Mount Fuji behind the red Chureito Pagoda in autumn

Kosher Tour of Japan, May and November 2027

Tokyo to Hiroshima, JapanWhere

May 24 – June 2, 2027 · November 15–24, 2027Dates

$5,900 per personFrom

The tour

A ten-day kosher tour of Japan, from Tokyo to Hiroshima

Our kosher tour of Japan is ten days with the group and an English-speaking guide: Tokyo, Mount Fuji and the lakes of Hakone, the temples and gardens of Kyoto, Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima, Osaka, and a Shabbat in Kobe with Japan's oldest Jewish community, whose story goes back to the 1860s. It is an escorted tour: the touring, the coach, the entrance tickets and three kosher meals a day are arranged for you.

10 days, 9 nights: Monday, May 24 to Wednesday, June 2, 2027. Arrive in Tokyo on the first day, fly home from Tokyo on the last. A second departure runs Monday, November 15 to Wednesday, November 24, 2027, at the same price.
Two hotels: Four nights at the InterContinental The Strings in Tokyo and five at the ANA Crowne Plaza in Kobe, so you unpack only twice.
Meals: Three kosher meals a day, with packed lunches on touring days. Dinners at Chabad of Tokyo and at the Ohel Shelomo Synagogue in Kobe.
Shabbat: In Kobe, with the community at Ohel Shelomo: services, the meals, and a walk through the old Jewish houses of Kitano.

Green wooded slopes falling to the Inland Sea, dotted with small islands, seen from Mount Misen — The Inland Sea from Mount Misen, Miyajima

Osaka Castle, white walls and green roofs, on its high stone base — Osaka Castle

The red three-storied pagoda of Kiyomizu-dera against the hills — Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto

Two deer grazing on the wet sand at Miyajima, the great red torii standing in the shallows behind — Miyajima

The ruined dome of the A-Bomb Dome beside the river in Hiroshima — The A-Bomb Dome, Hiroshima

What the tour includes

A nine-night tour of Japan
Three kosher meals a day, including packed lunches for day tours
The complete touring itinerary with a local English-speaking guide
Travel in a luxury, air-conditioned coach
Kosher Travelers' own program and a complete Shabbat program
Entrance fees for every site on the itinerary
Internationally rated hotels in Tokyo and Kobe
A group transfer from the airport on the first day and to it on the last, timed to the most common flights

Flights to and from Japan, travel insurance and staff tips are not included. The recommended tip for the tour is $100 per person.

Kashrut

Kosher in Japan, at every meal

Every meal on the tour is kosher, under strict supervision. Dinners, Shabbat included, are catered at Chabad of Tokyo and at the Ohel Shelomo Synagogue in Kobe, which is also under the auspices of Chabad. Breakfast is prepared under the supervision of our mashgiach and served in our own dining room at the hotel.

On touring days you take a packed lunch, and there are snacks on the coach. The milk is chalav stam, with soy or almond milk on the table; the bread is pat Yisrael. If you keep chalav Yisrael, or like a particular cereal, bring a supply with you: in Japan only corn flakes and plain oats carry a kosher certificate. Tell us about any allergy when you reserve.

A path through the tall green bamboo of Arashiyama — The bamboo forest at Arashiyama, Kyoto

The hotels

Four nights in Tokyo, five in Kobe

Tokyo: InterContinental The Strings, on the upper floors of the Shinagawa East One Tower, five minutes by taxi from Shinagawa station. Three nights at the start of the tour and one at the end.
Kobe: ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe, in Kitano-cho, Chuo Ward. Five nights, Thursday to Tuesday morning, with Shabbat in the middle.
In your room: King or twin beds, chosen on the reservation form. A safe, a hairdryer, an iron and Wi-Fi in every room, and a fresh bottle of water each day. Laundry service can be charged to your room.
On Shabbat: A non-Jewish attendant runs the elevators to the upper floors; the emergency stairs are alarmed. We tape your door latch on Erev Shabbat if you would like, the bathroom light is left on, and tea lights are provided. There is no eruv in Japan.

Tokyo Tower rising above the city by day — Tokyo

The red lattice Port Tower and the white Maritime Museum on the Kobe waterfront under a blue sky — Kobe port and the Port Tower

Day by day

The Japan itinerary, day by day

Most days the touring starts at 9:00am and finishes by about 6:00pm, after Shacharit and breakfast. There is a minyan every day.

