Day 1: Tokyo
Arrive at Tokyo’s Narita/Haneda airport, meet your tour leader and transfer to your accommodation. Your tour leader will talk through your trip briefing. This will give you all the information you need to have a safe and smooth adventure through Japan.
Evening: Take the Sumida River Cruise for a breathtaking view of the Tokyo Skyline from Hinode Pier.
Day 2: Tokyo
Morning: Visit the Ghibli Museum, which showcases the work of the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli! (Due to overwhelming demand, in rare instances it is not possible for us to secure tickets to this museum, in which case we will head right to the afternoon activities and spend extra time at Nakano Broadway before heading to Shibuya.)
Afternoon: Visit the Suginami Animation Museum to learn more about the history of Anime. Then get ready to get otaku in Nakano Broadway, a famous multi-floored complex and shopping arcade with a treasure trove of rare and collectible anime, manga, action figures, and more! You never know what you’ll find.
Evening: See the famous Shibuya Crossing. When the lights turn red at this busy intersection, pedestrians surge into the junction from all sides, like a floodgate opening. You can observe the organized chaos from the second-story window of the Tsutaya building on the crossing’s north side. You’re then free to explore the city!
Day 3: Yokahama & Tokyo
Morning: Board a metro to Yokohama to enjoy the Cup Noodles Museum, where you’ll learn the history of instant noodles which were invented by the founder of Nissin Food Company in 1958. Make your own noodles for lunch before heading back into one of the most electrifying districts in Japan…
Afternoon/Evening: Enjoy a free evening in Akihabara – Japan’s “Electric Town” – which is a hub of anime and manga stores and home to Japan’s most famous J-pop group, AKB48! Be sure to check out Sega Tower, an iconic structure filled with arcade machines! While you’re in Akihabara, why not have a “Made in Tokyo” experience at one of the city’s maid cafés? (OPTIONAL: ~ ¥1,800) Or, for a truly unique adventure, why not go Mario Kart-ing through the city? (OPTIONAL: ¥6,000)
Day 4: Tokyo
All day: AnimeJapan! Marvel at the enormity of this convention and get in some shopping! (This is also essentially a free day. By no means do you have to stay at the convention all day!)
Evening: Meet up at the hotel and prepare to sing your heart out as you try one of Japan’s favorite past-times: karaoke! This is with a twist- but you’ll have to come on the tour to find out what it is!
Day 5: Hakone
Morning/Afternoon: Escape the hum of Tokyo and explore the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Enjoy views of Mt. Fuji (weather dependent), an iconic volcano which has come to symbolize Japan, with a perfectly symmetrical cone that rises to 12,388 feet. Take a series of cable cars and mountain railways through the park, before descending for a cruise on scenic Ashi Lake. Today, you can also sample black eggs – a local delicacy colored by the sulphuric spring waters they’re cooked in.
Evening: Tonight, you’ll stay in a ryokan – a traditional Japanese inn, where you sleep on futon beds laid over tatami mat floors and enjoy Japanese traditional hot spring- Onsen. Please note that the onsen (hot spring) at your Ryokan inn is a public bath where guests bathe in gender-separated baths without bathing suits. This is a traditional Japanese experience that our guests always enjoy!
Day 6: Tokyo
Morning: Return to Tokyo and enjoy a free day in the city! You can explore on your own, or see what your tour leader has planned and follow them to some major sites!
Suggested activities:
- Enjoy the spacious lawns, meandering paths and tranquil scenery of Shinjuku Gyoen, one ofTokyo’s largest parks. In spring it becomes one of the most popular places in the city to see cherry blossoms. (NOTE: Cherry blossom season often starts on this day. Weather dependent, you may see some blossoms!)
- Grab your trainer badges and head to the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo where you can catch ‘em all in style!
- Assemble your pirate crew and invade Tokyo One Piece Tower, a theme park for the best-selling anime and manga One Piece! (¥3,200)
- Walk among the Ameyoko Market crowd where you can find all kinds of Japanese products.
Day 7: Tokyo
Morning: Transfer to Narita/Haneda Airport and prepare to fly home, having completed your epic adventure through Japan! Note: if your flight does not leave until nighttime, we can arrange additional activities for a fee. Alternatively, explore Tokyo with your tour leader.
