Japan
Japan: An Exploration of History, Culture and Society
Program No. 19724RJ
Fulfill the dream of a lifetime as you immerse yourself in the traditions, history and stunning landscapes of one of the world’s most ancient and beautiful cultures — Japan.
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 17 - Oct 3, 2024
Starting at
9,199Oct 22 - Nov 7, 2024
Starting at
9,199Apr 1 - Apr 17, 2025
Starting at
9,649Apr 15 - May 1, 2025
Starting at
9,649DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 17 - Oct 3, 2024
Starting at
9,899Oct 1 - Oct 17, 2024
Starting at
9,899Oct 22 - Nov 7, 2024
Starting at
9,899Nov 19 - Dec 5, 2024
Starting at
9,999Sep 23 - Oct 9, 2025
Starting at
10,619Not seeing the date you're looking for?
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17 days
16 nights
33 meals
15B 8L 10D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
5
The Nakasendo Way, Print Museum, Post Towns of Kiso Valley
Kiso-Fukushima
6
Make Soba Noodles, Barrier Stations
Kiso-Fukushima
17
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
From the frantic pace of the world’s largest metropolis to the elaborate rituals of the Way of Tea, from samurai castles to serene Buddhist temples, delve into the history and modern identity of Japan. Discover Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and the hidden jewels of rural Japan.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to six miles (throughout the day) and standing for up to three hours daily. Uneven, hilly terrain, many stairs. Must handle own luggage on and off transport. Elevations up to 4,000 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Journey through Japan’s cities, mountains and rural areas via Shinkansen Bullet train, bus, street tram, ferry and on foot.
- Learn about the Nakasendo Way, a centuries-old route between Tokyo and Kyoto, and stay at one of its historic port towns.
- Experience the art of Japanese cuisine from fresh sushi to regional specialties and learn the symbolic ritual of the tea ceremony with a Tea Master.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Michael Drzmisek Sozui
Michael was born in Switzerland and first came in contact with Japanese culture came through the martial arts Aikido and Iaido. He originally started to study Japanese calligraphy and later chanoyu to complement martial arts studies but became increasingly interested in tea over the years. After more than twenty years of experience, Michael sees chanoyu as a way of communication between people and ideas. The focus of his tea studies is not only to be a tea master, but to become a true tea person.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Michael Drzmisek Sozui
View biography
Michael was born in Switzerland and first came in contact with Japanese culture came through the martial arts Aikido and Iaido. He originally started to study Japanese calligraphy and later chanoyu to complement martial arts studies but became increasingly interested in tea over the years. After more than twenty years of experience, Michael sees chanoyu as a way of communication between people and ideas. The focus of his tea studies is not only to be a tea master, but to become a true tea person.
Masaki Iwami
View biography
A native of Fujinomiya, Masaki Iwami was raised in the shadow of Mt. Fuji. He has since established a close affinity with Japan’s greatest natural icon. Following his desire to study overseas, Masaki graduated with a degree in Adventure Tourism from Taranaki Polytechnic in New Zealand. He traveled throughout Europe and worked in the Philippines and India, finally returning to Japan in 2014 and established his own company dedicating to exploring Mt. Fuji. He has been a Road Scholar Group Leader since 2016.
William Steele
View biography
Bill Steele first came to Japan in 1967 as an exchange student, when he spent one year studying Japanese language, history, religion, politics, and archaeology and was propelled to study history after getting a whiff of the Horyuji temple’s ancient air. Bill earned his PhD in Japanese history, writing his dissertation on the consequences of the Meiji Restoration of 1868, pursuing his interest in alternative narratives. In 1980, Bill began a tenure as a Japanese history professor at the International Christian University, retiring in 2018.
Diane Tincher
View biography
Originally from Virginia, Diane first arrived in Asia as a young adult. She moved to Tokyo from Manila in 1987, and settled in Kagoshima City in 1995. Diane has a deep love of the natural world and delights in exploring the numerous waterfalls, hiking paths and Edo Period (1603-1868) roads of the Kagoshima region. She has eight adult children, and teaches English at homes for the elderly and the disabled, in kindergarten classes, and privately. Diane joined Walk Japan as a Group Leader in 2018.
Hiroko Chiba
View biography
Hiroko Chiba studied English at college and first went abroad to continue her studies in London. Returning to Japan, Hiroko worked for 15 years in investment banking. An interest in Thai food led her to open a restaurant that was in business from 2000 to 2019. During this time, her interests began shifting back to Japan, and she deepened her knowledge of Japanese culture through Zen Buddhism and traditional martial arts. Hiroko is a fan of sumo as well as Noh and Bunraku puppet theaters.
Suggested Reading List
(25 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Japan: An Exploration of History, Culture and Society
Program Number: 19724
Memoirs of a Geisha, A Novel
The runaway best-selling novel about a geisha in the celebrated Gion district of Kyoto. A major feat of literary impersonation, the novel is rich in period detail and ceremony.
