(12 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Tokyo, Kurashiki, Imbe, Matsue, Kyoto
This tour features select destinations particularly noted for Japanese gardens and folk art. The Mingei (folk art) Movement flourished in Japan from 1926 to 1945 as the final manifestation of the Arts and Crafts Movement born in Britain in the 1880s. Japanese mingei, or "art of the people" was produced by anonymous craftsmen whose products emphasized the beauty in objects used in daily life.
This tour begins in Tokyo with private touring of the city. Visit the Nippon Mingeikan (Folk Art Museum), located in an elegant residential district. Explore sophisticated galleries and boutiques included noted folk art shops. Visit weekend flea markets selling Japanese antiques. Our guides will take you to some of Tokyo's most noted shops selling folk art, antique furniture and textiles, and beautiful Japanese ceramics and lacquerware by up-and-coming artists.
Continue to Kurashiki, a picturesque small town known for its traditional architecture, canals lined with willow trees, and its abundance of folk art museums and shops. Take an excursion to the village of Imbe, where the revered and rustic Bizen-yaki (Bizen-style ceramics) is made by potters working in small kilns throughout this mountainside village. Also visit Okayama, a city that is home to Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's most important gardens.
Next, visit Matsue, a more off the beaten track destination yet a true highlight of Japan for anyone interested in art and gardens, and the opportunity to experience a very rural side of Japan. Highlights include writer Lafcadio Hearn's former residence, the Adachi Museum of Art and Gardens, offering a great collection of Japanese modern art amid sculpted gardens, the Meimei-an teahouse, the coast and dunes, and the important Izumo Grand Shrine.
The tour concludes in enchanting Kyoto with four nights at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto. Tour major and lesser-known temples and shrines, and gain access to imperial villas and private gardens (including Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa and Saihoji, the moss garden). Drink green tea in a bamboo forest and sample Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Stroll Kyoto's elegant residential backstreets and shop in local markets and specialty stores for fine foods and crafts. Visit the home of a former potter and founder of Japan's Mingei Movement. Also spend a day on a tour to the Miho Museum or Nara.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1
Arrive Tokyo
Private arrival transfer to hotel for 2 nights
Day 2
Tokyo
Private tour of Mingei Museum, markets and antique shops, and major attractions
Day 3
Tokyo - Kurashiki
Bullet train to Kurashiki for 2 nights at hotel. Afternoon tour of folk art museums in Kurashiki
Day 4
Kurashiki
Private excursion to Imbe pottery village and Okayama City to view garden
Day 5
Kurashiki - Matsue
Transfer by train to Matsue for 3 nights at ryokan. Visit Lafcadio Hearn residence and other town attractions
Day 6
Matsue
Visit Adachi Garden Museum and nearby dunes
Day 7
Matsue
Excursion to Izumo Taisha
Day 8
Matsue - Kyoto
Transfer to Kyoto for 4 nights
Days 9-10
Kyoto
Private touring of gardens, markets, art collections, temples and shrines
Day 11
Kyoto
Tour of Miho Museum or Nara
Day 12
Depart Kyoto
Private transfer to station or airport
Hotels
Tokyo:
Park Hyatt Tokyo (first stay)
Peninsula Tokyo or Four Seasons Marunouchi (second stay)
Kurashiki:
Ryokan Kurashiki
Matsue:
Minami-kan Ryokan
Kyoto:
Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Cost
$17,575
Per person (double occupancy)
All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.
Call us at (800) 214-8144 for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.
