Grand Japan — Photo Reference

20 May – 1 Jun 2026 · 13-Day Tour

Landscape

Temple/Shrine

Street/Urban

Wildlife

Portrait

Garden

Reflections

May 2026

Wed

Day 1 — Arrival Tokyo

Transfer to hotel · no tour today

Arrive

›

Arrive early (17 May). Transfer to hotel on arrival. Settle in — rest for big days ahead.

Overnight

Far East Village Hotel Tokyo, Asakusa

1-11-6 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Meals

In-Flight

Thu

Day 2 — Tokyo Sightseeing

Meiji · Sensoji · Nakamise · Shibuya

Temple

›

Meiji Shrine

·Towering torii gate framed by forest canopy

·Serene wooded pathways, dappled light

·Shrine architecture, ceremonial barrels, worshippers

Sensoji Temple — Asakusa

·Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) with giant red lantern

·Five-storey pagoda against sky, incense smoke

·Nakamise Street — craft stalls, lanterns, crowds

Hotel is in Asakusa — early morning shots before crowds open

Optional: Tokyo Tower + Shinjuku + Shibuya ¥7,500

·Tokyo Tower — sweeping city panorama from observation deck

·Shinjuku — neon, yakitori shacks, evening energy

·Shibuya Crossing — long exposure / wide angle, 1,000+ people at once

Shibuya best at dusk — wet reflections on road a bonus after rain

Overnight

Far East Village Hotel Tokyo, Asakusa

1-11-6 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Meals

Breakfast

Fri

Day 3 — Mt Fuji & Nagano

Fuji 5th Station · Lake Kawaguchiko

Landscape

›

Mt Fuji — 5th Station (2,300 m)

·Fuji cone framing — torii gates, shrines in foreground

·Commanding view of Fuji Five Lakes valley

·Souvenir stalls, traditional signage at altitude

Late May: snow cap still visible on upper cone — dramatic against blue sky

Lake Kawaguchiko — cruise

·Classic Fuji reflection on still water

·Mountain framed by fresh green lakeshore trees

·Boat perspective — water, mountains, sky layers

Overnight

Mercure Nagano Matsushiro Resort & Spa

1372-1 Nishiterao, Matsushiromachi, Nagano 381-1215

+81 26-278-1811

Meals

Breakfast

Sat

Day 4 — Nagano, Narai-juku & Gifu

Wasabi Farm · Edo post-town

Rural

›

Wasabi Farm — Nagano

·Vivid green wasabi plants in flowing mineral water channels

·North Alps backdrop, rural farm atmosphere

·Water textures, light through crop rows

Late May: plants at lush peak, clear mountain melt-water

Narai-juku Post Town

·Long Edo-era main street — wooden shopfronts, lanterns

·Traditional craft signage and architectural details

·Quiet morning street scenes with receding perspective

One of Japan's longest preserved post-town streets — shoot both ends

Drive

~215 km today

Overnight

Comfort Hotel Gifu

6-6 Yoshinomachi, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture 500-8844

+81 58-267-1311

Meals

Breakfast

Sun

Day 5 — Gifu to Kyoto

Fushimi Inari · Kinkaku-ji · optional Maiko

Temple

›

Fushimi Inari Shrine

·Tunnel of vermilion torii gates — layers of orange and shadow

·Fox statues (kitsune), lanterns, misty trail atmospheres

·Looking back down the trail for receding gate perspective

Visit early AM — popular site, crowds build fast. Low side-light best.

Kinkaku-ji — Golden Pavilion

·Gold leaf reflection in still pond — shoot wide and tight

·Temple framed by pine trees and lush May greenery

·Foreground rocks and koi for depth

Morning light hits the gold facade directly. Arrive at open.

Optional: Maiko Dinner, Gion ¥38,000

·Maiko in full kimono, white makeup, Gion restaurant interior

·Cultural performance — candid and posed

Optional: Geisha Dress-up ¥30,000

·Full transformation — professional cameraman included

Drive

~140 km from Gifu

Overnight

Loisir Hotel Kyoto Toji

31-1 Zaocho, Nishikujo, Minami Ward, Kyoto City

+81 75-681-8633

Meals

Breakfast

Mon

Day 6 — Kyoto free → Fukuyama

Optional: Bamboo · Ryōan-ji · Sanjūsangendō

Temple

›

Free morning — group departs ~2:30 pm

Explore Kyoto independently or join optional in-depth tour.

Optional: Kyoto In-Depth Tour ¥7,000

›Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

·Towering bamboo canopy — filtered green light

·Narrow pathway receding into distance

›Ryōan-ji Temple (Zen rock garden)

·15 rocks in raked white sand — minimal, meditative

·Veranda framing the garden, reflection pond outside

›Sanjūsangendō Temple

·1,000+ gilded statues in rows — check photo permission inside

·Detail shots: lacquered cypress, gold leaf, carved faces

Bamboo most photogenic at first light — arrive early if going independently

Drive

~270 km to Fukuyama

Overnight

Vessel Hotel Fukuyama

3-4-37 Minamihonjo, Fukuyama 720-0077, Hiroshima Prefecture

+81 84-920-0101

Meals

Breakfast

Tue

Day 7 — Hiroshima & Miyajima

Itsukushima Shrine · Peace Memorial

Temple

›

Miyajima Island — Itsukushima Shrine

·Floating torii gate — at high tide for full water reflection

·Shrine buildings over water, forested hills behind

·Ferry approach — wide establishing shot of island

·Deer roaming freely around the shrine complex

45-min guided visit. Check tide times — torii most dramatic at high tide.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

