Your Bucketlist - What To Do In Japan

Japan nurtures the unique. From its ancient traditions to the tales of tomorrow, this is a vibrant country of immersive moments. Every moment is filled with contrasts and your bucketlist will surely reflect a nation's wonderfully diverse fabric. Meetings with monks, cocktails in sky bars, temples, monkeys, neon, and what to do in Japan when the possibility is infinite.

Traditional Japanese mask

Visit Home of Master Noh Performer in Kyoto

Japan
A couple hidden by a beaded curtain, eating in a Japanese restaurant, Tokyo

Tokyo Fine Dining and Underground Theatre

Japan
Japanese woman with tea tray and traditional kimono dress

Michelin Dinner With a Geisha in Kyoto

Japan
A young Japanese woman holding a saxophone.

Japanese Fusion Jazz Performance in Miho Museum

Japan
Geisha Welcome, Kyoto

Dining Performance at a Historic Kyoto Estate

Japan
Actor wears Noh mask represent young women with stick

Tokyo Theatre Tour With Noh Grand Masters

Japan
Autumn Foliage at Saiho-Ji Moss Garden, Kyoto

Visit to Kyoto’s Moss Temple

Japan
Be A Guest Of A Japanese Family

Meet a Japanese Family in Tokyo or Kyoto

Japan
Peace Memorial Park and and memorial hall for the atomic bomb victims, Hiroshima, Japan

Meet a Hibakusha, An Atomic Bomb Surviver in Hiroshima

Japan
Helicopter Flight, Tokyo

Tokyo Helicopter Charter to Mt. Fuji

Japan
Ryoanji Rock Garden, Kyoto

Ryoanji Temple Insider Tour in Kyoto

Japan
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan.

Visit to Kiyomizudera Temple

Japan

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Experience Traditional Japanese Culture

Nothing is copied in Japan and an immersion in local culture is absolute. Wherever you go, whatever you do, there's no doubt that this country creates the most original of travel moments. There are so many mythical names you can experience and understand, like Samurai, Geisha, Taiko, Maiko, Noh, Ukiyoe and Ninja.

Japanese Caligraphy

Calligraphy in the Modern Age Kyoto Workshop

Japan
Detail of Massive Parade float, Japan

Himeji Festival Culture Tour

Japan
Taiko Drum

Taiko Drumming Workshop in Kyoto or Nagano

Japan
Unrecognizable Asian man holding a katana.

Samurai Experience at a Dojo in Tokyo

Japan
Japanese Woman Playing a Traditional Instrument

Visit a Musician’s Home in Kyoto

Japan
Young attractive woman in traditional japanese kimono with open fan, black and white.

Maiko Dress Up Experience in Kyoto

Japan
Traditional Japanese performance. Actress in traditional kimono and fox mark gradually goes and her assistant holds umbrella above her.

Noh and Buton Contrasting Dances Performance in Kyoto

Japan
Yasaka Pagoda and Sannen Zaka Street in the Morning, Kyoto, Japan

Explore Kyoto in a Kimono

Japan
Mid adult tailor cutting denim around a pattern in preparation to make a pair of jeans by hand in Japan

Meet Craftsmen and Artisans in Rural Japan

Japan
Samurai Warrior Photoshoot, Japan

Samurai Dress Up Experience in Tokyo or Kyoto

Japan
Japanese Pottery Maker

Visit Japan's Most Traditional Pottery Villages

Japan
Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print, Kyoto

Ukiyoe Wood Printing Experience in Kyoto

Japan
East asian teenage girl dress in Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) drawing Traditional Chinese Painting

Kyoto Craftsmen Insider’s Tour

Japan
Happy young woman in Kimono adding colors on self-designed dish at gold leaf pasting workshop. It's one of the most popular activities for tourists in Kanazawa, Japan.

Kanazawa Gold Lead Workshop

Japan
Front view of woman in traditional kimono, kneeling on tatami ready for cup of tea which is in front of her on tatami too. Shi is in traditional Japanese room in an old house. This is in Toei studios in Kyoto with old buildings from Samurai times.

Kyoto Tea Ceremony

Japan

Japan's Best Stays

Japanese accommodation is integral to your experience and befits the country's cultural contrasts. From skyscraper suites to cute old-world ryokans, a journey through Japan allows you to sample a wonderful variety of accommodation. Few countries offer such a myriad of distinctive options. Experimenting with a new accommodation styles is part of what makes Japan such a memorable place to travel.

