Japan - A Land of Contrasts

We arrive in the metropolis of Tokyo this morning and transfer to our hotel. For the remainder of the day we can take time to rest from our journey. This evening we meet as a group to enjoy our first dinner together.

Tokyo will wow us today, starting with a visit to the Fukagawa Downtown Museum – an intriguing glimpse of life in the Edo era, with reconstructed streets and authentic interiors; even a reproduction of a clam peddler’s home, complete with strewn, empty clam shells. The larger Edo-Tokyo Museum is next. This eye-catching building, modelled on an old storehouse, features impressive exhibitions on the history of Tokyo, and includes life-size replicas of the wooden Nihonbashi bridge, as well as a traditional Kabuki theatre.

What better way to make our exit from Tokyo than on the Shinkansen, one of the world’s fastest trains? The spotless bullet train carries us north to Aomori, on the northernmost coast of Honshu. Here we visit the largest and most famous Jomon period site: the settlement of Sannai Maruyama, which was occupied by hunter-gatherers between 3,900 and 2,300 BC. The site was only discovered in 1992 when it was surveyed in preparation for a new baseball stadium – suffice to say the local baseball games are now played elsewhere. We spend the afternoon at this site, which also has its own museum featuring many features from the excavations.

Today we travel to Hachinohe which is home to the Korekawa Archaeological Museum. Within this striking modern building are hundreds of artefacts, including lacquerware items and impressive ceramics from the Jomon period of 3,000 - 1,000 BC. Clay figurines, as well as personal ornaments found in burials from the Korekawa-Nakai and Kazahari sites — the collections here are simply fascinating. Afterwards we drive to the serene natural landscape of Lake Towada. This is the

largest crater lake of Honshu Island: lined with a deciduous forested rim, it sits atop an active volcano and is characterised by two gorgeous extended peninsulas. Later, ancient civilisation beckons us at the mysterious Oyu stone circles, which give us a little insight into the people who constructed and once used them. From the early to the middle phases of the late Jomon period between 2,000 - 1,500 BC, these two sizeable rings, the largest to have ever been discovered in Japan, have been the site of many an archaeological find, and are now surrounded by reconstructions of several period Jomon structures. The Oyu Stone Circle Centre here contains numerous artefacts, as well as a series of enlightening models. After our visit here we travel on to Akita.

We get back on the train today, for a ride to Nagaoka, a bustling university city which borders the Sea of Japan. The untamed coastline acts as our constant companion while we speed towards our destination. Our first stop here is the Niigata Prefectural Museum of History. A highly informative resource on regional anthropology, history and general local folklore, the museum documents the history of rice-making in Niigata, the challenges of living in “snow country”, the area with the heaviest snowfall in Japan, as well as showcasing samples of the weird and wonderful Jomon Flame Pottery, for which this area is known.

This morning we visit the Umadaka Site Museum, where we investigate some more prime examples of the eclectic Flame Pots. Afterwards we follow the path of the Shinano River to our next site.

The Shinano River is the longest river system in Japan, draining most of Nagano and Niigata prefectures. It rises at the foot of Mount Kobushi, in the Japanese Alps of Honshu. As we drive down part of the riverside it’s easy to see why Simon Kaner, Head of Archaeology and Heritage at the world-renowned Sainsbury Institute, has made this area a key focal point for research, with recent excavations unearthing some of the earliest examples of Jomon Flame Pottery. Our journey leads up into the Tsunan mountains, where we stop at the Tsunan Agriculture and Jomon Experience Museum “Najomon”. We continue our scenic journey to our hotel through the magnificent Japanese Alps, to the land peaks of Nagano Prefecture.

We start our day at the Togariishi Jomon site and Archaeological Museum, and anyone familiar with the Jomon era will have heard of the Tanabatake Venus. This 5000-year old small clay statue, unlike its Greek namesake, is remarkable for having all its limbs intact. Next we’ll visit the Suwa Grand Shrine complex, thought to be one of the oldest shrines in existence. Every six years the Ombashira (or Honoured Pillars) Festival takes place here, and sees huge cedars felled and ridden down the mountains. Thankfully this isn’t a mode of transport we’ll be using for our own descent. After lunch we’ll see more sculpted marvels which have been discovered at the Shakado Jomon site, where over 1,100 clay figurines are now exhibited in a local museum.

Today we return to the railway for another scenic ride, this time through the southern Alps to Nara, the first capital of Japan. This compact city boasts no less than 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites dating from the 8^th century, and is well worth taking some quality time to explore. We visit Nara Park, with its herds of roaming wild deer, the splendid Todaiji Temple, the biggest wooden building in the world – home to the famous Great Buddha. A short walk away is the Kohfukuji temple, famous for its five-storied pagoda, and its National Treasure Museum with sublime 8th Century Buddhist art. We also visit the Shin-Yakushiji Temple, which was built by Empress Komyo wishing for recovery of her husband Emperor Shomu. We head west from here to Osaka, and our hotel for the night.

