japan
This is our dream list. The itinerary changes depending on group pace, weather and priorities.
Days 1-5
Monday 12/1/26
Tuesday 13/1/26
Wednesday 14/1/26
Thursday 15/1/26
Friday 16/1/26
Day 1 Monday 12 Jan
TOKYO 東京
Sunrise 06:51 Sunset 16:49
-
Day 01: First few days are big days. We will meet at 9 am sharp at our meeting spot to go through a lot of the rules and prep talk at our meeting spot before going to Shibuya station by metro. That way we can make sure everyone has their Suica cards sorted for the tour. We will then have a quick look around Shibuya, quick coffee stop before walking through the streets generally towards Aoyama. We aim to be at T-Site for lunch. Then we will walk towards Ebisu. We will then catch the train to Meguro to see the church there before heading to Zuizoji temple also by train. From there it would start to get dark but we would go and see the very hyped up Azabudai Hills development by Thomas Hetherwick. We will finish there for the day. We might investigate food and drinks options near Roppongi or go back to Shinjuku/Shibuya for some izakaya action.
Humax Pavilion Shibuya
1992 - Hiroyuki Wakabayashi 若林 広
★★★
Info | Location | Vlog
Aoyama Technical College
★★★
1990 - Makito Sei Watanabe 渡辺 誠
Info | Location
Note: Entry Uncertain
Hillside West Terrace
★★★
1998 - Fumihiko Maki 槇 文彦
Info | Location |
Note: Maki’s office, Entry Uncertain
Sarugaku
★★★
2007 - Akihisa Hirata 平田 明久
Info | Location | Drawings | Vlog
Homme Plissé Issey Miyake Daikanyama
★★
2017 - Naoto Fukasawa 深澤 直人
Info | Location | Vlog
Ebisu Park Toilet
★★
2020 - Wonderwall
Wiki | Info | Location | Vlog
Octagon
★★
1992 - Shin Takamatsu 高松 伸
Info | Location
Meguro Catholic Church
★★★
1956 - Antonin Raymond
Info | Location
Zuishoji Temple
★★★
2018 - Kengo Kuma 隈 研吾
Info | Location | Drawings
🎥
Azabudai Hills
★
2023 - Thomas Heatherwick
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Accommodation : Tokyo
APA Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower
Map: Google
Day 2 Tuesday 13 Jan
TOKYO 東京
Sunrise 06:50 Sunset 16:50
-
Day 02: we will start by walking around Shinjuku area for a few projects before catching the train to Yoyogi to see the stadium from the outside, Meiji Jingu and then head down towards Omotesando. Aiming to have lunch around Omotesando and we move towards Prada in Aoyama and finishing the day at Sunny Hills. It’s a big day but a lot of the work are really facade only and they are right next to each other and we won’t be spending much time on Omotesando itself.
Kabukicho Tower
★★★
1993 - Richard Rogers
Info | Location | Drawings
Ruriko-in Byakurenge-do
★★
2014 - Kiyoshi Sey Takeyama 竹山 聖
Info | Location | Drawings
Nishi-Sandō Public Toilet
★★★
2023 - Sou Fujimoto 藤本 壮介
Wiki | Info | Location
Cafe Mori no Terrace
★★★
2016 - Oak Village Wooden Laboratory
Info | Location
Meiji Jingu Museum
★★
2021 - Kengo Kuma 隈 研吾
Info | Location | Drawings | Reel
Tokyu Plaza Omotesando
★
2012 - Hiroshi Nakamura 中村 拓
Info | Location | Drawings
Omotesando Branches
★★★
2014 - Sou Fujimoto 藤本 壮介
Info | Location | Drawings | Vlog
Former HHStyle Showroom
★
2005 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Japanese Nursing Association
★
2004 - Kisho Kurokawa 黒川 紀章
Info | Location
Forest Plaza Omotesando
★
2001 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings
Epoi Omotesando
★★
2019 - Daikei Mills
Info | Location
Louis Vuitton Omotesando
★★
2002 - Jun Aoki 青木 淳
Info | Location
Bottega Veneta Omotesando (formerly Tod’s)
★★★
2004 - Toyo Ito 伊東 豊雄
Info | Location
One Omotesando
★
2003 - Kengo Kuma 隈 研吾
Info | Location | Drawings