Amanemu-aman_spa

Amanemu

Japan
Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

Japan
Benesse House, Naoshima

Benesse House Naoshima

Japan
Tawaraya Ryokan

Tawaraya Ryokan Kyoto

Japan
Asaba Ryokan

Asaba Ryokan Izu

Japan
Bella Vista, Onomichi

Bella Vista Onomichi

Japan
Hoshinoya Kyoto

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Japan
Murata, Yufuin

Murata Yufuin

Japan
Takefue, Kumamoto

Takefue Kumamoto

Japan
Chikusenso Mt. Zao Onsen, Miyagi

Chikusenso Mt. Zao Onsen Miyagi

Japan
Sankara Hotel _ Spa, Yakushima

Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima

Japan
Zaborin, Kutchan

Zaborin Kutchan

Japan

Uncovering Japanese Cuisine With Local Masters

Japan celebrates the continual pursuit of perfection, exemplified by the full sphere of Japanese cuisine. The attention to detail is majestic to watch, whether in a sake brewery or beneath the skilled fingers of a sushi chef. This isn't just a cuisine to taste and explore, it's a gastronomy that delights in flawless touch.

Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

Tsukiji Fish Market Tour With a Chef Guide

Japan
Sushi Art

Decorated Sushi Making Class in Tokyo

Japan
Japanese Sake drink

Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour With Tasting and Food Pairings

Japan
Japanese Ramen

Ramen Cooking Experience in Tokyo

Japan

Japanese Home Cooking Class in Kyoto or Kanazawa

Japan
Plate of Nigiri

Sushi Making Class at a Top Tokyo Restaurant

Japan
Making Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki Cooking Class in Hiroshima

Japan
Bowl of Soba Noodles

Saba Noodle Making Workshop in Fukui or Nagano

Japan
Street Food Tour, Tokyo

Tokyo By Night Food Tour

Japan
traveling asian girl excited eating fresh raw fish in kuromon market. japanese local food lifestyle in osaka. young lady cheerfully trying sashimi.

Osaka at Night Food Tour

Japan

Japan Itineraries

Inspirational itineraries created by leading travel designers. Save favourites to your bucketlist with the heart. Make a trip request and we will connect you to a local travel designer to plan your trip.

Crowded Shinsekai District, Tsutenkaku Tower in the background. Illuminated Neon Billboards at Night, Vibrant Osaka Shinsekai Cityscape. Shinsekai, Osaka, Japan, Asia

Japan Trip of a Lifetime

Japan

What To Do In Japan With Martial Arts

Don't just watch, but participate in Japan's original martial arts. Feel the atmosphere, inhale the musty scents, and discover a form of precision far more real than the movies suggest.

Sumo Wrestling Match

Sumo Through the Eyes of a Fighter in Tokyo

Japan
Sumo Wrestlers in Training

Participate in a Sumo Practice in Tokyo

Japan
Two persons exercising traditional Japanese martial art Kendo on the roof. Sunset

Participate in a Kendo Practice in Tokyo

Japan
Asian woman showing her ninja moves at the temple's garden.

Ninja Training Workshop

Japan
Aikido Lesson

Aikido Martial Arts Workshop in Osaka

Japan
Sumo Wrestlers in Training

Attend Morning Sumo Practice at Chanko Nabe, Tokyo

Japan
Two young adult Japanese Kyudo archers preparing to take their shots. Okayama, Japan. March 2017

Kyodo Japanese Archery Workshop in Kyoto, Izu or Miyagi

Japan

Japanese Moments With Artisans and Crafts

Japanese art also takes on its own form and history. Think Manga in a Tokyo basement, ink painting with local masters, poetry and pottery and private experiences with contemporary art legends.

Manga painter.

Manga Drawing Class in Tokyo

Japan
Ancient Kilns, Shigaraki

Pottery Workshop With Specialist in Shigaraki, Koka

Japan
artist hand holding Fude brush for Sumi-e painting over suzuri. Soft focus on brush and Sumi Block.

Sumie Japanese Ink Painting Class in Tokyo

Japan
Kyoto togetsu-Kyo bridge

Art & Poetry Experience in Kyoto

Japan
Tokyo Art Tour

Tokyo Art Tour

Japan
Yayoi Kusama_s Yellow Pumpkin, Naoshima Art Island

Naoshima Art Island Visit

Japan
Teshima Island, Japan

Teshima Art Island Visit From Naoshima

Japan
Beautiful faceted glass for whiskey on a red background close-up.

