A first encounter with Japan

TOKYO, A CAPTIVATING CAPITAL
Tokyo will win you over with its striking design.
Caught between urban frenzy and tradition, you will appreciate this city for its calm and serenity, despite an unusually high population density. This is the paradox of Japan, on full display in Tokyo.

Visiting Tokyo is an intense experience, and each district has its own character.
Choose a walk through old Tokyo, among traditional houses and narrow lanes, for total immersion.

NIKKO
A Japanese proverb says: “He who has not seen Nikko should not use the word kekko (magnificent).”
Nikko is a renowned place of prayer, celebrated for the combined beauty of its landscapes and monuments.
At the heart of this silent, contemplative nature, you will discover the Shinkyo bridge, a sacred crescent-shaped bridge lacquered in red, the Yomeimon gate, a monumental masterpiece of Japanese architecture, the Toshogu shrine, the most impressive in Nikko, and the Futarasan shrine, the oldest complex on the site.
Take a walk along Lake Chuzenji, nestled at 1,269 m in the sacred mountain, whose overflow drops 100 m through a mist of vapour at the Kegon Falls.

AT THE HEART OF KYOTO
Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, holds an extraordinary wealth of sites to explore!
The city remains the country’s cultural and spiritual centre, where arts, geishas and tea culture converge.
With more than 17 historic sites and 1,000 Buddhist sites, some of which are genuine masterpieces of religious architecture, its temple gardens rank among the most beautiful in the world.

MIYAJIMA
A mountain whose flanks, hidden beneath dense primary forest, reveal magnificent landscapes!
Mount Misen is a favourite among hikers willing to take on a two-hour walk.
Your reward will be a magnificent panorama of the island and the surrounding sea.
A sacred island for hundreds of years, known as “the island where men and gods coexist”.
Quite a programme!

A NIGHT IN A RYOKAN
Small gems of Japanese hospitality, ryokans are traditional inns.
Historically, they served as retreats for the Japanese bourgeoisie.
Today, ryokans have adapted to modern times and offer travellers a unique experience of Japanese hospitality.
In a ryokan, respect comes before all else.

MOUNT KOYA, A NIGHT IN A MONASTERY
Departure by “traditional” train for a stop at the very sources of Japanese culture.
It is in the former province of Yamato, on Mount Koya, that the main monastery of Shingon Buddhism stands. The region still holds around a hundred temples today, where pilgrims and travellers receive warm hospitality from Buddhist priests.

During your stay, meals will be strictly vegetarian. You will sleep in the temple and may try your hand at zen meditation. A visit to Mount Koya offers not only admirable views of mountains and forests but also remarkable ancient sites, reached after a 2 km walk through light filtered by a forest of centuries-old cedars.
To reach the mausoleum, you must cross the Gobyo-bashi bridge, hands joined in prayer and head bowed, as tradition holds that Kobo Daishi greets each visitor at the far end of the bridge.