Japan tours

Some 13,000 city bureaucrats clock in each day at the Gotham City-like Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (TMGB), a 400,000-square-metre complex designed by Tange Kenzō. The complex includes twin 48-storey towers, an adjacent tower block, the Metropolitan Assembly Hall (where the city’s councillors meet) and a sweeping, statue-lined and colonnaded plaza. On the ground floor of the north tower you’ll find the excellent Tokyo Tourist Information Centre. Free tours of the complex depart from here.

The Imperial Palace is as old as Tokyo itself. Edo Castle was built here by Ōta Dōkan in 1457, and its boundaries fluctuated through the following centuries. At its greatest extent, the castle walls also surrounded what is now Tokyo Station, as well as parts of present-day Marunouchi. Except for the two days a year when Nijūbashi can be crossed (on February 23 - the Emperor’s birthday - and on January 2), admission to the palace grounds is possible only on pre-arranged official tours, conducted in Japanese but with English-language brochures and audio guides available.If you're looking for Japan holidays, it may be preferred to avoid the summer, when Tokyo can be humid.

Free walking tours with English-speaking guides are available on selected days of the week in various parts of the city: around the Imperial Palace, around Ueno and around Asakusa. Asakusa is well known for its striking temple, Sensoji, while Ueno is known for its park and the National Museum.Tokyo Localized is a good option to go on a tour with.

The 100-year-old Seki-no-Ichi Brewery in Ichinoseki offers several interesting experiences. Every evening you can head into the main sake brewery for a tour and tasting. If you’re not a fan of the Japanese national drink, opt for one of the three daily beer tours - Seki-no-Ichi added craft beer to their repertoire in 1995.

Situated in the dramatic northern Japan Alps, 45km west of Nagano, Hakuba is one of Japan’s top ski destinations, with assorted terrain spread across the valley in seven main ski areas and plenty of fun après-ski. The largest and most popular is Happō-one, site of the 1998 Nagano Olympics downhill course. The area is also home to a plethora of tours. Ski Japan Holidays can arrange ski trips and tours to nearby attractions.

Japan, and particularly Karuizawa, boasts some vibrant wildlife. Picchio, an eco-tour operator with English-speaking guides is at the forefront of promoting nature tourism in the area. Several of their activities are short and family-friendly, such as the Musasabi Tour, on which you get to see Japanese giant flying squirrels and even peek into their nest box via a camera feed (mid-March to November). It’s timed to the minute so you’re almost sure of seeing the adorable nocturnal animals emerge. The Wildlife Night Drive is another good option, on which you’re driven up into the mountains to spot deer, foxes, tanuki (raccoon dogs) and other animals. Image-stabilized binoculars mean that even the bumpiest sections of road won’t stop you spotting wildlife (late April to October).

No business is more closely associated with Nagoya than Toyota, whose 47-floor headquarters are based in the Midland Square Tower opposite Nagoya Station. The automobile company was started in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda. As well as taking in the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, you may like to visit one of Toyota’s factories to see its famous production processes in action. The one-hour tours around the Kaikan factory are free, but you have to make a reservation online.

In Kyoto, you can learn more about the fascinating world of geisha. It’s also becoming more common to be able to meet and talk to geisha and maiko in person. Many hotels and ryokan now offer exclusive dinner shows, where it is possible to experience a little of the elegant yet fun entertainment. There are also walking tours that provide a chance to learn more about geisha culture. This is perhaps the most rewarding of Japan tours.

Global warming has impacted on the drift ice off the coast of Abashiri and the Shiretoko Peninsula. Both its volume and the season for its sighting are shrinking. Should the conditions be right, the ideal way to witness this astonishing phenomenon, of drift ice being carried along the water by wind and sea currents, is to hop aboard the Aurora, an ice-breaking sightseeing boat, for a one-hour tour.