Our Japan tour starts the morning off with a trip to the famous Dotonbori shopping area. Known as the Foodie Capital of Japan, Dotonbori offers an impressive array of Japanese street food and dining. Japan Deluxe Tours highly recommends sampling Takoyaki octopus balls, a staple for Osaka street food culture. There's also plenty of shopping to be done for Anime fans at Animate, souvenir hunting at Daiso, or relax while maids take care of you at a maid cafe.

After our tour's fun in Dotonbori, we will make our way to the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium to observe a Sumo Tournament. While Sumo wrestling first began as a Shinto religious ceremony in hopes to improve the fertility of the year's crops, Sumo has since grown to become the national sport in Japan as a beloved martial arts. The massive wrestlers may look overweight, but you'd be surprised how quick and agile these Sumo master Japanese martial artists are. Enjoy this unique Japanese experience with the roaring crowds rooting for their favorite rikishi. We then proceed to the Hotel.

Our day in Kyoto will start off with a spirited rickshaw ride through the serene Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Experience what it was like to get around the city back in the day as you enjoy the relaxing scenery.

Next, the group will make its way to the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji Temple, an absolute must-see attraction where the upper two floors are covered with gold leaf. Another short ride away and you will be at Fushimi Inari Shrine, home of the famed thousand torii gates. Explore the area by either making your way through the torii gates to the Omokaru Stone or watch the local priests performing prayers every so often.

The rest of the day will be spent taking part in activities that are quintessential to Japanese culture. First up will be a hands-on lesson on the tea ceremony. Learn about the history and meaning behind the ceremony as you watch it being performed before your eyes. Before our last activity, the tour will make a stop at the Kyoto Handicraft Center where you will get to browse a wide variety of traditional Japanese works of art, a perfect place to buy a potential souvenir. Lastly, we will end the evening with a kaiseki dinner accompanied by a maiko performance. Afterwards, your group will get to interact with the maiko, ask questions, and play some classic party games to end the day.

We will start the day by heading south to Nara to explore Todaiji Temple and the Deer Park. Todaiji Temple is considered one of the largest wooden buildings in the world and holds the largest Buddha statue in Japan, a truly impressive sight to behold. A short walk over and you will stand among the deer of the Nara Deer Park. Considered divine, they are adored by people all over the world. Just be sure not to get chased by one.

Our last destination in Kyoto will be a sake museum and brewery to learn more about Japan’s national drink. You can also sample sake that was made on site and purchase your favorite to bring home. Before you depart Kyoto, we will stop for a kaiten sushi lunch, a perfect way for travelers to pick and try new flavors. Most kaiten sushi restaurants will also offer other options such as kaarage (Japanese fried chicken) or noodle dishes.

We will then depart Kyoto and speed through central Japan as you ride the bullet train to your ryokan (Japanese style hotel) where the welcoming bath waters of the onsen await you. Take a long relaxing soak to rejuvenate you and don your yukata (informal, linen kimono) before enjoying a delicious traditional Japanese meal known as Kaiseki Ryori.

Our Japan tour will start the day by heading to the renown Hakone area. The first stop of the day wIll be Owakudani Valley for a ride on the Hakone Ropeway. The valley itself is an active volcanic crater and is famous for its black boiled egg that is said to add eight years to your life. If weather permits, enjoy a scenic view of Mt. Fuji as your ride the ropeway down the hill.

Before we head to our next destination, enjoy a warm bowl of Hoto, a Japanese noodle dish native to the Yamanshi area, for lunch. After your hearty meal, we’ll make our way to Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station where you will find breathtaking views of the mountain as well as the surrounding scenery. Be sure to snap some pictures and take in the nature before we head to Tokyo.

Today, we’ll start our morning exploring the Tsukiji Fish Market, former home of the world-famous tuna auction. Browse through the numerous vendors lining the walkways and pick up a couple of mouth-watering snacks made from the freshest ingredients while you are there. The tour then takes you the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crosswalk in the world. Be a part of the almost 2500 people crossing and pay a visit to the Hachiko Statue.

