M

吉

 

We are not just tour planners. We love Japan deeply, and enjoy sharing that love, not only through our tour offerings, but through our media platforms as well. You can find inspiration for your trip by taking a look at our social media outlets below:

Social:
Tw        Fb        Yt        Ig

Mr. and Mrs. Fenech Conti Itinerary

This trip is strongly focused on culinary experiences and visits to rare locations, and rare experiences.

Day 1 (MON 10/17): Tokyo

Since your flight will be landing late at night. We will be leaving this arrival day unplanned.

Day 2 (TUE 10/18): Tokyo

Since this trip is very much centered around culinary, and cultural experiences, I wanted to start your trip off with a nice meal, and a short lesson on eating etiquette in Japan at a two-star Michelin restaurant. In Japan there are ways that you should accept a meal when it is being handed to you. There are also special phrases that are used when starting a meal, and when you are finished with a meal. There will be many places to eat on this journey, so we thought that it would be prudent of us to prepare you for this journey by equipping you with the right knowledge.

We like to orientate all of our clients when they arrive in Japan. We typically do this by sending them somewhere that gives them an idea of just how massive Tokyo is. We would like to send you on a very short helicopter tour around the major sites of Tokyo for this purpose.
Activities: 
  • Japanese culinary etiquette lesson at Michelin-star restaurant
  • Short helicopter tour of Tokyo at dusk
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • see above
Planner's Notes:  We don't want to "over-plan" for your first day. Thus we have left the evening open for you to rest and recover from your previous travels.

Day 3 (WED 10/19): Tokyo

Today, activity-wise, is a very simple day. It is a day that shows you both the ancient, and modern sides of Tokyo. Starting with the older side of Tokyo, the day will begin in Asakusa where you will visit Sensouji Temple with a guide who can give you the history of the site as it is one of the most important temples in Tokyo. On the temple grounds there is also a shrine. The word "temple" typically refers to a Buddhist structure in Japan, whereas the word "shrine" will typically refer to a Shinto structure. Your guide can further elaborate on the differences between the two while you travel through the area. Asakusa is also known for its food. I would like to craft a small food tour of the area after visiting the temple. We could put something together that sort of encapsulates some of Japan's more traditional street foods, with a few options that include more modern takes on traditional foods. Some of the options include:

  • kibi-dango
  • age-manju
  • yakkitori
  • maccha gelato (there is a place that is famous for its extremely strong maccha here)
  • yaki-dango
  • nikuman
  • taiyaki
That will conclude the first 'traditional' half of the day. Although we do want to have a private car for you guys during your travels, I think that getting to the next destination using some form of public transportation is an experience in-and-of itself. The destination is the Toyosu and Odaiba areas, which are islands made of reclaimed land in the center of Tokyo Bay. As the first half of your day is spent in Asakusa, it is really easy to catch a ferry from Asakusa port to the island, and will give you guys a view of Tokyo during the day from the canals and port areas that otherwise wouldn't be seen. The other option is one of the only unmanned, automated monorail systems in Japan that would also give you a very good view of different neighborhoods in the city. Private car is also an option though. The destination is a modern art installation that is very difficult to describe. It is called 'Planets' and it is the work of TeamLab. It is a series of rooms that each have a completely different experience in each of them. Some are more tactile, some are more visual, but each is mesmerizing. As it is somewhat difficult to describe, I've put a link next to the activity to give you an idea of what it is like. Odaiba and Toyosu are also home to all of the concept halls for most of the major corporations in Japan, and home of what is known as the "Future Museum" that houses lots of other concept tech, and serves as an education center. Currently, I will only place the TeamLab Planets as a destination, but will try to leave space for other activities there should you wish to stay longer.
Activities: 
  • Visit to Sensouji Temple (guided)
  • Short traditional street foods tour (guided)
  • Ferry to Toyosu
  • TeamLab Planets
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg5nW3_6F6s
  • The "Future Museum" (optional)
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Locale (first choice)
    • Locale is a relatively new restaurant in the Meguro ward of Tokyo. Not super-famous, but extremely unique. It was started by a Californian chef, with a strong focus on farm-to-table fresh ingredients and working closely with farmers in Japan. Very small, and intimate.
    • https://www.locale.tokyo/
  • Faro
    • An Italian restaurant with a Japanese head chef that really blends the line between art and food. The head chef has been awarded two Michelin stars for work at previous establishments.
    • https://faro.shiseido.co.jp/en/menu/
Planner's Notes:  For both of these restaurant recommendations, the focus was on restaurants that have a passion for working with local farmers to bring fresh ingredients to the table. They are both excellent. Locale is a much more intimate experience though, as whenever I go, the chef always takes time to speak to us, and I can feel how passionate she is about her "home". Another reason I've placed these two restaurants as options for this day, is because they aren't open earlier in the week.

Day 4 (THU 10/20): Kyoto

I would like to move you guys to Kyoto today, as the matsuri festival will be taking place here soon, and I don't want to rush you guys there for when it happens, so I would like to move towards the Kansai region on this day, however the Tokyo travels will resume towards the end of your trip.

The bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto is about 2+ hours, so I would like to get you guys there in time for brunch at a cafe that only serves brunch (refer to the notes below). After that, I'd like plan visits to three of Kyoto's most iconic sites with a guide. Kiyomizudera, Fushimi-Inari, and Sanjusangendo. I'm placing these locations here on the first day in Kyoto as I think that these are some of the most important temple and shrine visits in the city. There are literally thousands of temples and shrines in the area, and it's difficult to know which ones to visit. I think that these are some of the best to visit in the city for both their history and their beauty. I'm also quite aware that a lot of people get "temple'd" out at some point, and I don't want to overwhelm you with visiting too many in one visit. Dinner suggestions mentioned in the notes below.
Activities: 
  • Kiyomizudera visit (guided)
  • Fushimi-Inari visit (guided)
  • Sanjusangendo visit (guided)
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Brunch at Kishin
    • This is a small breakfast/brunch-only establishment that focuses on hearty meals in Kyoto. This is also (possibly) the location that the chef you are meeting with will use to teach you how to cook washoku meal on Day 5.
    • https://www.kishin.world/
  • Dinner at Kibunesou
    • Banzai is Kyoto's version of a kaiseki meal. This restaurant is out in nature. The outdoor seats are tatami mats set on top of a river. The menu here changes with each season. It is one of the ideal locations for what I would consider to be a traditional Kyoto-style meal.
    • https://www.kibunesou.com/
Planner's Notes:  I like to plan trips that are more centered around actual experiences, rather than things that you simply 'look at'. Thus I have minimized the number of temples and shrines that you are visiting here in Kyoto in favor of the festivals, swordmaking, and cooking lesson that is planned. There are other locations on this trip where you will visit a few more shrines and temples, however. If you wish to add more to this itinerary, please do let me know. Also, I highly suggest having a guide for the temple and shrine visits of this day.

Day 5 (FRI 10/21): Kyoto

For each region that you visit, I would like to plan a culinary experience. For Tokyo there was the etiquette lesson, paired with the kaiseki lunch. For Kyoto, I'd like to pair you with a chef who will teach you all of the basics of washoku (Japanese cuisine). They'll start with the selection of ingredients at Kyoto's largest market, Nishiki and possibly a visit to one of the local farms to pick vegetables from. From there they will teach you how to prepare the ingredients, and prepare a meal. The Japanese chef that we have in mind is from a family of chefs. His father started a Michelin-starred restaurant, and he continued his father's legacy by starting one in New York City. It is absolutely a rare opportunity.

Planner's Notes: This would be an all-day experience. I am thus, for now, leaving the rest of this day open for you guys to have free time to visit a bar, sing karaoke, or whatever moves you. I can make recommendations and or reservations if necessary, of course.

Day 6 (SAT 10/22): Kurama

Today is all about the element of fire, with the culmination of the day being a fire matsuri in the norther region of Kyoto. I'd like to start the day off early in Kameoka where you guys can forge your very own small katana with a swordsmith who will guide you through the process using traditional techniques. This is the only remaining swordsmith forge in the Kyoto region. As I've heard from both Monique and Lilia that Mr. Conti is a fan of food, and cooking, we could arrange for you to make a knife instead. Whatever you make will be placed in a nice wooden box (for safety).

In the evening I would like to arrange for you both to see the amazing Kurama Hi Matsuri. A 'matsuri' is typically translated as a "festival", but it's a bit more than that. The events are all very specific to each region or location that they are held in, and are steeped in historical significance. The Kurama matsuri is over a thousand years old and was birthed in war event. A regional war made it necessary to move a shrine to this area, and when doing so, people lit torches in order to guide the spirits of that shrine to this region. The streets of Kurama will be lit with bonfires and torches starting around 6PM. Some of them are smaller, and you may even witness small children carrying them through the streets, and some are much, much, much larger (some weigh up to 200kg). The people in the area take this opportunity to show off some of their family heirlooms as well, so you may very well see some armor, and katana being displayed in windows of the homes in the area. The finale of the festival is when a group of men carry a mikoshi (basically a palanquin made for a god) up a steep set of stairs to the shrine. It is, in my opinion, the highlight of this trip.
Activities: 
  • Crafting either a knife, or small katana (kogatana) with a swordsmith
  • Kurama Hi Matsuri
  • Jidai Matsuri (optional)
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Menbaka Fire Ramen
    • This is a traditional ramen spot that includes a bit of theatrics with their meal. When serving the ramen to his guests, the chef likes to serve it with fire. The ramen is great, and the staff is known for their friendliness and good nature.
    • http://fireramen.com/menbaka/index.html
Planner's Notes:  There is another matsuri event that is happening on this day as well. It is called Jidai Matsuri. It is a parade, more than a matsuri festival, but it is a spectacular view. It starts at the Imperial Palace, and ends at Heian Shrine. The parade celebrates the day that Kyoto was founded as a city. People in the parade wear period clothes, and many important figures make an appearance in the parade (like the governor of Kyoto). My hesitation with adding this is simply based on whether there will be time to fully enjoy it before having to head out to Kurama. Logistically, the swordmaking experience should end around 1PM (starts at 9AM), from there I wanted to take you guys to the menbaka ramen restaurant for lunch. I think that after lunch, the parade will be mostly finished. Alternatively, we could schedule the sword-making lesson on the 20th when you arrive in Kyoto for 1PM and dedicate this day entirely to both matsuri events, and lunch at menbaka. The Jidai Matsuri event is most certainly worth it, as the parade is amazing and it also gives you an idea of what a procession was like during different periods in Japan's history.

