Gardens of Honshu and Hokkaido 7955

Enjoy access to the airport Executive lounge before we depart on an overnight flight from London Heathrow to Tokyo.

On arrival in Tokyo we are met by our coach and transfer to our 4-star hotel in the centre of Tokyo. The rest of the day is free.

We depart by coach this morning for Mito, the capital of the Ibaraki Prefecture, where we find Kairakuen, ranked among Japan’s three finest landscape gardens. Kairakuen was built relatively recently in 1841 by the local lord Tokugawa Nariaki, and unlike Japan’s other two great landscape gardens, Kairakuen served not only the ruling lord but was also open to the public: Kairakuen means “park to be enjoyed together”. In addition to its famous plum trees, of which there are more than 3000, Kairakuen also features a bamboo grove, cedar woods and the Kobuntei, a traditional three-storey building used in poetry contests and tea ceremonies. We return by coach to our hotel.

This morning we enjoy one of the great experiences of travelling in Japan, a journey on the Shinkansen or Bullet Train. We depart at 10.24 (precisely) for Kanazawa, which lies on the west coast of Honshu, some 400km from Tokyo, a journey which takes only around 2.5 hours on the train.
Here we will visit Kenroku-en, another of the top three landscape gardens (the third being Koraku-en). The name means “having six factors”, representing the attributes which bring out the garden’s stunning beauty: spaciousness, tranquillity, artifice, antiquity, water sources and magnificent views. The Maeda family, who ruled the Kaga Domain (the present Ishikawa and Toyama areas) in feudal times, maintained the garden from generation to generation and it is regarded as one of the most beautiful feudal lords’ gardens in Japan. Among the gorgeous features to enjoy in the garden are the large artificial pond and island and a multitude of trees and flowers, including azaleas and irises at this time of year.
Following our visit here we take a stroll around Higashi Chaya, the Geisha District of Kanazawa, with restored teahouses and taverns reminiscent of bygone Japan. Souvenir shops specialise in Kanazawa’s signature gold-leaf lacquerware.
We then transfer to our hotel for an overnight stay here in Kanazawa.

This morning depart by Bullet Train for Takasaki in Japan’s eastern Kantō region (journey time around 2.5 hours). Here we visit the Ashikaga Flower Park, famed for its spectacular display of wisteria, which will be in full bloom at this time of year. There are over 350 blossoming wisteria, including a 150-year-old great wisteria which is a Tochigi Prefecture ‘natural treasure’, a unique wisteria with double blossoms and an 80m long tunnel of white wisteria.
Following our visit here we transfer by coach to Tokyo (around two hours) and for convenience we will overnight at a hotel close to Haneda Airport.

After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our flight to Memanbetsu in Hokkaido (duration 1 hr 40 mins approx). On arrival we travel the short distance to our comfortable, western style hotel in Abashiri, stopping on the way at the observation point at Mt Tentozan, which affords panoramic views over Abashiri and the Okhotsk Sea beyond.
The rest of the day is at leisure with dinner served in the evening.

We begin our exploration of the unspoilt natural wonders of eastern Hokkaido today by touring the area around Lake Saroma, which is the largest lake in Hokkaido and the third largest in Japan after Biwa and Kasumigaura lakes. The lake is separated from the sea by a sandbar, but due to a gap in the sandbar, from which the seawater enters at the low tide, the lake is brackish. Over 300 kinds of flowers bloom on the sandbar which is approximately 20kms long and 200-700m wide. This is the biggest seaside grassy plain in Japan and was selected as Hokkaido Heritage in October 2001. A visit is included to the Lake Saroma Wakka Nature centre, which gives background information on the flora and fauna of the area. We will also visit the Wakka Gensei Kaen ‘Natural Garden’, an area of natural grassland that sits between Lake Saroma and the sea, home to a huge variety of wildflowers, forests, meadows and wetlands. No vehicles are allowed beyond the visitor centre but as well as exploring on foot, bicycles and horse-drawn traps are available to hire.
We return to our hotel in Abashiri in the afternoon.

