Japan

Japan tailor made holidays

Japan is one of those destinations that both conforms to and confounds your expectations. All the cliches (Zen gardens, sumo wrestlers, bullet trains, geishas) are super easy to find, but what blows travellers away is the way that Japan consistently delivers the unexpected. For every shinto shrine and space-age city, there is a beach-fringed tropical island or a forest trail climbing the slopes of a snow capped mountain. Then there’s the Japanese quirkiness, this is a nation where vending machines sell underpants and neckties and where dressing up as a manga character is as normal as celebrating the arrival of the cherry blossom every spring.

Daily direct flights operate from London to Tokyo with Japan Airlines and British Airways. Flight duration is just under 12 hours. U.K. regional departures also available with alternative airlines including one quick stop over in Doha (Qatar Airways), Abu Dhabi (Etihad Airways) or Dubai (EMIRATES) with flight prices starting from £895 per person return.

Best places to explore

• Tokyo, capital of Japan. Do not miss Shibuya Crossing by Shibuya Station, Shinjuku and Kabukicho right in the centre of the city. Asakusa (Tokyos’ cultural centre), Akihabara (World’s main hub for electronic geeks) and Odaiba at Tokyo Bay with its amazing shopping centres and robot restaurants.
• Mount Fuji (Japan’s most active volcano) and Hakone town, just outside Tokyo, with great views towards Mt. Fuji and perfect as a day trip from Tokyo or for an overnight stay.
• Historic Kyoto, a must see place in Japan.
• Nikko, a temple town and UNESCO World Heritage site located two hours by road North of Tokyo.
• Kanazawa, also a historic town similar to Kyoto but less known.
• Osaka, popular for its street food and the Glico sign overlooking the main bridge, a major landmark.
• Hiroshima, with a tragic history of being the first city affected by an atomic bomb. Itsukushima Shrine, a monument dedicated to the victis of this tragedy, is a big highlight to any traveller visiting Japan.
• Nagasaki, another major town in Japan hit by the atomic bomb.

Good to Know

Best time to visit Japan

March to May and September to November are the best months to visit Japan, so that will be during spring and autumn seasons. The world known cherry blossom takes place at the end of March beginning of April and during autumn, the red leaves falling add beautiful contrast to the landscape and the weather is mild so it makes it a very attractive time of the year to holiday in Japan.
These months are also very popular for visitors so hotel and flight prices are a bit higher than usual.

Top things to see & do while visiting Japan

• • The unbelievable crush of humanity in Tokyo.
  • Zen gardens, Shinto shrines and geishas in historic Kyoto.
  • Ancient mausoleums scattered through the forest in Nikko National Park.
  • World Heritage listed wonders in Nara, ancient capital of Japan.
  • The colours of the sakura (cherry blossom), best observed at Yoshinoyama.
  • Be humbled by the lessons of history at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

   

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