With continued uncertainty around when travel will be possible in 2021 – and in particular, when Japan will open its international borders again – InsideJapan's new tour date release comes at a time when demand for travel in 2022 (and beyond) is beginning to pick up. The new tour dates, including dates for a brand-new tour, cover the latter half of the year – with a range of departures scheduled to coincide with early autumn leaf-viewing season.

The new, 11-night 'Walking the Nakasendo and Beyond' small group tour winds from Tokyo to Japan's cultural capital of Kyoto, via the Nakasendo 'samurai route' and the lesser-known Shinetsu Trail in late summer and early Autumn 2022. The tour moves from the speedy Shinkansen to local train, bus and walking routes encapsulating the 'slow travel' concept and Japanese rural life.

The 80km Shinetsu Trail is an old trading route along the Sekida mountains straddling the borders of Nagano and Niigata. The trail not only allows walkers to enjoy some Shinrinyoku 'forest bathing' in barely touched beech forests, it stays at traditional hot spring towns and Japanese villages  sampling local life and plenty of omotenashi hospitality enroute.

Product Manager Madeleine Bromige said: “This tour ensures people see Tokyo and Kyoto, which are on everyone's bucket list – but it goes further than that. We have always been about local culture, local people and special off-radar places; getting people 'beneath the surface'. This trip really does that well.”

Perhaps one of the biggest points to note is that 2022 is likely to be Japan's first sakura (cherry blossom) season open to international travellers since 2019. As such, InsideJapan has released a record 23 departures to coincide with the flowering of the trees.

Bromige said: “Of course, Japan in spring is always popular. We expect that all of our springtime tours will run – and they're likely to sell out. That includes more Spring Elegance tours than ever.

“Hanami, or cherry blossom season, is a special time to be in Japan, but it's unpredictable and can come early or late; in 2021 it arrived two weeks earlier than expected, in mid-March. That's why Spring Elegance, and our other spring tours, are packed with incredible cultural experiences – including drinks with Geisha in Kyoto, gardens in Kanazawa and sake breweries in Takayama.”

InsideJapan's Director, Alastair Donnelly, said: “Japan has moved from being a niche destination to top of the 'bucket list' since we started doing this back in 2000. The positive sign for us is that there is a big appetite for Japan, and that the country and culture rarely fail to deliver. However, it's our connections as a tour operator and the knowledge and charisma of our Insider tour leaders that turn these small group tours into something unforgettable.”

He continued: “We can't wait to get people travelling again soon, and we look forward to showing them what makes a trip with us special – and Japan so incredible”.

InsideJapan Tours' 11 night 'Walking the Nakasendo and Beyond' cost from £2,500pp and includes 11 nights accommodation, breakfast every day, all transport across Japan, transfers, luggage forwarding, donation to Shinestu conservation and a full time Insider tour leader.

The full list of 2022 group tours can be found here.

InsideJapan's small group tours (min 4 people – max 14-16 people) utilise Japan's fantastic public transport network and stay at a combination of traditional ryokan guesthouses and hand-picked hotels. All tours are inclusive of all accommodation, all transport, transfers, breakfast every day (and sometimes additional meals), a vast range of cultural experiences, carbon offsetting, portable Wi-Fi and the full-time services of an Insider tour leader. The tours also include free time in popular cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, with the chance to leave the group behind for day trips or sightseeing.