Get stuck in to Japanese culture with this hands-on family activity holiday, taking in the must-see cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka as well as the beautiful scenery of the Japanese Alps.

The trip kicks off among the bright neon lights of Tokyo with a private half-day city tour a visit to the fabulous Studio Ghibli Museum, home to Hayao Miyazaki's imaginative and heart-warming animations.

 

From here the Japanese Alps beckon, and you'll follow in the footsteps of the ninja as you visit Matsumoto's "Black Crow" castle, one of the best original samurai castles in Japan. The next morning you'll make your own lunch at a soba noodle-making class, before taking a spectacular bus ride across the mountains to Takayama.

 

As well as exploring Takayama's historic buildings, markets and craft shops, you'll venture out into the Hida countryside for a guided bike ride past farms and rice paddies. The accommodation in Takayama is an experience in itself: a traditional ryokan where the whole family will sleep on futon mattresses on the tatami mat floor. A Japanese-style dinner consisting of many little dishes will be included on the first night at the ryokan, so if there is anything you don't like there will be plenty to enjoy!

 

In Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, there are wonderful temples, shrines and gardens to explore during a morning with a private guide. We recommend following the endless tunnels of red shrine gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine for fantastic views across the city and a chance for everyone to stretch their legs! We've also thrown in a taiko drumming lesson. Half dance, half music - taiko is a great way to make some noise.

 

Finally, you'll spend two nights in Osaka where you can visit the wonderful aquarium. There's also a lesson in tatedo (that's wooden sword fighting to you and me), which offers you the chance to become a ninja stuntman for the afternoon.

 

Read below for a sample itinerary summary or come into our branch to discuss the tour in more detail.

 

 

Days 1 – 3: Tokyo

Day 4: Matsumoto

Days 5 - 6: Takayama

Days 7 – 9: Kyoto

Days 10 - 11: Osaka

Days 12 - 13: Tokyo

 

DAYS 1 – 3: TOKYO. Welcome to Tokyo! Although you may be a little jet-lagged after a long flight, there's plenty to see close to your hotel including Tokyo Tower, Zozo-ji Temple and Hamarikyu gardens.

On your first full day in the capital you will have the services of an expert private guide for a half-day tour of the city. We can prepare a sightseeing itinerary for you in advance, or you can decide your plan with your guide on the day. We highly recommend experiencing the hustle and bustle of Tsukiji Fish Market or exploring the fashion district of Harajuku to see what the latest teenage crazes are. 100 yen shops are a great place to let the children spend a little pocket money on stickers and stationery, after all - everything is so cheap! 

With another full day in Tokyo, we have included tickets to the fabulous Studio Ghibli Museum. This is a fantastic chance to delve into the mysterious fantasy world of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films. Younger kids will love playing on the cat bus from My Neighbour Totoro, and don't miss the cinema showing world-exclusive original animated shorts. The afternoon will be free for you to continue exploring Tokyo at your own leisure. Why not pop up Tokyo's newest and tallest tower, the Skytree, to see if you can see as far as Mount Fuji?

DAY 4: MATSUMOTO. Climb to the top of Matsumoto's impressive original "Black Crow" samurai castle.

Swap the bright lights of Tokyo for the mountains of the Japanese Alps today as you catch a direct limited express train to Matsumoto - a journey of two-and-a-half hours. Matsumoto is home to own of Japan's few remaining original samurai castles, the "Black Crow," where you can climb up the steep staircases inside and imagine life in the time of ninja!

 

DAYS 5 – 6: TAKAYAMA. Spend two nights in the beautiful alpine craft town of Takayama.

Before leaving Matsumoto, you'll learn how to make the region's speciality dish: soba noodles. Under the expert supervision a chef from a local soba shop, the whole family can try their hand at making the buckwheat dough before kneading and chopping it into thin noodle strips. Of course, the fruit of your labour will be a hearty bowl of soba noodles for lunch. 

In the afternoon your journey will continue with a scenic bus ride across the mountains to the traditional town of Takayama. For the next two nights you'll stay in a traditional ryokan, sleeping on futon mattresses on tatami mat flooring. A Japanese-style dinner will be included tonight. 

After a restful night at your ryokan, your next day in Takayama will be spent cycling through the beautiful Hida countryside outside the town. A 20 minute train ride will take you to meet your cycle guide, who will take you on a gentle, three-and-a-half hour ride through the surrounding farmland, passing rice paddies, streams and forests and meeting a few friendly locals on the way.

 

DAYS 7 – 9: KYOTO. Today you'll take a limited express train to Nagoya before hopping aboard the world famous Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto; an experience in itself!

Here you'll be staying at another traditional family-run ryokan, handily located right by Kyoto Station. We recommend ascending the escalators in the station building today for the glass "sky walk" and fantastic views across the city. 

On your first full day in Kyoto you will once again be accompanied by an expert local guide for a half-day city tour, encompassing some of Kyoto's famous sights and hidden gems. The guide can take any special interests you may have into account to tailor an itinerary especially for you. 

The afternoon will be free for you to spend at leisure and your Info-Pack will be full of sightseeing ideas. You may like to visit Toei Eiga Mura, a film set theme park where samurai action films are made. You can dress up as a geisha or samurai here! 

On your next day in Kyoto you will be joining a taiko drumming class. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing as you're sure to work up a sweat beating these huge traditional drums! The teachers will guide you through some basic rhythms and movements so that by the end of the class your family will have a little performance piece. Make sure you can record films on your camera!

DAYS 10 – 11. OSAKA. From Kyoto it's a quick hop on the Shinkansen bullet train to your next destination, Osaka.

Osaka is home to Japan's movie industry, including a school dedicated to the art of stage fighting - where you'll be having a private tatedo lesson today! Dressed as samurai and using bamboo swords, the instructor will show you stylised movements to create your own ninja sword sequence. Bushido or "the way of the samurai" is as much about respect, dignity and mental training as it is fighting, and this philosophy will certainly be choreographed into your lesson. 

Japan is an archipelago consisting of thousands of islands, so it's hardly surprising that it has some fantastic aquariums. Osaka's Ring of Fire Aquarium is one of the best, showcasing marine life from around the Pacific Rim in massive tanks that are several storeys high and can be viewed form different levels. We've included tickets to the aquarium today.

 

DAYS 12 – 13: TOKYO. Today your Japanese family adventure finally comes full circle as your return to the capital.

You'll have one last journey on the bullet train, whisking you from Osaka to Tokyo in just under three hours. Tonight you'll stay in an apartment hotel in Tokyo's neon-spangled Shinjuku district. 

Sadly your time in Japan must come to an end, and on your final morning you'll take a direct train from Tokyo's Shinjuku Station to Narita Airport in time to catch your flight home.

 

If this sounds like the perfect introduction to Japan for you, come inside or give us a call to discuss this itinerary with our staff.