June May 27th – June 7th, 2026
Dates are subject to change and this schedule is tentative. Costs for travel will include transportation, housing, and most food.
Overview
Our travels in Japan begin in Tokyo. We will stay near Ueno Park and make our way all over the city for fouror five days. After Tokyo, we’ll head to Kyoto and stay in houses in Higashiyama. Our time will be spent in and around the city as we hike, walk, and maybe even ride around Kyoto. We’ll take a bullet train to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, as well as wander the streets of Osaka!
Your trip is led by Tom Gentry-Funk and Sutherland da Costa. We do not use a tour company and will use public transportation, walking, biking, and finding our way in these cities.
We will depart Albuquerque for Tokyo on May 27th. We arrive in Japan and spend about five days in Tokyo,Japan, before traveling to Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima for about six days. We will PROBABLY fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka.
The Itinerary:
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 27th and 28th: Leave Albuquerque for LAX; fly to Tokyo, arrive late afternoon. about 3:25PM
Thursday: A day in and around Tokyo starting at Ueno Park…we’ll wander the grounds and visit a couple of museums while we settle into Japanese culture and history. From there we’ll head to Asakusa for lunch and through Senso-ji Temple for an afternoon of adventure. You’ll have the chance to explore the area and participate in a scavenger hunt that leads to exciting prizes!
Friday: head to Harajuku. We’ll walk through the Meiji Park and gardens and learn a bit about the 19th-century “restoration” of the Emperor to power and marvel at the elaborate grounds. IF we’re lucky we’ll see a traditional wedding happening or other celebration. After lunch in the area, we’ll go toward Shibuya and see the amazing crosswalk as we explore this part of Tokyo. In the evening, we’ll see the city light up and you’ll becompletely immersed in Tokyo life.
Saturday, our day trip to Kamakura begins with a subway ride and a train to the seaside town of Kamakura.From the station we’ll head up to the Bronze Buddha, a structure that survived a massive tsunami in the 13thcentury. You can go inside the structure, if you like. Then we’ll walk through the temples and shrines eventually heading back to the beach where we’ll just relax for a while on the Pacific Ocean. Once we make it back, we’ll prepare for a night of Karaoke at Big Echo. Be ready to sing your lungs out!
Sunday, A Day in and around Tokyo. We’ll take subways everywhere! We’ll start the day in Shinjuku andwander the gardens in the area. After lunch we’ll head to the Teamlab immersive experience and finish the day in Odaiba on an island filled with silly attractions and fun games.
Monday, travel to Kyoto: We’ll head to Kyoto for our next few days, the cultural center of Japan. Our firstadventure will be to Nijo Palace and the home of the shoguns. From there, we’ll take a bus to Kinkaku-ji. The heat will be intense and so we’ll have a relaxing afternoon at the Nishiki shopping area.
Tuesday, Kyoto: Northern Higashiyama Area. We will take the long walk on the Tetsugaku-no- Michi (pathof philosophy) along the hills of eastern Kyoto. We will stop in many small temples and parks including Nanzen-ji, Nanzen-ji Oku-no-in, Tenju-an, Konchi-in, Eikan-do, Honen-in, and Ginkaku-ji (Silver pavilion)…we’ll retrace our steps and return to the city.
Wednesday, Day trip to Hiroshima. We’ll take the train to Hiroshima and visit the International Peace Park and Museum. We’ll hang our string of 1000 cranes (made in ABQ) and wander around to see ground. From there we’ll take the ferry to Miyajima and walk the island. You’ll be on your own for the few hours we’re here.You can choose your journey, hard or easy, and meet at the ferry by 5:00PM. We’ll go back to the train station and take the bullet train to Osaka. Back in Osaka we’ll find the BEST Okonomiyaki!
Thursday, Fushimi Inari hike; street food in Inari or maybe a visit to the Cat Café lunch spot! Street foodabounds along the path to the Torii and you can sample the wares, or wait for a more exciting moment. We’ll return to Kyoto and plan for YOUR day in the city.
Friday, YOUR DAY in Kyoto. Contemplation Day. On this day, we’ll send out groups to explore the city.After giving our groups plenty of support, they will navigate their ways to spots in Kyoto. With some supervision, they’ll make their own decision about what to see and where to go!
Saturday, Nara visit to the first capital of Japan and wander around the Deer Park while taking in the largest wooden Buddha in the world as well as finding a temple or shrine that you would like to visit.
Sunday, RETURN TO U.S. – Kansai Airport to ABQ…arrival by around 10:00PM
Check out: gentryfunkblog.com for more details and information.
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