Japan by Rail: Fukuoka to Tokyo

This is Japan seen the way the Japanese see it — from the window of a Shinkansen. Beginning in Fukuoka and finishing in Tokyo, the route threads together UNESCO castles and temples, hot-spring towns, tea plantations, craft workshops and some of the finest food in Asia. It is an active, immersive itinerary with full days, comfortable walking on uneven ground and travel by public transport, rewarded with experiences most visitors never see.

1. 

   Days 1–2

   Fukuoka & Arita

   Kyushu's warm welcome and the birthplace of Japanese porcelain

   Your journey begins in Fukuoka, the lively gateway to Kyushu, famous for its food stalls and easy-going charm. A full day then takes you inland to Arita, celebrated for more than 400 years as the home of Japanese porcelain.

   • Stroll Arita's preserved streets, Izumiyama Quarry and the atmospheric Tombai Wall Alleys built from old kiln fragments.
   • Arita Ceramic Museum and Tozan Shrine, with its remarkable porcelain torii gate.
   • Lunch and free time in the historic spa town of Takeo Onsen, including the vermilion Romon Gate, followed by a welcome dinner.
   • Two nights at Hotel Monterey Fukuoka (or similar 4-star).
2. 

   Day 3

   Hiroshima & Miyajima

   Your first Shinkansen ride and a sacred island shrine

   Board the iconic bullet train at Hakata Station and glide to Hiroshima — a city that is warm, modern and deeply reflective. A short ferry brings you to sacred Miyajima Island, where tame deer wander freely.

   • Itsukushima Shrine and its immense vermilion torii gate, appearing to float at high tide.
   • Peace Memorial Park, the Genbaku Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum with your guide.
   • Overnight at Granvia Hiroshima South Gate (or similar 4-star) — main luggage travels ahead to Okayama.
3. 

   Days 4–5

   Kurashiki & Okayama

   Canal-side merchant quarters and one of Japan's Three Great Gardens

   The bullet train carries you to Kurashiki, where white-walled Edo storehouses line a willow-fringed canal, before continuing to Okayama, the 'Land of Sunshine'.

   • Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, the Ohashi Family Residence and the Ukiyo-e Museum.
   • Craft Brewery Doppo-kan for a guided tour, dinner and a tasting of three local craft beers.
   • Kibitsu Jinja Shrine with its 360-metre covered corridor, a designated National Treasure.
   • Kōraku-en Garden, with views across to the black-walled 'Crow Castle'.
   • Two nights at Granvia Okayama (or similar 4-star).
4. 

   Day 6

   Himeji

   Japan's most beautiful surviving castle

   A short Shinkansen hop brings you to Himeji and its magnificent UNESCO-listed castle — one of the country's last original fortresses, nicknamed 'White Heron Castle'.

   • Explore Himeji Castle's ingenious defensive design and elegant wooden interiors.
   • Koko-en, nine interlinked Edo-period gardens with koi ponds, teahouses and waterfalls.
   • Onward by train to Osaka for a two-night stay at Holiday Inn Express Osaka Midosuji (or similar 4-star).
5. 

   Day 7

   Osaka

   Retro streets and Japan's greatest food city

   A relaxed morning at leisure is followed by an afternoon in Shinsekai, a wonderfully nostalgic district beneath the glowing Tsutenkaku Tower.

   • Wander the lantern-lit Janjan Yokocho arcade and Shinsekai's retro backstreets.
   • An evening food tour through Osaka's celebrated street-food culture.
6. 

   Days 8–9

   Mount Shigi, Nara & tea country

   Temple mornings, Great Buddha and 800 years of tea

   A rare, privileged morning at Chōgosonshi-ji Temple on Mount Shigi is followed by Nara, Japan's first permanent capital, and then the misty tea hills of Wazuka and Uji.

   • Sencha tea and wagashi sweets, the monks' morning prayer service and access to areas usually closed to visitors.
   • Shōjin ryōri — traditional vegetarian temple cuisine — for lunch.
   • Tōdai-ji Temple and its 15-metre bronze Great Buddha, plus lantern-lined Kasuga Taisha.
   • Wazuka's cascading tea plantations with a guided tasting, then Uji and the World Heritage Byōdō-in Temple.
   • One night at Novotel Nara, then on to The Hotel Higashiyama by Kyoto Tokyu (or similar 4-star).
7. 

   Days 10–11

   Kyoto

   Two full days in Japan's cultural heart

   Kyoto rewards slow exploration — 1,001 golden Kannon statues, a private tea ceremony in kimono, Zen gardens, shogun palaces and the lantern-lit lanes of Gion.

   • Sanjūsangen-dō, the world's longest wooden hall, and a private machiya tea ceremony with a tea master.
   • Riverside walks along the Kamo and Shirakawa Canal, Yasaka Shrine and Hanamikoji Street in Gion.
   • Heian-jingū Shrine and gardens, Nanzen-ji Zen Temple and its famous rock garden.
   • Nishiki Market — 'Kyoto's kitchen' — and Nijō Castle with its nightingale floors.
   • Three nights in Kyoto (or similar 4-star).
8. 

   Days 12–14

   Echizen & Kanazawa

   Hand-made soba, washi paper, hot springs and gold leaf

   Head north into craft country: make your own soba noodles and washi paper, soak in a hot-spring ryokan, then discover Kanazawa's samurai lanes and geisha teahouses.

   • Soba-making in Echizen Soba Village and a hands-on washi workshop at Papyrus House.
   • Kaiseki dinner and hot-spring baths at a traditional ryokan in Awara Onsen.
   • Takaoka's Kanayamachi copper-working quarter and the Yamachō-suji merchant district.
   • An intimate maiko dining experience in Kanazawa — kaiseki with traditional dance and music.
   • Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa Castle, the Higashi Chaya geisha district and a gold-leaf plating workshop.
   • Two nights at Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel (or similar 4-star).
9. 

   Days 15–16

   Nagano & the snow monkeys

   Alpine bullet train, wild macaques and a ryokan night

   A scenic Shinkansen run through the Japanese Alps brings you to Nagano and the quiet hot-spring valley of Yudanaka Onsen.

   • Jigokudani Monkey Park, where wild Japanese macaques bathe in steaming natural hot springs.
   • A night in a traditional ryokan with dinner and onsen bathing at Biyu no Yado (or similar).
   • Zenkō-ji Temple, a pilgrimage site welcoming visitors for more than 1,300 years.
   • Afternoon bullet train to Tokyo — main luggage travels ahead.
10. 

    Days 17–18

    Tokyo

    Samurai blades, sumo and a farewell toast

    Your journey ends in the capital, beginning in Ryōgoku, Tokyo's historic sumo district, before the colour and energy of Asakusa.

    • Samurai Sword Museum and Ekōin Temple, regarded as the birthplace of professional sumo.
    • Meet retired wrestlers over chanko nabe hot pot with an English-speaking sumo expert.
    • Sensō-ji Temple and Nakamise Street, then a farewell izakaya dinner.
    • Two nights at Hotel Monterey Hanzomon (or similar 4-star). Tour ends after breakfast on day 18.