When The Telegraph journalist, Gemma Knight-Gilani, saw our Hidden Zen trip, she was so excited by the itinerary, it became part of her honeymoon. Fresh from her trip, she shared her top five cultural experiences in Toyama – an often skipped-over region that holds some of the most skilled crafters in Japan. Here, you can experience how rural communities lived 350 years ago, mould your own sake cup and taste wine at one of Japan’s few wineries. Gemma kindly agreed to share her top five cultural experiences to be found in Toyama. Here they are. Less than two hours from Tokyo, stunningly picturesque, utterly unspoilt, and overflowing with the sort of intricate, storied crafts and customs that make Japan such catnip for overseas visitors, it’s peculiar – shocking, even – that pret ...

As Kyoto, and specifically its geisha district, Gion, becomes more and more popular with foreign visitors, it’s important to understand the impact on geisha themselves. So, our Japan-based Head of Operations, Tyler, went to find out. He sat down with Tomitsuyu, an experienced geiko (to use the Kyoto term) who was born and raised in Kyoto. Here, Tyler shares the highlights from their conversation. What made you reach out to Tomitsuyu initially? The media have reported fairly heavily on overtourism in Kyoto, but that narrative doesn’t include voices from the people at the heart of it: the geisha themselves. I had a special opportunity to speak directly with Tomtisuyu one-on-one, and it was such an honour to sit down and hear her honest opinion. How did Tomitsuyu become a gei ...

Spring Elegance combines some of the finest things Japan has to offer into one complete package. It’s got stunning gardens, ancient castles, relaxing hot springs, the affable charm of the traditional ryokan and a taste of city and rural living. It’s a great trip for anyone who loves Japan!

Dates are available to book onto A Northern Soul. When you uncover a new favourite travel spot it’s something that for a short while feels like it belongs to you and you alone. Of course, others have found this place before. But for now, it’s yours: that’s what makes it one of the great pleasures of travel. In today’s post, we’ll be catching up with our tour leader, Richard, who chatted to us about one of his favourite small group tours: A Northern Soul. A tour designed for those wanting even more of an ‘off-the-beaten-track’ experience (there is only one city visit — in and out of Tokyo) A Northern Soul is a fantastic tour to take if you’re returning to Japan, eager to delve deeper into its culture and have more experiences you can share with friends. As one of our most experi ...

Alastair Donnelly, one of our founders, shares his thoughts on over-tourism in Kyoto "In the past week there have been some striking headlines regarding tourism to Kyoto. “Kyoto to ban tourists from Geisha district over ‘out of control’ behaviour” was just one of many highlighting the recent decision of the local council in Gion to try and limit access to tourists. The reports feature some of the bad behaviour that has been observed (chasing geisha down the street, touching their kimono, taking pictures without consent) and the negative impact that a surge in tourism following the pandemic has had on local residents and businesses. "For years Japan has used the striking image of Kyoto maiko (trainee geisha) with her distinctive white painted face, elaborate hair piece, and stunning ki ...