Explore the interplay between Japan’s centuries-old artistic techniques and its boundary-pushing contemporary vision.
Journey alongside Page Knox, an art historian who lectures at Columbia University and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. With luxurious accommodations at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi engage in curator-led tours of the Mori Art Museum and other art spaces; enter Takashi Kuribayashi’s contemporary art installation, a private underground steam chamber infused with medicinal herbs; and venture through the world’s first digital art museum, teamLab Borderless.
Behind the Scenes of Ancient Temples
In Nikko, gain exclusive access to centuries-old architectural scrolls during a private viewing with a Shinto priest at Toshogu Shrine. Continue to Kyoto with accommodations at the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto. Go behind the scenes of ancient temples and join master gardeners at the Garden of Fine Arts as they share traditional pruning methods before we dine in their private teahouse, typically closed to visitors. Savor exquisite Japanese cuisine throughout the program, including a special meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant within a 14th-century Buddhist temple. You may join Page for an optional postlude to the art-centered islands of Naoshima and Teshima (October 18-21).
Highlights
- Join art historian Page Knox, Columbia University and Met lecturer, for an exclusive journey bridging Japanese tradition and innovation through special curator access and private demonstrations in Tokyo and Kyoto
- Stay in sophisticated luxury at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, with its view of the Imperial Palace Gardens, and the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, set within an 800-year-old pond garden
- Accompany a curator behind the scenes of Tokyo’s Terrada Art Complex, a former warehouse transformed into one of Japan’s largest gallery spaces
- Enjoy a guided inside look at Tokyo’s futuristic teamLab Borderless, where digital installations draw upon traditional Japanese concepts of space and time to create immersive artistic experiences
- Gain special access to the Toshogu Shrine with a Shinto priest to view the Sashikizu—ancient architectural blueprints preserved for over 1,000 years that detail the shrine’s extraordinary craftsmanship
- Experience Takashi Kuribayashi’s Genki-ro installation during a private visit to this site usually closed to the public, where contemporary art merges with traditional purification through herb-infused steam
- Meet skilled gardeners at the Garden of Fine Arts Kyoto for an exclusive pruning demonstration of centuries-old techniques, followed by lunch in their private teahouse
- Share a group dinner in Kyoto hosted by a maiko (apprentice geisha), who will relate the secrets of her rigorous training while she performs traditional dances
- Marvel at Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), whose gold-leaf facade creates perfect reflections in still waters — a masterpiece where three distinct architectural styles harmonize across its floors
- Savor the pinnacle of Japanese culinary artistry at acclaimed restaurants, including Michelin-starred Shigetsu inside Kyoto’s 14th-century, UNESCO-listed Tenryu-ji temple
