The platform clears. The Shinkansen Nozomi slides in, silent and exact, and Japan begins. You’ve timed this trip to the day — peak bloom, five cities, no wasted hours. Alp Travel Co. handles every transfer so you move without friction.
ANA NH838 from Delhi lands you at Haneda. Three nights at The Peninsula Tokyo put you steps from the Imperial Palace gardens. Start at Ueno Park: join the hanami crowds, find a patch of grass, watch the pink canopy shift in the wind. Next morning, a local gourmand walks you through Tsukiji Outer Market — fresh sushi, grilled unagi, no guesswork. That afternoon, board a Sumida River cruise. Blossoms line both banks. The city frames itself perfectly without any effort from you.
The Romancecar gets you to Hakone in under 90 minutes. Gora Kadan assigns you a private onsen; steam rises against cold mountain air. Spend a morning at the Hakone Open-Air Museum, where Rodin and Picasso share ground with cedar trees. Then board the Lake Ashi cruise — Fuji’s snow line appears above the treeline on clear days. Rest here. You’ll need it.
A Shinkansen hop delivers you to Kyoto and The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto. Walk the Philosopher’s Path at your own pace; the canal reflects blossoms the whole length. In Gion, a private tea ceremony at Urasenke teaches you the four principles — harmony, respect, purity, tranquility — through practice, not lecture. Then climb Fushimi Inari: the red torii gates run for two kilometres up the hill. Go early. Go far.
Fifteen minutes on the Shinkansen and you’re in Osaka. Conrad Osaka puts you above the clouds; the infinity pool on the 40th floor earns its reputation. That night, the Dotonbori Night Food Walk earns its. Takoyaki from Aizuya, okonomiyaki at Mizuno — your guide knows the order. Morning brings Osaka Castle and the Nishinomaru Garden, where 300 cherry trees are still holding colour.
Hiroshima asks something different of you. The Sheraton Grand Hiroshima is your base. At the Peace Memorial Museum, the exhibits are spare and direct — they don’t need embellishment. Spend time. Then take the short ferry to Miyajima Island. The Itsukushima Shrine gate stands in tidal water; at high tide it appears to float. Sika deer move through the grounds, indifferent to the crowds.
The Shinkansen returns you to Osaka. Kansai International Airport sends you home on schedule.