Day 7 (SUN 10/23): Kyoto

I want to leave this day relatively unplanned, and keep the pace a bit slower as you will be heading out to other destinations outside of the two major cities from here on out. This will be used as a rest day, however I would still like to plan a traditional tea ceremony here in Kyoto, as it is the birthplace of this ancient art form, and a lunch and/or dinner reservation. The tea ceremony is best had where the art was originally developed, Daitokuji Temple. There you can learn of all of the significance of its rituals, and experience a short tea ceremony there where it began.

Activities: 
  • Traditional tea ceremony at Daitokuji Temple complex
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Lunch at Isshisoden Nakamura (first choice)
    • This is the only restaurant that I'm aware of that has three Michelin stars in Kyoto. It is extremely unassuming though. It's such a simple place. Nothing is over-the-top, nor flashy. It's just really good food, and it is famous for its white miso zoni. The current chef is the sixth generation to run the restaurant.
    • http://www.kyoryori-nakamura.com/index.html
  • Lunch at Kichi Kichi Omurice
    • As a second choice, I would like to suggest a small restaurant in the Pontocho district that is famous for its 'omurice' dish. "Omurice" is a mixture of the words 'omelette' and 'rice', and the dish is... a rice dish that is topped with an omelette. It's a pretty famous dish around the country, but the chef here at Kichi Kichi has made it his signature dish.
    • https://kichikichi.com/
  • Dinner at Jugyuan
    • https://jugyuan.jp/
Planner's Notes: There are plenty of really nice restaurants in the Pontocho area of Kyoto. The street is lined with hundreds of places, and although I have made a dinner suggestion on this day, I don't want to "over-plan" your itinerary and thus prevent you from self-exploration and finding places on the street that might interest you.

Day 8 (MON 10/24): Osaka

(Day unplanned per client request)

The Setonaikai (the Seto Inland Sea) is placed in the center of the map for this day. It is known as the Japanese Mediterranean, as the climates are similar and there are thousands of islands, both populated and uninhabited that dot the beautiful area. Your trip coincides with the Autumn exhibitions of the Art Triennale. The islands become a canvas for many artists around the country. I would like to dedicate this day to exploring those islands in a chartered boat, and also for visiting one of the more beautiful settings in the area, the Shinshoji Zen Museum. The day will be dedicated to beautiful art and architecture.
While this day isn't fully dedicated to food, I did want to include one tiny food experience that I think would be helpful in perhaps appreciating one that will come later on in the trip. Shojin-ryouri is the vegetarian-style meals that monks eat during periods of asceticism. It is a cultural heritage, and one that I plan on having you experience when you visit the northern regions of Japan later on in your trip. However, the Zen Museum is a great place to experience it as somewhat of a preview of what is to come later on.
The location chosen for your accommodations on this day is a spa that is closest to the port for your departure the next day. The end of this day and the following three days will be dedicated to peaceful, and tranquil relaxation.
Activities: 
  • Visit to Teshima Island and the Teshima Art Museum
  • Visit to Naoshima Island, and the art exhibits on display there
  • Visit to Shinshoji Zen Museum (mostly for visiting the Hyotei building on its grounds, but if you are interested in trying zen meditation while here, we can arrange for that experience as well)
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Shojin-ryouri experience at the Zen Museum
    • https://szmg.jp/
Planner's Notes: The itinerary for island hopping on this day is only partially complete. I think that it's best to leave this one somewhat open, so that we can get input from an artist who visits the islands regularly, so that we can understand the best places to visit. Although Naoshima and Teshima are two of the main islands for the art festival, there are other hidden islands in the sea with excellent options as well. Thus this day's plans remain tentative, pending input from a capable guide.