Our adventure continues into the heart of Osaka.  Firstly, we will visit the ancient tumulus clusters of Mozu-Furuichi. This concentration of rounded keyhole-shaped mounds consists of graves measuring up to 500 metres in length. Constructed in the 4^th and 5^th Centuries, these funerary stages are impressive not only for their size but also their design. After lunch we will go to the amazing Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s mightiest landmarks and site of many a vital battle that changed the course of history. The reconstructed Golden Tea Room (designed for the 16^th Century shogun Hideyoshi Toyomi) is located on the 3rd floor and has to be seen to be believed – a truly jaw-dropping sight. Eight floors of displays lead up to an observation deck for wonderful views of Osaka itself. After our visit here we drive north to Kyoto.

We head slightly out of the city today to enjoy the wonders of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. On the way, we will take part in an authentic tea ceremony. This traditional activity began in the 12^th Century, but really began to take on its Zen appeal in the 16^th Century when all of Japan had access to it. After our ceremony, we will take a walk through the magnificent Bamboo forest, towards the Tenryuji Temple. This temple, built to appease the spirit of a deposed emperor, has had its share of tragedy. Since its construction in 1339, there have been 8 major fires, and its rebuilding cost it most of its land. What you will see here is only a tenth of its original size. The gardens however are well-kept, and designated as “Special Place of Scenic Beauty”. Next, we move on to the Kinkaku-ji Temple which is one of Kyoto’s main attractions. Designed in 1397 by the shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga as his retirement villa, the exteriors of the top two floors of this unique temple are lacquered with pure gold leaf, hence its name “Golden Pavillion”. Sadly, it also repeatedly fell prey to fire. The last time was due to arson by a mad monk in 1950— the topic of Yukio Mishima’s famous novel The Temple of the Golden Pavillion. It was fully rebuilt in 1955, and we can enjoy the gorgeous views reflected in the lake whilst walking through the stunning landscape garden.

We explore Kyoto today, where a wealth of temples and world-class sites await. We head first for Nijo Castle, the official residence of the Tokugawa shoguns when visiting Kyoto: an enormous complex that boasts multiple moats and fortifications. Don’t miss the famous nightingale floors, so named for the bird-like noise that potential assassins may have made while attempting to sneak their way across them. Alarms have never looked so attractive! We have free time this afternoon to take in more of the city at our leisure.

A busy day is ahead of us. We travel first to the hilltop Himeji Castle complex, which has stood intact on this site for several hundred years. Also known as the White Heron Castle, this UNESCO World Heritage site is regarded as Japan’s most beautiful surviving castle. We explore the castle’s sprawling site, including its maze-like paths, originally designed to befuddle potential assailants. Over lunch, we take the train to Hiroshima, catch a ferry to Miyajima Island, and visit the Itsukushima Shrine. Enhanced by the presence of the local “sacred” deer, this 12^th Century shrine is easily recognisable as one of Japans great structures. Look out from the main shrine’s wooden boards across the water, to the shores of Hiroshima. One of the shrine’s most iconic features is an enormous red “floating” torii gate, which becomes surrounded by water during high tide.

We will take a ferry back to the mainland and our hotel a little later.

This morning the train takes us to subtropical Kyushu, the seaside starting point for a scenic drive to Yoshinogari. Here we find a huge Yayoi period site in Saga, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD. Japan’s largest moat-encircled settlement, this long-lived site shows evidence of intensive trade with the continent, and in its final stages, it may have been the seat of one of Japan’s earliest kingdoms. Nearby Imari introduces us to Japan’s history of porcelain production – a valuable export for the country during the 17th and 18th centuries. We pay a visit to the Kyushu Ceramics Museum to view its extensive collection of old Imari and Arita wares.

Today we spend a day in Nagasaki, made famous, of course, for its destruction by an atomic bomb. The city’s Atomic Bomb Museum, built on the explosion’s epicentre, is a harrowing reminder of the legacy surrounding this terrible event. We also visit Dejima (the artificial island confining the Dutch East India Company’s trading post), an important site as it represented the only contact with a European country during the Isolation of the Edo period from 1641-1868. Next, we head to Chinatown for lunch. Chinese traders were the only other foreigners allowed during the Edo period, but their movements also became restricted by the shogun’s orders: namely to Chinatown in Nagasaki, the oldest of its kind in Japan. We end our discoveries on the Dejima Wharf, where we enjoy a beautiful view of Nagasaki Bay. We end our day by flying back to Tokyo to spend our final night.

We transfer to Tokyo Narita Airport to begin our return journey back to the UK.