Day 1 · MondayArrival in Tokyo. Meet the group at the hotel, then a welcome dinner at Chabad of Tokyo.Overnight: Tokyo
Day 2 · TuesdayTokyo. The street food of Tsukiji Outer Market, Asakusa and the Senso-ji temple, a boat along the Sumida River to Odaiba, the teamLab Borderless art installation, then Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing at night.Overnight: Tokyo
Day 3 · WednesdayHakone. Sail across Lake Ashi below Mount Fuji, ride the cable car up to the steaming vents of Owakudani, and walk the Hakone Open-Air Museum and its Picasso Pavilion. Back to Tokyo for dinner and the skyline at night.Overnight: Tokyo

The five-storied pagoda of Senso-ji in Asakusa — Senso-ji, Asakusa

The wide Sumida River from a boat, an arched white bridge and tall towers ahead in low golden light — The Sumida River, Tokyo

The Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo skyline across the bay from Odaiba, pine trees in the foreground — Tokyo Bay from Odaiba

Two cable-car gondolas crossing a misty volcanic slope in Hakone — The Hakone Ropeway

Steam rising from the volcanic vents of Owakudani — Owakudani, Hakone

The white Picasso Pavilion at the Hakone Open-Air Museum, visitors with umbrellas on the path — The Hakone Open-Air Museum

Day 4 · ThursdayKyoto. The bullet train to Kyoto for the Golden Pavilion, the Zen garden of Ryoanji and the Arashiyama bamboo forest, then on to Kobe for dinner at the Ohel Shelomo Synagogue.Overnight: Kobe
Day 5 · FridayKobe. The cable car up to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens, a tasting at the Hakutsuru sake brewery museum, free time in town, and Kabbalat Shabbat with the local community.Overnight: Kobe
Day 6 · ShabbatKobe. Services and the Shabbat meals with the Jewish community, a gentle walk past the old Jewish homes of Kitano and the story of the Sugihara refugees, then Seuda Shelishit, Havdalah and a karaoke evening.Overnight: Kobe

Raked white gravel around a group of rocks set in moss, below an old earthen wall and green trees — The rock garden of Ryoanji, Kyoto

A red cable-car gondola above autumn trees, the towers of Kobe and the port spread out below — The Nunobiki ropeway above Kobe

Flower beds and a glasshouse at the Nunobiki Herb Gardens on the hill above Kobe — The Nunobiki Herb Gardens, Kobe

A traditional white-walled sake storehouse with a tiled roof behind a clipped lawn, trees and a stone name tablet — The Hakutsuru sake museum

A green wooden Western-style house behind a garden, with a bronze figure on a bench — Kitano, Kobe

Kobe Port Tower and the harbor lit up at night — Kobe at night

Day 7 · SundayKyoto. Nishiki Market, the Samurai and Ninja Museum, Nijo Castle, the Kiyomizu-dera temple and the old lanes below it, and a tea ceremony with a geisha in training.Overnight: Kobe
Day 8 · MondayHiroshima. The ferry to Miyajima for the Itsukushima Shrine and its torii in the sea, the cable car up Mount Misen, then the Peace Park and the A-Bomb Museum.Overnight: Kobe

Gilded and painted wood carvings of cranes and flowers on the Karamon gate of Nijo Castle — The Karamon gate, Nijo Castle

Old wooden houses along a lane in Higashiyama, with a five-storied pagoda rising behind — The old lanes of Higashiyama, Kyoto

A pond edged with large rocks and pine trees in the Ninomaru garden — Nijo Castle garden

A wooden pier between stone lanterns leading to the red halls of the Itsukushima Shrine — The Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima

The arched stone Cenotaph with flowers laid before it, the A-Bomb Dome framed in the distance — The Hiroshima Peace Park

Day 9 · TuesdayOsaka and back to Tokyo. Osaka Castle and the open-air deck of the Umeda Sky Building, an optional brewery stop, then the bullet train back to Tokyo.Overnight: Tokyo
Day 10 · WednesdayTokyo and home. The Meiji Shrine, then the fashion streets of Harajuku, and the transfer to the airport for your flight home.Departure

The twin towers of the Umeda Sky Building joined at the top, from below against a blue sky — The Umeda Sky Building, Osaka

A wide city spreading to a line of hills under a blue sky with clouds — Osaka from above

The great wooden torii at the entrance to the Meiji Shrine among tall trees — The Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

Your guide

An English-speaking guide who knows Japan

A local English-speaking guide leads the touring every day, from the first morning at Tsukiji to the last at the Meiji Shrine. For May 2027 the group is led by Cindy Kline, who has guided our Japan tours before.

In Kobe the guide is joined by the community itself: Ohel Shelomo, founded in the early 1900s by Jews from Iraq and Syria, is the oldest synagogue in Japan still in use, and during the Second World War the city became a haven for the refugees saved by the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara.

The great red torii standing in the sea off Miyajima — The torii of the Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima

The pace

Who the tour suits, and how much walking there is

This is a full touring week: long days on foot at markets, temples and castles, with the coach and the bullet train in between. It suits travelers who are happy to walk for much of the day and to keep to a group timetable.