Spiral
★★
1985 - Fumihiko Maki 槇 文彦
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Natur & Nicolai Bergmann, Aoyama
★★★
2009 - Kazuyo Sejima 妹島 和世
Info | Location | Vlog
Sunny Hills
★★★
2013 - Kengo Kuma 隈 研吾
Info | Location | Drawings
The Jewels of Aoyama
★
2005 - Jun Mitsui 光井 純
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Prada Epicenter Tokyo
★★★+
2003 - Herzog & de Meuron
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Note: Disperse, pretend you are buying
MIU MIU Aoyama Store
★★★
2015 - Herzog & de Meuron
Info | Location | Drawings
Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store
★★★
1998 - Future Systems
Info | Location
Accommodation : Tokyo
APA Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower
Map: Google
Day 3 Wednesday 14 Jan
TOKYO 東京
Sunrise 06:51 Sunset 16:51
-
Day 03: today we have some seriously significant buildings to visit. Starting by heading north by train to Tree-ness House and relatively nearby Overlap House both by Akihisa Hirata before heading back to the school by Frank Lloyd Wright where we also have morning tea. After that we shall head to St Mary’s Carthedral by Kenzo Tange which we will spend of time to absorb. I would imagine lunch sometime before or after that. After that we will head to Ueno Park area for the shrine and its pavilions (the image of the WhatsApp group image), and a cluster of cultural buildings. We will most likely skip Asakusa area (will see) and head straight to Ginza area. We aim to be at Maison Hermes around dusk. We will finish the night at Ginza Lion Beer Hall. A weird 1930s German style beer hall but with Japanese tiles.
Hotel Siro
★★★
2020 - Mount Fuji Architects
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Tree-ness House
★★★
2017 - Akihisa Hirata 平田 明久
Info | Location | Drawings | Reel
Overlap House
★★★
2018 - Akihisa Hirata 平田 明久
Info | Location | Drawings
National Museum of Western Art
★★★
1959 - Le Corbusier
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall
★★★
1961 - Kunio Maekawa 前川 國男
Info | Location | Drawings
Toshugo Shrine Reception
★★★
2023 - Hiroshi Nakamura 中村 拓志
Info | Location
Toshugo Shrine Meditation Pavilion
★★★+
2023 - Hiroshi Nakamura 中村 拓志
Info | Location | Drawings
Note: ¥500 Entry
Tokyo International Forum
★★★+
1997 - Rafael Viñoly
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
UNIQLO Ginza
★★★
2020 - Herzog & de Meuron
Info | Location
Mikimoto Ginza
★★
2005 - Toyo Ito 伊東 豊雄
Info | Location | Drawings
Louis Vuitton Matsuya Ginza
★★
2013 - Jun Aoki 青木 淳
Info | Location | Drawings
Ginza Sony Park
★★★
2025 - Nobuo Araki 荒木信雄
Info | Location
Ginza Place
★★
2017 - Klein Dytham
Info | Location | Drawings
Louis Vuitton Ginza Namiki
★★
2021 - AS Co. + Peter Marino
Info | Location
Ginza Six
★★
2017 - Yoshio Taniguchi 谷口 吉生
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Accommodation : Tokyo
APA Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower
Map: Google
Day 4 Thursday 15 Jan
TOKYO 東京
Sunrise 06:50 Sunset 16:52
-
Day 04: Early start at 08:30. We are checking out Sou Fujimoto’s Musashino Art University Library which is partially open this year due to a graduation exhibition. Then after that, though relatively close and in the same direction, there are a few connections to get to Sayama Cemetery community building and chapel, both by Hiroshi Nakamura (same architect as the 2 pavilions we saw yesterday at the Toshugo Shrine). Added bonus is that the Sayama Forest is apparently the inspiration for Totoro. After that we head back to Jingumae/Roppongi/Akasaka area visiting a few little gems in the afternoon.
