Overnight International Flight to Tokyo

On arrival at Narita Airport, be met in the arrival hall by a Yampu guide who will assist with the transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Included

Enjoy an afternoon free to explore one of the world's most cutting-edge capitals. Behind the shopping, entertainment and commercial emporia can be found quaint wooden houses, private gardens with meticulously clipped bonsai trees and the Zen-like calm of the Hamarikyu Gardens. The city's reputation as a mega-expensive metropolis is ill-conceived and visitors can take advantage of inexpensive izakaya bars and neighborhood cafes that serve delicious noodles and rice dishes.
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A comprehensive immersion into Japan's rich art and cultural heritage. Today will start with a lesson in Iaido, a form of Japanese swordsmanship. Iaido's emphasis is on precise, controlled, fluid motion and is sometimes referred to as 'moving Zen'. Yampu Travelers will be allowed to practice actual cutting techniques on bamboo or straw block forms using real Iaido swords.
Time to put down the sword and take up the pen for a lesson in shodo, Japanese calligraphy. Learn how, when writing kanji (Japanese pictographs), each stroke has a proper way to begin and end and there is a correct order and path to follow. The slightest lapse in concentration will show in one's work.
Last, head to Shinjuku's Samurai Museum. The Museum, located in a traditional Japanese building nicely contrasting with the neon jungle of Shinjuku, hosts an incredible collection of armor, swords and objects that belonged to samurai warriors throughout the ages.
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The Ghibli Museum is the animation and art museum of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, one of Japan's most famous animation studios. They have produced many feature length films with worldwide distribution such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. Located in Mitaka, just outside of central Tokyo, the museum is a must-see for fans of the films. The museum itself is whimsically designed in the distinct style of the studio's films, and many of their famous characters are there, including a life-sized robot from Castle in the Sky on the rooftop garden. The first floor of the museum exhibits the history and techniques of animation and has as a small theater which shows short movies by Studio Ghibli that are exclusive to the museum and are rotated monthly. The second floor houses special temporary exhibitions. The museum has a cafe, children's play area, a rooftop garden and a gift shop.
Half Day Tokyo Garden and Fire Ceremony Tour
Journey to the Eastern part of Tokyo, to Fukagawa district - a quieter, but no less charming area. Enjoy a stroll in the beautiful Kiyosumi Teien gardens. The first location to be designated a site of scenic beauty by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, its origins date back to 1721 when it was a villa for a feudal lord. In late XIX century it was purchased by Iwasaki Yataro, founder of the Mitsubishi Corporation, who used his company ships to transport 50 precious stones here from all over Japan and set them around a pond ringed with Japanese black pine, hydrangeas, Taiwan cherries and other plants designed to make the garden look splendid at all times of the year.
A walk in this charming residential district will take you to the Fukagawa Fudo-do Temple. This large temple's main object of veneration is a statue of Fudomyo - a fierce-looking representation of Buddha's determination. The temple itself is very solemn and interesting, but the highlight is the spectacular goma-kito ceremony, in which the Buddhist priest burns consecrated wooden sticks on a large fire to gain protection and grant the wishes of who offered the sticks, as he chants sutras and other priests play the taiko drums. You will be able to observe the ceremony from close by.
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Anime (Japanese animation) and manga (comics) are loved throughout the world and are just as important a piece of Japanese culture as more traditional arts are. On this day tour a local guide will take Yampu travelers around to discover all about manga and anime. First stop is J-World, an amusement park dedicated to the heroes of the Shonen Jump stories, the best-selling magazine in Japan where popular comics such as One Piece and Naruto are serialized. Continue on to the Pokemon Center to find all sorts of items related to the famous pocket monsters including the iconic character, Pikachu! This tour disbands in the Ikebukuro area.
Half Day Old Tokyo Tour by Public Transport
This afternoon explore Tokyo's shitamachi (downtown). Our image of Tokyo is usually that of a super-modern metropolis but suburbs like Yanaka, which was miraculously spared the carnage of the Allied bombings in World War II, still preserve a nostalgic atmosphere. Part of its charm today lies in this sense of being hidden. Visit old temples and shrines, one of Tokyo's oldest Buddhist cemeteries as well as traditional shops selling Japanese paper and sweets, and soak in the atmosphere of pre-war Tokyo. Take a look at what life in this area used to be like in the Shitamachi Museum, located in Ueno Park. One of the most popular parks for hanami (cherry blossom parties) in Tokyo, Ueno Park was originally part of Kaneiji Temple, which used to be one of the city's largest and wealthiest temples and a family temple of the ruling Tokugawa clan during the Edo Period. The guide will take travelers on a stroll to show the many attractions that enrich this large park.
Last stop for the day is Ueno's Ameyoko-cho, a busy market street underneath the train lines. Originally the site of a black market after World War II, this bustling market is the last of its kind in Tokyo and is filled with shops and stalls selling various products such as fresh fish, dried foods and spices. At one of the many open air restaurants under the train tracks, stop for a cold drink and yakitori (grilled chicken skewer).
