Tsukiji fish market Tokyo

Two million kilograms of fish are traded daily in this lively market. Get there early to witness the action at the tuna auctions.

Hiroshima - Peace Memorial Park and Museum

Being confronted with personal belongings of people that died in the nuclear holocaust of 1945 is a deeply moving experience.

Stay at a temple

Stay at a temple, interact with the monks that run the lodgings, learn about the customs of traditional Japanese accommodation. and experience long-held traditions of Japanese religious life.

Kaiseki-ryori, Japan’s haute cuisine

The crown of Japanese haute cuisine belongs to kaiseki-ryori, a meal with perfectly balanced flavours and textures, expertly presented and designed to appeal to all of the senses. Experience it in the restaurants and ryokan (inns) of Kyoto, Japan's cultural capital.

Climb Mt. Fuji

The picture-perfect volcanic cone of Mt. Fuji can be climbed in July and August. Most people undertake the tough hike from the end of the road halfway up and start at night so they can reach the summit at dawn after a hike of five to six hours.

Experience Kabuki

Japan's best-known traditional theater art, Kabuki plays are dramatic, with fantastic stage settings and gorgeous costumes.

Stay at a ryokan

Walk up through a bamboo grove to your ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Your kimono-clad hostess will show you to your room, and serve a cup of hot green tea. Golden sliding doors decorated in ornate Japanese images open up to rooms where futons are spread out on wooden floors. Enjoy a meal of kaiseki-ryori, Japan’s haute cuisine, soak in a bath, relax and have the best sleep of your life.

Sumo

A finely tuned combination of brutal force and carefully controlled ritual, sumo wrestling is for many the archetypal Japanese experience. See the best wrestling tournaments in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.

Onsen, sento & rotemburo

Lying as it does in the Ring of Fire, Japan is extremely rich in geothermal pools (onsen). As a result, bathing has become a ritual, deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. Each town has its own sento (public bath), which is the place people come to meet, gossip, catch up and get a darn good scrubbing. And is there anything more gratifying than a dip in a rotemburo (outdoor bath) as the snow falls?

Drink sake

Japan's favourite tipple, sake, or rice wine, comes in many different forms and can be tasted at local breweries throughout the country. Find the best at breweries in Obuse, Takayama or Niigata, or try a variety at a Japanese-style pub, an izakaya.

Nightlife at Golden Gai

Behind Tokyo's neon-lit facades lies Golden Gai, a neighbourhood that is a jumble of tiny ramshackle, atmospheric bars, each with their own outlandish decor. Enjoy a drink standing shoulder to shoulder with locals: kanpai!

Visit a traditional garden

Miniature idealized landscapes form the backbone of the traditional Japanese garden. Visit rustic gardens with teahouses, a meditative Zen garden or stroll around one simply to enjoy the scenery.   Kanazawa is home to Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s best gardens.

Ride a bullet train

Over 50 years ago, the first shinkansen pulled out of Tokyo station and ever since nearly 6 billion people have enjoyed the 320 km/h ride.  Enjoy a bento box lunch, let a white-gloved conductor inspect your ticket, sit back and watch the landscape unfurl.  All aboard!

Hike the Nakasendo Way

The 3-hour hike between the two lovingly preserved old post towns of Tsumago to Magome, northeast of Nagoya, takes you through gorgeous countryside, along a stone-flagged twisting, craggy post road lined with tea houses and plaster and wooden buildings.