A small-group guided tour that visits western Japan, travelling to cities on both the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea. Experience the culture, history and lifestyle of this unique region.
On this tour you will visit areas of western Japan and learn about the history and culture that has been nurtured in each region. Make your way through seaside towns, mountain villages, castle towns, cities and islands, each with its own history, climate, and way of life.
Our journey begins in Japan’s old capital of Kyoto, which held the position for over 1,000 years. From here, travel through western Japan, stopping in places such as Yunotsu Onsen, one of the oldest hot spring towns in Japan; picturesque Tsuwano, with its Edo-period buildings and canals populated by koi fish; Hiroshima and the adjacent island of Miyajima, home to Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii gate; and much more. Your tour will end in energetic Osaka, whose neon lights and bustling streets welcome you back to modern Japan.
From Hagi’s famed Hagi-yaki pottery, to the Shimotsui-bushi folk music in Kojima, to a special performance of the lively Iwami Kagura dance, each stop will give you a glimpse into the varied cultures, crafts, and specialities of each region. Learn how the people in these far-flung areas made their living during feudal times – whether through Kojima’s port and its textile industry, or the famed Iwami Ginzan silver mine.
Along the way, you will see the charming landscape of western Japan, including the coasts of both the Sea of Japan to the north and the Seto Inland Sea to the south.
Your tour highlights
- See the lovely canals and historic white storehouses of Kurashiki
- Explore the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Site with a local guide
- Meet an expert craftsman and try your hand at making traditional Hagi-yaki pottery
- Explore Miyajima Island with its iconic floating torii gate and free-roaming deer
- Watch a special performance of Iwami Kagura, a beloved art regional to Shimane Prefecture
- Listen to the history of Shimotsui, told through folk songs and traditional shamisen music
Tour itinerary
Meet your guide and other members of the group at the tour hotel in central Kyoto. There will be a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel
Meals: Welcome dinner
After breakfast we travel by train to Kurashiki, famous for the picturesque scenery of its preserved canal area, framed with weeping willow trees and white-plastered storehouses (kura) from the Edo period. Many of Kurashiki’s former storehouses have been converted into museums, shops, and cafés. After lunch, we explore this lovely part of the town and then have some free time later in the afternoon. Overnight in Kojima on the coast near Kurashiki.
Accommodation: Japanese-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
A full day to explore the Kojima area of Kurashiki. Kojima faces the Seto Inland Sea and was once prosperous through cotton production and domestic trade via its port.
We first visit Mount Washu with a local guide, where a short trail leads up to stunning views over the Seto Inland Sea.
Afterwards, visit the town of Shimotsui, which, in the past, prospered from the shipping industry. You will learn about the trading and shipping industry of the time in a restored Meiji-era maritime merchant building. We will also enjoy Shimotsui-bushi, a type of folk music that was born here and features singing and shamisen playing, followed by an opportunity to learn about Kojima’s textile industry.
Accommodation: Japanese-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
We cross to the San’in coast, travelling by train to Yunotsu, a hot spring town on the Japan Sea coast, whose waters were discovered more than 1,300 years ago. In addition to being an onsen, Yunotsu flourished as a port during the Edo Period, when silver from the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was delivered and shipped. We arrive in Yunotsu around noon and explore the town. Yunotsu has the wonderful, pure hot spring Yakushi-yu, whose water properties received the highest rating from the Japan Spa Association. Our accommodation tonight has its own onsen baths, but if you love onsen, you should certainly try Yakushi-yu!
After dinner, we will watch a special performance of Iwami Kagura. Iwami Kagura is a traditional performance art from the western part of Shimane Prefecture (historically called Iwami Province) in which dancers wear luxurious costumes and expressive masks and dance to lively music. It has been performed at festivals as local entertainment since ancient times, but now it can be seen throughout Iwami all year round. For local people, it is an important tradition that continues to be part of their daily life.
*Depending on circumstances, the Iwami Kagura performance may be held on the 5th day instead.
Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Today we visit Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. It was the biggest silver mine in Japanese history, flourishing from the 16th to the 20th century. The distinctive landscapes connected to silver mining are still well preserved today – old mining sites, miners’ settlements, fortresses, transportation routes, and shipping ports. The area is now beautifully wooded, with wonderfully invigorating fresh air.
