Japan travel

A journey to Honshu, the largest of Japan’s islands by size and attractions, is well worth 15 days of travel in itself. During your stay in Honshu, you will stop in Tokyo, the capital of Japan since 1868 and a laboratory for the world, thanks to its dynamism, sense of innovation, imagination, excesses and boldness of all kinds, where the urban planning, fashion and gadgets of tomorrow are created. A stay in Tokyo is about discovering the Tokyo spirit in each of its districts, such as Ikebukuro, with its many large department stores and continual energy. Within easy reach, two beautiful gardens: Koishikawa Botanical Garden and Rikugien Gardens.

On your return from your trip to Hokkaido, you could write an entire book about this fabulous island. It is no exaggeration to say that the landscapes are grandiose and of an intoxicating beauty, and the spectacle of wildlife and flora is ever-present. And what about Ainu culture? The air on this island is so pure, so fresh, so invigorating that you will feel as if you are coming back to life. The island of Hokkaido is a true kaleidoscope of sensations and emotions, experienced through discoveries that are often unusual or surprising, and truly passionate encounters with a local population unique to Japan. In Sapporo, the hotels have the charm of Finnish chalets with the legendary Japanese spirit.

One of the most beautiful in the Land of the Rising Sun, the island of Kyushu stands out for its natural beauty (the regions of Mount Aso, an active volcano, Yufuin and Kurokawa, Kagoshima with its imposing Sakurajima volcano and Kirishima-Yaku National Park, Unzen National Park, and the splendid gorges of Takachiho), as well as its cultural diversity (the modernity and cosmopolitan atmosphere of Fukuoka, hot spring resorts such as Beppu, Yufuin, Kurokawa or Ibusuki with its sand baths, the historical sites of Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima (with its garden), Chiran with its preserved former samurai residences, Usuki and its 1,400-year-old stone Buddhas, the ceramics and pottery of the Saga region, its many museums, surf-friendly beaches in Miyazaki), and the warm hospitality and great friendliness of its people. Your trip to the island of Kyushu will be unforgettable.

In the southwest of Japan, between the southern tip of Kyushu and Taiwan, the Okinawa archipelago reveals a different side of the country, an unexpected and surprisingly paradisiacal facet. A string of singular islands, each with Japanese elegance and simplicity, and the gentle way of life typical of subtropical Asia. From mangroves and dense jungles to translucent lagoons, from sugarcane fields to villages cut off from the world, and all the way to the coral reef teeming with life, here you experience a Japan unlike any other. Embark on a journey to Okinawa.

Romantic souls, this journey to Tohoku is for you, as it reveals unexpected realms of poetry, in the manner of the famous 17th-century poet Basho. Tohoku remains one of the least known regions of Japan among foreign travellers. And that’s one of the benefits! It is rich in countless wonders, both natural and cultural, and immerses you in its rural, idyllic and timeless atmosphere. At Nyuto Onsen, enjoy the famous milky baths – it’s one of the most renowned hot spring resorts in Tohoku. In Kakunodate, a splendid and eloquent samurai district awaits you. Sado Island is renowned for its famous group, the “Kodo Drummers”, a percussion ensemble that plays the taiko, the traditional Japanese drum.

A stay in Kyoto, the former imperial capital, perfectly blends poetry, art and modernity, and is as intoxicating as the nostalgic fragrance that drifts from its old neighbourhoods. Seated facing the zen garden of a Kyoto temple, time suspends its flight, leaving you as if weightless, standing in the middle of a street from another era, where you may perhaps catch the fleeting yet unforgettable silhouette of a geisha adorned in her finest attire. To enhance your tour of Honshu, exceptional sites of beauty and spirituality: Hiroshima, Miyajima and its Shinto shrine, Takayama and the Japanese Alps region, Mount Koya, a pilgrimage site for Buddhists.