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Art & Nature
Creative Travel Experience in Japan
10 nights summer 2027
dates TBD around September 2025. most likely end of May / early June
Experience the creative flow on the road with a unique opportunity to visit prime locations that are generally off the beaten path for typical tourism options.
Visit a region with authentic cultural experiences from Castles to Edo period neighborhoods in contrast to contemporary cities or 'sleepy' small towns.
2027 OVERVIEW
4 nights
With the city of Osaka Japan's 'second city" as our hub for 4 nights, you'll be able to experience a variety of quintessential aspects of Japan that you have heard about.
Day trips from this hub are easily accessible - Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, or Wakayama and parts of the Kumano Kodo.
Arrive at the Osaka airport for a restful evening before introductions to navigating your own journey. Day one Val will show you some key points on using the train system before the rail pass kicks in and we can enjoy the natural splendor surrounding the Osaka castle and a river boat excursion before heading out on your own for the day.
Make new friends with this group and choose your own adventure or be more independent and just visit with others at the accommodations.
HUB 2 - Okayama
6 nights
Okayama is our second hub. Easy access by train using your regional JR Pass to explore and experience a variety of unique cultural experiences from castles to botanical parks, from traditional edo period districts to contemporary shopping streets.
Day trips are on your own as a choose your own adventure using the guide included in the program. Join up with a travel mate for your day trip or venture out on your own.
Highlights of this region include Himeji (the historic white crane castle that reopened to the public in 2015 after extensive renovations), Kurashiki where you can find lovely canals and quaint shopping streets including their traditional denim items, or venture all the way to Hiroshima for a day to the peace museum and other cultural institutions.
Most locations are within about an hour ride on the train. One possible outing is the unique art museum on Teshima Island - renting an electric bike for the day after a train and ferry (then back).
Have a yearning to visit Japan - especially castles? and experience the unique blend of Shinto, Buddhism, and the natural world all combined with historic sites and cities with contemporary Japanese culture and life away from the megalopolis of Tokyo?
Love trains and want to explore this place but be around other creative people who may also want to pop into a museum, take a bit more time on a walk to photograph the streets or architecture, or other aspects of your creative quest? That's why you should choose this unique residency on the road experience with Val as your trip coordinator and helper on the ground. This is NOT a standard tour company experience where you are bound by an agenda and hopping on/off buses trying to listen to a guide.
The goal for this trip is an 'art' and nature immersion with fellow creatives who want to photograph, draw, paint, journal, doodle, and otherwise explore Japan through this lens and experience cultural activities such as museums, castles, shrines and temples, craft or thrift shops, or even wander off on your own quest - to find cats, unique nature, wabi sabi, or other personal goals. If you are looking for a more enriching experience than photo ops for social media, spend time in walkabouts at various times of day or night, have sit spots for drawing/painting, and explore the variety of the Japanese destinations.
If you love to explore with your visual sensibilities, but that annoys your regular travel mates then this experience is up your alley. The time is your own except for an orientation day and transport between hubs day. It's almost like summer camp for adults to meet new people, invite others to join you for an outing or a meal, and people to potentially hang out with so you can have the best of both worlds - your solo time and creative people connections.
One of the highlights of traveling in Japan is riding the efficient and expansive train system. Our travel experience in HUB 1 / Osaka will be pay as you go to learn the very simple navigation of the train system for day trips. When we embark onto HUB 2 / Okayama, you'll have a 7 day regional pass that also includes some ferry options and airport transit.
Val is your travel coach and general logistics guide - a tour manager. The group will have a whatsapp chat, and access to itinerary and recommendations via Google Docs. Unlike the other itineraries in 2024, 2026, and 2028 that have multiple stops requiring us to pack up and go every few days, this agenda allows you to sink into a spot with only two different places as your hub for lodging.
You may want to have translate app installed on your phone. Embrace the occasional 'lost' feeling as you may be inspired creatively. Ask the locals for help or they may even already be helping before you ask.
Travel By Train
What are the logistics?
You will need to be able to carry and lift your own luggage. There are overhead shelves like a plane and minimal store options for larger bags. Even though we only have luggage on limited transits, please know that many train stations do not have elevators or escalators easily accessible so you need to be prepared to walk up and down lots of flights of stairs! Pack light. MAXIMUM SIZE ROLLING LUGGAGE IS CARRY-ON ELIGIBLE OR CLOSE TO IT. Plus a backpack for handsfree during walking and navigating the train stations.
