Sights and sounds of Tokyo

TWO TOP TRIPS IN ONE

No trip to Japan is complete without seeing the iconic snow capped Mount Fuji and on this superb coach tour you will see lots of other sights as well including the Hakone Ropeway, Owaqkudani Boiling Valley and enjoy a fun Pirate Boat cruise on Lake Ashi which includes a sumptuous lunch. Then to round off the day in style, you return to Tokyo by bullet train.

Enjoy the scenery of rural Japan as you drive along to Mount Fuji getting a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and grand mountains from an altitude of 8,000 feet. Then take the latest double-wired gondola for breathtaking views of the volcanic Hakone Mountains and see steam escaping from the rugged mountains of Owakudani. Then's its back to the station for a return trip on the legendary Bullet Train.

fr £140pp

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Fantastic Fuji

No trip to Japan is complete without seeing the iconic snow capped Mount Fuji and on this superb coach tour you will see lots of other sights as well. After stopping at the fifth station of Mount Fuji you also have time at the Hakone Ropeway, Owaqkudani Boiling Valley and enjoy a fun Pirate Boat cruise on Lake Ashi which includes a sumptuous lunch.

Enjoy the scenery of rural Japan on the way to Mount Fuji and also get a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean
and grand mountains from an altitude of 8,000 feet. Then you are whisked up in the latest double-wired gondola with a 360 degree panorama for breathtaking views of the volcanic Hakone Mountains and see the steam escaping from the rugged mountains of Owakudani.

fr £144pp

call now 020·7962·9933

Know sushi like they know sushi

The nation's famous dish Sushi is a staple of the Japanese diet and is often made in the typical Japanese home. And during this hands-on experience you will get to enjoy learning and making various types of Sushi so when you return home you can impress your family and friends with your new culinary skills – making this the perfect Japanese souvenir!

During a fun and informative lesson you will learn to prepare "maki sushi" (rolled sushi), "gunkan maki" (sushi rice wrapped with a strip of seaweed and topped with soft ingredients), and "nigiri sushi" (sushi rice topped with a slice of raw fish). Using basic utensils, you will soon discover how easy sushi is to make and you will then be able to eat you creations to round off the experience.

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Wake up to Tokyo

There is so much to see and do in the wonderful capital city of Japan and this morning tour of the city is a great way to get to know some of the main sights and makes a superb introduction to any visit to the country. Travelling around in a comfortable coach, among the places you visit are the Tokyo Tower, Meji Shrine, Akasaka Guest House and Imperial Palace East Garden.

See the imposing Japanese Capital (the House of Parliament) which is dominated by a massive central tower and take in the finest examples of Japanese shrine architecture, nestled in a peaceful, picturesque area. You also enjoy a panorama of Tokyo from the observation platform of Asia's tallest tower, then make the most of a walk through the East Garden of the Imperial Palace which is a place of historical interest and scenic beauty.

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Take on Takao

Located less than an hour from central Tokyo, the densely wooded Mount Takao is one of the closest natural recreation areas to the city, offering beautiful scenery, an interesting temple and attractive hiking opportunities.
Considered a sacred mountain, Takaosan has been a centre of mountain worship for more than 1,000 years and the attractive temple Yakuoin, which you visit, stands near the mountain top.

A network of numbered and well-marked hiking trails, ranging from the broad and paved to narrow nature trails, lead up the slopes and through the valleys of Takaosan. The peak offers views of Tokyo, Mount Fuji and as far as Yokohama on clear days. On the way up you pass by forests of beech and 100 year-old cedars, as well as wild flowers and mischievous monkeys. There is also a cable car and chair lift if you're not feeling energetic.

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Walk back in time

This afternoon explore Tokyo’s shitamachi (downtown). Your image of Tokyo is usually that of a super-modern metropolis but suburbs like Yanaka still preserve a nostalgic atmosphere. Part of its charm today lies in this sense of being hidden and here you can visit old temples and shrines and one of Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist cemeteries as well as traditional shops selling Japanese paper and sweets. Soak in the atmosphere of pre-war Tokyo.

Take a look at what life in this area used to be like in the Shitamachi Museum, located in Ueno Park, one of the most popular parks for hanami (cherry blossom parties) in Tokyo. Your guide will take you on a stroll to show you the many attractions that enrich this large park then the last stop of the day is Ueno’s Ameyoko-cho, a busy market street underneath the train lines. This bustling market is the last of its kind in Tokyo and is full of shops and stalls.

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Pop out for culture

On this tour you take in three of Tokyo’s centres of youth fashion and pop culture. Start in Shibuya, the city's main centre for youth fashion and culture, whose streets are the birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends. It is also home to the famous five-way “scramble crossing”. Next is Harajuku, and the famous Takeshita dori (Cat Street). Whether you are a goth, punk or anything in between, there is a shop in Harajuku that caters for you.

Next stop is Akihabara, known as Electric Town, originally famous for its many electronics shops but nowadays the centre of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, with many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga. You end the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea in one of Tokyo’s famous maid cafes where the waitresses dress up and act like maids, and you can have a souvenir photo with one of them.

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Fresh take on Tokyo

You will be collected from your hotel for your private tour of Tokyo during which you will see lots of attractions and iconic sights. Visit the Tokyo Tower, the former broadcasting tower, to enjoy panoramic views and the Imperial Palace Plaza, the official resident of the Emperor, which was once called Edo (former name of Tokyo) Castle and the seat of Tokugawa Shogunate government until 1868.

You also visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Deity of Mercy (or Kannon) with a history that dates back to 628. Nakamise Street, the main approach to the temple, is lined on both sides with many souvenir shops, selling a wide variety of goods such as Japanese dolls, kimono, happi-coats, antiques, papier-mache figures and kites making it a great place to buy presents for friends and family.

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Food for thought

Japanese cuisine is not only the refined sushi and tempura, but it has a wide range of equally delicious, more casual dishes that the locals love. And on this tour you will discover these delicacies with a local guide. First, head to Yurakucho and mix with the office workers who relax with a beer and a grilled chicken skewer (yakitori) in the so called yakitori alley. You will enjoy two yakitori of your liking and a drink in a typical yakitori establishment.

Then hop on the underground and head to Tsukishima, a neighbourhood just across the river from Tsukiji market. Here the retro restaurants offer a dish called “monjayaki”. It is a tasty meal consisting of a flour and vegetable batter with different toppings cooked right on the table on a hot plate and eaten with small iron spatulas. At the end of the dinner, your guide can drop you off at an izakaya (Japanese pub) or take you back to your hotel.

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Suss out the sushi

On this fascinating and fun trip you will first be collected from your Tokyo hotel early in the morning and taken by minibus to the city's Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal. From here you join all the office workers and take the metro for your journey to Tsukiji Station for your guided tour of the Outer Tsukiji fish market, where your culinary knowledge will be put to the test during a sushi workshop.

Walk around and see the bustle of life in this buzzing market and after working out what ingredients you will need you have the chance to make your own sushi and then enjoy the fruits of your labour for lunch. The tour ends back at Tsukiji Station in the early afternoon and you will return to your hotel having sussed out the best way to make that perfect sushi.

call now 020·7962·9933