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Art & Nature
bi-Annual Travel Experience in Japan
From July 14 - 29, 2026 the group of 12 including host/guide ventured to 7 different locations which would take about 15 hours to drive the entire route. Four pairs of friends/family along with 4 individuals (3 U.S. based and 1 Amsterdam) ventured together while some arrived early and some stayed later to fully engage in the Japan experience.
The creative flow on the road is shared from just one perspective that overlapped fellow travelers.
2026 OVERVIEW
Staying close to the Narita airport was a benefit to be able to accommodate various arrivals including up to two days earlier than the technical start date. Two travelers actually arrived several days earlier at the other Tokyo airport to explore on their own.
After multiple zoom meetings, we were able to meet in person for the first time with dinner on the official arrival night. An easy 8 minute walk to one of the terminals at the Narita airport and a variety of food options and a scrumptious food court.
This is the northern most city on the main Japanese island of Honshu. It's an eclectic mix of post war and contemporary architecture in an easy to navigate place.
We were in full art mode with our stop in Aomori that included the Nebuta museum a short walk from our hotel, discovering some nearby shrines in the city, and then the next morning a bus ride with a nice lightly raining walk to the contemporary art museum that had two exhibits. Some also ventured just down the street to the Jomon village and archeology museum to learn more about the indigenous people and evidence of their society in this area.
Our final spot was Utsunomiya which is known for Gyoza. Due to afternoon check-in times, our agenda on arrival day was taking the local bus to The Oya Museum which is a cavern of the old quarry. Along the route there were other interesting spots of interest such as a temple with Buddha sculptures carved into the stone walls of the massive cliff landscapes.
Everyone used their free day to explore at their whim. Several of us chose to visit Mashiko, a pottery town. Others found art museums or temples/shrines.
Domestic flight from Narita to Sapporo
The itinerary officially began with a domestic flight to Sapporo which was a logistical day of travel as everyone settled in from the jet lag and long travel times to get to Japan from the U.S. and one from the Netherlands.
Hachinohe is a lovely little city in the northern area where we had a city central location to explore. Everyone found really incredible food options here and an opportunity to explore near or farther using the local bus or trains. In particular, a shrine on a hill on the edge of the sea with protected birds.
The Ueno train station has undergone renovations and the specific iconic large mural above the JR ticket booth in the image from one of Val's previous trips no longer exists.
The group technically shared goodbyes the previous night at a scrumptious Indian restaurant that had options for the different dietary restrictions of participants. Four of the group were heading back to the airport today, while three were leaving the next day. The remaining batch were staying in the Tokyo area even longer.
We were met with the blast of a heat wave and massive amounts of tourists in this area.
The introduction to Japan will be in this city surrounded by nature. The Hill of the Buddha which is a landscape architecture, contemporary artistic highlight designed by famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando was one of the primary objectives while in this location. However, everyone had their own free time so people going in various directions came across art inspirations.
Read below where Val share the experience of the Sapporo art park and museum that had one of the most incredible exhibits.
The sacred and deities are a unique traditional aspect of Japan. This off the beaten path for many tourists is a pitstop for us. The highlight here is the Oni Demon Museum full of masks and sculptures. In Japan, these are not necessarily evil beings.
The group had an opportunity to stay in a traditional Ryokan with tatami mat and futons. This region in particular features onsen bathing/soaking health and wellness focus. The elevation in the hills along a river, this traditional space can transport one back in time.
We stopped at the Oni museumon the way to the next stop in Sendai. Although signage may not include English, it's still interesting to observe the objects in the collection.
The train trip to Hakodate from Sapporo is about 4.5 hours and has several departing times. The goal was to arrive in the early afternoon in order to have time to explore the city of Hakodate near the train station which has a wonderful and unique fish market. The weather had other plans for us. A torrential storm with high winds cancelled numerous trains until the early afternoon. Being flexible is one of the most important parts of traveling.
Luckily, Japan has lockers in many locations especially as train stations are also usually attached to large shopping areas. We all loaded our stuff into some lockers and spent a few hours casually near the station to keep an eye on our expected train departure. It was a great time to be slow and just hang out with our fellow travelers. And eat yummy food.
Sendai with a population of 1.2 million was a step back into urban life from the smaller cities on the trip. This includes an array of restaurant options, museums, and even a glimpse into shopping districts.
The on your own agenda was utilized in various ways including a visit to the zoo, hours at the art museum, and even a rainy day visit to Yamadera - the mountain temple with an hour train to the west and 1,015 steps. Val spent the morning visiting Matsushima and a boat trip that showcases the hundreds of forested islands that dot Matsushima Bay. On a quiet quintessential rainy morning, Val visited the grand Zuiganji Temple that was built in 1609 and a few other spots before the tourists started to crowd the streets.
the WHY and the WHAT
Why this route? Northern Japan is a really incredible and more off the beaten path for major tourism except the city of Sapporo that often has a winter influx of snowbirds for skiing and boarding. Northern Japan will feature slower pace, more typical Japanese cities and towns, and the variety of nature from sea to forest. The island of Hokkaido indigenous people are the Ainu and are distinctly different than the Japanese in the central country.
The total route might take about 15 hours to drive, but there is something magical traveling slowly by train as a sampler platter of various unique aspects of Japan outside of the Tokyo megalopolis.
The blog and images below documents one perspective of the interactions and sights that were seen.
DEPARTURES:
Several members of the group extended their stay by a few days or a week. Three of us had flights the next day, while four had to fly out of Narita on our final day.
Ueno station was the pitstop for our departure day. Toby and Nkosi had the earliest flight so the three of us departed Sendai early via the city bus then a local train to the Ueno station. A block away is the Narita express station for the airport transfer.
Getting into Ueno as a district of Tokyo was a bit of culture shock with an enormous amount of tourists and a stifling heat. The heatwave did not extend farther north at any point in our travels - thankfully, although the sun's power was evident as many use umbrellas to keep from the powerful UV and general summer temps. Being extremely familiar with Ueno as the first ever stop as an adult visiting Japan, Val was able to get a snack to sit in the shade while waiting for the next pair for their airport transit.
Closing down an adventure is ending the liminality for this type of journey. The other two departing the next day took advantage of a full day to explore even more exciting districts of the megalopolis understanding that they would likely not be able to return soon, if ever. That evening was a full moon over Narita.
For those of us flying out the next day, we went back to the start with the airport hotel.
Sayonara Japan and new friends!