Start your day with matcha and a gentle walk through Hamarikyu Gardens, where swans drift on mirror-like ponds. Visit the Nezu Museum for a calming blend of contemporary architecture and timeless beauty. For a modern contrast, immerse yourself in the sensory dreamscape of teamLab Planets, where digital art responds to your movements. Later, unwind in the onsen once more before a relaxed sushi dinner near the hotel.

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Glide along the Tokaido Shinkansen to Atami, a seaside resort once favoured by Japanese writers and poets. After dropping your bags at a luxurious ryokan with a private outdoor bath, head to the MOA Museum of Art, perched high above Sagami Bay. Marvel at both Japanese masterpieces and the panoramic ocean views. Return to your room in time to watch the sun melt into the horizon while soaking in your private rotenburo. Dinner is a multi-course kaiseki feast featuring local seafood.

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Start your day walking through the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, then head to the bamboo groves of Arashiyama, where wind rustles through towering stalks. Try a Kyoto-style lunch of obanzai or yudofu in a quiet garden setting. Visit local artisans or browse Nishiki Market for snacks and incense. Return to your hotel for a rejuvenating soak, and perhaps take in a short geiko performance or meditation class.

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Travel via Okayama and ferry to Naoshima, Japan’s famous “art island” in the Seto Inland Sea. Arrive to the sound of gentle waves and salt air. Settle into your architect-designed hotel or ryokan, then walk the island’s quiet roads to see Yayoi Kusama’s iconic pumpkin sculptures dotting the shore. Enjoy a minimalist dinner with sea views, then soak in a deep tub as moonlight shimmers across the inland sea.

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Dedicate the day to Naoshima’s world-class art museums — from the subterranean Chichu Art Museum, where natural light dances across Monet’s lilies, to the sparse drama of the Lee Ufan Museum. Rent bicycles and peddle your way around the island, or hop on the local buses to go between galleries and outdoor installations. This is a place to slow down and soak in the art of living well.

End the day with a soak in the local sento bath house - a pice of modern art in its own right!

Return to Okayama by ferry and train, where old-world elegance and Edo-period calm await. Visit the black-walled Okayama Castle, rising over the Asahi River, then cross the bridge to Korakuen Garden, famed for its seasonal beauty and spacious design. End the day at a sentō or hotel spa, then tuck into a warm bowl of Okayama’s local demiglace rice or seafood donburi.

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After breakfast, travel south via Shinkansen and Limited Express to Shirahama Onsen, a historic coastal resort famous for its dramatic Pacific scenery and therapeutic springs. On arrival, check in to your cliffside ryokan and breathe in the sea air. Walk the white sands of Shirahama Beach, visit the rugged Sandanbeki cliffs, or simply unwind with a soak in your private ocean-facing rotenburo before a refined kaiseki dinner.

🛏️ Stay: Kaisyu Shirahama – Seaview ryokan with private baths and traditional cuisine

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Enjoy a full day in Shirahama at your own pace. Start with a dip in the ancient Saki-no-Yu outdoor hot spring, one of Japan’s oldest seaside baths. You might visit the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Museum to learn about the nearby pilgrimage trails, or stroll through Heisogen Park for panoramic coastal views. In the evening, return to your ryokan for another sunset soak and a second seasonal dinner.

This morning, take the scenic coastal train east to Kii-Katsuura, a fishing town and onsen haven nestled between sea and sacred forest. Drop your bags at your seaside hotel or ryokan and take a short ride to the Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano. Walk a short stretch of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, visit the striking three-tiered pagoda, and stand in awe of Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest. Return in time to bathe in a seaside or cave onsen carved directly into the cliffs.

Travel north to Osaka, Japan’s buzzing food capital. After a string of peaceful coastal towns, the vibrant contrast will feel electric. Drop your bags and head out to explore Osaka Castle, shop in Shinsaibashi, or snack your way through Dotonbori. In the evening, retreat to your hotel’s onsen or spa for one last rejuvenating soak — a perfect farewell to your hot spring journey.

After a final breakfast, transfer to Kansai International Airport (KIX) for your onward flight. You’ll leave with ocean-kissed skin, calm shoulders, and memories steeped in art, tradition, and warm mineral water.