Leaving our hotel in Abashiri, we will tour the Shiretoko Peninsula, an area of untouched primeval forest, lakes and mountains, protected as a National Park. Included are visits to the Shiretoko Nature Centre, Furepe Falls and Shiretoko Five Lakes. The Nature Centre is the base for activities to protect the unique natural environment in Shiretoko and provides a presentation and background information on the National Park. The Furepe Falls pour into the sea from the cliff beneath the Utoro lighthouse. The source is not a river, but meltwater and rainfall from the Shiretoko mountain range that seeps into the ground and springs out here. It is also called “tears of a maiden” because the clear water flows out like tears from cracks in the 100-metre-high cliff. Lake Shiretoko-go-ko (five lakes), are small, quiet lakes surrounded by virgin forest, and are also known as the “five jewels.” It takes about an hour to walk round the five lakes.
Following our visit here we will continue to our comfortable hotel by Lake Kussharo, near Teshikaga.

We depart today on a full day excursion to the Notsuke Peninsula, whose shape is said to resemble a shrimp’s bent back and has been formed by sea currents moving the sand and earth that has been flushed out of the Shibetsu-gawa River. Stretched like a fine thread between the Nemuro Straits and Notsuke Bay, it is made up of fields and marshes and at 28 kilometres is Japan’s largest branching sandbank. It is accessed by the Flower Road, named for the profusion of wildflowers that grow here in the summer months, including a community of Ramanas rose (Rosa rugosa). We will also see the woods of withered trees known as Todowara (fir straw) Woods, the result of fir trees which were washed by seawater until they withered. Their trunks and roots take on a skeletal appearance and stand exposed in clumps in the green marsh. There are also woods called Mizunara (beech trees) and Narawara (oak straw), which were formed by beeches and oaks that were blown and withered by strong winds. There is a wooden path here that takes 20 minutes to walk along giving good views of the woodland. We also visit the Notsuke Peninsula Nature Centre, long established as a rest house, which provides background information.
We return to our hotel.

After breakfast we will transfer to Kushiro Airport, with a visit en route to Lake Mashu, a comma-shaped caldera lake which along with Lake Baikal in Siberia is one of the world’s most transparent lakes, though frequently covered in a mysterious fog. It was revered by the indigenous Ainu people as the ‘lake of gold’.
We depart on an early afternoon flight to Sapporo, where on arrival we will have an introductory sightseeing tour of the city and visits to Nijo Market, known for its huge range of freshly caught seafood, and Sapporo Beer Museum, the only one in Japan.
We then transfer to our hotel here in Sapporo.

A day among spectacular volcanic lakeland scenery in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park begins with a boat cruise on Lake Shikotsu, a caldera lake formed over 30,000 years ago by volcanic activity. With a maximum depth of 360m it is the second deepest lake in Japan, so deep that it rarely freezes over. Lake Okotanpe by contrast is relatively small and was formed when the lava flow of Mt Eniwa-dake dammed the Okotanpe River, following the formation of the Lake Shikotsu caldera. This is a very atmospheric lake, described as ’one of Hokkaido’s three most mysterious lakes’.
We continue to Jozankei for another uniquely Japanese experience as we visit the Onsen, the naturally occurring hot springs used for bathing and relaxation. Please be aware that is it customary to bathe naked and as such there are separate pools for men and women, and of course you may opt out of this activity should you wish. We also visit the Iwato Kannondo, a 120m long cave in which have been placed 33 different statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, filling the space with spiritual power.
We return to our hotel in Sapporo.

We will spend today touring Sapporo, including Odori Park, a flower-filled oasis which extends for 1500m through the city centre; the Hokkaido University Botanic Garden, which retains sections of virgin forest and contains some 4,000 varieties of plants collected from all over Hokkaido; and Yurigahara Park, noted in June for its lilies from all over the world, including the Rosy Lily (Lilium rubellum) and the Candlestick Lily (L. dauricum).
We continue to Otaru, the Venice of Japan, to see the Otaru Canal, constructed in 1923 and now a popular photo-stop with its stone-built warehouses lining the canal side. On our return to the hotel we will have some time in the Sakaimachi Shopping Street, an opportunity perhaps for some final souvenir shopping.

Sadly our tour ends today and after checking out of the hotel we transfer to Sapporo Airport for our onward flight to London.

Arrive in London.