DESTINATIONS OSAKA ASIA 16.00: Nara Park,


SAMPLE PRODUCT


Inside Japan


Tours’ 14-night Best of Japan self-guided


package includes visits to Osaka, Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. Prices start at £1,760 per person based on two sharing, excluding international flights.


insidejapantours. com


Wendy Wu Tours offers A Week in Japan, an eight- day group tour to Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. Prices start at £3,690


for a September 19 departure, including flights from


Heathrow, with a free business class upgrade


for bookings by February 28. wendywutours. co.uk/agents


13.00: Nishiki Market 19.00: 40 Sky Bar & Lounge


turrets and a moat, and 600 cherry trees fill the gardens. Come spring, the entire area’s heaving with the hanami (cherry blossom-viewing) crowd. Head to the castle’s museum to learn about Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the fearsome general who ordered its construction.


11.00: Get a culture fix at Yamamoto Noh Theatre, the oldest noh (a traditional form of Japanese classical, musical drama) theatre in Osaka. The closest metro station is Tanimachi Yonchome. There are regular performances and guided tours start at about £6.70. For a more hands-on insight, sign up for a one-hour workshop. You’ll learn about the history of Japanese theatre and will be able to try on the beautiful noh costumes.


13.00: The best thing about Japan’s Shinkansen trains is that they put everything within easy reach – it takes just 15 minutes to reach Kyoto, Japan’s former capital and the emperor’s residence from 794 until 1868. Its rich history is the reason it was removed from the list of targets for the atomic bomb. With time at a premium, priorities


72 travelweekly.co.uk 15 February 2018


The Shinkansen trains put everything within easy reach – it takes just 15 minutes to reach Kyoto, Japan’s former capital


although they save their performances for visitors clutching the bags of deer food sold throughout the park. Historical structures to check out include the Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga-Taisha shrine. The latter is famous for its lanterns, which hang from its roof and line the pathways. They’re lit twice a year, during lantern festivals in February and August.


should be visits to Nijo Castle, followed by the Sento Imperial Palace, with its beautiful gardens, and Nishiki Market, where you can mingle with locals and marvel at the breathtaking variety of food on offer. Recommend the sashimi sticks, speared chunks of raw tuna or toro salmon (fatty salmon) costing about £1.30 apiece.


16.00 Put that Japan Rail Pass to good use with another excursion, this time to Nara, which dates back to the eighth century and was Japan’s first capital. It takes about 40 minutes to get there from Osaka. Nara Park is home to many friendly, but cheeky, deer. Some have been taught to bow –


19.00: Finally, raise a toast to Osaka with a cocktail at the 40 Sky Bar & Lounge at the recently opened Conrad Osaka (doubles from £308 per night). Guests staying at this stunning, sky-high hotel are presented with a welcome drink served alongside a beautiful origami bird, but you don't have to book a room to enjoy the breathtaking views. After a cocktail, head to the hotel’s C: Grill, which is famous for its spectacular crustacean bar, filled with lobsters, oysters, king crabs and shellfish. For something more traditional, consider Kura, the hotel’s teppanyaki and sushi restaurant. And for special occasions, opt for one of the private dining rooms – the views over Osaka are mind- blowingly spectacular.


PICTURE: ADAM BRUZZONE; JNTO


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