Japan: Cherry-Picked Highlights

Asia
4

Japan: Cherry-Picked Highlights

10 Days 9 Nights
Suwa, Japan
English
Travel Date :  March 23, 2025 - April 1, 2025

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Overview


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Japan Rowing: Cherry- Picked Highlights

Offering a unique window into the landscape, waters, history and culture of Japan, this premier trip will be a unique and exclusive opportunity to experience rowing and culture in an exotic destination. Japan is a complex and multi-layered country. It is a fascinating destination, entrancing and mystifying foreigners for centuries. Whether on the water or the land we will experience big cities, smaller towns and rural communities. We will sometimes be surrounded by industry, concrete and development, balanced by stunning views of beautiful nature and human harmony. A bonus is that we should see some cherry blossoms, one of the most iconic seasons to visit Japan.

Years in Development

This is our first trip in Asia. We believe that this is the first commercial rowing tour to take place in Japan. In 2011, the World Rowing Tour, run by an enthusiastic group of volunteers, circumnavigated Lake Biwa. Most Japanese rowers have no idea that rowing travel exists. To create this trip, Rowing The World started planning in 2021. We found an in-bound tour operator whose dedicated team has provided exceptional service.  Extensive work has taken place to research potential locations, find local rowing partners, and select accommodation. The Rowing The World team went on a three-week research trip to Japan in early 2024. Many beautiful locations were visited. This tour features some of those highlights – it was very hard to narrow it down!

Japan Rowing and Culture

The focus will be on rowing, although there will be opportunities for cultural visits. We will have a guide and translator with us for the entire trip, offering an excellent chance to ask questions and learn more about not just history but also daily life. We will experience a lot just walking to the rowing clubs or enjoying the local cuisine! English is not widely spoken amongst rowers, but we will maximize the international interchange. This trip has personal significance for Ruth. Her grandfather was born here and was a rower! In a way, Ruth will be rowing into family on this trip.

We strongly recommend that participants spend more time in Japan before and after the rowing tour.

Read some of our blog posts about this trip:

The Thoughtful Rower explores Ruth family and rowing connections to Japan: https://thethoughtfulrower.com/rowing-into-family-in-japan/

Get a further flavour for Japan in the report on our research trip in early 2024: https://rowingtravelblog.com/japan-rowing-research-trip-report/

Trip Details

 

Price Type USD CAD EUR
Per person (any room) $6.625 $8,825 €6.180

IMPORTANT: If fewer than 20 people register, the price per person will be increased to cover overhead costs. There are many currency fluctuations occurring – we reserve the right to adjust the price (up or down) if big changes occur in the exchange rate.

We are not sure if we will accept non-rowing companions. If you might be interested, please let us know.

 

Difficulty & Daily Distances Boats Max Group Size
15-30 km/day

Moderate
Coastal coxed quads and recreational shells in some locations 20 rowers

!Important!: this trip includes coastal rowing. We will be rowing on the extremely busy Seto Sea, where wind and waves can be a factor, and there are very strong tidal currents. While we do not ask for prior coastal rowing experience, good level of rowing skill, strength and fitness is required for this trip.

Included

  • 10 days/9 nights with 7 days of rowing
  • All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 8 dinners. Beverages and alcohol generally not included, with some exceptions
  • All rowing services including a safety boat (exception Lake Suwa).
  • Entrances to sightseeing visits
  • Transportation by train and by coach
  • Trip leader is Ruth Marr. A bilingual guide will be with the group.
  • Accommodation include a ryokan, a luxury hotel and business hotels.

Sea and weather conditions will be an important consideration that can affect the itinerary – safety is a priority. Thus, on some days, the actual program may vary from this description.

 

Schedule Details

Day 1

Arrival in Suwa. Easily accessible from Tokyo by train, Suwa is the name of both a city and a lake. We will be immediately immersed in Japanese culture, staying at what is the most interesting and we believe wonderful accommodation of the tour. Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns. Ours is housed inside a modern, multi-story building but the rooms feature tatami mats, there is an onsen and dinner and breakfasts are in the Japanese style, featuring fresh local ingredients. Welcome briefing.

Day 2

Lake Suwa is the smallest of our rowing venues on this trip. What sets it apart is the view of Mount Fuji while we row – fingers crossed for the right weather conditions to see it. For a small lake, the rowing club is impressively big. This is where the national teams from Italy and Argentina trained in advance of the Tokyo Olympics. After lunch we will head to nearby Matsumoto and its superb castle. Designated a National Treasure, it is Japan’s oldest wooden castle, nicknamed the Crow Castle for its black keep. Wear warm, clean socks – to visit you take your shoes off, climbing narrow stairs to great views and historical displays. Back in Suwa we will visit Miyasaka Brewery, a nationally recognized sake brand, founded in 1662. The mountain spring water, local rice and a special fermentation yeast have made Suwa famous for its sake.  Back to our ryokan, maybe time for a soak in the onsen before another tasty dinner.