Day 9 (TUE 10/25): Osaka

(Day unplanned per client request)

As mentioned in the previous day's description, the next few day will be completely dedicated to relaxation in the Seto Inland Sea. As you will be staying at a nice hotel with a spa, I wanted to start the day off with a couple's massage, and relaxation in the rest area of the spa. In the afternoon a boat will arrive to pick you up. The boat is a floating hotel, called Guntu. It is kind of a mix between a really nice modern ryokan and a boat. The boat was meticulously designed and is covered in gorgeous hinoki cedar. Although it is a relatively large vessel (it has 19 guest rooms), the ships movements are barely noticeable thanks to its electric engine and the calmness of the Seto Inland Sea. Previous guests have said that they barely noticed that they were moving at all. The operating company's parent is a shipbuilding enterprise, thus the technology used in this vessel is top tier. Time Magazine has rated it as one of the best experiences on Earth.
The previous day was dedicated to the major islands in the sea, and this day and following two days will be dedicated to going slightly further west towards Ehime prefecture. The rooms have all of the amenities that you would expect from a fine hotel. There is even a public bath in the stern of the ship that has a window facing the ships wake that has yuzu floating in the water for a fragrant relaxation experience.
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • The voyage includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there is a washoku restaurant, a sushi bar, a youshoku ('western' cuisine) restaurant, a bar and a lounge all on the ship for your enjoyment. The meals are sometimes impromptu. There are smaller ships which will deliver freshly caught seafood from the Inland Sea while you are traveling it, and a chef will then prepare that catch immediately in front of you.
Planner's Notes: While the main goal of this leg of the trip is to enjoy the amazing natural scenery of the islands and the sea, there are some short hikes and activities on the 2nd day of the voyage.

Day 10 (WED 10/26): Osaka

(Day unplanned per client request)

Day 2 of Guntu trip:  Examples of off-ship activities on the second day:
  • Visit one of the Sekizen Islands
  • Short hike of Mt. Shiude, which offers a stunning view of the islands of Setouchi
  • Trek on Chichibugahama Beach, famed for its beautiful sunsets
  • Visit Kitagishima, Manabeshima, or Mushima in the Kasaoka Island
Planner's Notes: I think that the itinerary often changes based on the conditions of the sea, thus the last island visit is perhaps based on how far along they get while traversing the sea.

Day 11 (THU 10/27): Hiroshima

The 3rd day will end relatively early, as you port at around 11AM. As the ship's crew will have provided you with breakfast, I'd like to move as quickly as possible to Hiroshima, as you won't actually be spending the night there. I would like to show you the highlights of Hiroshima, as the final stop along the Seto Inland Sea route. Having a guide on this day is of major importance. The first stop would be the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where the A-Bomb Dome is. This, and the Nagasaki Peace Park are sites that all students in Japan are required to visit.

After that, I would like to have your guide take you to Hiroshima Castle, for your first castle visit on this trip, and then head out to Miyajima Island. Miyajima, means "shrine island". The name comes from the fact that the island itself is seen as a sacred place. Thus the name doesn't refer to the number of shrines on the island, but rather the fact that the island itself is seen as a giant Shinto shrine itself. As it was seen as a shrine, giving birth on the island was outlawed, as was burying the dead, and cutting any trees. Deer roam the island freely and can be seen everywhere, sometimes even inside of the port terminal. As they are seen as messengers of the gods in Shintoism, they are left unharmed and are mostly welcomed. There are many reasons I want to send you here. Obviously, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Itsukushima Shrine is one of them (this is the shrine that has the massive 'floating' torii gate on its shore, but I'm hoping that you can take in some of the spectacular momiji foliage on the island as well. It may be slightly early for them to reach their peak red color, but in my 15 years of living in Japan, I've never been anywhere where the foliage was so dazzling. When I first saw them at their peak, I actually thought that someone must have painted them. There is a small park area near the base of Mt. Misen where they are most brilliant. I'm hoping that you can enjoy them, even if you do not hike the mountain.
After your visit to Miyajima, I would like to prepare a dinner arrangement. Thanks to Hiroshima's geographical location, they can take full advantage of the bounties and climate of the Seto Inland Sea. Meaning, they have access to a lot of fresh ingredients that most landlocked locations do not. The area is known for its delicious citrus fruits, and fresh squid and octopus. I would like to plan for a dinner to experience okonomiyaki. It is this region's most famous dish. it is difficult to describe, but it's kind of like a savory pancake with lots of toppings. It's very good with beer. After a slightly early dinner, it's back off to Hakata to catch the overnight ferry to the Goto Islands. There is an onsen across the street from the ferry terminal for relaxing and bathing before your departure. It is a late departure, and will most likely not board until 10:30PM.
Activities:
  • Bullet Train to Hiroshima (around 20 minutes)
  • Peace Memorial Park
  • Hiroshima Castle
  • Miyajima
  • Itsukushima Shrine
  • Momiji Park
  • Daishoin
  • Short hike of Mt. Misen or ropeway (optional/time permitting)
  • Okonomiyaki dinner
  • Bullet train to Hakata (around 1 hour)
  • Namiha-no-yu
  • Taiko Maru Ferry
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Okonomiyaki at Lopez Okonomiyaki (first choice)
    • This is one of the best places to try Okonomiyaki in the city. Also, Lopez has 'horumon' food options that I think is a good treat. Although Hiroshima isn't in Kyushu, it is very close, and the closer you get the more 'motsu' and other hearty organ dishes become a regular thing. So eating here is not only a chance to try good okonomiyaki, but you can try cow's tongue, stomach, and other assortments of organs and innards that are traditionally eaten in the region.
    • https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057664111350 (he doesn't have a website)
  • Okonomiyaki at Okonomimura
    • There is a building in the heart of Hiroshima's nightlife district that is about 5 stories tall, and the entire place is filled with small teppan restaurants that all do okonomiyaki. "Okonomimura" roughly translates to "the village of okonomiyaki". There are probably about 40+ places there, each with their own take on the dish. It's a very interesting place to visit. This is only my second choice as Mr. Lopez is quite famous for his take on the dish, and he also offers other dishes outside of okonomiyaki that you can try.
    • http://www.okonomimura.jp/foreign/english.html
Planner's Notes: This is going to be one of the more travel intense days on the trip. Although the time spent on transport isn't  excessive, there is a lot of use of bullet trains on this day. Also, I wanted to note that Kenzo Tange is the designer of the Peace Memorial Park, and many of the structures on the site. He is the same architect that designed the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, which is known as the gym of the 1964 Olympics (I've included a picture of it in the gallery below). Logistically speaking it is somewhat of a tough day to plan. There are no direct flights from Hiroshima to Goto, we'd have to take you all the way to Nagasaki instead (where there is less to see and do), and then book a flight or a ferry, so it would be more travel time, and less actual activities. The current arrangement for this day is not ideal, but it minimizes the travel time and maximizes the time spent enjoying different experiences. Also, most of the food experiences and recommendations up until this point have been more on the refined side. Outside of Tokyo towards the end of the trip most of the places recommended in Goto and Yamagata (with a few exceptions) will be of a much more rustic and homestyle cooking nature. I'd like to note that the Guntu trip is quite popular, if we are unable to book it, I would like to have you guys stay here in Hiroshima at a traditional ryokan on Miyajima, and then add a day to the last few days in Tokyo, so we can get more out of the Kanto region.