Next, we’ll dive into the center of Japanese street fashion in Harajuku. Shop through the trendy district while snacking on the famous Harajuku crepes and other kawaii treats from Takeshita Dori. For lunch, enjoy a delicious, authentic Teppan-yaki meal before we return to Akihabara. Your group will have some time to explore the anime capital of the world again before choosing how you would like to spend the rest of the day. Your tour will return to Akihabara in case you didn’t have enough time to shop, explore, or find what you are looking for.

You will have 3 options to choose from (on the day of):

1. Spend more time in Akihabara to shop and explore. We recommend stopping by Super Potato for vintage games, the SEGA arcade, or a Maid Cafe for starters.
   Within this, you can either do the following:
   
   
   
   1. Explore and shop until the bus returns to pick up those who would like to return to the hotel.
   
   
   2. Spend the rest of the day in the area and return to the hotel on your own. Your tour guide will provide instructions on how to get back to the hotel via train.
   
   
   
   




2. After your time in Akihabara, the tour will head to the old town district of Asakusa where you can purchase traditional Japanese souvenirs at the Nakamise area. Take time to explore the neighboring Senso-ji Temple as well, one of Tokyo’s most popular temples. Return to the hotel afterwards.




3. If you wish to continue the day, your tour will take you the Tokyo Skytree where you will get to shop at the ever so popular Pokemon Center, a must-go for all Pokemon fans. Purchase exclusive goods and interact with other Pokemon fans via the battling/trading room. For Shounen Jump fans, there will also be a JUMP Store where you can get merchandise from your favorite Jump animes. Return to the hotel.

Kicking things off for the day, our anime tour will take you to Tokyo’s anime-famous Kanda Shrine, a site featured in many popular animes such as Love Live!. Here, you can offer good luck charms for electronics and anime characters. We will then take a short walk over and return to Akihabara to do some last bit of exploring and shopping in the area.

After our time in Akiba, we’ll head to the unique anime shopping complex, Nakano Broadway. In addition to the most current merchandise, you may be able to find vintage character goods as well in one of the many stores here. Don’t forget to try the famous eight-layer ice cream served downstairs too!

Next, your group will visit the famed Ghibli Museum. Designed by Miyazaki Hayao himself, the animation and art museum exhibits not only the history and techniques of the Ghibli movies, but also plays a short film produced exclusively for the museum. We’ll end the day with dinner and a bang at the Robot Restaurant. Enjoy the thunderous music, colorful performers, and giant robots for the most eclectic show experience in Japan.

Today’s the big day of the international anime convention – AnimeJapan! Join the many cosplayers and anime lovers in the biggest Anime event in the world. Everything from anime, manga, figurines, to video games, guest speakers, and event exclusive merchandise are all accessible. Enjoy your day exploring the grounds and meeting people with the same passion as you!

For people not interested in attending the event or would like to leave the event early, there is much to do around the area as well. There are several shopping malls to walk around at and perhaps purchase souvenirs. You can also visit MEGA WEB, an interactive car themed exhibit created by Toyota. With three different areas to explore, go back in time at the History Garage exhibit filled with classic models from the 1960s onwards, learn and interact with next generation technology in the City Showcase area, or have your kid(s) enjoy a first-hand driving experience in a kid-friendly environment at the Ride Studio.

Your tour group will then assemble again at 3pm and head for the iconic landmark, Tokyo Tower. Here, you can opt to either explore the tower itself or enter Tokyo One Piece Tower, also known as “Tongari Island”. This theme park is filled with attractions, restaurants, and a life-action show designed to wow fans of all ages. Enjoy games based on all your favorite Straw Hat Pirates and enjoy exhibits hand sketched by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda himself.

We've cleared up the day for you to enjoy at your leisure, or join one of our popular excursion tours in the morning or afternoon.

Select up to one tour from the morning (AM1 or AM2) and up to one excursion in the afternoon (PM3 or PM4).

Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea are also popular options to spend your leisure-free day in Tokyo.