·Atomic Bomb Dome — skeletal structure framed against sky

·Peace Flame, cenotaph, Motoyasu River reflections

·Documentary / emotive style — wide and intimate

Drive ~100 km south from Fukuyama; ferry from Miyajimaguchi port

Overnight

Vessel Hotel Fukuyama

3-4-37 Minamihonjo, Fukuyama 720-0077, Hiroshima Prefecture

+81 84-920-0101

Meals

Breakfast

Wed

Day 8 — Tomonoura, Kurashiki & Kobe

Fishing town · Canal quarter · Garden

Historic

›

Tomonoura — Fishing Town

·Picturesque harbour, traditional wooden boats, Seto Inland Sea

·Weathered fishing buildings, calm bay reflections

·Quiet old-town street scenes

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

·Willow-lined canal reflections, white-walled kurazashiki (storehouses)

·Traditional boats on the canal, narrow laneway details

·Weeping willows with fresh May-green leaves

Okayama Korakuen Garden

·Manicured garden compositions, traditional teahouse structures

·Pond reflections, garden pathways

Late May: irises likely in bloom — vivid purple against green

Drive

Tomonoura → Okayama ~80 km · → Kobe ~160 km

Overnight

Hotel Villa Fontaine Kobe – Sannomiya

4-1-4 Asahi Dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo 651-0095

+81 78-224-5500

Meals

Breakfast

Thu

Day 9 — Osaka & Nara

Castle · Dotonbori · Deer Park

Wildlife

›

Osaka Castle Garden

·Castle tower with moat and lush May-green gardens

·Castle reflection in moat water

Shinsaibashi & Dotonbori

·Iconic Glico Running Man sign, Dotonbori canal neon reflections

·Street food stalls, colourful signage, urban energy at night

Dotonbori most vivid after dark — long exposures on canal reflections

Nara Park

·Deer interacting with visitors — candid, close, expressive

·Deer against Todai-ji Great Buddha Hall backdrop

·Wildlife-meets-culture moments — deer bowing, deer senbei exchanges

Drive

~280 km total today

Overnight

Vessel Hotel Campana Nagoya

2-30-7 Meieki, Nakamura-Ku, Nagoya 450-0002, Aichi Prefecture

+81 52-569-0011

Meals

Breakfast

Fri

Day 10 — Aichi Free Day

Optional: Shirakawa-go · Takayama

Free

›

Optional: Shirakawa-go & Takayama ¥10,000

›Shirakawa-go (UNESCO 1995)

·Steep gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouses in mountain valley

·Panorama from hillside observation point — entire village

·Interior farmhouse details — aged beams, tools, life

›Takayama Old Town — Sannomachi Street

·Well-preserved Edo streetscape, sake brewery cedar balls

·Traditional shopfronts, craft workshops, quiet canals

Late May: green rice paddies and lush mountain backdrop at Shirakawa-go

Overnight

Vessel Hotel Campana Nagoya

2-30-7 Meieki, Nakamura-Ku, Nagoya 450-0002, Aichi Prefecture

+81 52-569-0011

Meals

Breakfast

Sat

Day 11 — Aichi to Yokohama

Toyota Museum · Tea Plantation · Shinkansen

Landscape

›

Toyota Museum — Aichi

·Automotive design details, exhibition lighting, historic vehicles

·Reflective car bodies, architectural interiors

Greenpia Makinohara Tea Plantation — Shizuoka

·Rolling rows of vivid green tea bushes — geometry and texture

·Mt Fuji backdrop on clear days — distant cone over green rows

·Harvest scenes, plantation workers with baskets

·Tea processing details, steam from fresh brew

Late May = peak harvest season — rows at their most vivid and lush

Shinkansen — Toyohashi → Hamamatsu

·Platform departure, motion blur, Japanese rail atmosphere

Drive

High-speed train Toyohashi→Hamamatsu · Bus to Shizuoka · ~200 km to Yokohama

Overnight

Shin-Yokohama Prince Hotel

3-4 Shin Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 222-8533

+81-045-471-1111

Meals

Breakfast

Sun

Day 12 — Yokohama → Depart

Transfer to Narita / Haneda

Depart

›

Check-out 10:00–11:00 am. Transfer to Narita or Haneda airport. Note: some travellers depart 1 day later — complimentary airport accommodation provided.

Meals

BreakfastIn-Flight

June 2026

Mon

Day 13 — Arrive Australia / NZ

Tour concludes

Home

›

Tour concludes on arrival. Stay Behind option available until 4 Jun (Roslyn Ogorman).

Photo Style Quick-Reference

Style	Best Locations
Landscape	Mt Fuji, Lake Kawaguchiko, Shirakawa-go, Tea Plantation
Temple/Shrine	Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Sensoji, Ryōan-ji, Sanjūsangendō, Itsukushima
Street/Urban	Shibuya Crossing, Dotonbori, Shinjuku, Nakamise Street, Narai-juku
Wildlife	Nara Park (deer), Miyajima Island (deer + torii)
Garden	Meiji Shrine gardens, Okayama Korakuen, Ryōan-ji
Reflections	Lake Kawaguchiko (Fuji), Kinkaku-ji pond, Kurashiki canal, Motoyasu River
Portrait	Maiko dinner, Geisha dress-up, Wasabi farm, Asakusa street life
Rural/Historic	Wasabi Farm, Narai-juku, Kurashiki, Tomonoura, Takayama