Japan Update

All, now not wishing to make you jealous or sound boastful, but I am rather looking forward to our trip in May. Below is a brief list of the travel plans

Day 1 London to Tokyo
Day 2 Private Car from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Hotel
Day 3 8 Hours Private Guide Service in Tokyo
Day 4 Free for wandering and photography
Day 5 Bullet train Ueno to Kyoto
Day 6 Free for wandering and photography
Day 7 Free for wandering and photography
Day 8 Bullet Train from Kyoto to Hiroshima
Day 9 Sightseeing on Miyajima
Day 10 Ferry and Trains from Miyajima to Kurashiki (JRP)
Day 11 Train from Kurashiki to Takayama
Day 12 Sightseeing in Takayama
Day 13 Bullet Train from Takayama to Tokyo
Day 14 Free Day in Tokyo
Day 15 Private car to Airport and flight home.

Day 1

Depart London Heathrow on the British Airways flight BA5 to Tokyo. The flight departs at 11:45 AM and arrives at 7:15 AM the following day.

Day 2

You will be met today at Haneda Airport with a driver waiting for you as you enter into the arrivals lobby holding a sign with your name on. You will transfer by private vehicle to your accommodation in Tokyo, making for a smooth and relaxing start to your trip. Journey time is in the region of 30 minutes (dependent upon traffic). Sit back, relax and enjoy the views of Tokyo's skyscrapers as you approach the city.

Day 3

Today you will take a full day private tour of the city with a local guide, travelling by public transport, as Tokyoites do, in order to help you to get a real feel for the Japan's capital. This will be a fantastic introduction to Tokyo and the chance to get a personal insight not only into the classic sights, but also into some more unusual and unique features of the city. With a guide at your disposal you are free to set the pace of the day to be as busy or relaxed as you choose. The guide can help you discover aspects of Tokyo that you would not find by yourself and can also help you get to grips with the city's excellent transport network. Your guide will come to your hotel at around 9:00 AM (or any time you choose) to meet you and your day will proceed from there. We are keen to help you get the most out of today, so if you have any specific areas of interest please let us know in advance, so we can pass this on to the guide. Your day of guiding will finish at around 5:00 PM with the guide either dropping you back at your hotel or anywhere else in the city you wish to spend the evening.

Day 5

You will be using your Japan Rail Pass to take a JR Yamanote Line train just a few stops to Tokyo Station where you will change to the Shinkansen. The Tokaido Shinkansen line was the first of Japan's famous 'Bullet' Train lines to open and traverses the 343 miles between Tokyo and Osaka. When the 00 series trains with their distinctive bullet-shaped noses first started running in October of 1964 (just in time for the Tokyo Olympics) journey time to Osaka was over 4 hours. Today the same trip can be done in just 2 hours 35 minutes! Your journey time to Kyoto will be between 2h17 and 2h45. Keep a look out of the right hand windows of the train for Mt. Fuji. But don't be disappointed if you can't see her as she is a notoriously shy mountain

Day 8

From Kyoto you will head on down the eastern seaboard west to Hiroshima by Shinkansen using your Japan Rail Pass. This journey of nearly 400km takes around 2 hours, during which time the train passes through several major cities along the coast, including Kobe, famous for its topgrade beef.

Day 9

Today you will have a free day to explore Miyajima Island. You may like to hire bikes to get around. These are available to rent from 8am to 5pm at the JR ferry pier (last checkout is 3pm) costing 1,050 yen for the entire day. The island has excellent cycle paths and the coastal routes are fairly flat. On the northeast coast lies Tsutsumigaura, a 1km long white-sand beach lined with pine trees. The beach is packed with sunbathers, swimmers and windsurfers in July and August, but in the off-season Tsutsumigaura makes a lovely serene place to relax.

Day 10

This morning you will leave Miyajima Island and travel back to the mainland taking the JR ferry to Miyajima-guchi port, a local train to Hiroshima Station and then the Shinkansen to Okayama. From there it's a 17 minute local train ride to Kurashiki. Total journey time is around 2 hours 20 minutes including changes. You can use your Rail Pass on both the ferry and the trains.