30min train Shinjuku > Kokubunji
5 min train Kokubunji > Takanodai
20min walk
Musashino Art University Library
★★★+
2010 - Sou Fujimoto 藤本 壮介
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Graduation exhibition
20min walk
5min train Takanodai > Kokubunji
15min train Kokubunji > Tamako
7 min train Tamako > Seibukyujo-mae
10 min walk
Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall
★★★+
2013 - Hiroshi Nakamura 中村 拓志
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Note: Entry uncertain
Sayama Forest Chapel
★★★
2013 - Hiroshi Nakamura 中村 拓志
Info | Location | Drawings
Note: Entry uncertain
15 min walk
45min train Seibukyujo-Mae > Shinjuku
Dear Jingumae
★
2014 - Amano Design Office
Info | Location | Drawings
Harajuku Protestant Church
★★
2006 - Ciel Rouge
Info | Location | Drawings
Note: Entry uncertain
Watarium Museum of Contemporary Art
★★★
1990 - Mario Botta
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Tower House
★★★
1966 - Takamitsu Azuma 東 孝光
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Note: Exterior only
TEPIA
★★
1989 - Fumihiko Maki 槇 文彦
Info | Location | Drawings
Small House
★★
2000 - Kazuyo Sejima 妹島 和世
Info | Location | Drawings
National Art Center
★★★
2007 - Kisho Kurokawa 黒川 紀章
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
21_21 Design Sight
★★★
2007 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings
Imanishi Motoakasaka
★★★
1991 - Shin Takamatsu 高松 伸
Info | Location
Kioi Seido
★★★
2021 - Hiroshi Naito 内藤 廣
Info | Location
Accommodation : Tokyo
APA Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower
Map: Google
Day 5 Friday 16 Jan
TOKYO 東京
Sunrise 06:49 Sunset 16:54
-
Day 05: today we are leaving Tokyo and moving to Osaka via Shinkansen 🚅. Catching the Yamanote line to Shinagawa station (smaller and more manageable compared to Tokyo station). Do do some shopping for “ekiben” or train Bento box before getting on. When we get to Shin-Osaka station at 10:06, it’s a 20 minute train ride to Namba and leave our luggage at our hotel. We will then go venturing around the neighbourhood and see a couple of buildings before and going to the suburbs to see the sublime Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum. We might grab some lunch either in the area or back in Namba before we go to Sayamaike Museum further south. Tonight we will have Osaka’s specialty, takoyaki had a place around the corner from the hotel and maybe some karaoke and/or drinks after.
Shinagawa 品川 > Shin-Osaka 新大阪
07:46 > 10:06
Nozomi 217
-
Carriage 16, Seat 3D
Carriage 16, Seat 3E
Carriage 16, Seat 4D
Carriage 16, Seat 4E
Carriage 16, Seat 5D
Carriage 16, Seat 5E
Carriage 16, Seat 6D
Carriage 16, Seat 6E
Carriage 16, Seat 7D
Carriage 16, Seat 7E
Carriage 16, Seat 8D
Carriage 16, Seat 8E
Carriage 16, Seat 9D
Carriage 16, Seat 9E
Carriage 16, Seat 10D
Carriage 16, Seat 10E
Carriage 16, Seat 11E
OSAKA 大阪
Sunrise 7:03 Sunset 17:13
20min train to Shin-Osaka > Namba
DROP BAGS AT ACCOMMODATION
Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji
★
2019 - Jun Aoki 青木 淳
Info | Location
Naniwa Gumi Headquarters
★
1964 - Togo Murano 村野 藤吾
Location
15min train from Kintetsu-Nippombashi > Kosaka
10min walk
Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum
★★★+
2001 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings | Vlog
Note: ¥800 cash only
10min walk
15min train from Kosaka > Namba
25min train from Namba > Osakasayamashi
15min walk
Sayamaike Museum
★★★+
2001 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Closes 5pm
15min walk
25min train from Osakasayama > Namba
Accommodation: Osaka
APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi
Map: Google