In late September and early October, Unique Japan Tours joined a familiarization trip organised by the Japan National Tourist Organisation. The purpose of these trips is to introduce new, unique places in Japan to promote trips there. The familiarization trip (or “famtrip”) we joined took us from Okayama and Kurashiki, down into Tokushima, to Shodoshima […]
Samurai
Towns of Japan: Kawayu Onsen
The Kumano Kodo is a religious experience in itself, a multi-day mountain hike (though you can also go by bus), following in the footsteps of royalty, visiting some of the most magnificent temples and shrines on the islands of Japan. Towards the end of the hike, along the Oto River, is a unique onsen town. […]
Japanese Pilgrimage Route: The Kumano Kodo
The Kumano Kodo are a series of pilgrimage trails, located in the Kansai region of Japan, south of Kyoto and Nara. Kumano is the name of the area, and “kodo” means the “old ways”, so the name literally translates as the old ways of Kumano. The trails were, and still are, used by pilgrims visiting […]
Samurai Postal Routes: The Nakasendo, Tsumago & Magome
In our last blog post we talked about the Gokaido, the five routes built in the Edo period of Japan, which connected the capital of Edo, modern Tokyo, with the outer provinces of the country. We also talked about the Tokaido, one of the two routes connecting the old capital of Kyoto with the new […]
Samurai Postal Routes: Gokaido and Tokaido
In 1601, soon after he came into power, the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu started to build five routes connecting the capital of Edo (modern day Tokyo), with the other provinces. These routes were essential for the success of the Sankin-Kotai system, where lords would have to alternate years of living in Edo with their home provinces. […]
Kanazawa: 2015 Holiday Hotspot
You may have seen Kanazawa was selected by the Guardian newspaper as one of their Holiday Hotspots for 2015. Kanazawa features on several of our tours, both small group and self-guided, and is a favourite destination among everyone here in the UJT offices. Today we’re going to dig a little deeper in Kanazawa and […]
Japan Discovered: The Ultimate Introduction to Japan
We run a small group tour called Japan Discovered, and it really is a great way to discover what Japan is all about. You will experience everything you could hope to experience on this tour: from the neon lights of the big city, to the serenity of the mountainous countryside, to the peaceful sense […]
Reasons to Honeymoon in Japan
We’ve talked a lot recently about honeymoons in Japan. We told our story of how we helped a friend, Mary, organise her dream honeymoon to Japan. We’ve highlighted romantic activities in Tokyo. We’ve talked about the tropical Amami Oshima, an underrated paradise. We also talked about the illuminations that dominate Japan in winter, illuminations […]
Tsumago to Magome Traditional Samurai Postal Route
Spectacular scenery but word of warning – leave your baby behind!! Myself, my husband (Japanese), and my soon to be two year old daughter arrived at Nagiso station after a one hour train ride from Nagoya. The journey from Nagoya takes in just enough of rice fields and nature to get you in the mood […]
Fortresses of breathtaking beauty
Many people say that much of modern-day Japan exists because of its samurai roots. The samurai may no longer exist but a symbol of their power and strength does: castles. Estimates vary in the number of castles still standing today in Japan. But almost every major city or area of the country has its own […]