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Today, travel onward to Kyoto. Travelers will make their own way to Tokyo Station to take the bullet train (covered by Japan Rail Pass) to Kyoto. Upon arrival, make way to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
Kyoto is the nation's former capital and was the residence of the emperor from 794 until 1868. It is Japan's seventh largest metropolis with a population of around 1.4 million and a city of culture that offers a plethora of temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures that still survive today. With 2,000 religious buildings, including 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and associated architecture, it is one of the best preserved cities in Japan. Kyoto has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status and represents the "Japan of old." Beyond the high rise skyscrapers built as a monument to progress, the real monument to Japan's historical and cultural past can be found in the city's narrow alleyways where tea houses abound and kimono-clad geishas hurry from elegant function to function. This is a place to go back in time to Japan's mysterious past where echoes of the court nobility resonate at the Imperial Palace and the search for contemplation can be found in Ryoanji's Zen rock gardens.
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Visit two of Kyoto's 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites and a local market in the morning. Start the day with a visit to Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), which was originally built as a retirement villa for the Shogun. After his death, the villa became a Buddhist temple at his request, and is now one of Kyoto's most famous temples. Next is Nijo Castle, an ornamental castle that was built by the founder of the Edo Shogunate as his Kyoto residence and is surrounded by stunning surrounding gardens. The main building was completed in 1603, and is famous for its architecture, decorated sliding doors and 'chirping' nightingale floors. Finish the day with a visit to Nishiki Market. Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", Nishiki is a narrow shopping street lined more than 100 shops, selling fresh seafood and vegetables, pickles, Japanese sweets and sushi.
Proceed to visit two of the most exciting non-art museums in Kyoto. The Kyoto International Manga Museum was opened in November of 2006. It consists of three floors and a basement, and most of its walls are lined with shelves of manga. Browsing this massive collection of manga is one of the museum's main attractions. A small section of the books is dedicated to foreign and translated manga, but the vast majority is in Japanese. The museum also focuses on both the adoption and development of manga internationally. In addition to its permanent collection, the Manga Museum also features temporary exhibitions on various themes. The building, which now acts as the Manga Museum, was previously an elementary school. Some relics of the former school are on display for visitors.
Next, visit the nearby Railway Museum. Advanced railway technology is a source of pride for the country that invented the bullet train; One does not have to be a train fan to enjoy the huge museum, which exhibits 53 retired trains, from steam locomotives to more recent electric trains and shinkansen. Visitors can also walk underneath and observe the inner workings of a retired freight locomotive. The museum displays railway uniforms, tools and dioramas; there are also a variety of interactive exhibitions where visitors can perform the duties of a train conductor or drive a train simulator. The museum's restaurant is on the second floor directly below an observation deck. Both offer nice views of the passing trains along the JR Kyoto Line and Tokaido Shinkansen. At the museum's exit stands the Nijo Station Building, a picturesque, old-fashioned building relocated from nearby Nijo Station in 1997. The building was originally erected in 1904, making it the oldest of its kind in Japan.
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Transfer from your hotel to Nara by train (45min) with a local guide. For 74 years during the 8th century Nara was Japan's capital and many of the temples and shrines built at that time still remain. Visit Todaiji temple, the world's largest wooden building and home to Japan's largest Buddha. Next stop is Nara's most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns which have been donated by worshipers. Take a wander through Nara Park, called Deer park by locals due to the large population of more than 1,000 tame deer living there.
Quench your thirst at a sake brewery. During a tour of the brewery, you will learn about the traditional brewing process, and then sample the different types of their sake.
On the way back from Nara, visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, which was used in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. It is home to over 10,000 red tori gates, which form a path up the mountain behind the temple.
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Enjoy a half day tour to Uji, a traditional town near Kyoto that is famous for its superior quality green tea. While Kozanji Temple in Kyoto is believed to be the original site of tea cultivation in Japan, Uji's tea became better known for its superior quality in the 1100s.
After a brief 20 minute train taking you directly from Kyoto into Uji, head to the tea making experience. In a group of no more than 5 people, the guide shall translate so Yampu Travelers can learn from local Uji residents about the kneading and drying of the tea leaves in this 1.5 hour experience. Afterwards, stroll through the picturesque town sampling tea from local store sellers. One need not feel under any pressure to purchase, but if one does like Green Tea, this is a great place to purchase while in Japan.

Tonight experience one of Japan's most traditional cultural practices, the tea ceremony. This ceremony synthesizes the preparation and drinking of tea together with spirituality, architecture and history. ...read less

After check-out this morning, make way to Kyoto Station to take the bullet train to Shinagawa to transfer to the Narita Express to Narita Airport (covered by Japan Rail Pass).

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