We walk through the mine with a local guide and imagine what life would have been like in its heyday. We will also visit one of the major remaining mineshafts.
In the afternoon we visit Ōmori, the mining town which developed at the base of the mine; one of our stops will be the Kumagai House, the former residence of a wealthy merchant family who prospered as official purveyors to the shogunate.
Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
After breakfast we travel to Tsuwano, a small town surrounded by the lush greenery of the Chugoku Mountains, sometimes referred to as the ‘Little Kyoto of San’in’.
Known for its picturesque main street and lined with Edo-era buildings and koi carp ponds, Tsuwano was once a castle town ruled by the Kamei clan from the 17th to the mid-19th century.
Also found here is the famous mountainside Taikodani Inari Shrine with its ‘one thousand vermilion torii gates’. We visit the shrine and the ruins of Tsuwano Castle, wandering the pretty streets.
Accommodation: Minshuku (family-run guesthouse)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Today we travel by local bus from Tsuwano to the charming town of Hagi. Hagi was for 260 years the castle town of the Mori lords of Choshu. The town is protected on two sides by the forks of the Aibagawa River and on the remaining north side by the sea. The castle, now in ruins, is further fortified by moats and a defensive chequerboard of samurai dwellings.
After lunch, we travel to Toko-ji Temple. This temple, notable for its Chinese-style architecture and its tranquil atmosphere, contains the graves of the lords of Mori, Hagi’s ruling clan during the feudal era. Immerse yourself in history as you take a leisurely stroll on the precincts. Afterwards, we head to Shoin Shrine, which is dedicated to a prominent Edo-period intellectual.
Accommodation: Japanese-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
After breakfast we will stroll around the historical area. The remains of old dwellings with their earthen walls, old gates and citrus orchards are arguably Hagi’s most famous sight. Our exploration will include a visit to the Kikuya House historical building.
Hagi is famous for its pottery – Hagi-yaki is a pinkish-beige stoneware which ranks among the most highly esteemed tea ceremony wares. Hagi-yaki ripens to its full beauty with use, its pale tones deepening and softening as tea seeps into the porous crazing. After lunch we will try our hand at pottery making and we will have the opportunity to buy pieces made by local artists.
Accommodation: Japanese-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
After breakfast we leave the San’in coast and travel to Miyajima, an island nestling in the Seto Inland Sea near the city of Hiroshima. This island is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine with the giant red torii gate which seems to float on the sea at high tide. The sight is ranked as one of the most scenic views in Japan. Wild deer live on the island, but they have now become accustomed to people. We will arrive on Miyajima around noon and after lunch we will visit Itsukushima Shrine and Daisho-in Temple. Our hotel tonight is in Hiroshima itself.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we travel to Tomonoura then to Sensuijima Island, a secret paradise on the Seto Inland Sea. Before leaving Hiroshima, there will be a little free time and you may visit the Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum if you wish. After lunch in the lovely small fishing village of Tomonoura, we take the short ferry ride to the island. We stay at an island ryokan with wonderful hot spring baths. Bathing is not gender-segregated and bathing clothes will be provided by the ryokan. Set just above the beach and overlooking the sea, the view from here is wonderful and relaxing.
Accommodation: Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
We spend the morning exploring the quiet fishing town of Tomononura.
Tomonoura is called the ‘port waiting for the tide’, as it is located where the currents flowing from the east and west of the Seto Inland Sea collide. For this reason, this port was a historic port town visited not only by fishermen but also by foreign dignitaries.
In recent years, Tomonoura has been chosen as a location for several international and local films, such as Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman and Ponyo on the Cliff by the popular Studio Ghibli.
After lunch we travel to Ōsaka. There will be some free time in the afternoon before the group meets again for the farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, farewell dinner
Our tour ends after breakfast at our hotel. Your guide will be on hand to offer advice on travel to the airport if you are flying home, or on onward travel if you are extending your stay in Japan.
Meals: Breakfast
What you’ll see on the tour
Tour pricing:
from $9,290
To secure your place now:
Phone: 03 364 3400 or 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]
Tour Inclusions:
11 nights in hotels and Japanese-style inns
Daily breakfast and 10 dinners
All transportation between tour locations
Entrance to museums, temples and other sites on the group’s itinerary
Forwarding of 1 item of luggage on 3 occasions
Iwami Kagura special performance
Hagi-yaki pottery making experience