15 Days
2008 Trip: September 20 - October 4
2008 Trip: October 4 - October 18
2009 Trip: September 26 - October 10
2009 Trip: October 10 - October 24
2008 Land Cost $6285
Group Size: 12 participants, 2 leaders
View our favorite pictures from this trip (9 images)
Japan is a country famous for its exquisite design and incredible hospitality — this is a trip that focuses on both. Staying in classic Japanese inns, soaking in hot springs, visiting traditional artisans, and exploring contemporary architectural masterpieces, we immerse ourselves in these elements of Japanese culture.
From Kyoto, we travel north past thatched-roofed farmhouses to an exquisite villa in a secluded mountain valley. Along the shores of the Sea of Japan, highlights include outdoor baths overlooking the rugged coastline and an elegant inn in a lively hot springs town. We travel south to the Inland Sea for stays on semi-tropical islands dotted with citrus orchards and explore extraordinary buildings designed by Yoshio Taniguchi and Tadao Ando. North of Nagoya, at the riverside inn of a master cormorant fisherman, we experience the marvels of night-time "ukai" fishing while sipping sake in a lantern-lit boat.
Artisan encounters include tea with a ceramics master, studio visits with weavers of "chirimen" silk, touring the home of a world-renowned indigo-dye artist, and a cooking class with one of Kyoto's top kaiseki chefs. Also featured are a number of remarkable museums, spectacular for their architecture as well as the collections they house. Our trip ends in Tokyo with an exquisite French kaiseki dinner on the 36th floor of a glass building with breathtaking views of the city.
East and West meet in uniquely Japanese ways on this trip and it is through a blend of these that we experience Asian Havens…
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