Dates: 27Mar (Fri) – 10 April (Fri) 2026 15 days
* Fly in to Kansai airport and depart from Tokyo.

A personalised, private tour following the cherry blossoms north, for a few lucky people over 50.
This trip is for you if you’ve always wanted to see Japan in the Spring, like to meet the locals and travel on public transport..

We begin in Osaka, Lyn’s second home and known as the foodies capital of Japan. With our home-base between Osaka and Kyoto, day trips to surrounding prefectures, Hyogo, Nara and Shiga, are all within easy reach and we have the convenience of a home base. We will visit lots of World Heritage sites from Himeji Castle to Todaiji Temple in Nara and we will also be living like locals where there are no tourists. This trip is special in that we will travel right up to Aomori City at the top of the main island, and meet people in Fukushima who survived the triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown) in 2011. This trip ends in Tokyo, the biggest city in the world. Of course we will have a picnic or three while admiring the cherry blossoms at both iconic and peaceful places. I’ll use my 27+ years of living in Japan to efficiently adapt our itinerary. We can be flexible as there are only a few of us and we’re mainly based in our two adjoining cottages midway between Kyoto and Osaka. I know you’ll enjoy meeting my neighbours - some of whose ancestors have lived in this village for more than 40 generations.

As the nights will still be a bit cold, you might enjoy a hot bath at home or a long soak in a nearby hot spring. Drinking hot sake around a bubbling pot of shabu shabu with new friends is also a must.

I promise to give you experiences and insights into Japan that will put a smile on your face for many years to come.

** All guests must have travel insurance

Inclusions:

• Fully escorted by Lyn, a bilingual Australian with extensive knowledge of Japan

• All accommodation - most nights in a traditional Japanese home

• 1 night Aomori

• 2 nights in Haranomachi, Fukushima

• 2 nights Tokyo

• Most meals

• All transport within Japan – cars, trains, bullet trains, cable car, monorail, bicycles, taxis

• Most sightseeing, activities and entrance fees

• Assistance with planning should you wish to extend your time in Japan.

Cost: AU$8,980 ($3,980 USD)

Itinerary

Sat. 28 Mar 2026 (B,L,D)

We will take a guided walk around our village and pop in to a neighbour’s house to learn about how ancestors are remembered and respected. After lunch, we will explore the many natural and activities within Banpaku Park (site of 1970 World Expo) and, if the weather is good, we’ll take a picnic under the cherry blossoms. Expo City - Japan’s largest shopping mall and ferris wheel adjoin the park so we’ve got lots of options. On the way home, you may like to experience another very popular activity in Japan - a soak in a hot spring 800m from our home.

Sun. 29 Mar 2026 (B, L, D)

After our first breakfast and coffee at home, we will dive straight in to the bustle of the Namba area of Osaka and learn why Osaka is nicknamed the ‘kitchen of Japan.’ We will explore this colourful area, check out a chunk of the Berlin Wall and we’re going to see real sumo wrestlers. From 6 pm we will be ringside, learning a lot about the history of sumo and maybe you will compete against a real sumo wrestler.

Thu. 02 Apr 2026 (B, D)

After a slow start, I’ll take you to one of my favourite places Katsuoji Temple. As it is only 6 km from home and close to Minoh waterfall, you can choose to take a 10 km hike or a gentle, 3 km downhill stroll. At the foot of the mountains, we’re back into crowded suburbia with loads of shops, restaurants etc.

Fri. 03 Apr 2026 (B, L, D)
Today we’ll head back to Kyoto and walk through the famous bamboo grove of Arashiyama, marvel at one of Japan’s most famous gardens and maybe go visit the monkeys.  After lunch under the cherry blossoms, we might head to Eigamura, Japan’s only traditional movie studio/theme park and the home of Godzilla or go and see the famous Golden Pavilion. On the way home, we will stop into a local ‘pub’.

Sat. 04 Apr 2026 (B, L, D)

There are no fixed plans for today. You might like to get a haircut, soak in the onsen down the road, play golf, ride our e-bikes or do nothing.
Around 3:30 pm, Ogawasan will come and dress us up for a photo shoot in kimono! Our traditional house makes a great backdrop.
After you’ve had your Japanese makeover, Lyn will take your suitcases to the convenience store and they will be sent to our hotel in Tokyo so we can travel lightly for the next few days.

Sun. 05 Apr 2026 (B, D)

We will leave home fairly early and take 2 bullet trains (shinkansen) for over 860 km north to Sendai. Midway, we make a brief stop in Tokyo station and from Sendai we take a local train to Matsushima. Tonight we will stay in a traditional Japanese inn in Matsushima Bay - one of the 3 most scenic spots in Japan.

Mon. 06 Apr 2026 (B, D)

After our Japanese breakfast and a boat ride around the islands in Matsushima Bay, we will take two regular train south to Haranomachi where we will stay for 2 nights. After dinner in Haranomachi, you might like to check out the award-winning Bar Wizard, across from our hotel, or relax in your space-efficient hotel room.
Sahoko Aki, an illustrator and expert in Jomon culture, will be joining us for the next few days and organising our itinerary in this region.

Tue. 07 April 2026 (B, D)

Today we’ll set the scene of what happened in the Tohoku triple disaster in 2011 at the …… museum. We will go by car to a school that was hit by the tsunami and stands as a reminder today of the power of nature. We will also visit an ancient shell mound, showing that people have lived in this geographically-rich area for around 15,000 years. Dinner will be in a lovely restaurant near our hotel with some of the people we’ve met.

Wed. 08 April 2026 (B,D)

This morning, we will walk around the town of Odaka and meet some inspirational people who survived the tsunami of 2011 and displacement for years due to the subsequent radiation fallout from Fukushima nuclear power plant. I’m glad we can support their local economy through our visit and gain deeper insight into their experiences. In the afternoon, we will take the coastal train right into the centre of the most-populated city of the world, Tokyo. Overnight Shinjuku

Thu. 09 April 2026 (B,L,D)
Today, we’ll start with an overiew of Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government Buildings. After that, we could see this mega-city from the top of a hop on- hop off bus or we can dive into some of their galleries, museums or pop culture. I suggest the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and a walk through the grounds of the Japanese Emperor’s Palace. Sometime today we’ll join the throngs of people at Shibuya station and walk across the busiest intersection in the world. Starbucks Roastery is worth a coffee break and I’ll show you the statue of Hachiko, possibly the most loyal dog in history. Being our last night together, I’ll try to find us a restaurant with a great view.

Fri. 10 April 2026 (B)
This is the last day of our whirlwind tour of Japan, from Himeji all the way to Matsushima. If you are planning to extend your time in Tokyo, I can help you get on a day trip to Hakone & Mt Fuji, Disneyland, Disney Sea, Team Lab, Sky Tree or you might like to check out Tokyo’s art scene.