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Christmas in Japan - Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka
11
days
from
US$12,320
Book today with a deposit of
US$1,848
17th - 27th December 2026
Tour highlights
- Samurai houses and iconic temples and gardens. Superb museums spanning Edo-era history to the 21st century.
- How modern Japan has customised Christmas: Kyoto markets and spectacular illuminations in Tokyo and Osaka.
- Includes Kabuki theatre, a tea ceremony, kimono demonstration, geisha entertainment.
Japan offers a fascinating cultural paradox. Though only one per cent of the population is Christian, the Japanese have embraced Christmas with characteristic enthusiasm, absorbing and reimagining it entirely on their own terms. This tour explores both the historic highlights of Tokyo, Kanazawa and Kyoto, and the extraordinary way Japan has created its own festive culture.
The whole country goes illumination-mad in December. From Ginza’s design-conscious displays to the award-winning lights at Osaka’s Kaiyukan Aquarium, cities transform into glittering wonderlands. Kyoto hosts enchanting Christmas markets, while Osaka’s Dotonbori district buzzes with festive stalls and the city’s legendary street food. Christmas Eve itself is Japan’s answer to Valentine’s Day – the most romantic night of the year.
Yet traditional Japan endures alongside all of this. We will watch Kabuki theatre, attend a tea ceremony, walk the geisha quarter’s charming latticed streets, and spend an evening with traditional geisha entertainment. We will visit exquisite Zen temple gardens, a 15th-century silver pavilion, and the great castle at Osaka where the Shogunate was born. In Kanazawa – a city that retains much of its old character – we explore samurai houses, a gold leaf museum, and the Kutani pottery for which the region is famous. We will also ride the bullet train between cities, visit the newly restored Edo Museum, and ascend Tokyo Skytree for a breathtaking panorama over the city.
The result is something wonderfully, unmistakably Japanese: a culture that takes an imported idea, strips it of its origins, and transforms it into something entirely its own. For the visitor, it offers a rare double pleasure – the richness of one of the world’s great ancient civilisations, wrapped in an unexpectedly festive glow.
Itinerary
The tour begins with lunch in the hotel (international flights are not included). There is an afternoon walk in the dynamic and design-conscious Ginza area – to see the Christmas lights as well as a visit to Sengakuji Temple where the famous 47 Ronin are commemorated as the ultimate samurai of honour. First of two nights in Tokyo.
Visit the newly-restored Edo Museum which presents the history of old Tokyo. Visit Asakusa Senso-ji Temple and the Tokyo Skytree’s observation deck – the highest point in the city and view the breathtaking panorama. On clear days, Mount Fuji can be seen. A late afternoon visit to the Kabuki-za to experience popular Japanese theatre. Enjoy a bento-box dinner!
The Kabuki programme is confirmed in autumn 2026.
Bullet train to Kanazawa (luggage by road, same day service), an attractive city which retains much of its old character. Visit the Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s finest strolling landscape gardens, and the traditional Seisonkaku villa. The nearby D.T. Suzuki Museum, designed by Taniguchi Yoshio, commemorates the ideas of a leading Zen Buddhist philosopher. The circular, glass and steel form of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is striking. First of three nights in Kanazawa.
In the Nagamachi area there remain many old samurai houses. Visit the Nomura House, a beautifully restored example. In the afternoon there is a kimono demonstration followed by a visit to the Noh Museum.
A morning walk includes Terajima Kurando’s house, the geisha quarter with its charming latticed wooden houses, a gold leaf museum and the Utatsu Shrine. The rest of the day is free for exploration of the market or the Prefectural Museum to see the Kutani pottery for which Kanazawa is famous. The Christmas lights around the city are beautiful.
Morning train to Kyoto (luggage by road, same day service). Visit Ginkakuji, the temple of the silver pavilion built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa in the 15th century. In the Zen temple complex Nanzen-ji there is a famous tiger garden and fine 17th-century painted screens by Kano Tan’yu. Nearby is the intimate sub-temple Konchi-in. First of four nights in Kyoto.
Morning excursion to Uji, the location of the last few chapters of The Tale of Genji. The Byodo-in temple was a villa made into a temple in 1052 by Fujiwara no Yorimichi (of the Heian period power-holding family). Its Phoenix Hall appears to spread its wings in front of the lake. Experience a tea ceremony. Free time to explore Kyoto’s Christmas markets.
A Christmas Eve trip to the nearby city of Osaka. Visit the beautiful Castle, the centre of the great power-struggle that witnessed the birth of the Shogunate. Enjoy a walking tour of colourful Christmas stalls at Dotonbori and Shinsekai and sample Osaka’s renowned street food. Christmas Eve is the most romantic day of the year in Japan: it is the Japanese version of Valentine’s Day.
Free morning. After Christmas lunch, a visit to the Geisha district and an evening with traditional entertainment.
Morning Bullet train to Tokyo. Free time. Evening bus tour of Tokyo Station and Marunouchi, Shimbashi, Akihabara, and Shinjuku to see the dazzling Christmas lights. Overnight Tokyo.
The tour ends after breakfast. (International flights are not included – there is an airport transfer in time for the recommended flight back to London – see Practicalities).
Please note that closures at museums and sites are often not announced at the time of putting the tour on sale. Should any of the above visits not be possible, we will provide a suitable alternative.
Expert speaker
Reverend Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
A renowned historian with an extensive publication portfolio, Lloyd’s scholarship spans global histories, with an emphasis on cultural interconnections through diplomacy, trade, literature, art and architecture. He has spent considerable time researching in Egypt, Iran, Japan, China and Cambodia and has major interests in the ancient, medieval and early modern Middle East, Far East and South East Asia, with a special focus on court society, monarchy and nobility. He is a regular guest on podcasts such as Empires hosted by William Dalrymple and The Ancients. In addition, he is an ordained priest in the Church in Wales.
More tours led by Reverend Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Practicalities
Two sharing: US$12,320. Single occupancy: US$14,660. International flights are not included.
High-speed rail travel (first class) from Tokyo to Kanazawa, Kanazawa to Kyoto via Tsuruga and from Kyoto to Tokyo; private coach for transfers and excursions; accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 10 lunches and 6 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all admission charges to museums; all tips for waiters, drivers and guides; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
International flights are not included in the price of the tour. We will send recommended flight options from London with your booking confirmation.
We provide airport transfers to meet the recommended return flights from London. For those not taking the recommended flights, airport transfers can be arranged for an additional cost.
Kitano Hotel, Tokyo: a boutique hotel in the Hirakawachō district of central Tokyo, rooms are on the larger side for the city. Hyatt Centric, Kanazawa: a modern, 4-star hotel near the train station. Hyatt Regency, Kyoto: an elegant hotel within walking distance of the National Museum. Single occupancy rooms are doubles for sole use. It is common for double rooms to have twin beds instead of a double bed.
Additional nights: It is possible to arrange additional nights at the hotels before or after the tour. Please contact us if you are interested.
The night of 16th December 2027 is included in the price of the tour to allow for early check-in on Day 1.
A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. There is a lot of standing in museums and visits.
Typically between 10 and 24 participants.
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Dates & prices
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2026
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
17th - 27th December 2026
Speaker:
Reverend Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Price:
from US$12,320
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