Day 11

You will need to take a local train back to Okayama to board the Shinkansen and speed west to Nagoya, where you will change to an express train and work your way up into the Japan Alps, past some beautiful mountain scenery enroute to Takayama. Total journey time around 4 hours 30 minutes; your Info-Pack will have all the details.

Day 12

There are many ways to spend a relaxing free day in Takayama. In the morning head to the lively riverside market to see the stands selling local farm produce, flowers and crafts. Hire bikes and explore Takayama's many temples and shrines which earn the town the nickname 'Little Kyoto'. For lunch you will find that the local cuisine is truly a joy, including Japan's best beef, soba noodles, miso based dishes and roasted rice balls. Sake is the locals' drink of choice and micro breweries abound, so pop in for a tasting! A little out of town you can visit the Hida Folk Village with its traditional farm houses and craft exhibits or walk the temple trail that takes in the gentle hills surrounding the town. Alternatively relax in a coffee shop on the one of the old streets, do a little souvenir shopping and simply soak up the atmosphere of this traditional old town.

Day 13

From Takayama you will take a Ltd Express train south to Nagoya and then head east to Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train. Journey time is 4 hours and 35 minutes.

Day 14

Today you will have the chance to make an excursion from Tokyo using the included Japan Rail Pass. The charming town of Kamakura lies just 1 hour to the west of Tokyo and can be reached by direct train from Tokyo Station. Kamakura was formally the capital of Japan for a short period in the 12th century and at that time was possibly the world's largest city with a population of over one million. Today however, it is a sleepy coastal town which attracts large numbers of day trippers to spend time exploring the beautiful shrines and temples. The most famous site if the impressive bronze dai-butsu (Big Buddha) which is certainly a must-see for any trip to Kamakura.

An alternative trip is to Nikko, located 2 hours to the North of Tokyo. This can be reached on the Shinkansen and then by local train service. Nikko is not only surrounded by stunning scenery that makes up the national park, but is also home to the World Heritage site of the Tosho-Gu Shrine. Nikko has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries and contains many important Buddhist and Shinto shrines and temples, but the most impressive and most famous is definitely Tosho-Gu with its vivid colours and many ornate carvings. Once you have marvelled at Tosho-Gu there are plenty more temples dotted throughout the surrounding forests that will keep you bewitched for a long time. Even higher up into the mountains from Nikko, it is very much worth visiting the serene Chuzenji-Ko lake and Kegon waterfalls. There are some pleasant walks around here and you may even pass some local monkeys!

Another nearby National Park is the Chichibu-Tama National Park home to the sacred Mt Takao, with its range of hiking trails and mountain-top temple complex, virtually untouched by foreign visitors. After an easy train journey of just under an hour (covered by your rail pass) you will arrive at the base of the mountain, from where numerous clearly-marked hiking trails (or a cable-car!) wind their way up to the summit. Many of the routes offer fine views back towards Tokyo and are dotted with small temples, religious statues and offerings increasing in number as the trails approach Yakuoin, an attractive temple dedicated to the 'kami'or spirits of the mountains. On a clear day, views of Mt. Fuji can also be enjoyed. The hike to the summit of Takao san can done in 2-3 hours and is moderate in difficulty.

If you fancy something a little more quirky, then a trip out to visit the world's second tallest statue at Ushiku in Ibaraki prefecture. Ironically referred to as the 'Bubble Buddha' the Ushiku dai-butsu was completed in 1995. It stands a total of 120 meters (394 feet) tall, including the 10m high base and 10m high lotus platform. An elevator takes visitors up to 85m off the ground, where an observation floor is located. It depicts Amitabha Buddha and is plated with bronze. The journey to get here will take around 90 minutes and this is certainly an amazing site seen by very few visitors to Japan.

Day 15

We will be arranging a taxi to pick up you up from your hotel today to take you in comfort to Tokyo Haneda Airport. Journey time is around 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. At the airport you will be dropped right at the door of the departures lobby. Have a safe flight!