Japan with Matthew Biancaniello

Welcome to Tokyo, the world’s greatest food city, and home to more Michelin stars than any other city (even Paris). We’ll start off the morning on foot, exploring lively Kappabashi, otherwise known as ‘Kitchen Street’, that will — after a few curated detours — culminate in a ramen workshop and sumptuous lunch in Asakusa.

After downtime back at our hotel, we’ll reconvene and stand witness to centuries of tradition and history at Akagi Shrine. Then we’re off to our truly spectacular welcome dinner. Our first course is a sake tasting with special guest and sake expert Nick Coldicott, author of Tokyo Cocktails. Dinner is a personal culinary love letter from chef Hideki Ohnishi of Kisaiya Hide — he’ll dazzle us with sashimi, nasu (eggplant) salad and dishes that remind him of home in Shikoku: taimeshi (snapper) served with Japan’s finest rice. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the start of our adventure.

We’ll spend our morning exploring Tokyo’s Ginza district and the Mitsukoshi food hall; it’s one of Tokyo’s fabled depachika – the underground department-store food halls where artfully packaged delicacies are displayed like precious museum artifacts.

Lunch is truly special. Thanks to Matthew, we’ve been invited to Michelin-starred Udatsu Sushi. Not only will he introduce us to Chef, Hisashi Udatsu, but he’ll personally mix up a few apertifs to propel us through the tasting menu.

Our evening begins with a sunset view — a panorama of Tokyo from the Shibuya Sky Viewing Platform — and a float down to Earth for a cocktail at SG Club, one of “Best 50 Bars” in Asia. Dinner tonight is yakitori — grilled meat, skewered and sauced to perfection — at intimate Nogiguchi, a perfect basecamp for the rest of the evening. What’s in store? It’s technically a surprise, but let’s just say Matthew may be waving a list of his favorite local watering holes on a bar napkin.

Our morning starts with a visit to Meiji Jingu, a tranquil shrine in the heart of western Tokyo and dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the great modernizer who opened up the country to outside influences in the late 19th century. We’ll exit onto residential streets of Sangubashi and Yoyogi Koen, stop for coffee at Little Nap, and set our sights on an immersive food tour through the backstreets of Yoyogi Uehara and Harajuku. Fried takoyaki filled with octopus and pickled ginger or one of Harajuku’s famous crêpes — we promise you’ll find something delicious.

After lunch, the day is yours to relax — possibly with a spa appointment back at the hotel — or to explore deeper in mesmerizing Tokyo. With its Blade Runner-like highways, towering skyscrapers lording over quiet back alleys and a dazzling kaleidoscope of shops and restaurants, there’s no such thing as a ‘wrong turn’ here.

We wake early to the organized chaos of the wholesale fish market in Toyosu. Each day chefs from Tokyo and beyond purchase more than 3,000 tons of fresh fish and seafood. We’ll wander the market floor and select our own sashimi for our lunch in Izu.

After a short Shinkansen (bullet train) journey we’ll arrive in Izu. This is the wettest part of Japan, and the climate is ideal for cultivating wasabi (Japanese horseradish) in uniquely designed water terraces. We’ll tour behind the scenes at a local wasabi farm, and sit down to a family-style meal of sashimi and fresh seasonal vegetables.

The cable car up to Panorama Park gets us one of the finest views of Mount Fuji (assuming the weather is kind). After admiring her sacred summit, we’ll head to our lodging for the night: a traditional ryokan (inn). It’s a stunning 150-year-old architectural museum surrounded by nature, with its own natural hot springs. Here, bathing in the traditional baths, we commit ourselves to pure relaxation. Dinner is a traditional kaiseki meal, each small dish jewel-like in its presentation.

We’ll board the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka; traveling at 200 miles per hour, it’s a no-hassle, two-hour journey. Osaka’s reputation as the culinary heart of Japan is built on its concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants (99 at last count), its excellent street-food scene, its openness to foreign cuisines, and two delicious indigenous snacks: okonomiyaki (yam-flour pancakes filled with seafood, pork, kimchi) and tako yaki (octopus doughnuts). We’re here specifically for the street foods — our lunch is a delicious movable feast on foot.

In the late afternoon we’ll head out for Kyoto, Japan’s capital from the 12th to 19th centuries and one of the most visually stunning cities in the country. After we settle in to our gracious hotel in the heart of Kyoto, adjacent to Nijo-jo Castle, the evening is ours to explore the city’s graceful waterways and shrines, or to wander the back lanes of the historic Gion district, famous for its geisha culture.

For an overview of Kyoto, we’ll venture just outside the central districts to Fushimi Inari Shrine. There’s time to explore the mountain trails, or simply to admire the thousands of bright red torii (wooden gates), curving in parallel rows along the trails. At this time of year the leaves are turning to autumnal scarlet. It’s a stunning sight.

Next, we’ll immerse ourselves with all things tofu. This is a key moment for Matthew, so we’ll let him the lead the way as we tour a bustling tofu factory. After learning the nuances of preparation, we’ll sit down for a delicious lunch, fresh from the factory kitchen.

After a few hours of downtime, we’ll dine at Itsutsu for simple and sumptuous soba. Buoyed by an array of piquant noodles, we’ll paint the streets of Kyoto with Matthew, stopping for a nightcap at K6 Whiskey Bar.

This morning we dive straight into Kyoto’s Ohara Market. An outpost for the area’s farmers, this place is teeming with fresh pastries and local produce. Hint: if Matthew seems to be procuring an overabundance of vegetables, it’s because he is. It’s all part of the secret preparation for our farewell festivities this evening.

After absorbing the bustle of the market, we depart to seek out the natural beauty of the region. Just a half hour from Kyoto proper sit the two picturesque villages of Kurama and Kubine; we’ll traverse the stone path between them—pausing to admire ancient bell towers and temples—only to dine among waterfalls. This is literal on-the-river dining and the food couldn’t be more seasonal and the atmosphere more serene.

After some down time in the afternoon, we’ll ready ourselves for a profound last evening in Kyoto. First, we’ll meet for a traditional tea ceremony, considered one of the classical Japanese arts of refinement, and a sacred step on the path to enlightenment.

Next, it’s time for a special happy hour—armed with seasonal produce from this morning’s market run, Matthew will improvise pre-dinner cocktails to whet our appetites for some of the most innovative cuisine in all of Japan.

Our meal tonight is curated by none other than Matthew’s good friend, Jacob Kear, at Michelin-starred Lurra. Expect meticulous and creative fusion. And for Matthew to slip behind the counter for a truly once in a lifetime dinner experience.

Alas, our journey has come to an end. As we say goodbye to our new friends, we know that we’ll have to return, and soon. In the meantime, the soul of Japanese cuisine and craft will travel home with us, helping us find the beauty wherever we look.