Japan
Northern Japan: Ancient History and Scenic Beauty
Program No. 23090RJ
Experience a uniquely beautiful side of Japan as you venture back to its roots through ancient temples, elaborate shrines and colorful gardens on expert-led excursions.
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14 days
13 nights
27 meals
12B 7L 8D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
7
Reign of the Fujiwara, Hiraizumi, Konjiki-do “Golden Hall”
Hanamaki Onsen
8
Tsunami Memorial Centre, The Art of Kagura
Hanamaki Onsen
11
Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse, Journeying South
Utsunomiya
12
Tokyo, Old and New
Tokyo
14
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
Tucked in the shadows of silver skyscrapers and swept aside by bustling city dwellers live the ancient traditions that are sometimes forgotten amidst Japan’s modern lifestyle. Take a step back and enjoy Northern Japan’s famously colorful landscapes as you explore winding stone pathways that lead to a rich history of indigenous people who settled here centuries ago. Learn from local historians as you travel through wildflower gardens leading to intricate shrines and discover temples once belonging to monks in ascetic retreat. Time stands still as you experience a side of Japan few have seen and learn about the ancient history and untouched beauty that blends into the modern country we know today.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to 5 miles daily.
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.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Follow the route of the famous Edo-period poet, Matsuo Basho on a boat ride to Matsushima, one of the most beautiful places in Japan.
- Discover one of the most elaborately decorated Buddhist structures in the country, the Chuson-ji temple.
- Learn about the traditional festival culture of Japan through a visit to the Wa Rasse museum in Aomori
General Notes
Dietary restrictions: Vegetarian diets - The notion of vegetarianism is not commonly practised nor understood in Japan. Due to the essential and widespread use of dashi stock throughout Japanese cooking, which typically uses fish, or other stock with meat as its base, Road Scholar is unable to provide strict vegetarian or vegan meals on tour. With notice we will try to replace any fish or meat dishes with alternatives but we cannot replace dashi stock. Gluten Free diets - While Japanese culture is based above all on rice, gluten is found in certain ingredients throughout Japanese cuisine, most notably in soy sauce and miso. Although it may be possible to omit certain items that obviously contain gluten, such as bread or noodles, unfortunately Road Scholar is unable to provide fully gluten-free meals due to the use of certain staples that serve as the basis of so many dishes in Japanese cuisine.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
John McBride
After studying in Japan and Australia, John McBride began his career at the Australia-Japan Research Centre/Australian National University. He joined Ansett Australia and later became Chief Executive of News Corporation Japan. Returning to live in Sydney, John has continued his interest in matching texts about ancient, natural, and contemporary history with walking in both Australia and Japan. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his support of Australia-Japan cultural and business links, and for supporting young artists and arts institutions.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
John McBride
View biography
After studying in Japan and Australia, John McBride began his career at the Australia-Japan Research Centre/Australian National University. He joined Ansett Australia and later became Chief Executive of News Corporation Japan. Returning to live in Sydney, John has continued his interest in matching texts about ancient, natural, and contemporary history with walking in both Australia and Japan. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his support of Australia-Japan cultural and business links, and for supporting young artists and arts institutions.
Kathleen Aoki
View biography
Kathleen Aoki majored in Latin American Studies, but an opportunity to teach English in Japan led her to discover her second home — Nagasaki. A twenty-five career at a major Japanese electronics manufacturer in Tokyo followed, where Kathleen learned the business culture of corporate Japan. During this time she married, raised a family and did her stint of PTA duty. With her kids almost grown, Kathleen decided to begin a career as an instructor making the most of her interest in travel and knowledge of Japan.
Yoko Ozawa
View biography
Yoko Ozawa was born and raised in a suburb of Tokyo. She first traveled overseas as a university student staying in San Francisco. After a career at a securities company, Yoko decided to become a Japanese language teacher. She worked in Australia for two years, and upon returning to Japan, she took up studies at Yokohama National University and graduated with an M.A. in language education. Yoko and her family have lived overseas, for four years in the UK and another four in the U.S.A.
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.
Northern Japan: Ancient History and Scenic Beauty
Program Number: 23090
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Culture Smart! Japan
A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture, this is a helpful travel tool for
visitors to Japan.
Kaempfer's Japan: Tokugawa Culture Observed
A good account of what it was like to travel in the Tokugawa period.
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.
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.
Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook
A handy palm-sized guide to pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Dog Shogun: The Personality and Policies of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
Largely focusing on the so-called Dog Shogun, this book also covers the history before and after and argues that his policies are to a large extent responsible for Japan's rapid modernization in the 19th century.
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.
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.
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 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.