01
Tokyo
Suits: Three nights at the start, city, food
Too large to grasp and easy to enjoy: one district, one restaurant, one morning. Three nights are enough; more rarely improves it.
Destination
Japan
The country where planning changes more than budget.
Japan
Japan repays preparation like few other destinations. Not because it is complicated, but because the good things — a six-room ryokan, a table for two, a temple before eight in the morning — are limited and given away early.
For a first journey we recommend two cities and one place in the country. Anything beyond that becomes a collection of railway stations.
Why we recommend it
- Because precision here is not an effort but ordinary — from the train to breakfast.
- Because city and stillness sit close: two hours by train separate Tokyo from an inn in the forest.
- Because the food is reliably good well beyond the known addresses.
Regions
Which region suits which journey
Four parts of the country and the role each plays in a journey.
02
Kyoto and Nara
Suits: A first journey to Japan, spring and autumn
Temples, gardens, craft. Finest early in the morning and outside cherry-blossom season; the city is fullest between 10am and 4pm.
03
Kanazawa and the Japanese Alps
Suits: A second journey, ryokan, onsen
Here begins the Japan many are looking for: small inns, hot springs, cooking by season. Easily reached by train.
04
Setouchi and the south
Suits: Art, islands, slow days
Naoshima and the inland sea, for guests who like museums and do not mind ferry timetables.
Hotels
Houses we recommend
Houses in Japan we arrange personally; here more than anywhere, the choice depends on season and availability.
Tokio
Aman Tokyo
Calm above the city: the easiest transition after a long flight, with a view that explains Tokyo's scale.
See the houseBest time to travel
When to go
Two windows carry a Japanese journey: late spring and autumn.
Late March to May
Cherry blossom in late March and early April — beautiful and very busy. The weeks after are mild, green and far quieter.
June to August
Rainy season in June, humid after. Worthwhile in the mountains and the north; hard work in Kyoto.
October and November
Our recommendation: clear air, autumn colour, comfortable temperatures. Ryokan and good restaurants book out early.
Our Recommendations
If we could only name a few places
How do you plan a first journey to Japan?
Three nights in Tokyo, four in Kyoto, two at a ryokan in the mountains — in that order, because jet lag is easier to carry in the city. Reserve the main train legs in advance, and restaurants too. Leave one day unplanned: Japan is denser than the map suggests.
Noted by Pure Voyage
Common questions
What guests ask us about this
- When should you visit Japan?
- Late March to April for blossom, late October to early December for autumn colour. If you want quiet, travel in the weeks just before: same houses, same food, far fewer people.
- How long should a first trip to Japan be?
- Twelve to fourteen nights. Tokyo, Kyoto and a third, quieter stop — Kanazawa, Naoshima or a ryokan in the mountains. Anything shorter turns the trip into a list.
Continue through Pure Voyage
Where to go from here
Not a catalogue, but a next step: the houses, routes, countries and essays we would mention at this point in a conversation.
Hotels
Addresses that belong beside this page.
Journeys
Routes that open up this region.
Recommendations
What we suggest for this occasion.
Journal
Further reading before you decide.
An Invitation
Once a month: hotels, new openings and travel ideas
One hotel that convinced us, with our advice on suite and season. The openings that actually matter. And a destination at its best right now. No offers, no advertising.