Autumn Gardens and Landscapes in Japan – A Symphony of Colour 2027

Day 1: Wednesday 3 November, Arrive Tokyo

• Tour commences at 10.00am in the foyer of the Keio Plaza Hotel
• Welcome Meeting
• Koishikawa Koraku-en Garden
• Nezu Museum
• Welcome Dinner

Meeting Point: The tour commences at 10.00am in the foyer of the Keio Plaza Hotel. Check-in time is not until 3.00pm, however your luggage may be securely stored until we return from our day’s program late this afternoon.

After a short welcome meeting we visit a rare surviving 17th-century strolling garden, located in the west of the city. Koishikawa-korakuen was designed in part by Zhu Shun Shui, a Ming dynasty refugee from China, and the garden recreates both Japanese and Chinese landscapes. Here we will find waterfalls, ponds, stone lanterns, a small lake with gnarled pines and humped bridges.

We then make a visit to the Nezu Museum, showcasing traditional Japanese and Asian works of art once owned by Kaichiro Nezu, a railroad magnate and politician. Architect Kengo Kuma designed an arched roof that rises two floors and extends roughly half a block through the Minami Aoyama neighbourhood. At any one time the vast space houses some of the collection’s 7000 works of calligraphy, paintings, sculptures, bronzes, and lacquer ware.

Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner together at our hotel. (Overnight Tokyo) D

Day 2: Thursday 4 November, Tokyo – Mito – Nikko

• Train (regional) Tokyo to Mito
• Kairaku-en Garden, Mito
• Kirifuri Falls, Nikko

This morning we take a train north to Mito to visit the first of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’ on our program. This garden was completed in 1842 by Nariaki Tokugawa, 9^th Lord (daimyo) of Mito. It is less commonly visited than its counterparts in Kanazawa and Okayama, but it was the opening of this vast garden to the samurai class that gave rise to public parks in Japan. The garden is known for its plum blossom during spring and its vibrant autumn foliage, and also has a cedar grove, bamboo grove and a charming pavilion that was used for poetry competitions.

From Mito we drive to Nikko, an historic city in the mountainous Tochigi Prefecture known for its UNESCO World Heritage listed temples and beautiful natural landscapes. We stop at Kirifuri Falls, a splendid 75 meter two-tiered waterfall located a short distance from the town. The autumn leaves of the surrounding countryside provide a beautiful backdrop to the roaring cascade. (Overnight Nikko) B

Day 3: Friday 5 November, Nikko

• Tamozawa Imperial Villa
• Rinnoji Temple and Shoyo-en
• Toshogu Shrine

This morning we visit one of the largest wooden buildings in Japan. At the heart of the Tamozawa Imperial Villa is the old home of the Tokugawa clan and became an imperial property in1842. The structure we see today is a residence brought from Tokyo in 1899 as a summer residence for Crown Prince Taisho. The 109 room villa combines Japanese and Western architectural style and was used as a safe haven for Emperor Hirohito.

We then visit two of Nikko’s UNESCO World Heritage Listed temples. Rinnoji is the most important temple in the city. It was founded in the 8^th century by Shodo Shonin who introduced Buddhism to Nikko. Today the complex features a sequence of buildings including  the main Sanbutsudo which contains three great golden statues of three deities regarded as Buddhist manifestations of Nikko’s mountain deities, a treasure house and Shoyoen, a small garden with colourful maple trees around a central pond.

We finish the day with one of the city’s major sights, Tosho-gu Shrine. Built in 1616, this was once the simple mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun of the name, but it was extended and ornamented by his grandson twenty years later, and over 200,000 cedar trees were planted. Of these, over 12,000 still stand today. (Overnight Nikko) B

Day 4: Saturday 6 November, Nikko – Utsunomiya – Kanazawa

• Shinkansen train Utsunomiya to Kanazawa (via Omiya)
• Kanazawa Castle (exterior)
• Kenroku-en, Kanazawa

This morning we travel by train to Kanazawa, considered one Japan’s best-preserved Edo-period cities. Kanazawa is a popular place for the Japanese to visit but perhaps because of its remote location and very cold winters few foreigners make the journey to experience its rich cultural legacies.

The feudal atmosphere of Kanazawa still lingers in the Nagamachi district, where old houses of the Nagamachi Samurai line the streets that once belonged to Kaga Clan. The T-shaped and L-shaped alleys are distinct characteristics of the feudal town, and the mud doors and gates of the houses remain as they were 400 years ago. The houses with their samurai windows (bushimado) and mud walls under the yellow Kobaita wooden roofs, which were protected from snow by straw mats (komo), evoke a bygone era.

