The first day is a standard affair. Your guide will pick you up at the airport and assist you with preparations for the tour. A private coach will take you to your hotel in the heart of the city. After the check-in procedures are completed, you will have the rest of the day to yourselves.

The opening act of this tour brings you to the futuristic side of Tokyo. In the morning, you will be exploring the artificial island of Odaiba. Originally a defensive fort to protect Edo from a more advanced civilization, this place is itself now the pinnacle of advancement. You will discover exhibits of scientific breakthroughs in the Miraikan museum, and see the signature landmarks of Odaiba such as the Gundam statue and the futuristic Fuji TV Building.

In the afternoon, you will visit Tokyo Skytree, an awe-inspiring structure that is currently the tallest tower, as well as the second highest structure in the world. Enjoy lunch at an altitude of 350 meters with the entirety of the city right outside your window! After that you will visit TOTO’s showroom in Shinjuku, displaying many hi-tech home gadgets including the cutting-edge of their famous “Washlet” technology. Explore the innovative quality-of-life improvements that have become a staple for Japanese households today. Finally, you will make a stop at Shibuya to appreciate the ever crowded intersection, and the bright neon signs and giant screens that make Tokyo as lively as it is modern.

It is time to explore Tokyo’s history. Your first destination is the oldest temple in the city, Senso-ji. Built in the 7th century, the Buddhist house of worship was built by two fishermen long before Edo became the capital of Japan. The bulk of Tokyo’s history as a capital city, however, is the Edo period itself, which you will relive in the Edo-Tokyo Museum. You will see miniaturized models of the city in that era, as well as many relevant exhibits that depict life in the 260-year-long dynasty. You will also learn about the rapid development that Tokyo underwent after the Meiji Restoration.

In the afternoon, you will visit Ginza and dine on fine traditional Japanese dishes before you resume with exploring Tokyo’s history. A civilization’s traditional art forms are surviving legacies of the past, and you will therefore experience history itself firsthand as you get acquainted with batto (the art of sword-drawing) and waso (traditional Japanese garbs/kimono). Finally, you will visit what was once Edo Castle and is nowadays a domain of the Imperial Family, and explore the regal East Garden of the Palace.

Today, you will visit the eponymous capital of the Kamakura shogunate, which effectively governed Japan around the 13th century. In the morning, you will visit two historic temples of the Jodo sect of Buddhism. The first one features an outdoor statue of a sitting Buddha, while the latter houses a wooden statue of an eleven-faced Kannon. Both were built during the Kamakura period.

In the afternoon, you will visit the most important Shinto shrine in the city. Built to worship the deity Hachiman, who was said to have protected the shogunate, the shrine is the literal center of Kamakura. Next to its great stairway is the remains of a ginkgo tree which had stood since the shrine’s foundation, and the main hall at the top exhibits cultural artifacts from the period.

Between the capital cities in the Kanto and Kansai region, you will go on a side trip to the vicinity of Mt. Fuji. This excursion is divided into two parts. The first is to deliver to you the view that the Japanese have so venerated since the ancient times. The second is to bring you to a quaint village that developed around the eight ponds formed from the melted snow of the mountain. See and experience the sacred mountain -- its soil, air, and water!

For the first part, depending on the season and weather conditions, you may or may not be able to go up Mt. Fuji itself. While the view of the peak from above the clouds are superb, there in an attractive alternative even on days when the stops on the slope are not available: a ropeway up Mt. Tenjo, the fabled setting of the folk story Kachi Kachi Yama. Enjoy the picturesque Fuji Five Lakes area before you resume city-hopping on the next day!

Bidding goodbye to Tokyo, you will take the bullet train to Kyoto, the thousand-year capital. On the two-hour journey along the Tokaido Shinkansen, which traces an old trade route between the two capitals, you may catch another glimpse of Mt. Fuji. Upon arrival, you will get your first taste of Kyoto -- its traditional cuisine that is equal parts food and art. Afterward, you will get acquainted to two spots that mark the beginning and the end of imperial presence in Kyoto.

You will visit the Heian Shrine, built after the Meiji Restoration to honor the first and last emperors to reign from Kyoto. Afterward, you will get a view of the entirety of Kyoto from atop Shogunzuka, the very place where Emperor Kanmu is said to have laid his eyes on the land on which he would later found the capital city (Heian-kyo) more than 1,200 years ago. At the end of the day, you will explore the Higashiyama neighborhood, a well-preserved historic district. Aside from the traditional shops, it also houses several important temples, including Kiyomizu-dera, which was built around the same time Heian-kyo was named the capital.

Many of Kyoto’s famous landmarks are related to Zen Buddhism and the Feudal era. Today, you will be introduced to three Zen temples constructed during the Ashikaga shogunate, in chronological order. Toji-in with its lush gardens, built by the founder of the dynasty, represents “birth.” His grandson’s temple, Kinkaku-ji and its lavish golden exterior, is “glory.” Finally, Ryoan-ji, most famous for its dry landscape of rocks and gravel, may imply the “withering.” As such, the trinity completes the cycle in Buddhist philosophy, where nothing is eternal.

Afterward, you will visit a castle built by the Tokugawa clan after the fall of the Ashikaga reign. This Edo-era stronghold features massive walls and a wide moat, a carefully maintained landscape garden, orchards of cherry and plum trees, and most importantly, a beautifully decorated palace building. The castle is both elegant and imposing, a fine representation of the power that the shogun wielded.

The ancient capital since times chronicled in legends, Yamato, and its legacy is found in present-day Nara. During the eight decade when the city of Nara itself served as the seat of the Emperor, a temple was constructed that came to house the world’s largest bronze statue of the Daibutsu. This temple, now known as Todai-ji, held supreme authority over all schools of Buddhism in Japan at its time. And it is yours to explore today.

Another important destination is Kasuga Taisha, a grand shrine also established during the Nara period. The so-called “shrine of a thousand lanterns” belonged to the Fujiwara clan, who were influential throughout the Nara and Heian period. Other highlights of the day include the tea porridge lunch and the influential Horyu-ji temple, which contains some of the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures. When you are done exploring Nara, you will be transferred to your hotel in Osaka, your last destination on this trip.

In the morning, you will visit Osaka Castle, whose classic exterior belies its modern interior. Now a museum, the castle primarily displays exhibits concerning Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three great unifiers of Japan, and predecessor to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the longest-lasting shogunate in Japanese history. Afterward, you will visit an area of re-created streets and buildings from Edo-period Osaka , where you will get to experience the zeitgeist in a rental kimono.

The last item on the menu is Osaka’s most comprehensive museum, which covers the extensive history of the city, from old capital Naniwa in the ancient times to bustling urban prefecture Osaka in the Showa period. You can explore the massive exhibition until its closing time at 5 PM. Finally, you will be transferred to a hotel near Kansai International Airport. Enjoy your last night in the country!

You have completed the Five Capitals tour! We hope that you enjoyed your trip with ILJT! On the last day, you will check out of your hotel and conduct an independent transfer to the airport. Have a safe flight back home, and see you again soon!