Day 12 (FRI 10/28): Hiroshima

(Second night in Hiroshima to be left unplanned per client request)

The Taiko Maru ferry will port at Fukue in the morning. If you are not yet tired of spectacular island views from a ship, then I would highly suggest getting up slightly before arrival to see the sunrise through the islands of this archipelago. In 2016, Martin Scorcese made a film about the Goto Islands, starring Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield. Although the film was about the islands' religious history, there are many reasons why Goto is a unique place to visit. The film was about how Christians fled mainland Japan to worship without fear of persecution, but the islands have been home to many people from many cultures throughout its history. It was once a waypoint for sea voyagers traveling from the Ryukyu Kingdom (now Okinawa), Korea, and China. Thus some of the matsuri festivals, foods, and even the dialect spoken here bears some influence from aspects of the many cultures that have been a part of its history. As quite as it's kept, it is also home to some of the best cattle ranchers in Japan who sell their cattle to some of the more famous regions. It is also home to one of the only island wineries in the entire nation, and Takahama beach which has been consistently voted one of the best in the nation.
I think that a good place to start is to visit one of the churches for some historical perspective, some of which stand out harshly in a Japanese setting. Dozaki Church is one of the best to visit, as some of the scrolls that the missionaries brought with them are still intact and on display there. After that, I'd like to arrange lunch at very small ramen shop, Ramen-Bin. It is important to arrive as early as possible here as they typically have a line outside of the door, and the wait can be up 30 minutes. It isn't a fancy place at all, it just has really good food. In fact, that will kind of be the theme of this visit. None of the places are fancy, there isn't much pretense in their presentation either, they rely instead on the freshness of their ingredients and their skill.
The rest of the day will be spent visiting some of Goto's naturally beautiful sites like Takahama Beach, and the onsen near its inactive volcano, Onidake. After that I'd like to make a reservation at what is possibly my favorite restaurant in all of Japan, Katashi. I spent 3 years in Goto. When this restaurant first started, they used to do 'pop-ups' at a local community center on Saturdays to sell their food. It was something that made me look forward to the weekends. Fast-forward a couple of years and they started a very, very small restaurant out in the middle of the woods here on the island. If you didn't know about it, you would never find it. I also don't ever recall seeing a menu there, which has only ever built up my anticipation of what will be served when I visit. This restaurant, along with the ramen shop are my two top suggestions for food here. The region is known for its udon noodles (which are slightly "oilier", and much thinner than other regions), its beef, its wine, and some dishes that are done well here like kamameshi (which is rice cooked in a pot with various vegetables and meats), and kizushi (a type of sushi that is traditionally made in the northern island of Narao where an entire small fish is used as the neta for sushi). It is something that you really don't see often in other regions (I've included a picture of it in the gallery below). I will see if I can convince the proprietor of Katashi to make it for you.
Activities:
  • Dozaki Church visit
  • Takahama Beach
  • Natural Onsen Hot Springs visit
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options:
  • Lunch at Ramen-Bin
    • https://farming.shakunage.net/kyusyu/index.html
  • Dinner at Kinoguchi Katashi
Planner's Notes: I would like to leave space in the activities for your guide to plan out some activities after meeting you and gauging your priorities for your time spent here. A car is an absolute necessity here in Goto.

