Local Living Tours & Trips in Japan

Join a traditional tea ceremony overlooking the sea in Matsushima, then have lunch at local restaurants in Aomori, Onuma, and Otaru. Wander through Hakodate's busy fish market in the morning, then participate in a Zen practice session at Motsuji Temple in Hiraizumi. Have dinner in Sendai's lively urban center and use the included metro tickets to get around Sapporo on your own. Spend an evening in Shinjuku district for a meal, then check out Akihabara's Electric City, the main hub for manga and anime culture where you'll see locals shopping and hanging out.

Sleep overnight at Yamagishi Ryokan near Lake Kawaguchi, where you'll soak in natural hot spring baths with Mount Fuji views and have a traditional Japanese dinner. Walk through Kyoto's Gion district and catch Maiko apprentice performances at Gion Corner Theatre, see Sensoji Temple in Tokyo's Asakusa area, and wander through the bamboo garden at Hokokuji Zen Temple with a matcha tea ceremony.

Sleep at an authentic ryokan in Ikaho with traditional tatami rooms, onsen baths, and a multi-course Japanese dinner included. Join the Gomakuyo blessing ceremony at Zenko-ji Temple in Nagano, believed to bring good fortune, then walk through Kyoto's traditional Gion quarter where geishas work and Tsumago's preserved Edo-period streets with wooden merchant houses.

Take a hands-on cooking class in Kyoto where you'll make miso soup, teriyaki chicken, and makizushi sushi rolls from scratch. Participate in a centuries-old tea ceremony at Meiji Shrine, then head to Yuzen Handmade Corner to learn the Yuzen kimono dyeing technique and create your own colorful souvenir.

Harvest organic vegetables with local farmers practicing sustainable agriculture in Kyoto by the Sea's Amanohashidate area. Try a private whisky tasting with a master blender at a distillery near Mount Fuji in Kawaguchiko, sleep at Naoshima Ryokan Roka where minimalist design meets Japanese craftsmanship, and watch traditional soba-making at a family atelier by Lake Suwa.

Sleep at a traditional ryokan in Takayama with tatami mat floors and sliding doors, then check out mountain village life at Hida folk village. Try a tea ceremony with complimentary Matcha green tea at Okochi Mountain Villa overlooking Kyoto, wander through Osaka's lively night markets for street food, and see Kasuga Taisha shrine from 768 AD.