Explore Wine and Private Baccarat Collection in Kyoto

Japan
Pottery Studio, Japan

Yakushima Craftspeople Workshop and Studio Tour

Japan

What To Do In Japanese Gardens

Japan is a riveting ride through history and change, as well as a vibrant immersion in the sounds of tomorrow. It's busy and bustling, the urban landscape seeming to stretch for eternity. But then you escape to Japanese gardens and find absolute Zen and tranquility. Gardens are so integral to the travel experience as they help you take a break and process everything else.

Ginkakuji Temple, Kyoto

Gardening Workshop With Master Kyoto Designer

Japan
Bonsai Tree, Japan

Master the Art of Bonsai in Tokyo

Japan
Beautiful Japanese lady arranging flowers in a traditional tatami room.

Learn Ikebana Japanese Flower Arranging in Tokyo

Japan
Senior Chinese man holding a Conifer Tree Penjing

Discover The Secrets To Sculpting Bonsai

Japan
Gardens Tour, Kyoto

Kyoto Secluded Gardens Full-Day Tour

Japan
Fort Goryokaku is a star shaped,Western style citadel which was built in Hakodate towards the end of the Edo Period. After the fort lost its military importance, it was eventually turned into a public park, and over one thousand cherry trees were planted along its moats, making it arguably Hokkaido's most famous cherry blossom spot.

Sakura Sky Cruise of Kyoto and Nara From Kobe

Japan
Gates of the Saihoji Temple, Kyoto

Visit Saihoji Moss Garden in Kyoto

Japan

Uncovering the Local Side to Japanese Cities

Go behind the scenes and beyond closed doors, to uncover the ultimate highlights in changing cities. Japan is not the country for bus tours to famous sights. The best stuff is hidden away and you need expert local guides to navigate realms of tradition and culture.

Tokyo Sky Tree and white cherry blossom at sunny day, Tokyo, Japan.

Classic Tokyo Sightseeing Tour

Japan
Gion Shirakawa

Classic Kyoto Day Tour

Japan
Modern Architechture, Tokyo

Tokyo Architecture Tour

Japan
Woman walking in traditional old town of Kagurazaka, Tokyo, in a rainy day

Tokyo Photography Tour

Japan
Bartender's smile

Nighttime Tour of Tokyo’s Bar Area

Japan
Gion at Night, Kyoto

Gion District of Tokyo Nighttime Tour

Japan
View of a classic japanese alley in Kanazawa, Japan

Kanazawa Culture and History Tour

Japan
Takayama Festival, Japan

Shirakawago Full-Day Visit

Japan
Blurred picture of people walking in the narrow backstreet of Yokochi Omoide.

Golden Gai Bar Area Tokyo Nighttime Tour

Japan
Mountain fuji have bridge cross lake kawaguchiko and grass foreground

Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Tour

Japan
Mountain Fuji and Lake Ashi with Hakone temple and sightseeing cruise boat in autumn

Classic Hakone Sightseeing Tour

Japan

Zen Travel Experiences

You can experience moments of Zen all over the world, but only in Japan are they truly Zen, guided by masters practiced in the ancient art.

Buddhist Monks Praying

Meeting a Zen Monk in Kyoto

Japan
Walk with a Buddhist Monk

Walk With a Living Buddha in Otsu

Japan
Zazen meditation, Japan

Zazen Meditation in Kyoto

Japan
Yakushima National Park, Yakushima Island

Yakushima Old Forest Hiking Tour

Japan
Carriage in Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Travelers sightseeing in Sagano Bamboo Forest. landmark and popular for tourists attractions in Kyoto, Japan. Asia travel concept

Arashiyama Sightseeing Tour in Kyoto

Japan

Complete Your Japan Bucketlist With These Unusual Experiences

What to do in Japan is always to do something different. Escape into nature, be guided by bright lights, sample fine wasabi and ride a go kart through Tokyo dressed like Super Mario.

Japanese Samuri Warrior Walking Through Edo Period Village

Evening of Time Travel and Spectacle in Kyoto

Japan
White Water Rafting in Japan

White Water Rafting in Nagano

Japan
Kayak Tour Japan

Kayaking in Nagano

Japan
TeamLAB Tokyo

teamLAB Borderless Museum visit in Tokyo

Japan
Wasabi Fields, Izu City

Izu Waterfalls and Wasabi Tour

Japan
Go Carter, Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

Super Mario Go-Kart Ride Through Tokyo

Japan