process used to create custom obi.


Accommodations: Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 11

Monday November 13

Kyoto


This morning, the early risers may decide to join our tour guide for an optional temple visit to attend a full Buddhist service, including a fire ceremony, performed by 40 chanting monks. After breakfast, start touring next to our hotel, with a visit to Sanjusangendo Hall, a 900-year old structure that holds an extraordinary collection of statuary in one of Japan’s longest wooden buildings. The 1001 wooden statues of the Kannon, well-known from Sugimoto’s “Hall of Thirty-Three Bays”, sit row upon row for the length of the building with their phalanx of 28 National Treasure guardian entities in front. End the morning with a walking tour of the Kiyomizu and Gion area, which a short introduction into the life of the geisha and maiko for which Kyoto is so well known. The rest of the day is free for lunch and to explore Kyoto on your own. Some suggestions include touring with Esprit’s custom shopping map in hand, visiting such iconic sights as Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple), the 10,000 bright vermilion torii gates of Fushimi Inari or traveling by train to nearby Nara. Tonight would be a good night for an excursion to one of the many temples and gardens in Kyoto that are lit up to highlight the start of the fall foliage season. Your tour leader will have a list of available temples and directions. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner in one of Kyoto’s many fine restaurants.


Accommodations: Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11

Tuesday November 14

Depart for home


You’ll have the morning free to take in the sights, shop or simply stroll Kyoto’s varied neighborhoods one last time. Transfer by reserved van shuttle, per individual flight times, for your pre-arranged return flight from Osaka Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami Airport.



Meals included: Breakfast

Benesse Extension Daily Itinerary

Day 11

Tuesday November 14

Naoshima Island


This morning travel via train, van and ferry to Japan’s premier art site, Benesse Art Site, three islands located on the Inland Sea of Japan. Today we will take time to explore some of the installations and museums on Naoshima Island, including the Chichu Museum, the Lee Ufan Museum and the Art House Projects. Afterwards, we check into the Benesse Park hotel. This Tadao Ando designed hotel houses numerous art pieces and is located right along the island’s edge. Each room has its own installed art for you to enjoy while you are in residence.

Dinner tonight will be at the Terrace restaurant, serving continental cuisine. We will then explore the Benesse Museum after hours. 


Accommodations: Benesse Park Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Wednesday November 15

Teshima & Inujima


Today we will visit Teshima Island to experience the Archive and the Teshima Museum before having a quiet lunch at a local restaurant. We then travel on to Inujima to see the Seirensho Art Museum and the local art House projects. Afterwards, transfer by ferry to Uno port before ending the day in Okayama at a conveniently located hotel.


Accommodations: Benesse Park Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Day 13

Thursday November 16

Depart for home


Depart Japan on your individually pre-arranged flights Transfer by ferry and train to Osaka this morning for your return flights from Osaka Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami Airport. Flights should be arranged for after 4:00pm to allow for ample time for travel and customs.



Meals included: Breakfast

Pricing

Price: $9,150 USD


Tour Price Includes:

  • Accommodations for ten nights in 4 and 5* hotels: Marunouchi Hotel, Myojinkan Ryokan* and Hyatt Regency Kyoto, based on sharing a room.
  • Daily breakfast and additional meals as indicated (five lunches and four dinners)
  • Round-trip airport transfers by private car (Tokyo) and reserved, shared van shuttle (Kyoto)
  • All internal trains and buses for the tour, including riding on Japan’s famous Shinkansen “Bullet train” in Green Car (first class).
  • Baggage shipping for one bag per person from Tokyo to Kyoto
  • Informative commentary by an Esprit tour leader who is fluent in Japanese, using our unique radio headset system.
  • Admissions and local transportation


Single supplement information is available upon request.
Singles are limited.
Twin beds are the norm in Japan for a double room; a limited number of king rooms are allocated on a first come basis.

Group size is limited to 16.

Airfare is not included in the tour price.

Price may be adjusted up until the time of final payment for currency fluctuation.


*A stay at a Japanese Ryokan involves sleeping on the tatami matted floors on futon beds. We have chosen this ryokan as there are a limited number of rooms available for upgrade that have western-style twin beds. If you would like to have one of these rooms please inquire about availability and the surcharge. Rooms are also available with private onsen baths for an additional fee.



 

EXTENSION TO BENESSE ART SITE

Price: $1895 USD

The extension will run with a minimum of eight participants and a maximum of 16. In the event the extension is not available due to insufficient enrollment we can discuss options for traveling on your own to Benesse Art Site.

Extension Price Includes:

  • Accommodations for one night in the Benesse Park Hotel and one night in the Okayama ANA hotel, based on sharing a room.
  • Daily breakfast and additional meals as indicated (two lunches and one dinner)
  • All internal trains, ferries and transport for the tour, including riding on Japan’s famous Shinkansen “Bullet train”
  • Informative commentary by an Esprit tour leader who is fluent in Japanese, using our unique radio headset system.
  • Baggage shipping for one bag to Osaka Kansai Airport (we will travel with overnight bags only)
  • Admissions and local transportation

 

For registration information and Terms and Conditions, call 800-377-7481, or email ebaran@esprittravel.com.


DOWNLOAD THE ITINERARY


Note: The itinerary will be finalized approximately 30 days prior to departure. Artist visits are subject to availability and the schedules of our Japanese colleagues. A final itinerary will be sent to you about two weeks prior to departure. The itinerary and visits are subject to change at any time.

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