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Top things to do in Japan

Tokyo, Japan

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James Noyes

Senior Travel Consultant

020 7808 6786

020 7808 6786

Eat like a local

Experience flavours favoured by the locals with the popular Okonomiyaki the signature dish of Hiroshima. Literally meaning ‘to one’s liking’, Okonomiyaki is a popular pan fried food consisting of batter and cabbage and a selection of toppings, varying from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese. Visiting the specialist restaurants is an experience in itself, with diners sitting around an open bar watching their food get prepared by the chef you will find a vast number of okonomiyaki restaurants across Hiroshima, particularly in Okonomi Mura, where every restaurant serves the city’s speciality.

Escape urban Japan

For more than 1000 years, garden design has been an important Japanese art form. From the abstract sculpture gardens in Hakone, to the breath taking Bamboo Groves of Arashiyama, there are a variety of styles across Japan. The Okochi Sanso Gardens in Kyoto are a particularly outstanding example of a traditional Japanese garden, with impressive architecture, a traditional Japanese villa, tearooms and Shinto shrines.

Meet the local wildlife

The forests of the Jigokudani valley in Yamanouchi are home to the Japanese Macaques, or snow monkeys. The monkeys are native to northern Japan, with brown-grey fur and red faces, with remarkably human like mannerisms. Often caught bathing in the man-made pool, the monkeys are particularly photogenic when the area is covered in snow.

Stay in a ryokan

No trip to Japan is complete without staying in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Sample the local hospitality, sleep on futons on the tatami mat floor, experience hot spring baths and eat delicious local cuisine.

See cherry blossom season

During cherry blossom season, locals gather below trees to celebrate the beautiful flowering of the trees. Everything turns pink, with themed chocolate, beer and clothing hitting the shops. There are even ‘sakura (blossom) forecasts’ with pink dots covering maps of Japan on the television and in the daily newspapers.

Bathe in an onsen

The Japanese Alps in the Nagano prefecture feature some of Japan's most dramatic scenery and picturesque rural villages. The area is also famous for its many onsen, or hot spring, resorts. The most celebrated of these is the Jigokudani onsen, or Hell’s Valley hot springs, in Yudanaka where wild snow monkeys gather to bathe in the natural hot pools.

Join the monks for morning prayers

Travel to Mount Koya in Wakayama prefecture, one of the holiest mountains in Japan. There are more than 100 monasteries here surrounding the head temple. Stay overnight in the complex and rise early to avoid the crowds and see the monks at morning prayers.

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General Interest

Essential Japan

11 days 10 nights

From £3,980

This tour of Japan is an ideal introduction for first-time visitors, taking in key sites and attractions in Tokyo, Hakone National Park and Kyoto

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Japanese Alps Adventure

17 days 15 nights

From £6,030

Discover the Japanese Alps on this 15-night itinerary, with many mountains, valleys, forests and scenic trails to explore

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Japan in Style

10 days 8 nights

From £8,700

Discover the best of Japan on this luxurious private journey from Tokyo to Osaka

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Japan Self-Guided Adventure

10 days 8 nights

From £5,070

Combine privately guided excursions with self-guided touring so you can get the most from your visit while avoiding the high costs often incurred with private travel in Japan

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