Japan's Creative Heart

DAY 1 | SAT 21 NOV | ARRIVE TOKYO | 1 NIGHT

Arrive into Tokyo, where the energy of modern Japan hums quietly beneath layers of ritual, order, and design. After clearing immigration and collecting luggage, transfer independently or by pre-arranged private vehicle to your hotel in Ginza. This central district offers an elegant introduction to the city, with wide boulevards, refined architecture, and a sense of calm that belies Tokyo’s scale.

With arrival times scattered throughout the afternoon and evening, today is deliberately unstructured. Settle into your room, refresh after your journey, or take a gentle walk through the surrounding streets, perhaps pausing at a café or quietly observing the rhythm of city life. This first night is about rest and acclimatisation, allowing body and mind to ease into Japan’s pace before the journey unfolds.

Accommodation: Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza

DAY 2 | SUN 22 NOV | TOKYO TO KURASHIKI VIA OKAYAMA | 1 NIGHT

After breakfast, meet the group for a warm welcome and tour briefing before transferring to the station for your first-class Shinkansen journey to Okayama. Travelling at speed yet in remarkable comfort, the train ride offers glimpses of changing landscapes as urban sprawl gives way to countryside.

On arrival, explore Okayama Korakuen, one of Japan’s most celebrated landscape gardens. Designed for strolling contemplation, its open lawns, ponds, and carefully framed views offer a masterclass in Japanese garden aesthetics. Across the river, Okayama Castle rises with its distinctive black exterior, earning its nickname, Crow Castle.

If time allows, visit the Hayashibara Museum of Art, housed in a former guesthouse of the castle and home to an impressive private collection of ceramics, armour, textiles, and fine art. Continue by private vehicle to Kurashiki, where you check into your hotel and enjoy a relaxed evening, easing into the town’s gentle, historic atmosphere.

Accommodation: – Royal Park Hotel Kurashiki – 1 Night
Meals: – Breakfast, bento lunch, light dinner

DAY 3 | MON 23 NOV | KURASHIKI TO UNO PORT | 3 NIGHTS

Spend the morning exploring Kurashiki’s beautifully preserved Bikan Historical Quarter. Once a prosperous rice distribution centre during the Edo Period, the canal-lined district is now a harmonious blend of history, art, and everyday life. White-walled storehouses, stone bridges, and willow trees create an atmosphere ideal for unhurried wandering, with galleries, boutiques, and cafés inviting quiet discovery.

Depart Kurashiki by private vehicle, stopping en route at the Betty Smith Jean Museum. This unexpectedly fascinating visit explores the history of Japanese denim craftsmanship and offers the opportunity to design bespoke, made-to-measure jeans for those who wish.

Continue to Uno Port, a relaxed harbour town and gateway to the Seto Inland Sea. Check into your hotel and take time to unwind, perhaps enjoying the onsen facilities or simply watching ferries come and go. Dinner is enjoyed in-house, rounding out a day that bridges past and present with ease.

Accommodation: – Uno Hotel – 3 Nights
Meals: – Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 4 | TUE 24 NOV | NAOSHIMA ART ISLAND

This morning, board a ferry across the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea to Naoshima, an island that has become synonymous with contemporary art and architecture. On arrival, explore the Art House Project, where abandoned village homes have been transformed into site-specific artworks, each responding to the building’s history and surroundings.

Continue to the Naoshima New Museum of Art, followed by the iconic Chichu Art Museum, both designed by Tadao Ando. Built largely underground, Chichu is a powerful exploration of space, light, and form, where art and architecture are inseparable.

Throughout the day, pauses are made to absorb the island itself, its fishing villages, coastal views, and quiet rhythms. Before returning to the port, see additional installations, including Yayoi Kusama’s instantly recognisable pumpkin sculpture and the striking Marine Station at Miyanoura Port. Ferry back to Uno Port in the evening, with time to relax after a richly layered day.

DAY 5 | WED 25 NOV | TESHIMA ART ISLAND

After forwarding luggage ahead to Kyoto, depart by ferry to Teshima, an island where art, agriculture, and landscape exist in delicate balance. Once affected by depopulation, Teshima has been revitalised through thoughtful creative projects that respect its rural character.

Travel around the island by private vehicle, visiting installations that draw on themes of community, nature, and global connection. A highlight is Yokoo House, where bold artistic expression is woven into a traditional setting. Lunch is enjoyed at a restaurant overlooking the sea, featuring dishes made with locally sourced island ingredients.

In the afternoon, visit the remarkable Teshima Art Museum. Set within terraced rice fields, its sculptural concrete form invites visitors into a space defined by light, water, and silence. The experience is contemplative and deeply moving. Return to Uno Port by ferry and gather for a celebratory dinner, marking the conclusion of your time among the art islands.