Japan guide
From bullet trains to bubbling hot springs, we show you why Japan is such an interesting and unique country to visit.
Japan luxury travel map & highlights
To discover Japan in style, most people want to take in the urban greats such as Tokyo and Kyoto. Both are bursting with juxtaposed culture: ancient temples alongside spectacular modern architecture, Buddhist shrines beside beautiful hotels. The coastal areas are some of Japan’s most stunning secrets, however, and taking a small ship cruise to Maizuru or volcanic island of Kyushu is a very luxurious way to see Japan. If you want to escape the tourist throngs around Mount Fuji, remember that there are many more mountains to marvel at. Hakone National Park and the Nakasendo Trail are hiking perfection, especially on a tailor made holiday where experts can find the most magnificent inns along the way.
Hakone
1. Hakone
Hakone is the mountainous region west of Tokyo, accessible by bullet train to Odawara. From here, you enter a world of gorgeous ryokan inns, hot spring baths and mountain air. Natural heritage such as the Owakudani volcanic crater, Lake Ashi and beyond that, Mount Fuji, are all protected by Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. On a very clear day you can see the great Fuji from Hakone.
Hiroshima & Miyajima island
2. Hiroshima & Miyajima island
With its horrific past, Hiroshima is now a centre of peace as well as being a modern urban utopia. Important memorial sites and must visits are the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park and Peace Memorial Museum. The nearby island of Miyajima is a perfect place to go afterwards, enjoying the sacred solace of its forests and ancient temples. Its giant orange Great Torii Gate in Hiroshima Bay is a very uplifting sight.
Kyoto
3. Kyoto
Famous for being the ancient capital, and falling down with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it is also building up and up into a contemporary, chic metropolis. But it is this contrast of temples and tea houses, wooden buildings emanating incense alongside high tech Japan that is what makes Kyoto so fascinating. Get a guided trip here to really get the benefit of sacred sites such as the Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple.
Nakasendo Trail
4. Nakasendo Trail
The main stop on this 500km ancient walking trail is Tsumago, one of 69 post towns which hosted feudal lords, samurai and merchants en route between Kyoto and Edo – which is now Tokyo. On a tailor made trip you can stay here and take daily trips on the trail out of Tsumago, or adapt your itinerary to include a few more days of hiking, bathing in hot springs and being treated royally at ryokan inns.
Osaka
5. Osaka
This city is the new hot place to hang out, especially for foodies. However, it has actually been known as the ‘Kitchen of Japan’ since the Edo period, with a plethora of markets and suppliers coming to sell their fine produce. Kuromon Market and a series of arcades selling sublime sushi and sashimi, straight from Osaka Bay, are the places to feast. The night life here is very vibrant too.
Small ship cruises
6. Small ship cruises
Given that Japan is a collection of islands, taking a small ship cruise around the Sea of Japan on board a state of the art yacht, is a pretty idyllic way to see it. Start in Osaka and end in Maizuru for a circuit that takes in both historic sites of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, natural highlights such as the volcanic island of Kyushu, and the temples and mountainous landscapes of Shikoku Island.
The best of Japan luxury cruise
Busan to Osaka; a blend of modernity & tradition
From
£8750 to £10940
13 days
ex flights
Japan circumnavigation cruise, arts and culture
Circumnavigate Honshu + Hokkaido, Kyushu and South Korea
From
US $13450
16 days
ex flights
Japan guided luxury adventure holiday
Bamboo groves, geishas & the chant of Buddhist monks
From
£5900 to £6745
9 days
ex flights
Japan gastronomic adventure holiday
Food focused adventure through Japan’s cities & countryside
From
£7475
15 days
ex flights
Japan luxury small group tour, 15 days
Elegant stays, excellent meals & exclusive cultural access
From
£7525 to £13860
15 days
ex flights
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Japan luxury trip travel advice
Travelling by train
Travelling by train
Simon Richards, from our leading luxury holidays in Japan supplier, Audley Travel, shares his top tips for holidaying here in style:
“Get a Green class Japan rail pass. Standard class on trains in Japan is great, but green class is like travelling premium economy when flying.”
Where to stay
Where to stay
“Stay in a high end, traditional ryokan at a hot spring resort. Hakone is a great place for this.”
Where to go
“The ‘not to be missed’ place would definitely be Kyoto. There is a huge number of incredible temples and shrines and it is fantastic during the cherry blossom and autumn leaves periods. You can also have tea with a Maiko (trainee geisha) here.”
tips from our travellers in japan
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Japan luxury travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday.
Learn some basic Japanese... In all honesty it is very hard to pin point one defining moment. It was all brilliant.![]()
- Alan Brownlow
“Take a car and balance ryokans with western style beds and chairs. The most memorable part was the Noto Peninsula, except for Wakura, and the villages in the various parts of the countryside.” – Geraldine Hickey
“Thoroughly research exactly what you want to do before you go. We squeezed in some additional visits to places that we didn't think were possible e.g. by getting up early and making use of our Japan Rail Pass. If you want to upgrade your flight class then try to do this at the time of booking as additional fuel surcharges may make this very expensive. If you are going on your honeymoon, it may be worth finding out if there are additional people travelling at the same time as you and staying at the same places. This may make you change your itinerary so it remains a private holiday for just the two of you. Don't bother with the Park Hyatt in Tokyo, its over-rated and very expensive for fairly average food. If you stay at the Mitsui Garden hotel in Tokyo then you still get amazing views from here (and they’ve got a good cocktail bar).” – Katherine Windibank
“Thoroughly research exactly what you want to do before you go. We squeezed in some additional visits to places that we didn't think were possible e.g. by getting up early and making use of our Japan Rail Pass. If you want to upgrade your flight class then try to do this at the time of booking as additional fuel surcharges may make this very expensive. If you are going on your honeymoon, it may be worth finding out if there are additional people travelling at the same time as you and staying at the same places. This may make you change your itinerary so it remains a private holiday for just the two of you. Don't bother with the Park Hyatt in Tokyo, its over-rated and very expensive for fairly average food. If you stay at the Mitsui Garden hotel in Tokyo then you still get amazing views from here (and they’ve got a good cocktail bar).” – Katherine Windibank
Unless you have a particular interest in comparing and contrasting temples and shrines of different types and ages it is probably enough to focus on a few or you may get templed-out!![]()
- Helena Akerlund
“We made a few business cards with our names in Kanji and Katakana on the reverse. These proved extremely useful, especially with introductions to people with very limited English. If you can't find anyone to help with the Kanji, at least have cards with your name in English. If you do take business cards, be sure to keep them in pristine condition. Take the time to try and learn a few basic words - such as thank you and excuse me! The Japanese appreciate the effort even though the conversation will continue in English. I also bought a book on Japanese etiquette, fearful of making a terrible social blunder. At least you will know what to expect! Finally - don't be afraid to try Japanese food!” – Janet Turnbull
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