Capitals of Yesterday and Today

Upon your arrival in Tokyo, you go through customs formalities and collect your luggage. An English-speaking assistant welcomes you and accompanies you to your accommodation by combining public transport and taxi.

During this journey of approximately one hour, they provide you with your travel documents and transmit the essential information for your stay in Japan to run smoothly, while remaining available to answer your first questions.

Along the way, Tokyo gradually reveals itself to you. This world's largest metropolis brings together more than 42 million inhabitants within its vast agglomerations. Both prefecture and capital of Japan, the city impresses with the scale of its urban landscape.

At the heart of this dense ensemble, you discover neighborhoods with varied identities and atmospheres, which illustrate the diversity of the metropolis.

You begin your discovery of Japon with an immersion in the heart of the monumental Tokyo. From the morning, the city immerses you in its urban universe through its extraordinary public transportation network, a central element of local life.

You take the Yamanote circular line, a journey that allows you to observe large glass buildings and steel structures. This line also serves several of the most popular neighborhoods such as Shinjuku, known for its skyscrapers, Shibuya and its famous bustling intersection, as well as Akihabara the electronics and manga enthusiast district, recognized for its electronic and manga culture.

At the end of the day, you head to the artificial island of Odaiba to discover its various attractions. From this neighborhood, you can observe Tokyo at nightfall, when the city's lights paint a new urban landscape.

The day concludes in a traditional local restaurant, an opportunity to taste sushi and familiarize yourself with this specialty of Japanese cuisine.

At the origin of Tokyo was the fishing village of Edo. When it became the capital of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, the city experienced rapid expansion, becoming one of the largest cities in the world by the 18th century.

The Edo period, which ended in 1868, left a lasting mark on the city's evolution and helped shape a significant part of present-day Tokyo.

Several places allow you to understand this historical heritage, such as the Edo-Tokyo Museum, located in the Ryogoku sumo district, or the Ameyoko Market, a vast bustling marketplace. Senso-ji Temple, at the heart of the Asakusa District, is also among these sites linked to the city's past.

The thousand-year-old city of Kyoto boasts numerous cultural and religious sites, with approximately 2000 shrines and temples scattered throughout the city.

It is not possible to discover all of them during this stay, but you can visit certain remarkable places, including The Golden Pavilion Kinkaku, the garden of Ryoan-ji temple and The Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku temple.

During free time, you can rent bicycles to cycle along the banks of the Kamo river if conditions permit. You can also stroll along the Path of Philosophy, which leads to the Nanzen Temple, center of Rinzai Buddhism.

In the evening, you can choose to discover shabu-shabu for dinner. This Japon specialty is presented in the form of a fondue, where thin slices of meat are dipped in various vegetable broths, in a moment of sharing around the table.

The Nijo Castle holds a notable place in Japan's shogunal and imperial history.

The shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo dynasty, had it built in the early 17th century as a fortified residence during the dynasty's stays in Kyoto. It was also at this location that the last shogun of the lineage, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, abdicated in favor of Emperor Meiji at the end of the 19th century.

Another representative site in the city, Mount Arashiyama is located to the west and is home to its famous bamboo forest, appreciated for its aesthetics and the alignment of its stalks. Nearby, you can see the Togetsu-kyo bridge which crosses the Hozu River, as well as Tenryu-ji temple and its garden conducive to calm.

To end this stop on a culinary note, you can choose to enjoy tempura. This dish consists of battered shrimp, seafood and fried vegetables, a specialty enjoyed in Japon.

North of Kyoto, in the mountains, are located two charming small villages with preserved character, surrounded by ancient forests and bringing together, in a natural environment, small inns, hot springs and ancient temples with a unique atmosphere. The journey from Kyoto is part of the experience, aboard a scenic train that marks the transition between urban bustle and mountain scenery. These are the villages of Kibune and Mount Kurama, Kyoto.

Upon arrival at the small Kibune station, you reach the ancient Ki-fume shrine, dedicated to the water deity linked to harvests. Access is via a staircase of many stone steps, lined with a row of red lanterns that guide visitors to the site.

A hike of approximately one hour through a forest of massive old cedars allows you to discover several small shrines, before reaching the Kurama-dera temple. This Buddhist temple, founded in the 8th century, is associated with a mystical energy linked to its natural environment and its history.

A peaceful descent then leads you down to the village of Kurama. Its onsen in the midst of nature offers a moment of respite, conducive to soothing meditative relaxation, at the pace of the forest sounds.