Japan Traditional and Modern

Japan Tour Overview

This autumn, join Classical Pursuits director Melanie Blake on a journey into the heart of Japan’s artistic and spiritual traditions. October in Kyoto offers the perfect balance—mild weather, fewer crowds, and gardens just beginning to shift with the season. Over five full days in Japan’s cultural capital, we’ll explore grand wooden temples, serene moss gardens, and centuries-old crafts that reflect the aesthetic refinement of Japanese life from the Heian period through today.

Led by expert local guides and enriched by daily seminars with Melanie, this journey combines cultural immersion with thoughtful conversation. Our readings will include selections from The Tale of Genji and and waka poetry, the elegant, modern-feeling verse form that shaped courtly life and literature in medieval Japan. Finally, the beautiful Gardens of Awakening: A Guide to the Aesthetics, History, and Spirituality of Kyoto’s Zen Landscapes, will help us engage more deeply with the gardens we visit and the values they express.

From Kyoto’s historic beauty, we travel to Naoshima Island, home to Japan’s most celebrated contemporary art. Staying at the extraordinary Benesse House—part museum, part resort—we’ll explore installations by artists such as Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Lee Ufan, all set in dialogue with the natural world. We conclude in lively Osaka with its historic castle and dazzling neon neighborhoods.

Whether this is your first time in Japan or a long-awaited return, this tour offers the chance to experience both the classical and the contemporary, guided by a team who brings warmth, insight, and a deep love of Japanese culture. Come with curiosity and return with a new way of seeing.

Japan Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1: Arrive to Kyoto
Day 2: Discussion #1 / Ryoan-ji and other temple visits
Day 3: Craft workshop / Philosophers’ Walk
Day 4: Discussion # 2 / Nijo Castle
Day 5: Moss Temple and tea ceremony
Day 6: Discussion # 3 / Tofuku-ji and Fushimi Inari
Day 7: Tale of Genji museum and Nara visit / Travel to Naruto
Day 8: To Naoshima / Chichu Museum and Lee Urfan Museum
Day 9: Teshima art sites
Day 10: Travel to Osaka / Osaka Castle
Day 11: Depart Osaka

Readings

The Tale of Genji (abridged), by Murasaki Shikibu; Gardens of Awakening: A Guide to the Aesthetics, History, and Spirituality of Kyoto’s Zen Landscapes by Kazuaki Tanahash and Mitsue Nagase; and selected short poems.

This trip truly was a life-changing experience for me. My appreciation of Japan was enhanced so much by the prior required individual work and our seminar sessions.

Linda, Alberta

Kim-san our local guide was outstanding. She is a very knowledgeable, accommodating and extremely professional. She went out of her way daily to accommodate the needs of our group.

Lynette, Alberta

Leaders

Melanie Blake

Melanie Blake, director of Classical Pursuits, travelled extensively in Japan in 2023 and led our 2024 Japan tour. She studied English and French literature at Fordham University and has a master’s in linguistics from the University of Nottingham. She has worked and travelled extensively in Europe and Asia, and she's led Classical Pursuits tours in France, Belgium, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, Malta, Savannah, India and more. With her husband, who is a Zen lay monk, she enjoys the many opportunities to explore Japanese culture available in her home in California.

FAQs

How active is this tour?

This tour is moderately active. The tour involves walking tours in Kyoto and on Naoshima Island. We will be walking extensively in temples and gardens. You should be comfortable walking on uneven terrain and be able to walk for periods of up to three hours, covering 5 to 6 kilometres a day. Note that many temple grounds have exterior and interior stairs. Should you have any questions about your ability to take part in this tour, please give us a call.

Are flights included in this tour?

The tour price does not include flights. Our tour partner Worldwide Quest can help with flight bookings. If you would like this help, please let us know or email travel@worldwidequest.com.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts in Kyoto, which is served by nearby Osaka’s two international airports, and it ends in Osaka.

Do I need to read the books before I leave?

Yes, we ask all travelers to read the official tour readings before the tour. We send these readings to you as part of the tour cost, usually about three months before the tour. We also provide guidance on what to look for as you read.

I have food allergies or sensitivities. Can you accommodate me?

We can accommodate most allergies and restrictions. We regularly work with travelers who have shellfish, dairy, or nut allergies, gluten allergies or sensitivity, and vegetarian diets. You can help us out by providing complete and accurate information about allergies and restrictions.

Where can I learn more about what it's like to go on one of your tours?

Our About Our Tours page has more FAQs that cover topics related to all our tours. We also welcome your questions at info@classicalpursuits.com.

If you're a Canadian company, why are your overseas tours priced in US dollars?

Like other tour operators, our travel partner Worldwide Quest (which is a Canadian company, like Classical Pursuits) plans tours 18 to 24 months in advance, with payments to vendors and suppliers due well ahead of the tour. Suppliers in the countries Worldwide Quest works with expect payment in US dollars. When these suppliers must convert to CAD so many months in advance, they have to speculate the value of the Canadian dollar at the time of booking.

Over the past several years, the final pricing has worked in the favour of our travellers, paying a better rate than would have been if originally priced in Canadian dollars.

What’s Included

• Accommodation based on double occupancy in hotels listed or similar
• Meals as specified in the itinerary
• Transportation by private coach
• Airport transfers as specified on itinerary
• Roundtrip ferry travel to Naoshima Island
• Sightseeing with qualified English-speaking guides
• All entrance fees to sites visited with the group
• All gratuities for group services
• All taxes
• Books and readings sent to you prior to the tour
• Discussion sessions with Melanie Blake
• Fully escorted by our Japanese Tour Director

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Toronto, Canada. Classical Pursuits organizes literary and cultural trips and seminars in Toronto, Canada, and around the world with our travel partner Worldwide Quest (TICO Reg: #2667946). Design by Ctrl Alt Create.