Focus on Modern and Traditional Architecture 13 Nights / 14 Days

Lined up with New York, London and Paris, you will arrive into Tokyo, one of the largest Cities in the World. Spend your first 3 nights in one of the leading technological locations of the World.  Not to mention, some of the most impressive and modern pieces of architecture.
Have an   English Speaking Assistant meet you at the airport and escort you to your accommodation using the public transportation. Arrive at your accommodation and use the rest of the day to walk the local area.

Today can be a day free at leisure to explore Tokyo’s mighty skyline by yourselves. (The Guide from yesterday will advise directions).
One of the world’s leading metropolises, Tokyo is home to extraordinary architecture that fascinates through its blend of traditional values and high-tech expression.
Visit to the younger generation areas such as Harajuku and Takeshita Street. This is where trends are created. Next to the Harajuku Station is also the entrance to the important and most visit shrine in Tokyo, the Meiji Shrine. Have a look at the Meiji Shrine, but also enter the Meiji Jingu Museum which is overlooked by many, but also designed by Kengo Kuma. 
Consider visiting Shibuya for the famous scrambled crossing which has 2000 people crossing it each time the lights change. However, if you prefer a little shopping in the high end Ginza area, you can shop as long as you like while taking in incredible examples of modern architecture. In just the Ginza area alone, you can see locations that are in the top 20 architectural sites of Tokyo; The Tokyu Plaza Ginza, Maison Hermes Tokyo, Yamaha Ginza, Louis Vuitton Matsuya Ginza and the De Beers Ginza Building. 

Meet with your English Speaking Guide at the HOTEL LOBBY and enjoy a Day Tour to SHIRAKAWAGO and GOKAYAMA World Heritage sites by Private Vehicle and English Speaking Guide. During your day you will visit two Unesco Registered World Heritage Locations. The first will be Shirakawago World Heritage Village and you can see hundreds of Traditional Thatched Roof Houses that are preserved and protected. People still lived in these today and you can try to imagine how people lived year some 300 years ago, in a truly isolated part of Japan. View the village from Ogimachi Castle Ruins Observatory and actually enter two of the thatched roof houses to learn about the building and maintaining. There are now very few carpenters that know the trade to fix these rooms. 
Leave Shirakawago Village behind and continue to the second World Heritage location of Gokayama Village. Similar to Shirakawago Village, but even smaller and can only be accessed by a private vehicle. Enjoy a Japanese Rice Paper making experience. Continue on to Kanazawa City where your Japan Adventure will continue. 

Feel free to relax and absorb the atmosphere and slower lifestyle of Kanazawa. As you like architecture and art, The DT Suzuki Zen Building is an amazing example of calmness and the founders’ story is impressive. Mr Suzuki was a Japanese essayist, philosopher, religious scholar, and translator. He was an authority on Buddhism, especially Zen and you can see this through his works and the building itself.
The 21 Century Contemporary art museum is close bay and the Oyama Shrine has some very unique architecture to see.
The small but impressive Noh Theater Mask Museum is always of interest, and if you like ceramics you may like one of the several areas that teach you about the Kutani Ceramics brand, which is one of Japan’s six most famous brands of ceramics. The Ishikawa Prefectural Library is truly one of the best possible examples of Library architecture and you could spend half a day here, easily. 
Or you can simply relax at your hotel and walk the local streets and stumble on some of the local gems.

Meet your passionate English Speaking Guide  at your Hotel Lobby   and by using the Public Transportation  enjoy Hiroshima Sightseeing. This will be an educational portion of your tour. See the Atomic Bomb Dome and peace park and take at least an hour and half to see the Archive Museum which may change you views on so many things. On the morning of 06 August in 1945, at some 3500 feet above the ground, the infamous Atomic Bomb exploded causing mass damage to the City of Hiroshima and its residents. Only 4 years later after the black rain and residual radiation had subsided Hiroshima began to reconstruct itself, first with the Peace Park. 
Use the local trains and a short ferry ride to the picturesque island of Miyajima. Itsukushima Shrine, a National Treasure was registered as a World Heritage site in 1996. The three deities of Itsukushima Shrine were born when Amaterasu Omikami (Goddess of Sun) and her Brother Susano-no-Mikoto made a pledge Celestial Plain using a jewel and sword.  See the large Red Torii Gate in the bay and if the tide is out, walk through the Torii Gate. The gate is sustained by its own weight only. The many Japanese Deer may follow you around the island. Miyajima is famous for Oysters, so while in Hiroshima, try an oyster also. 

Start the day relatively early and with your English Speaking Guide  visit the very popular, Kiyomizu Temple located on an elevated hill to look over Kyoto. This Temple does not use 1 single nail in its creation so an amazing example of architecture. There are approx. 40000 people each day come here, so this day is “the earlier the better”. Walk through the Traditional GION area which is where the Geisha still work today. 
Your next stop can be Fushimi Inari Shrine which will be reached by the local trains. Visit the most visited Shrine in all of Japan, famous for the many bright red Torii Gates that line the hillside. Fushimi Inari Shrine is the headquarters for over 30000 Inari Shrines in all of Japan. This Shrine has the power to give you long lasting health and wealth. You also may like to take approx. 40 minutes to walk up to the lookout with views of Kyoto City. Return to central Kyoto, and visit a truly stunning Temple, the Sanjusangendo Temple that holds 1001 Buddha Statues and is a WOW! location to see. The Temple also is the longest wooden structure in all of Japan. 

Meet with your English Speaking Guide at the Hotel Lobby and commence Full Day Kyoto and Nara sightseeing by Public Transportation. Take the pre-reserved rapid train from Kyoto Station to Nara city, which is only 45 minutes away. While the 1300 deer welcome you to Nara, you can walk through part of the 1400 acre Nara Park to get to the largest wooden structure in the World. This is the Todai-ji Temple and within the walls of the Temple there sits Rushanabutsu-zo or the Vairocana Buddha. A Buddha that was made to save Nara and the Nara people after a large earthquake happened, followed by a long period of an epidemic. Transfer from Nara to the Kyoto district of Uji. Uji is famous for being the first location to create Japanese tea in Japan, and there is no better place to learn about, and experience an authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony. You can enjoy an exclusive Tea Ceremony at one of the oldest family operated Tea Companies in Japan. Uji also holds one of the most beautiful Temples of Japan, Byodoin Temple, which actually represents the Pure World. The garden is simple but spectacular. Transfer back to central Kyoto and be free to walk the central area of Kyoto, for maybe one final meal at a local restaurant.