Day 3

We leave Suwa by train, heading through beautiful countryside to arrive in Otsu, where the Seta River widens into the southern basin of Lake Biwa. We will receive a warm welcome at the local rowing club followed by a row on the river towards Kyoto. Our accommodation this evening is a very tall, very modern and curved hotel, each room offering a view of the lake. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 4

Our hosts at Seta Rowing Club will guide us out onto the south basin of Lake Biwa for a full day of rowing. Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest lake, and the location of the World Rowing in 2011. Wind, weather and water conditions will dictate our distance and destination, but we will keep our eyes peeled for cherry trees in blossom. The views are always best from the water. A second night in Otsu with dinner.

Day 5

Today is a travel day to our third region of Japan. It is a quick hop from Otsu to Kyoto, where we will leave our luggage in storage lockers at the train station. We will be taken on a guided walking tour of the photogenic Higashiyama area of Kyoto. Back at the station, find yourself a bento box lunch for the train before we head to Imabari. It is about four hours of travel, past cities and rural Japan. Our hotel for the next few nights is conveniently by the station. Incredibly clean and impeccably run, it is more of a businessman’s hotel, which means the rooms are tiny. One of many reasons to pack light on this trip! Free drinks in the lobby in the evening however. We will split into two groups to eat at local restaurants.

Day 6

We begin four days of point-to-point coastal rowing on the Seto Inland Sea. The landscape is beautiful, green cone-shaped islands dotting the horizon, with some islands connected by huge suspension bridges. This is a major shipping channel with strong tidal currents. We will be in the hands of the very competent Seto Sea Rowing Club. They will have a safety and pilot boat and we will be fully licenced with the Japanese Coast Guard. The final itinerary will depend on weather and water conditions, especially tides. If needed, some trailering may be required. It will be a grand adventure!

We will launch from the beach at the rowing, rounding a couple of points and promontories to enter Kurushima Strait. We will pass under the first of the massive bridges rounding several of the smaller islands to our final destination on either Uma or Ohshima Island.  A short transfer takes us back to Imabari. The groups will switch restaurants for the evening meal.

Day 7

The bus will transport us back to the boats.  We will follow the eastern shore of Ohsima Island, passing fishing villages, beaches and the occasional temple. Lots of places for breaks and our lunch stop. We will likely leave the boats at Okiura Beach on Hakata Island. Back for our last night in Imabari. Now that you know the town, dinner is on your own. Take some time to stroll over to the castle, originally built in 1602 with seawater moats. Imabari is also famous for its towels – maybe pick up a useful souvenir.

Day 8

After breakfast we will load our luggage into the bus, then off to the boats. Our rowing destination is Setoda Port on Ikuchijima, an island of citrus groves. Exactly how we get there is to be determined but we know that the scenery will be lovely, the shorelines fascinating and our Japanese rowing support helpful and friendly. Our accommodation this evening is on the mainland, and we will settle in for the last two nights of the tour in Onomichi. Lonely Planet describes Onomichi as “an old-timey seaport town with hills full of temples, literary sites and cats”. This should be interesting! We will plan on having ramen while here – the local speciality.

Day 9

Our final row completes our passage through the Seto Inland Sea. From Setoda Port we will wind our way amongst the islands to arrive in Onomichi. As we row closer to the Japan’s largest island of Honshu, you might well feel the atmosphere change, reflected in the industry and activity along this coastline. Tonight is our farewell dinner, a chance to toast our first rowing tour in Japan and in Asia.

Day 10

Departure day is always sad. Onomichi is on the main JR trainline plus close to Hiroshima Airport. Before you leave, why not take a couple of hours to enjoy the Temple Walk in the surrounding hills, following narrow lanes, climbing or descending steep stairs to pass 25 temples. Grab a bowl of ramen, then off for your next adventure.

F.A.Q

Can I book a private tour?

What other trips will be run in 2025?

What's Included

  • Accommodation
  • Coastal Coxed Quad
  • Guide Services
  • Meals
  • Sightseeing
  • Snacks
  • Transportation

Activities

  • Coastal
  • Point-to-point

Meet our guide

Ruth Marr

Ruth is a passionate traveller with more than 25 years of experience in the adventure travel and tourism industry.

Ruth Marr is the founder and President of Rowing The World™ and The Rowing Concierge™, Travel2RowRowing The World USA and The Thoughtful Rower. Ruth started rowing as a graduate student in Saskatoon and has been a long-time member of the Prairie Fire Rowing Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has enjoyed rowing in dozens of beautiful destinations around the world, both on the trips that she operates and on other rowing travel experiences such as FISA World Rowing Tours and private tours organized by friends.

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