Japan 2018 Fall Foliage Tour

From Tokyo, we travelled by express train to Matsumoto, a city with views of the Japanese Alps, which were snow-capped and beautiful when we arrived. Apparently, Nagano Prefecture, in which Matsumoto is located, is one of the most desirable parts of Japan to live, we were told, because of the quality of life and freedom from catastrophic weather as well...

The Meiji Shrine in Shiibuya was only a short ride from our hotel in Shinjuku. Unlike yesterday, the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. It was a delight to gently strolled through the dappled woodland leading to the Shinto shine. We saw the impressive, towering torii gate, the tradional Shinto gateway indicating that as we move towards the...

We came to Owakudani, also known as the “boiling valley”,  an active volcanic area of Hakone, south of Tokyo, to see Mt. Fuji from a boat on Lake Ashinoko, a crater lake formed by the volcanic eruption in 1170. However, the weather did not cooperate and clouds obscured the shy mountain and we were forced to entertain ourselves with other...

My Japan tour got under way with a walking tour of the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku followed by a fun welcome dinner at a yakitori restaurant. Kabukicho is the entertainment district, sometimes compared to Amsterdam’s Red Light area, but with a lot less accent on “love shops” and more emphasis on restaurants, bars and nightclubs. This is partly why Kabukicho...

The ANA flight from Vancouver to Tokyo leaves at 3 in the afternoon, which means with the 17 hour time change, you get into the Japanese capital at 6 pm the following day. This is perfect because by the time you get through customs and make the ride into town from Haneda Airport, you have just enough time for a...

Before going to Japan for the second time, I have been practising my origami skills. I love the way a simple square coloured piece of paper can be magically transformed by a series of crisp folds into an object of surprising elegance and beauty. In Japan, I am hoping to learn a few more paper-folding skills. But in preparation, I have...

What new and upcoming garden tours do I have planned for the remainder of 2018 and into 2019? In May, I will return to Italy for the ninth time to lead a very special Islands and Lakes Garden Tour, starting in Lugano and moving quickly to the Milanese lakes. You can see details here. From there, we will head to Sardinia...

My next garden tour will be an exclusive 13-day adventure to Japan to see spectacular fall foliage colour, visit picturesque temple sites, famous and historic locations as well as enjoy seasonal festivals and other cultural highlights. If you've never been to Japan, this is the perfect tour for you - rich in content and diversity, safe; well-planned; professionally guided and designed...

In January, I will be announcing details of the long-awaited fall-foliage tour to Japan. This will probably be a 12 day trip to Japan in November to see the fabulous fall foliage colours in major centres, such as Kyoto, Takayama, Hiroshima and Kanazawa as well as the beautiful island destination of Miyajima. The tour will start in Tokyo and will visit...