Complete Kanto & Kansai: Onsen, Tradition & City Life

Tokyo spreads across a vast plain overlooking its namesake bay, where Japan's imperial heritage coexists with the pulse of the planet's most populous metropolis. The city's symbolic heart is the Imperial Palace (Kōkyo), ringed by broad moats and gardens, the Emperor's residence on the site of the former Edo Castle from which the city takes its historic name. Nearby, the Marunouchi district lines up glass skyscrapers and the red-brick Tokyo Station, while Ginza unfolds gleaming storefronts, boutiques and refined tea salons. To the north, the Asakusa district guards the Sensō-ji temple, the city's oldest, fronted by the famous Kaminarimon gate with its huge red lantern and by Nakamise street, crowded with traditional shops. Across the Sumida River rises the Tokyo Skytree, while pleasure boats glide down to the Hama-rikyū gardens. The city's contemporary face erupts at Shibuya, with the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, and at Shinjuku, amid skyscrapers, nightlife and the alleys of Golden Gai. Harajuku and Omotesandō avenue set youth-fashion trends, while Akihabara is the realm of electronics and pop culture. For quiet moments there are the Meiji-jingū shrine, set within a sacred wood, and the wide spaces of Ueno Park, with its museums and spring cherry blossoms. Gastronomy is a chapter of its own: from the sushi counters around the old Tsukiji market to izakaya taverns, from steaming ramen to refined Michelin-starred dining rooms, Tokyo boasts one of the most celebrated culinary scenes in the world. The city is also the starting point for unforgettable excursions to the Nikkō shrine, the hot springs of Hakone and, on clear days, the unmistakable silhouette of Mount Fuji. Age-old tradition and luminous future intertwine at every corner: Tokyo is a city that never stops surprising, to be experienced day and night, between ancient rituals and inexhaustible energy.

Takaragawa Onsen is a small hot-spring resort in Gunma Prefecture, renowned for its vast open-air rotenburo set along the banks of a mountain stream. Among the largest outdoor baths in Japan, the warm pools blend into a wooded landscape that transforms with every season. In autumn the foliage tints the valley red and orange, mirrored in the river below; in winter snow blankets the springs, the steaming baths surrounded by white in a fairy-tale setting. An intimate destination for those seeking relaxation, closeness to nature and authentic Japanese onsen culture.

Kyoto holds the most authentic soul of Japan: imperial capital for more than a thousand years, it preserves a heritage of temples, gardens and traditions that make it one of the most captivating cities in the world. Spared the bombing of the last war, it gathers within its streets more than a thousand shrines and temples, many inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The visit comes to life in the Higashiyama district, where the cobbled lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka climb towards Kiyomizu-dera, a wooden temple suspended on a panoramic terrace overlooking the city. Nearby, Gion is the heart of the geisha world: at dusk, along the wooden teahouses of Hanamikoji, one may glimpse a maiko wrapped in her kimono. To the northwest gleams Kinkaku-ji, the famous Golden Pavilion mirrored in its pond, while Ryoan-ji holds the most enigmatic of Zen rock gardens. Fushimi Inari Taisha enchants with its thousands of vermilion torii gates winding up the sacred mountain, and the Arashiyama bamboo grove, on the western edge, offers a walk through a suspended world, beside the Togetsukyo bridge and the hillside temples. Kyoto is also a refined culture of taste: kaiseki cuisine, ceremonial matcha tea, wagashi sweets and the stalls of Nishiki Market, nicknamed "Kyoto's kitchen". The cherry blossoms in spring and the crimson maples in autumn turn the city into a living painting. A city of temples and silences, of artisans and ceremonies, Kyoto reveals itself slowly, to those who know how to walk with attentive eyes and a patient step.

Kinosaki Onsen enchants with its retro atmosphere, set along a canal lined with weeping willows and stone bridges in the northern part of Hyogo, a short distance from the Sea of Japan. This elegant hot-spring town has made its seven public baths (soto-yu) the heart of the experience: guests stroll from one spring to the next wrapped in yukata and wearing geta clogs, in a scene unchanged for centuries. The lanes are lined with traditional ryokan, little shops and inns serving the prized Tajima crab, the winter speciality of this stretch of coast. A cable car climbs to the mountaintop for views over the bay, while nearby lie beaches and the Onsen-ji temple. Kinosaki is the ideal retreat for those wishing to savour the most authentic Japan, between warm waters and old-world charm.

Osaka pulses with an unmistakable energy: Japan's second metropolis and the country's gastronomic capital, it is a frank, lively and generous city, where dazzling modernity coexists with the warmth of a merchant tradition centuries old. Set on the bay that shares its name, it has always been a crossroads of trade and the gateway to the heart of the Kansai region. The city's symbol is Osaka Castle, an imposing reconstructed fortress that dominates a vast park, spectacular during the cherry blossom season. But it is after dusk that Osaka shines: in the Dotonbori district, along the canal, neon signs reflect on the water and the famous Glico running-man billboard has become an icon. Here comes alive the philosophy of kuidaore, "to eat until you drop": stalls serve takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) and kushikatsu skewers, in a riot of aromas and voices. Nearby, the lively Shinsekai with its Tsutenkaku tower evokes the retro Osaka of the early twentieth century, while the Namba district reigns as the realm of shopping and entertainment. For quieter moments, Shitenno-ji, among Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, and the modern skyscrapers of Umeda with their panoramic terraces offer opposite yet equally fascinating views. Osaka is also an ideal base for excursions: Kyoto, Nara with its deer and Great Buddha, and the sanctuary of Koyasan are all within easy reach. A city with an open heart and a quick wit, Osaka wins over those seeking the most authentic and convivial Japan, to be savoured at the table and along its illuminated streets.