Culture Smart! Japan
A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture, this is a helpful travel tool for visitors to Japan.
In Praise of Shadows
This extended essay by the great Japanese novelist, first published in 1933, offers tremendous insight into traditional Japanese art, architecture and design.
The Book of Tokyo: A City in Short Fiction
This anthology of contemporary Japanese short stories was edited with the traveler in mind. The ten pieces of literature, mystery, science fiction and horror form an imaginary tour of the city of Tokyo.
Tokyo, A Biography
In his 500-year history of Tokyo, Mansfield presents the Japanese capital as an "indestructible organism" that has survived bombs, earthquakes and radiation and continues to thrive. An easy introduction to a fascinating city.
Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook
A handy palm-sized guide to pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
The Little Book of Japan
Veteran Japanophiles Vilhar and Anderson produced this illuminating collection of 44 essays on Japanese life and culture, which, even in the 21st century remains elusive and poorly understood.
The Dog Shogun
Arguably one of the most notorious figures in Japanese history, Tsunayoshi (1646 to 1709) was viewed as a tyrant with eccentric policies, including the Laws of Compassion, which made maltreatment of dogs an illegal offense, punishable by death. Bodart-Bailey delves deep into the shogun’s life, offering an engaging and brilliantly researched biography of the fifth Tokygawa shogun.
Japan's Cuisines
This illustrated overview charts the transformation of Japanese cuisine over the ages, revealing the influences of private and public institutions, exploring the rise of tea and showing how lunch became a gourmet meal.
The Book of Tea
A graceful, witty meditation on Japanese aesthetics and culture as reflected through the tea ceremony. A celebrity and cultural ambassador, Okakura was a curator at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
The Inland Sea
Richie's masterpiece, more than a travel account, is a beautiful reflection on all things Japanese by one of its most acute observers.
Kaempfer's Japan: Tokugawa Culture Observed
A good account of what it was like to travel in the Tokugawa period.
Super Sushi Ramen Express
Using keen insight and sarcastic wit, Booth describes the cuisine and culture of Japan as he recaps the nearly three months-long foodie road trip he and his family took through the island nation. A fun journey, sure to both entertain and inform.
Walking the Kiso Road: A Modern-Day Exploration of Old Japan
William Scott Wilson travels along the ancient Kiso Road, historically used by samurai and warlords and relatively unchanged today. As he makes his way, Wilson engagingly ruminates on Japanese history, culture and folklore.
A Traveller's History of Japan
A lively and concise narrative history of Japan and its transformation from Shinto, Shogun and Samurai traditions to 20th-century powerhouse.
Kyoto, A Cultural History
A rich portrait and guide to the gardens, monasteries, art, history and culture of Kyoto, once Japan's capital, founded 1,200-years ago.
Hiroshima
This classic book, first published in 1946, has been hailed as the greatest piece of journalism in the 20th century. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Hersey puts a human face on the Hiroshima tragedy through interviews with survivors.
Japan Adventure Map
Printed on waterproof and tear-resistant paper, this double-sided map shows all the islands of Japan at a scale of 1:1,300,000.
Thousand Cranes
This novella by the great Kawabata may be Japan's best-known literary work, a story of love, grief and redemption. Kawabata's prose is as economical as the tea ceremony itself and very beautiful.
Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye
When her American father passes away, Mockett seeks consolation in her mother’s home country of Japan. She visits a radiation zone, a Buddhist school, temples and festivals in an effort to understand the Japanese way of grieving, to bury her dead and find healing.
The Samurai
This historical novel by one of Japan's best-known modern writers is set in the world of the 17th-century Samurai. A Roman Catholic, Endo explored Christianity and morals in his many novels and stories.
Eyewitness Guide Japan
Dazzling illustrations, architectural cutaways and color photographs, along with useful local maps, give this guide to Japan's many attractions a distinct edge.
Learning to Bow, Inside the Heart of Japan
As surprising, helpful and informative as it is funny, this is an insightful account of travels and teaching in Japan. Feiler presents anecdotes on the rituals, personality traits and cultural peccadilloes of the Japanese.
The Art of Setting Stones & Other Writings from the Japanese Garden
In these lyrical essays, Kyoto resident and landscape architect Marc Peter Keane uses eight Japanese gardens as bases for essays on nature, religion and aesthetics. His rich, meditative excursions find beauty in garden composition - every element gaining importance and interconnectedness.
Bending Adversity, Japan and the Art of Survival
Financial Times Asia editor Pilling captures the dynamism and diversity of Japan after the 2011 tsunami. He interviews, among many, novelist Haruki Murakami, former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, industrialists, bankers, activists and artists, teenagers and octogenarians.