The cultural adventure tour operator has launched its first Small Group Tour (SGT) departures to Japan across the Yuletide and New Year period.
Richard Farmer, InsideJapan Group Tour Programme Operations Manager, said the temples, mountains and bamboo forests that delight visitors in the warmer months take on a whole new personality when the temperature drops and the snow falls.
“Winter in Japan is serene, spiritual and sacred – steam rises from bubbling natural springs and the vibrant orange of Japan’s torii gates stands out brilliantly against the white snow,” he added.
“Christmas in Japan is quirky and fun – think fried chicken dinners and strawberry shortcake. Bright illuminations pop up across the country, temples are dusted with snow and bamboo forests fall quiet.
“But it’s the New Year (Oshōgatsu) that really defines the season. On New Years, temple bells ring 108 times and shrines fill with locals offering their first prayers of the year, creating a peaceful and deeply cultural atmosphere.”
The Must-see Japan tour covers the country’s cultural and historical highlights: from fast-paced Tokyo, out to the mountains of Hakone National Park and beyond to cultural Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima, Osaka and an optional day trip Kamakura.
Led by a knowledgeable and experience guide, this tour offers deeper insight through local knowledge, personal stories and authentic connections.
Departure dates:
December 17 to 27: Spend Christmas Day in Tokyo, where you can swap your usual roast for a KFC bucket, just like the locals.
December 27 to January 6: Ring in the New Year in Kyoto, literally. Chion-in temple’s huge, bronze bell rings out 108 times at New Year – cleansing spirits for the year ahead.
January 7 to 17: Join the locals as they perform hatsumode – the first shrine and temple visit of the New Year. Draw your own omikuji fortune slip and see what the year might have in store.
Additionally, InsideJapan’s Winter Highlights tour offers a fully guided winter adventure to Japan’s northernmost frontier.
Vast, windswept plains and wild peninsulas with still-smoking volcanoes on the horizon.
All 2026 departures coincide with the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, where hundreds of towering, intricately crafted snow sculptures take over the city.
For more information on InsideJapan Winter Small Group Tours, click here.