Day 13 (SAT 10/29): Yamagata

Reaching Yamagata from Hiroshima is still going to be a journey that requires some time. I think that the best route for this is still to take a plane to Tokyo, and then a bullet train from there. This will be slightly easier to plan as Hiroshima has a lot of regular flights from there to Tokyo. As it is still something that may require time depending on when you depart, and there is a lot of travel involved, I still think leaving this day unplanned is the best option.

I would like to get you guys to Yamaga as quickly as possible for the last portion of your trip. Unfortunately, since Goto is quite remote, there isn't really a great way to get you guys across the country as quickly as I'd prefer, thus we would have to use a domestic flight. If not, I think that it would take almost an entire day to get off of the island. The plan is to catch a flight to the closest hub city, Fukuoka. From there another short flight back to Tokyo, and then from there a bullet train to Yamagata. With current flight schedules and train schedules this is the quickest way to get there, and you will arrive around 3:50PM.
I'd like to leave you free to rest, and explore the city of Yamagata after arriving, but I do want to make a reservation at one of the city's up-and-coming French fusion restaurants for dinner. Details below.
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options: 
  • Dinner at Pas Mal
    • A marriage of French techniques and Japanese ingredients. The restaurant is not only a great place to eat French fusion cuisine, but also a good place to try local sake and wine.
    • https://yamagatafrench-pasmal.com/
Oushima is quite possible one of the easiest of the lesser populated islands in the archipelago to reach. It has a regularly running ferry service that departs from Fukue port at 7:35 AM, and arrives there at around 8:12 AM.
Oushima is an interesting island for many reasons, and while you can indeed visit this place on your own, I think that it is absolutely a much better experience with a guide. There aren't really any food options on the island, and so you will definitely need to bring your own lunch as the return ferry only leaves at 3:30 PM and will arrive back at Fukue port 4:05 PM. The island was booming when whaling was still a pretty big industry in Japan. When whaling died out, so did the island. The island itself is kind of a microcosmic representation of what is happening in a lot of smaller communities across the country. The last time I visited, the youngest person on the island was 47.
There are more cats than people on the island. When we take people here it is typically for either sea fishing, or to visit the abandoned school, and to take a hike around the island. There is a lava trail that runs underneath the island that has a shrine in the back of it. I don't want to ruin what exactly is in the shrine, should you visit, but it is shocking to say the least.
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options: There are many really good places to eat on the island, but I would like to tell you about a few more that I quite enjoy, for your consideration. The first two are Kumanosato, and Shinsei. Kumanosato is delicious, especially their fried fish. It is, however, a very small quaint homestyle cooking restaurant. Shinsei is kind of like one of the "fine dining" establishments on the island, their kamameshi is really good. There is another place that I frequented a lot when visiting. It isn't extremely popular, because it is actually a minshuku bnb. It's called Fukushoro. They have the absolute best maboudofu chahan in all of Japan. It's insanely good, and would make a good lunch spot (perhaps we could arrange for them to make bento lunch boxes for your trip to Oushima). The last recommendation is for dinner. The places overlooks the Kigushi Beach and it is an open grill style restaurant. It is called Tsubaki Chaya, and is one of the places where you can try Goto beef. These restaurants have been discussed with your guide and so there is no need to make a decision right now. I will say that I do have plans for a good steakhouse when you return to Tokyo, and also two options for Chinese food as well, so Tsubaki Chaya, while great can be overlooked.
Planner's Notes: The guide for today has been living in the archipelago for almost 30 years. He knows the islands extremely well, and so I think that his plans for the day should take precedence over anything that is written here.

Day 14 (SUN 10/30): Yamagata

Today is the only day where we would suggest splitting up for two different activities. It isn't necessary to split up, but it may make for a more interesting overall experience when you guys come back together. The two main activities of the day will consist of fishing and cooking with a chef. However since the fishing excursion may last a long time, we thought that it may be prudent to plan another set of activities for Mrs. Conti to enjoy while Mr. Conti is out at sea.

Mr. Conti's itinerary:  Wake up early to join the fisherman off of the coast of Yamagata prefecture. All of the necessities will be provided. The fishing excursion typically lasts somewhere between 3-5 hours. Please note that fishing can be arranged either on a boat, or along the rocky coastline, however the likelihood of actually catching fish is higher when done on a boat.
Mrs. Conti's itinerary:  While Mr. Conti is out fishing we thought it may be nice to visit some of the smaller wholesale fish markets along the coast. Everything there is caught fresh that day, and you can only gain access to the auctions/market through invitation from a local chef. The goal here is for Mrs. Conti to have a fish of her own as they will both be preparing and cooking their fish with someone later one. While here, Mrs. Conti will learn about what makes a fish a 'good' fish amongst the thousands of fish at the market. After that, time permitting, we would like to arrange a visit to one of Sakata's most famous tea houses for lunch and a geisha performance. It is very rare for a smaller community like this to have geisha, and the fact that the art form exists in this region is due to the wealth that was concentrated in this area during the Edo period. It is a rare treat.
After you have both completed your fish-gathering exercises, you will meet up with a local chef at a sushi or kaiseki restaurant where you will both learn how to prepare the fish from start to finish. This includes descaling and filleting the fish into fillets ready to be cut into fresh sashimi. You can then leave it up to the chef to prepare into various dishes or can make requests for a specific dish. This includes making nigiri and rolled sushi, kaisendon (sushi bowls), grilled dishes, yubiki (scalding fresh sashimi with boiling water, and a variety of other options.
Planner's Notes: We rarely have guests who actually want an experience with a geisha or maiko while visiting Japan. If this is something that you'd prefer that we prioritize, please let us know.

