Dates: 24 Apr (Fri) – 08 May (Fri) 2026 15 days

I love this time of year in Japan - a few cherry blossoms still, comfortable temperatures and an abundance of flowers everywhere. This trip is for 4-6 people who want to savour things at a gentle pace, have the convenience of a personal guide/translator, a home base and the freedom to decide our plans and the pace together.

We will be in Japan for ‘Golden Week’ which means the whole country is on holiday and there are loads of festivals happening. I’ve crafted our itinerary so we can mostly avoid the horrendous crowds. We will spend one day at the "Takatsuki Jazz Street Festival" a two-day extravaganza of live jazz featuring over 3,000 artists performing in 72 different locations in Takatsuki City, a 30 minute drive from home.

Depending on your interests, we can focus on Japanese fabrics, pottery, architecture, landscaping, crafts, calligraphy, ikebana (floral art), sake brewing, hiking, history, cooking, gardens, language, bargain hunting …

I promise to give you experiences and insights into Japan that goes far beyond a regular visit to a country.

Inclusions:

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

• All accommodation

• Almost all meals

• All transport within Japan – chauffeur between Kansai Airport and home, 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$6,580 ** All guests must have travel insurance

Itinerary

Sat. 25 April, 2026 (B,L,D)

After breakfast together, we’ll take a morning walk around our quiet village and meet some local neighbours. In the afternoon, we will head 3km down the road to Banpaku Koen - site of the 1970 World Expo and then explore the expansive Japanese gardens. Late afternoon we will head across to a bridge to Expo Mall for a ride on Japan’s tallest ferris wheel and some time to explore the multitude of shops. There are so many great places to eat so Lyn will sort that too. *Eye glasses are good quality and much cheaper in Japan. We can include a visit to a glasses shop on this day and your new glasses will be ready a week later..

Sun. 26 April, 2026 (B,L,D)

Today we will take our first of many trains into downtown Osaka, the foodies capital of Japan and home to around 19 million people. As well as trying lots of delicious foods, we will try our hand at making fake food. This is really fun and you get to take home a parfait that will look great for years. We may take a boat ride on one of Osaka’s many canals, stop off for a coffee in a maid cafe, or go to a museum. I know Osaka better than most Japanese so I’ll adapt our plans to match your interests.

Mon. 27 April, 2026 (B,L,D)

We will enjoy things close to home today and people can head in different directions. We could take a walk in the mountains, visit a large display home village, go antique or Japanese fabric hunting, add to our collection from the second hand shops, experience writing in Japanese with a brush, learn and apply some basic principals of ikebana (flower arrangement), maybe some karaoke, or a board game at home. There is also an onsen (hot spring bath house) near our house with all sorts of pools and treatment options.

Tue. 28 April, 2026 (B,L,D)

Before the Golden Week crowds, I’m keen to take you to Nara where we can see the largest wooden building in the world, some very friendly deer and a giant Buddha.

There’s also some great food options for our lunch today :)

Wed. 29 April, 2026 (B,L,D)

This is the first day of Golden Week. The roads will be very busy as many Japanese head off on holiday so we will stick to local roads and explore many sites in the nearby mountains including Mino Waterfall & Katsuoji Temple. If you’re keen, we can include Japan’s only bungy jump at Ibakita Park. There will also be some free time to relax at home, go for a bike ride on the e-bikes, shop at the local supermarket or hardware store. For dinner, I think we’ll make Shabu Shabu - a very healthy and delicious meal.

Thu. 30 April, 2026 (B,L,D)

After jumping on the local bus, we will take trains west to the World Heritage listed Himeji Castle and visit Kokoen, Lyn’s favourite garden in Japan. On the way, we might stop in Akashi to see the famously long suspension bridge that joins Awaji and Honshu Islands. We will zip home on the bullet train (shinkansen)

Fri. 01 May, 2026 (B,L,D)

Kyoto was the capital of Japan for around 1,000 years and there are over 1,000 temples in this famous city. As the azaleas will be in bloom at Nagaoka Tenmangu Shrine, we will start here and then head into the centre of Kyoto. Nishiki Market, washi paper and Nishijin textiles will probably be part of our explorations today.

Sat. 02 May, 2026 (B,D)

Our home base - Toba Village - which is midway between Kyoto and Osaka, has some really interesting neighbours : an ikebana teacher, a landscape architect, a sake brewer, a professional Japanese sweet maker, 5 star chefs, families whose ancestors have lived in the village for more than 40 generations, a kimono specialist and lots of very skillful vegetable growers. We will enjoy a day of various activities from the comfort of our home. The onsen (hot spring) down the road is also a good option for a few hours of pampering.

Sun. 03 May, 2026 (B,D)

Today will be a bit like last Sunday with some free time and Lyn helping you spend the day as you wish. There will be lots happening at Expo Park - 3 km from home - so we may go there. The local karaoke business is also great fun.

Mon 04 May, 2026 (B,L,D)

We will spend most of today at Takatsuki Jazz Festival. You can sit back and chill out at a few performances or attempt to visit lots of the 70+ venues. Lyn & Will met and married in Takatsuki and our 93 year old “Japanese mum” still lives there. Hopefully you will meet our amazing “mum” who played volleyball until age 92 and lived through the horrors of World War II,.

Tue　05 May 2026 (B,L,D)
This is the final public holiday of Golden Week. Let’s leave this open and you can decide based on the weather and what appeals to you from the many ideas we mull over together. If you’re short on ideas, my book Turning Japanese in 101 easy steps will give you some suggestions.

Wed. 06 May 2026 (B,L)

While the south of Osaka is buzzing with pop culture and food, the north area around Osaka Station is the ultimate in modern chic with large green spaces, department stores and inspiring architecture. We will spend time exploring around Umeda and take those sky high escalators across these two towers for a fantastic view over this friendly city. We could also go to one of the many museums in Osaka ranging from history and ceramics to sewerage and housing.We will decide together.

Thu 07 May 2026 (B,L,D)

I think we’ll enjoy a free morning and then head 1 km up the road to Ibaraki Kokusai Golf Club for lunch. (Keen golfers could play 18 holes) As well as great food at the Golf Club, the views allow you to see from Kyoto to Kobe and down to Osaka City. Mid afternoon, Ogawasan, (Lyn’s best friend in the village) will come and help dress everyone in kimono and we’ll have fun taking photos.

In the evening, you’ll learn how to make okonomiyaki and we’ll have a bit of a farewell party with some neighbours and friends.

Fri 08 May 2026 (B,L)

We have until mid afternoon to tick off a few more things on your wish list - maybe some last minute shopping, a final soak at the local onsen People can head in different directions and I will facilitate things.

As well as attending the Takatsuki Jazz Festival, we will have explored all sorts of places in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hyogo, Shiga and Okayama prefectures by train, monorail, boat, bullet train, taxi, ferris wheels and in Lyn’s car.

I hope your time in Japan will fill you with happy memories, new friends, happy surprises and insights into how Japan really ticks.