Arrive in Tokyo on suggested flights and transfer to your hotel for check-in (Haneda airport-hotel transfer included in tour price). Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 20:00, join your tour leader Toby Slade and fellow travellers for welcome drinks at the hotel.

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Following a morning talk by Toby, enjoy a walking tour of the Marunouchi, Nihonbashi and Ginza areas. Spend the day discovering topical buildings such as the Ichigokan and Kitte, recent urban developments exemplified by Coredo, and contemporary art galleries. Wander the streets of Ginza and discover antique shops, art galleries and French-inspired cafés scattered amongst contemporary architectural masterpieces.

Visit the Mitsubishi Ichikogan Gallery, a faithful reconstruction of Tokyo’s first Western-style office building. Originally designed by Josiah Conder, the museum focuses on late 19th- and early 20th-century European art.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy the evening at leisure.

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This morning, explore the Yanaka district, a traditional area of Tokyo with a rustic charm, located within walking distance of the Ueno district north of central Tokyo. Yanaka offers a glimpse into traditional Tokyo, featuring narrow lanes, temples, artisan shops and the historical Yanaka Cemetery.

After some free time for lunch, visit the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park, which features an expansive collection of art works and antiquities from Japan and other Asian countries. Enjoy some time at leisure in the afternoon to further explore the exhibitions on offer in Ueno Park, or appreciate how the Japanese have elevated shopping to an artform.

This evening, enjoy a traditional Japanese meal at a local restaurant.

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Today, enjoy a walking tour starting at Meiji Jingu Shrine, a peaceful oasis of ancient forest and impressive Shinto architecture in the heart of bustling Tokyo, before soaking up the aesthetic feast that Aoyama and Omotesandō are.

Arguably the world’s best outdoor museum for art, design and architecture, see Kengo Kuma’s Sunny Hills, Tadao Ando’s Omotesandō Hills, SANAA’s Dior Building and the Nezu Museum of Fine Art, renowned for its superb collection of pre-modern artefacts, its significant collection of National Treasures and exquisite Japanese garden. This area is also home to a myriad of smaller galleries, studios and shops, often tucked away in back alleys that beautifully combine commerce and art.

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Attend a talk by Toby before exploring Roppongi, one of Tokyo’s contemporary art and design hubs. See how refinement and sophistication have evolved over the centuries and visit major museums such as the National Arts Center and 21_21 Design Sight, a museum created in 2007 by architect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake. Wander through the new urban complex of Tokyo Midtown before continuing to the Azabudai Hills, home of the futuristic museum TeamLab Borderless.

Return to the hotel in the afternoon before dinner at a nearby restaurant.

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In the morning, check out of the hotel and transfer to Tokyo Haneda Airport for a flight to Okayama (Economy Class flight included in tour price).

On arrival in Okayama, travel to the nearby city of Kurashiki and explore the Bikan Historical Quarter, a beautifully preserved old merchant district renowned for its traditional white-walled storehouses, charming canals and historic homes. Discover Denim Street, the birthplace of Japanese denim, which started as an imitation of American jeans but naturally evolved into a unique Japanese art form, emphasising meticulous detail, quality fabric and cutting-edge designs. Kurashiki’s indigo-dyed fabrics are so distinctive they have earned their own name, “Japan Blue”, and are highly sought after by luxury brands worldwide.

In the afternoon, check in to the hotel on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

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In the morning, travel by ferry to Teshima, one of the most important of the ‘art islands’ of the Seto Inland Sea.

Visit the Teshima Art Museum, one of the most fascinating contemporary architectural works in Japan. Standing amongst terraced rice fields, the simple concrete structure stimulates its visitors’ senses with the play of water drops on a concrete surface.

Discover another permanent artwork on the island, Christian Boltanski’s ‘Les Archives du Coeur’ (Heart Archives), located along the beach on the eastern outskirts of Karato. Continue to the Teshima Yokoo Museum, which houses the works of artist and graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

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In the morning, check out of the hotel and travel by ferry to Naoshima.

Upon arrival in Naoshima, visit the New Naoshima Museum of Art, opened in 2025 and the 10th architectural work of the art facilities of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima. The museum exhibits a collection of major works and commissioned works of artists from the Asia region. Afterwards, explore the Art House Project, started in 1998 in Naoshima’s Honmura district. The project takes empty houses scattered about residential areas and turns the spaces themselves into works of art, weaving in the history and memories of the period when the houses were homes.

Continue with a visit to Chichu Modern Art Museum, built into the hillside overlooking the southern coast of Naoshima. Designed by Tadao Ando, it is primarily underground and utilises natural light to illuminate artworks by Claude Monet, Walter De Maria and James Turrell. Conclude with the Lee Ufan Museum, featuring works by this Korean contemporary artist.

Check in to the exclusive Benesse Park Hotel and, before dinner, visit the Benesse House Museum. One of the pleasures of visiting Benesse House is unexpectedly encountering works of art, not only within the walls of the museum but also while strolling around the grounds, enjoying the abundant natural beauty of the Inland Sea region.

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In the morning, board a private ferry for a full day exploring Inujima Island. One of the highlights of the ‘art islands’, Inujima was formerly the site of a copper smelter, now converted into a major artwork through the collaboration of artist Yukinori Yanagi and architect Sambuichi Hiroshi.

Visit the Art Project Seirensho, a museum that preserves and reuses the remains of a copper refinery on the island. Continue with a visit to the ‘Art House Project’, developed by the art director Yuko Hasegawa and architect Kazuyo Sejima. The project consists of five galleries scattered around the area that are constructed out of a diverse range of materials that reflect the landscape.

Return to Naoshima in the late afternoon before a special farewell dinner at Benesse House.

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In the morning, depart Naoshima by ferry to Takamatsu.

Tour arrangements conclude with an included transfer to Takamatsu Airport for suggested afternoon flights to Australia. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour.

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