Day 15 (MON 10/31): Tsuruoka

Tsuruoka is the only town in Japan that has been awarded a Creative City of Gastronomy award by UNESCO. One of the main reasons for it being awarded this is the preservation of many heirloom varieties of vegetables over a very long period of time, and the use of said vegetables in the region's shojin-ryouri by the mountain ascetic, yamabushi monks. I would like to dedicate this day to understanding the history of the area, and its food through visiting places that best exemplify the essence of the region.

The first stop is Mt. Haguro. We want the guide to be someone who fully understands the sacredness of the mountains that you will be on. The forest at the base of the mountain is magestic. There are trees there that are over a thousand years old, and there are multiple small shrines dotted throughout the forest. At the beginning of your trek you will see a 600-year old pagoda completely made of wood that stands amongst the towering cedar trees (I've included a picture of this pagoda in your gallery). In the middle of the hike you will have lunch at Saikan, which is a temple that is also a restaurant that was first built in the late 1600's! Here you will try shojin-ryori, the ascetic cuisine of the yamabushi monks that was developed as part of their training which could last for months as they isolated themselves on these mountains for spiritual purposes.
After visiting Mt. Haguro, I would like to send you to a local restaurant that best exemplifies why Tsuruoka is the only place in Japan with the UNESCO designation for its food. The place is called Naa, and it is the very essence of farm-to-table, as they are the farm. After which you will return to Yamagata city proper. At night you will meet up with a your guide for a food and pub crawl of the downtown area. You'll visit three izakaya spots in the city, each of them different from the other to taste and drink at some of the best places in the city.
Activities:
  • Short hike of Mt. Haguro and learning the traditions of the yamabushi monks
  • Shojin-ryouri meal at a 400+ year old temple
  • Nighttime izakaya food/drink crawl
Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options: 
  • Lunch at Naa
    • A true farmer's restaurant, and the essence of why Tsuruoka is the only city in Japan with the City of Creative Gastronomy award.
    • https://www.e-naa.com/
  • Izakaya nighttime crawl
    • There will be three locations on the menu tonight, each completely different. This will be a guided experience of the downtown area of Yamagata.
Planner's Notes: If you guys don't want to have a nighttime izakaya crawl, we could arrange for something else. Yamagata is quite famous for its pottery. There is an experience we could arrange where you make your own pottery, or do a sake taste testing (offering up some of the region's smaller-batch breweries). You could also elect to combine the two experiences.

Day 16 (TUE 11/01): Tokyo

I'd like to leave this day unplanned for the moment. However, I would like to plan a dinner reservation at one of two of the city's more interesting steakhouses.

Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options: 
  • Sagaya Steakhouse's Moonflower room (first choice)
    • Moonflower Sagaya is a special experience prepared by Sagaya Ginza and TeamLab. It is a really beautiful experience. If you look at the website, you'll see that the room is stunningly designed by the same team that produces all of TeamLab's exhibitions. You may assume that it is a gimmick that is used to hide, or make up for a lackluster meal. It is not. The food is very good. The course here is 12 dishes, and it is limited to 8 people per day.
    • https://moonflower-sagaya.com/
  • Ginza Steakhouse
    • This is quite possible one of the simplest steakhouses I've ever visited. The belief here is that if the meat is of a high enough quality, there is no need for anything else. Outside of small side dishes that come with your meal, they really only serve steak here, and the cuts are A5-quality wagyu. The cuts are cooked in front of you on a teppan grill, and are served with salt and pepper... nothing else. The course is all-you-can-eat.
    • https://www.ginzano.jp/steak/en/ginza/

Day 17 (WED 11/02): Tokyo

We were initially told that you would be leaving on the 3rd of November, so we have planned up until this day. I want to wait to hear your feedback on this initial itinerary before we plan any firm activities for this day. However, I would like to plan an afternoon tea as a safe meal, as it something that can be had early in the day before a flight.

Culinary Experiences / Restaurant options: 
  • high tea at Shangri-la
    • My personal favorite, but also one that is more 'traditional' than the Imperial Palace. Traditional in the sense that it isn't necessarily something that is unique.
  • high tea at the Imperial Hotel
    • This offering is more of a representation of the concept of high tea done in a Japanese way. It isn't an imitation of the traditional afternoon tea, but more of an interpretation of the tradition. Far more unique, and very tastefully executed.