Our first destination is Kanazawa Castle, the seat of power of the local Maeda clan, hereditary feudal lords (daimyo) of the Kaga province from 1583. Burnt down on a number of occasions, only the superb Ishikawa Gate and the Sanjikken Nagaya samurai dwelling survive from the original construction.

Kenroku-en is the second of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’ that we visit on this tour. Kenroku-en was once the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle and there has been a garden on the site since the late 1600s. The original garden, begun by the fifth Maeda lord, Tsunonori Maeda, was called ‘Renchi tei’ but it was almost entirely burnt out in 1759. It was restored in the 1770s and in 1822 became known as Kenroku-en, a name that means ‘the garden of six sublimities’ or, ‘a garden combining the six aspects of a perfect garden’. These six features were what the Chinese traditionally believed were necessary for the ideal garden – spaciousness and seclusion, artifice and antiquity, water-courses and panoramas: all these characteristics are to be found in the 25 acres of this beautiful garden. (Overnight Kanazawa) B

Day 5: Sunday 7 November, Kanazawa – Ogimachi – Takayama

• Nomura-ke (restored samurai residence & house garden)
• Ishikawa-ken History Museum
• Ogimachi Village

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), the scale and dispensation of land to samurai families was a fairly accurate indicator of rank. A large estate was assigned to senior official Nomura Denbei Nobusada. The reforms that accompanied the Meiji Restoration in 1868 decimated the lifestyles of the socially privileged. The samurai, whose social class was nullified, not only had their stipends terminated, but their estates were also appropriated by the state. Consequently, the Nomura family, whose considerable land holdings dated back 12 generations, lost their home and were reduced to turning a section of the remaining part of their property over to the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. Though they were discouraged from public displays of ostentation, merchant families and those of former samurai were not prohibited from commissioning the construction of exquisite gardens.

This morning we visit the restored residence of Nomura, displaying the lifestyle and artifacts of the era, and a charming garden which features trees that are over 400 years old. Broad, irregularly shaped stepping stones provide access to the inner garden whose attractive entrance is flanked by a Chinese maple tree with leaves that turn a brilliant red in autumn. We also visit the Ishikawa-ken History Museum that is dedicated to the history of this prefecture.

We then drive into Gifu prefecture and the UNESCO-listed site of Shirakawa-go, an area of historic villages that preserve traditional thatched farmhouses (gassho-zukuri). We visit the largest of these, Ogimachi, where we stroll amongst the historic buildings before continuing on to Takayama. (Overnight Takayama) B

Note: Our luggage will be transported directly from Nikko to our hotel in Takayama. An overnight bag will be needed for use in Kanazawa.

Day 6: Monday 8 November, Takayama

• Miyagawa Morning Market
• Takayama Jinya
• Sanmachi Suji historic district
• Higashiyama temple area and walking path

Set in Gifu’s mountainous landscape, Takayama is known for its exceptionally well-preserved Edo-era townscape. The streets of the historic centre are lined with traditional wooden houses and the city is known for its artisan shops and sake breweries. This morning we walk through the Miyagawa Morning Market at the gates of the Takayama Shrine. This is primarily a food market for locals that extends along a 350 meters stretch of the river bank.

We then enter the Takayama Jinya, a fascinating building that gives an insight into the life of a regional governor in Edo-era Japan. The jinya is the former magistrate’s office and home, and is the only surviving building of its type in Japan and was in use from approximately 1868 until 1969. Of particular note is the vast tatami-matted reception hall, and the two oshirasu – rooms where investigations were carries out and judgements announced.

After time at leisure to stroll the streets of the historic town centre (Sanmachi Suji) we take a walk along the Higashiyama Walking Course, a 3.5km scenic path that leads past the city’s former caste, many temples and through woodlands. (Overnight Takayama) B

Day 7: Tuesday 9 November, Takayama – Nagoya – Kyoto

• Shinkansen Train from Nagoya to Kyoto
• Renge-ji
• Shisen-do

This morning we drive to Nagoya station to take the train south to Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan from the late 8th century (c.794 AD) until 1868, when the court was moved to Tokyo. It is home to 17 World Heritage Sites, 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, yet much of the city centre is modern. One of the finest of its contemporary buildings is its dramatic railway station.

The intimate gardens of Shisen-do are considered masterworks of Japanese gardens. Its street walls mask the tranquillity and beauty to be found within. Raked sand, clipped azaleas and the tree covered hillsides of Higashiyama form the main components of this garden designed by Ishikawa Jozan (1583-1672).  Clipped azaleas give way to natural vegetation beyond the garden boundary but it is the close harmony between the indoor spaces of the pavilion and the garden beyond that is most striking. The verandah offers a transition between its dark interior and the light-filled garden.

