Classic Japan

With approximately 40 million residents, Tokyo is a dazzling city unique in the world. From the many-angled pedestrian dashes across Shibuya Crossing to the extravagant looks worn with panache in the Harajuku district, Tokyo offers a mad whirl of eclectic energy and culture framed by the distant backdrop of iconic Mount Fuji.

Peruse the Tsukiji Outer Market, a vibrant food-and-market district composed of several blocks of retail and wholesale shops. You’ll find fresh seafood, kitchen tools, cutlery, vegetables, street snacks and plenty of sushi restaurants. While the famous tuna auctions have moved, this market immerses you in a vital hub of Tokyo daily life. Receive a lesson in sushi making, followed by lunch, during a chef-led culinary experience. Then venture from the present into the past as you learn the secrets of the samurai warriors and test your sword skills during a private class led by a modern-day master samurai.

Travel into Kyoto early this morning to contemplate the iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, the perfect spot for a meditative moment, and discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion) — covered with gold leaf and surrounded by green gardens — casting its delicate reflection in the tranquil pond beside it. After lunch, explore the Arashiyama neighborhood, including the garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling along a winding path as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots, considered by many a healing experience.

Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple for inspiring views of Kyoto. At another temple, experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and etiquette, which dates to the time of the samurai. Tonight, savor traditional Japanese cuisine while an attending geiko (the word for geisha in the Kyoto dialect) and maiko (apprentice geisha) dance, sing, pour sake and share stories about life in modern Kyoto.