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 15 Days 2010 Trip: October 23 - November 6 2011 Trip: October 22 - November 5 2010 Land Cost $5485 Group Size: 16 participants, 2 leaders View our favorite pictures from this trip (12 images) Offering a taste of the Japanese countryside, this trip focuses on folk architecture and regional cuisine. We see how the central elements of rural Japan — folkhouse, shrine, temple, village, and landscape — are manifested in the arts and architecture of today. From Tokyo, where traditional and modern life collide, we travel north to the Japan Sea, wander through villages, and meet with local craftspeople. Our lodgings include thatched-roofed farmhouses, Meiji-style hot springs inns, and post towns of the Edo period. Traversing narrow mountain valleys and rugged coastlines, we explore the manor homes of the Niigata Plains, the temples of Nagano, the lacquerware of Kiso Valley, and the sake breweries of Takayama. Culinary delights include a country meal of foods gathered from the local forest vegetarian temple cuisine served on lacquered bowls, and home-style cooking eaten around the fire of an open hearth. Artisan visits include an indigo-dyer, a ceramicist, and lacquer artists. Our journey ends in Kyoto where we stay in an exquisite ryokan (inn) that transports us from the bustle of the surrounding center city to the tranquility of its inner gardens. Exploring artisan homes, temples, and teahouses, including a visit to the Moss Garden, we leave Japan with the memory of an architectural tradition as varied as it is rich. Contact us for a day-to-day itinerary for this trip    |
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