This afternoon visit Renge-ji. The temple is known for its garden, which reflects the beauty of seasonal change. Autumn when the maple leaves change colour, is the best season to visit. Capturing the essence of Japanese gardens, it includes a central pond surrounded by plantings linking to the hillside beyond. Stones, bridge and plantings are all reflected on the water-surface, giving a sense of spaciousness. (Overnight Kyoto) B

Day 8: Wednesday 10 November, Kyoto

• Ryoan-ji (Dragon Peace Temple)
• Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)
• Daitoku-ji Buddhist Complex incl. the Ryogen-in

Kyoto is notable for its extraordinary diversity of Japanese gardens, including many of the finest traditional temple gardens.

We first visit Ryoan-ji – the Dragon Peace Temple – simple, elegant and refined. The garden comprises 15 rocks in a sea of raked gravel surrounded by a compacted mud wall coated in oil. The garden dates from 1500 as part of a temple of the Renzai sect of Zen Buddhism and constitutes the supreme example of a dry garden where gravel and rock symbolise plant and water elements. Indeed, apart from the moss on the rocks, no other plants grow in it. The meaning of the garden remains unknown. It might symbolise islands in a sea, mountains seen through clouds or tigers and cubs crossing a river, but this doesn’t matter since this is a garden to encourage contemplation, the enclosing wall separating the visitor from the world outside, and the verandah creating a horizontal boundary.

We then visit the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji). During the 15th century the Chinese Sung Dynasty exercised an enormous influence in Japan as artists, poets and Zen priests were gathered together by Yoshimitsu, the third Ashikaga shogun (1358-1409). Yoshimitsu began construction of the Golden Pavilion just before he retired in 1394, handing power to his nine-year-old son so that he could move to his estate. Little of his work remains but we can sense the character of the garden in its pond, rockwork and extensive plantings.

The pavilion at Kinkaku-ji recalls Sung period architecture but it is a recreation, having been burned down in the 1950s. The present building is an exact replica, except that where Yoshimitsu proposed only to gild the ceiling of the third storey with gold, now the whole building is gilded. Yoshimitsu positioned his palace on the edge of a lake. The ground floor was a reception room for guests and departure point for leisure boating, the first storey was for philosophical discussions and panoramic views of the lake while the upper floor acted as a refuge for Yoshimitsu and was used for tea ceremonies. The size of the gardens is increased visually by the water’s convoluted edge, the use of rocks and clipped trees and by visually ‘borrowing’ a distant view of Mt Kinugasa that creates a sense of gradation between foreground, middle-ground and deep distance.

We conclude the day with a visit to Daitoku-ji, a large complex of Zen temples with prayer halls, religious structures and 23 sub-temples with some of the most exquisite gardens in Kyoto, some quite small, including raked gravel gardens and, in the Daisen-in, one of the most celebrated small rock gardens in Japan. The temple received imperial patronage and grew out from its centre in an organic way. The central north-south walkway is most formal with wide paths to accommodate processions and ceremonies, while to the side are sub-temples with gates. As you walk through one of these gates you immediately come upon a less formal world with narrow paths, turns and walkways. (Overnight Kyoto) B

Day 9: Thursday 11 November, Kyoto

• Mirei Shigemori Garden Museum
• Ginkaku-ji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion)
• Afternoon at leisure

This morning we first visit the Mirei Shigmori Garden Museum, a beautiful 20^th century garden surrounding a beautiful Machi-ya (traditional town house) from the 18^th century Edo period. Within the garden Shigemori included two tea pavilions where screens open to reveal tranquil moss slopes with gravel paths, mature trees and rock configurations.

Originally constructed as the retirement villa of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435-1490), the Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) became a Zen temple upon his death. The garden is complex, comprising two distinct sections, a pond area with a composition of rocks and plants, and a sand garden with a truncated cone, the ‘Moon-Viewing Height, suggesting Mt Fuji; and a horizontal mound, the ‘Sea of Silver Sand’ named for its appearance by moonlight.

