Japan Magical Winter Wonderland

Arrive and be escorted to your hotel in Tokyo.

Hotel: Mitsui Garden Hotel – Kyobashi (2 nights)

Visit the Ryogoku district and watch the Sumo wrestlers practice, go up the Skytree for a view of greater Tokyo, tour Kappabashi, Japan’s kitchen town, and walk nearby to Asakusa for the Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa Shrine, and Nakamise-dori. 

Overnight in Tokyo

Check out of Tokyo and travel to Nikko to see Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine and the mausoleum of the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, and follow a pleasant trail at the Kanmangafuchi Abyss with many rows of Jiro statues.

Travel to Nagano, the site where the 1998 Winter Olympics was held and visit Japan’s most important temple, the Zenkoji Temple and search for a key in a tunnel under the temple, and stroll down a street that is lined up with traditional shops.

Follow a trail through a forest to see the Japanese macaques (aka snow monkeys) soak in a hot spring hole, explore the surrounding with a small village and culture center, and stop for a foot-bath at a nearby 1,300 years old hot spring resort.

Travel further up north with a stop at Morioka city for some fun lunch and then onwards to Aomori, dashing through the snow for your stay at the No Yado Aoni Onsen, the name translates itself as “Inn of Lamps”. This place is an old ryokan with hot many springs baths indoors and outdoors, and at night the inn is lightened beautifully up with oil lamps. 

Check out and stop by Kuroishi, one of Japan’s best-preserved towns. After sightseeing, you travel to Aomori city for lunch at the Furukawa fish market where you create your own rice bowl with fresh foods. And also stop to visit the Nebuta Wa Rasee, with displays of the Nebuta floats. You arrive in Sapporo Hokkaido in the evening.

In the morning join many people from around the world to the Sapporo Snow Festival, admire the giant snow sculptures built on the Odori Park, go snow rafting, play snow games, walk a snow labyrinth with thick and high walls, and enjoy the many food stalls.

Take a morning express train to Asahikawa School for the Deaf, meet the students and teachers, visit the English class and join them for Japanese school lunch. Return back to Sapporo before dusk to watch the Susukino ice sculpture displays light up.  

Travel to the Kushiro countryside to watch Japanese red-crowned cranes mingle with each other in their natural habitat. Check-in Lake Akan, a village where Ainu, the native people of Japan live. Join the local ice festival or watch a firework display above the frozen lake from the window of your hotel.

Go play in the snow, you may ski, ice skate, or ice fishing on the lake.  Also, visit the village’s workshops and walk through an art gallery that exhibits wood sculptures cut and chipped by the late Masamitsu Takiguchi, a respected Deaf wood artist.  In the afternoon you drive to Utoro.

Don some snowshoes and hike in the Shiretoko National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site for snowy landscapes, the five frozen lakes and waterfalls, and watch for wildlife. Also, dress in thermal suits for a walk on ice floes at the Okhotsk Sea. If you have diving licenses sign up for the optional tour to dive under the ice to search for some glowing sea angels. 

Check out and drive to Abashiri where icebreaker ships dock.  You ride an icebreaker that slashes through the ice to pave a way for fishing boats, and while at sea you look wildlife of seals, whales, and puffins on the ice floes.  You may see other animals at the shoreline, too. In the afternoon, you fly back to Tokyo. In the evening you tour the Shibuya ward with the famous crosswalk and your sayonara dinner somewhere in the city.

It’s time to say, “sayonara”.  You will be transferred from your hotel to either Narita or Haneda Airport.