Day 18 (THU 10/03): Tokyo

(day left unplanned per client request)

  • Tiered pagoda in Edo-era streets
  • The red gates of Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto
  • Buddha statues wearing red and green hats in Hiroshima

UPDATE: Currently, I think that moving one of the two days that were initially planned for Goto to Tokyo at the end of the trip, will make the trip feel more ‘grounded’, and less hectic. I think adding the other to the Kansai area after Guntu will also give you guys time to explore Osaka. Osaka and Kyoto are very close in proximity and thus it wouldn’t really require you guys to change hotels, so Day 7 might be a good day to explore there. I don’t want to add those days to any day before the Kurama Hi Matsuri, or the Guntu Floating Hotel as those activities have fixed dates, and we’d have to change every date before them. If you choose to forego the Guntu experience then we could add days before that experience. I would like to book a traditional ryokan-style inn in Hiroshima on the night that you guys were meant to travel to Goto on the overnight ferry. As Hiroshima is only an hour and a half or so from Kyoto Station, I think that it would be a lot more convenient for getting back to the Kansai area. The alternative to this, is to leave Hiroshima out of the itinerary altogether. As Hiroshima is very close to Kyushu, it may be a good idea to save these destinations for a later visit to Japan. Although the food there is quite special, I do think you’ll have a similar experience at Naa in Yamagata. However we schedule it, since you mentioned having a bit more free time in the itinerary, I think it would be best to leave the two extra days open and free.

 

On the days that we would like to plan a restaurant visit, we have made two suggestions. This is because we think that availability at a lot of places is most likely going to book up quite quickly, and so we want to have a backup for each day. The restaurant recommendations that I’ve made in this itinerary range from fine dining to homestyle cooking and many things in between. Some of the regions that you are visiting will simply be for the food that can be found there. Also, we put the main time that you’re spending in Tokyo at the end of the trip so that we could get you to Yamagata early on, but also because the Kurama Hi Matsuri is on the 22nd, and we didn’t want you to miss it. So your time in Tokyo will be split between the first few days and the last few days of your trip, for logistic reasons. When considering culinary experiences, I didn’t want to limit it to just restaurants. So you will see that there are many other types of food experiences in the itinerary as well. Japanese-style high tea, fishing and then preparing a meal with what you caught with a chef, visiting a market to see what kinds of ingredients they pick, and small noodle stands that only operate on the weekends outside of a supermarket. Some of the places are formally recognized and awarded establishments, and others are just places that you would only know about if you lived in that area. I have several changes that I could make to this itinerary. I think that it is solid, and can pretty much be adhered to strictly up until the Kurama Hi Matsuri. There is a matsuri in Goto that happens on the 23rd, the day after the Kurama matsuri. That matsuri is also a national treasure, and one that is lesser-known than the Kurama matsuri. I would love for you guys to experience them both, but since they are back-to-back, I chose the Kurama matsuri for its wider appeal, and historical significance. Goto has some of the best food I’ve had in Japan, so I think that it is still work a visit, however if you don’t want to visit there, we can take you straight to Tokyo, Yamagata  or even the Mt. Fuji area after your visit to the Seto Inland Sea area. Speaking of which, if Guntu is booked, or if it is something that you don’t want to include, spending two days in Hiroshima is my suggestion. Just as a side note, if we were to replace the Goto leg with a leg around Mt. Fuji, the food offerings would not be as good as the would be in Goto. I look forward to hearing what you think.

Client:

Joe Fenech Conti

Category:
Start date:

October, 17th '22

End date:

November, 3rd '22

Number of days:

~ 18 days

Price:

TBD

Season:

Autumn

Locations:

Tokyo / Seto Sea / Kyoto / Osaka / Hiroshima / Yamagata

Accommodation Suggestion: Tokyo

Accommodation Suggestion: Kyoto

Accommodation Suggestion: Seto Inland Sea

Accommodation Suggestion: Hiroshima

Accommodation Suggestion: Yamagata

Weather/Climate Conditions:

Temperatures should be around 18°C for most of the locations you visit. However things will get colder as you move into November, and also Yamagata will be colder than any of the other places you visit. A coat, and warm clothes are highly recommended.

Guided:

Yes, where stated

This content is locked
Hello Mr. Conti. Please enter the password that was sent to you to view the itinerary. If you have any issues viewing this, please send us a message and we will address them. This itinerary is best when viewed on a laptop, computer, or device that has a larger screen. Thank you! We hope to hear from you soon. - Kichi Japan Team
Unlock content
This content is locked
We apologize, but our Sample Itineraries are only available to our current and past clients, and those who have signed up for our monthly newsletter. If you are already subscribed, please insert the password in the field below. If you are not a member, you can sign up for our newsletter by clicking on the button on the top right corner of our Sample Itineraries page. You will receive a password in your welcome email. The password changes regularly, so please check our latest email for an updated password.
Unlock content