The afternoon is at leisure to further this city’s rich culture. You may wish to stroll along the Philosophers Walk located close to Ginkakuji, visit the market or another of the city’s numerous temple complexes. (Overnight Kyoto) B

Day 10: Friday 12 November, Kyoto – Okayama

• Tofuku-ji Temple Complex (incl. Hojo Teien and Reiun-in), Kuoto
• Shinkansen to Okayama
• Korakuen Garden, Okayama

This morning visit the superb Tofuku-ji Hojo, a garden designed in 1939 by Shigemori Mirei. This will be familiar to many who have read books on Japanese gardens for it combines 20th-century design with elements from Japanese tradition. Mirei implements subtle, restrained design themes such as chequer-boards of stone in moss to allow the natural form and colour of maples on the surrounding hills to make full impact.

We then depart Kyoto and travel by train to Okayama where we visit the third of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’, Koraku-en. This garden dates from the Edo period when the daimyo (feudal lord) Ikeda Tsunamasa ordered its construction in 1687. Completed in 1700, it has retained its overall appearance with only a few minor changes made over the centuries. The garden was used for entertaining guests and also as a retreat for the daimyo. (Overnight Okayama) B

Note: As we will be travelling by train today, our luggage will be transferred directly to the Okayama hotel.

Day 11: Saturday 13 November, Okayama – Takamatsu – Okayama

• Ritsurin koen, Takamatsu
• Ismanu Noguchi Garden Museum

Today we drive south over the Seto Ohashi and Kita Bisanseto bridges to Shikoku Island. Here we visit Ritsurin koen garden, one of the largest and most beautiful stroll gardens in Japan. It was built during the edo period for the local feudal lords, evolving and expanding over the course of 300 years until it was opened to the public in 1875. It features six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills, with a backdrop provided by Mt Shiun. Paths lead visitors past rock arrangements, seasonal flower plantings and carefully maintained trees, all designed to create changes from one season to the next.

Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was an important Japanese sculptor of international renown, who also designed gardens, landscaped projects, furniture, stage sets and lighting fixtures. This afternoon we visit the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, his former home and studio that is now an extension of the Noguchi Museum in New York (Queens). His sculptures, many unfinished and some on loan from New York, are displayed throughout the garden and studio. (Overnight Okayama) BLD

Day 12: Sunday 14 November, Okayama – Naoshima – Okayama

• Ferry to Naoshima ‘Art Island’
• Benesse House Museum & Lunch
• Chichu Art Museum
• Ferry back to Uno Port on Honshu

The island of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea is home to a number of contemporary art museums and outdoor sculpture exhibitions. The Benesse Corporation installed much of the art on Naoshima and the neighbouring islands, and commissioned the design and construction of several museums by Tadao Ando. This commission included the Benesse House Museum, the Chichu Art Museum and the Lee Ufan Museum.

This morning we take a ferry from the mainland to Naoshima Island and spend a day visiting some of the remarkable art exhibitions, sculpture and architecture the island has to offer. We enjoy lunch at the Issen Restaurant at Benesse House Museum, where the focus of the cuisine is on the sustainability and exquisite presentation of each dish.

In the late afternoon, we return to the mainland by ferry. (Overnight Okayama) BL

Day 13: Monday 15 November, Okayama – Bitchu-Takahashi – Matsue

• Bitchu-Takahashi historic mountain village
• Rakiyuji Temple
• Farewell Dinner

In the mountains overlooking Okayama is the historic Bitchu-Takahashi village, once a thriving town at the base of Matsuyama Castle. We will walk the well-preserved streets near the castle and visit the restored houses once inhabited by merchants, craftsmen and samurai.

Of particular importance is the Zen Buddhist temple Rakiyuji. This was once the residence of Korori Enshu (1579-1647), a local feudal lord, garden designer, architect and tea ceremony master. He created the dry garden we see today at Rakiyuji, using many of the elements typical of his work, particularly the use of borrowed scenery and the creation of ‘island’ representing a crane and turtle.

We then continue our drive north to the small regional town, Matsue. After checking in to our hotel we enjoy a traditional farewell dinner. (Overnight Matsue) BD

Day 14: Tuesday 16 November, Depart Matsue

• Adachi Museum of Art
• Transfer to Izumo Airport

This morning we travel to the Adachi Museum of Art, located in the rural landscape of the Sinmane region. This is a contemporary art museum set within a large garden, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan. The museum was founded by Adachi Zenko who felt a strong resonance between the sublime sensibility of the Japanese-style garden and the paintings of Yokoyama Taikan whose work he collected. This is a contemplation garden which visitors observe from various carefully designed points within the museum. Each season reveals itself through different aspects of the garden, and during our visit we can expect the hills that form the backdrop to the vista before us to be a blaze of autumnal colour while vivid reds enliven the foliage of the garden.

We then transfer to Izumo Airport with an estimated arrival time of 3.00pm. Note: we recommend allowing 2 hours for your flight check-in. B