The best part of this one-hour Asakusa class is that you do not simply watch a demonstration. You choose a Japanese word, learn what it means, practice it again and again, then put your finished work on a fan, decorative board, or hanging scroll. Instructor Shusuke brings more than 10 years of calligraphy experience and…
Making wagashi in a private Yokohama home gives you a close look at a Japanese craft that is usually bought, not made. Ikuyo, who has studied tea ceremony for more than 40 years and taught wagashi for 15, guides you through five seasonal sweets before preparing matcha for one tasting. I like the small four-person…
A bowl of hotel cereal cannot compete with a morning that begins with freshly prepared onigiri, a short meditation, and matcha made by a trained tea master. This 90-minute Tokyo experience gives you a close look at Japanese food and tea customs without requiring a full-day excursion or a formal temple visit. I like two…
The best part of this long day is the short Resort 21 oceanview train ride, where the track hugs the Izu cliffs and Pacific waves roll below your window. Add a cone-shaped volcano, lava cliffs, and a suspension bridge, and you get a sharp change of pace from Tokyo. I like the small group of…
Asakusa is at its most fun when you move slowly, and this tour combines a 20-minute rickshaw ride with a walk through Tokyo’s oldest-feeling district. You’ll see Kaminarimon, Nakamise Shopping Street, Senso-ji, Asakusa Shrine, and views toward Tokyo Skytree while a local guide explains the customs and stories behind them. I like the compact group…
Japanese calligraphy is not just handwriting with prettier tools. In this Tokyo workshop, you learn how an inkstone, brush, water, and pressure turn simple strokes into Japanese characters, then use those skills to make a finished piece for your wall. The class is limited to 10 people, so the instructor can watch your technique closely….
Mount Fuji is the star here, but the real strength of this day is the range of viewpoints. You go from the mountain’s 5th Station to spring-fed ponds, a lakeside park, a shrine, an ice cave, and the famous pagoda view at Arakurayama Sengen Park. It is a lot of Japan in one long outing….
Nikko packs grand shrines, mountain views, waterfalls, and quiet forest paths into one long day from Tokyo. This private trip lets you shape the day around your group, with door-to-door pickup and a driver rather than a fixed coach schedule. The route can cover seven or more stops, though fitting everything in requires an early…
Downtown Los Angeles tells the city’s story block by block, from Broadway’s grand old movie palaces to the Japanese shops and restaurants of Little Tokyo. This 210-minute walking tour gives you a useful first look at a part of LA that many visitors skip in favor of Hollywood and the beach. I like the small…
The fun here is not standard maki sushi. You build decorative rolls that reveal a picture when sliced, from flowers and cats to Mount Fuji, Minions, Santa, or other character designs. Yumi leads you through each layer, so even first-time sushi makers can produce something far more striking than a crooked rice cylinder. I like…
Reporting and features on Tokyo and Japan: the politics, the neighbourhoods, the culture, and how to get around it.