Train etiquette:
You will learn quickly the train etiquette in Japan is different than other places. You must stand in a cue away from the door using the guides painted on the platform, allow people to depart before moving onto the train, and as quickly as possible board the train. Traveling in groups larger than 8 can be challenging to board a train in time. Val has witnessed very large groups that don't split up and then annoy the train conductors. We won't do that!
Quietness. You will also notice that typical train etiquette most especially on local and subway like trains is to be quiet or keep your voice low. You'll see people reading and using their phones. It is somewhat frowned upon to be loud and active in this setting.
Do not eat on subway style trains, but eating is okay on longer trains including the shinkansen.
the WHY and the WHAT
Why this route? This is an amazing area of Japan that has so many options - especially Castles. Val visited many of the locations that are optional for your day trips during her sabbatical in 2015 as spring was emerging so a summer experience more than a decade later is an opportunity to share with others a love of the country from the small details of food to the unique combination of art, nature, and historical icons.
Speaking of good food, if you are open to trying new food or eating your favorite cuisine this is a great opportunity! While food expense is not included in the travel fee, it is very possible to eat well on a budget. Give yourself a daily budget and you'll definitely be able to splurge at times. Make sure to bring extra spending money for yummy random snacks or even food 'souvenir' packages to indulge during the trip. Japan is very much a gift-giving culture so you'll see lots of wrapped packages at the train stations featuring whatever is the local delicacy or agricultural feature so that people can buy a treat on the way home from their getaway to share with their friends or office mates. Several of our stops will have fresh fish markets where you can pay for a bowl and walk through the stalls to pick out exactly what you want to eat for lunch. It is highly likely that lodging in Okayama will have a kitchen.
What's included in the program fee? This is a base package program that will include group accommodations - a hotel or shared apartments, 7 day rail pass for the region for Hub 2 Okayama portion, Japanese items to use during the excursion (authentic rice paper Yen wallet and a Goshuin book used to get stamps from temples and shrines), and the travel planning to help you coordinate what you would like to do INCLUDING a very detailed travel guide to help you connect with what you want to do and chat with others to see if you can coordinate activities together. There are so many options on this itinerary that you get to decide what museums, castle entry fees, or other activities you would like to do. The first full day in Japan will include a brief guided walk to the Osaka castle, finding a shrine or temple to use your Goshuin for the first time, and a forest therapy guided session in the forest gardens on the exterior. You will be shown how to use the train ticket system to plan for your own excursions and are invited to join anyone else in the group for a boat ride on the Okawa river to get a different view of the city, nature, and castle before venturing out on your own.
What's not included?
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Flight to OSAKA (typical budget $1000-2000 depending on your airline, departure city, and date of purchase),
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travel insurance (optional / at-your-own-risk),
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food (budget $30-50/day plus airport food, international flight will include meals),
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additional transit not included in the 7 day regional rail pass which could include your choice to use a taxi, uber, or bus,
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and personal expenses for art supplies, souvenirs, additional workshops, coins to toss at Temples, etc. Personal cell phone service.
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All entry fees and anything else you decide to do is on your own. Entry fees can range between 500 yen and 1500 yen (approximately $6-10).
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Ask if you would like your own roaming wifi option if you feel that you will separate from the group during your own time.
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Highly recommend booking a flight on Japan Airlines or Air Canada. (2024 participants had negative comments about the U.S. based airlines in seats, comfort, food).
What do I need to know?
- Fly into Osaka. This is our main hub so it's best to fly here instead of transport from Tokyo.
- Do not bring a suitcase or bag larger than carry-on (or just slightly larger). At least a backpack is recommended so you can be hands free in day to day travel and a small rolling bag that you can lift. Small rolling bags with four wheels are helpful and/or a bag that can expand. You may want an empty suitcase if you plan on buying things, or purchase one during the trip. We will be traveling every few days by train and you will have to carry your bag up and down stairs often! Plan on doing laundry at least once during the trip to be able to pack light. If you accumulate items on the trip, you may end up purchasing a large suitcase (for example, one participant in 2024 found paper in several cities that were too big for the luggage on hand). Please be aware that living space may be cramped if you have too much stuff! You probably want a day bag that is big enough to put some of your purchases or hold onto the bag of trash you accumulate with snacks of the day (it's hard to find public trash cans so please be mindful of the cultural attention to not litter).
