Japan Tour by Bullet Train: Celebrating 60 Years of Shinkansen Luxury

Your bullet train adventure begins with your arrival in Tokyo. A private transfer will greet you at the airport and escort you to a historic hotel near Tokyo Station to find where East meets West, blending European elegance with Japanese simplicity.

Take time to unwind from your journey at your pace. As an introduction to your trip, you can witness the floor-to-ceiling windows of the central station framing the exquisite 100-year-old brickwork and domed ceilings. Stores along Tokyo Character Street will welcome you into the culture of manga and anime, with stores displaying intricate costumes, action figures, and more. In the evening, neon signs cast a festive glow through the city’s streets and galleries.

In the morning, your guide will meet you at the hotel and escort you into a 200-year-old cedar forest, where incense from Meiji Shrine overtakes the scent of wood. Birdsong in the expansive Yoyogi Park accentuates the canopies of pale pink cherry blossoms during the season and highlights the beauty of costumed dancers on the grass practicing for weekend recitals.

In Tsukiji Market’s colorful stalls, you may find the aroma of seafood drifting down the aisles before you indulge in velvety tuna sashimi that melts on your tongue. In Harajuku, synthetic pop beats often fill the air as you dive into a demonstration of street fashion and candy-colored accessories.

In the evening, the Akihabara will embody the flashing neon cityscape. Find more immersion into the world of manga, electronics, vintage arcade games, and anime characters along the seemingly endless aisles.

Excitement buzzes through Tokyo Station as you board your sleek Shinkansen bound for Kyoto. Settle into plush seats and watch the urban density quickly dissolve into rural patchworks of rice paddies and villages.

Right on schedule, you can witness the graceful solitary cone of Mount Fuji rising in the distance as a symbol of nature’s beauty framed perfectly through the windows.

In Kyoto, your private transfer will guide you to your accommodations before you meander the preserved narrow alleys to view Gion’s teahouses, catching glimpses of apprentice geishas, their kimonos fluttering like butterflies, scurrying to lessons. You can sip sake while watching artisans practice their delicate arts as your first quintessential experience in Kyoto.

After breakfast, you can relax into Kyoto’s nostalgic tranquility with a rickshaw ride through the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Feel the creak of wooden wheels and the slosh of sandals on ancient stone paths as you embrace the earthy green aromas drifting from the canyon of surrounding, towering bamboo.

At the Golden Pavilion, lose yourself in the structure’s shining reflection over the water lilies during a stroll through meditative gardens. At Ryōan-ji, take your time among the raked gravel and 15 cryptic stones a monk might puzzle over while studying Zen philosophy. Instead of rushing from place to place, slow down to focus on Kyoto’s serene beauty.

Wind through a hypnotic tunnel of vermilion torii gates lacing the hillside at Fushimi Inari Shrine. Find the familiar scent of burning incense as you pause to tie a prayer plaque amid thousands fluttering in the breeze.

Once in the Kyoto Railway Museum, you can let your inner train conductor run free in the Shinkansen simulator. Attendants will outfit you in a driver’s hat and uniform before you study flashed signals and platform signs while actual footage speeds by. Feel the adrenaline spike each time you successfully brake smoothly into a station and learn how much focus, training, and speed is required for the split-second reactions of the drivers guiding these record-setting locomotives.

You will have a private escort to the station to continue on the Shinkansen to reach Hiroshima. It is easy to reflect on the devastation cast by the first deployed atomic bomb at the sobering Peace Memorial Museum, which displays an eternally ruined steel A-Bomb Dome. Explore a different perspective while standing before the large-scale photographs of the aftermath, with artifacts rescued from the rubble.

Step into the contrast in atmosphere with locals wandering among the outdoor tables grilling savory okonomiyaki pancakes as you find the aromas of scallions, seafood, and pickled ginger on the griddles. The tree-lined promenades draped with twinkling lights add to the joyful ambiance along the regenerated riverside dotted with sleek museums that celebrate the future.

In the morning, you can take the short ferry ride to Miyajima Island and witness the treasured vermilion Otorii Gate rising from the waters of Hiroshima Bay as the tide rolls in. Wander forested trails where curious deer nibble on the grass and ancient camphor trees hide the sixth-century Itsukushima Shrine.

Soak up spectacular views of the sacred gate’s holy appearance floating on waves shimmering gold in the afternoon sunlight, essentially unchanged since feudal times. Enjoy time at leisure to stroll the backstreets of Hiroshima, lined with waterfront cafes and shops boasting an array of surprises, from wild berry wine to grilled oysters.

In the morning, you can board the Hello Kitty Shinkansen, where attendants in pink pinafores greet you, beloved Sanrio characters wave from headrests, and familiar cartoons decorate your complimentary bento box. Gaze out the bubblegum-pink tinted windows for this special rail experience that adds layers of whimsical joy to your journey south.

Arrive in Kagoshima and, after settling into your accommodation, visit the beautifully terraced gardens of the 19th-century Sengan-en villa. The camellias, stone lanterns, and Satsuma Kiriko glass house overlook the Sakurajima volcano standing tall across the bay.

Trade the railcars for paddles during a tranquil morning kayaking beside Sakurajima, an active volcano whose smoldering cinder cone looms across vibrant blue Kinko Bay. The cool water may drip on your skin as you paddle in the incredible scenery.

For a cultural experience, visit a generations-old shōchū distillery to taste southern Kyushu’s iconic sweet potato liquor. An expert Meister may teach you how chemistry and patience transfer tubers into smooth spirits with aromas of nuts, fruits, and flowers. You can spend your night relaxing in hot springs beside the volcano, whose thermal activity rejuvenates the therapeutic waters with energizing minerals.

If you have time in the morning, you can extend your day at one of the serene onsen towns of Kirishima, located in the picturesque northern countryside of Kagoshima. Immerse yourself in the tranquil beauty of nature, soaking in the healing waters of the hot springs, surrounded by lush forests and volcanic landscapes. This peaceful retreat offers a perfect moment to reflect on the adventures and memories made throughout your trip.

On the final day of your journey celebrating the 60th anniversary of Japan's Shinkansen, you can prepare for your departure home by first flying back to Tokyo. Your extraordinary journey through Japan immersed you in culture, heritage, and scenery as you enjoyed the speed and convenience of the Shinkansen.