- You must be willing to adapt to different types of accommodations. There are two hubs for this agenda. The group may share an entire apartment, house, or villa OR be split into multiple shared accommodations as close to each other as possible. If you would like a single upgrade, you may be booked into a separate lodging / hotel and have information on where the rest of the group will be staying to meet up.
- Please limit alcohol consumption - enjoy, don't get plastered. By all means we will be enjoying ourselves and the access to alcohol is available on your own budget. Enjoy some sake or Japanese beer, but if you are taking this trip just to party like a SalaryMan, this is not the trip for you. You should be functional and respectful of the others in the group especially for any plans starting in the mornings which can include transport for day trips. Traveling at our pace is not fun with a hangover. Also note that while smoking is allowed in some restaurants and certain designated spots in cities, it would be great to have non-smokers in the group. Vaping or smoking are not allowed while walking on public streets.
- Walking. Be prepared with good shoes that can be easily removed at traditional Japanese locations including the lodging and almost all castles. The only group activity that is planned will be the first full day in Osaka and possibly a group outing to Teshima Island to visit a unique museum. Walking levels are up to you and where you go or how you navigate where you decide to go is also up to you. If you prefer a taxi from the train station, then that is on your own. If you would like to learn how to use the bus, that is also a great option. Maybe you want to get to a day trip destination and rent a bike or book a bike tour. Lots of options for different pacing.
- Extend your trip? After 10 days in the country and using the regional rail pass you will be a pro at navigating. You may decide to extend your trip on your own and all expenses are also on your own. You may want to spend more time in any of the day trip stops, a few extra days in Hiroshima, head back towards Kyoto and take a walk on the Kumano Kodo trail or get all the way up towards Tokyo for other unique stops depending on your interests - Buddhist temples, Shinto Shrines, the beaches, a city center, etc.
- Grassroots Summit extension. Val is hoping to attend the 2027 Grassroots Summit as her extension of the trip and will supply you with information about this unique opportunity for a home stay. The dates of the travel will be set so that we can enjoy this as a conclusion to our Japan experience.
PROGRAM FEE
14 spots available.
$300 deposit will hold your spot ($150 is non-refundable). Payment plans are available based on registration date
(full final payments will be due no later than March 30, 2027).
Total program costs per person:
$1500 usd (deposit/contract before August 15, 2026)*
$1750 usd (deposit/contract after August 15, 2026)*
THIS IS A BARE BONES TRAVEL PLAN. THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OR OTHER DAILY AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDED BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED. This program is perfect for the person who doesn't want to solo travel, but also wants some autonomy in what you do daily.
ask about a single room upgrade for when that may be available.
Travel Together
This is a travel opportunity to meet other creative people who have shared interest in Japan. There are no structured activities except the first full day in Osaka for an orientation and forest therapy experience and our transfer by train between Osaka & Okayama. You will have the opportunity to meet the other travelers via video conference calls and sharing contact info prior to the trip.
There will be recommendations on what you can do each day - check out the day trip overview below. People will need to connect with each other if you want to do things together.
This travel opportunity helps us experience with others around, but without the structure. If you are uncomfortable on your own or uncomfortable planning your own days, this may not be the program for you.
The location agenda allows for a lot of flexibility and spontaneity.
The rate may change if a minimum of 6 is not met.
Note: We may not all stay in the same lodging option with the entire group. You will have contact info for each person and it is up to you to connect with others to make your plans if you want others to join you.
To start the process, please complete the form below. The next step will be an interview process to answer your questions, talk about your personal work and dreams for Japan travel, and to make sure that we are all going to fit well together as a group.
DEPARTURE INFORMATION:
Your departure is on your own. You will have your regional JR pass final day to be able to get the train from Okayama back to the airport in Osaka. This regional pass does not include transport beyond Osaka for example the Shinkansen to Tokyo. You should be able to navigate this on your own. Val can help you with planning in finding the best train schedule option if necessary. Or you may decide to extend your trip on your own.