Touring from about 9:00am to 6:00pm on most days
Comfortable walking shoes, and a day bag for the coach
Some free time for shopping in Kobe and Kyoto
Shabbat is a rest day, with a gentle walk in Kitano
Seats on the coach rotate through the week, so everyone has a turn at the front
The reservation form asks for a short health declaration, because some tours are more active than others

Mount Fuji above Lake Ashi in Hakone, with the torii of Hakone Shrine at the water — Lake Ashi in Hakone, below Mount Fuji

Price

What the Japan tour costs

Both 2027 departures, May and November, are priced at $5,900 per person, sharing a double room, with a single supplement of $1,000.

The price covers the nine nights in the two hotels, three kosher meals a day, the guide, the coach, the entrance fees on the itinerary and the Shabbat program. Flights to Japan, travel insurance and staff tips ($100 per person, collected on the last day) are extra, as is anything you buy along the way.

Deposit and terms

What you pay, and when

Payment

On booking$1,000 per person
Balance120 days before departure

All prices and payments are in US dollars.

If you need to cancel

120 days or more before500 USD per person
45 to 120 days before50% of the invoice
Within 45 daysNo refund

We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage.

What happens after you inquire

You send a short inquiry
A few questions, with this tour already filled in.
We reply within one working day
The person for your region calls or emails you with the itinerary and the reservation form.
We answer every question
Kashrut, rooms, walking, flights, deposit and balance. Ask as many as you like.
Places are confirmed in order of booking
The group has a fixed number of places. Your reservation form and deposit confirm yours.

Your hosts

Who is looking after you

David Walles
Tours
David runs our tours with Chana. They made Aliyah from Melbourne in 2008 and took over Eddie's Kosher Travel.
Chana Walles
Tours
Chana manages the tour with David.

Before you travel, send your flight times to Dina in our office, so the airport transfer can be timed to the group. For anything else, the simplest route is an email or a call to the line for your region; every missed call and message is returned.

The Golden Pavilion reflected in its pond among pine trees — The Golden Pavilion, Kyoto

What our guests have to say

What guests said

“We are just back from the China trip – tired and coldish but utterly exhilarated by all we have seen and experienced.”

Alan and Joyce Mays · China

“Our words cannot adequately express our great enjoyment during our China Trip.”

Sidney S. Cuby · China

Questions

Asked before booking the Japan tour

When is the next kosher tour of Japan?

Monday, May 24 to Wednesday, June 2, 2027: ten days, arriving in Tokyo on the Monday and flying home from Tokyo on the Wednesday. A second departure runs Monday, November 15 to Wednesday, November 24, 2027, at the same price.

Is every meal kosher?

Yes. Dinners are catered at Chabad of Tokyo and the Ohel Shelomo Synagogue in Kobe, breakfast is prepared under our mashgiach in our own dining room at the hotel, and on touring days you take a packed lunch. The milk is chalav stam and the bread is pat Yisrael.

How is Shabbat kept on the tour?

Shabbat is spent in Kobe with the Jewish community at Ohel Shelomo, for services and the meals. There is a minyan every day of the tour. There is no eruv in Japan; at the hotel a non-Jewish attendant runs the elevators, and we tape your door latch on Erev Shabbat if you would like.

Are flights included?

No. You book your own flights to and from Tokyo. We run one group transfer from the airport on the first day and back on the last, timed to the most common flights, so send us your flight times. If you land outside it, from Haneda a taxi to the hotel takes about 25 minutes; from Narita the Narita Express to Shinagawa station is simplest, then a five-minute taxi.

Do I need a visa for Japan?

Holders of Israeli, US, Australian and UK passports are given visitor entry on arrival at no charge. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your return flight. Other passports: check with the Japanese consulate before you book your flight.

How much walking is there?

A good deal. Most touring days run from about 9:00am to 6:00pm, on foot at markets, temples and castles, with the coach and the bullet train between them. Bring comfortable shoes and a pair of sneakers.

I am traveling on my own. Is there a single supplement?

Yes: $1,000 for a room of your own, on top of the per-person price.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage, bought soon after you pay your deposit so the cover is complete.

Also in Japan

Our other kosher trips to Japan and Asia

Kosher cruise to Japan, South Korea and China, November 2026

Every escorted tour we run, with its dates, is on the kosher tours page.

Discover

The world beyond the ordinary.

Connect

Friendships that outlast the trip.

Enrich

Memories that touch the soul.

From$5,900 per person

Jerusalem at dusk, seen from the Inbal Hotel

Inquire

Speak to someone about your trip

Call the line for your region, or send an inquiry and we will come back to you.

info@koshertravelers.com

Speak to Shelley in reservations. Every missed call and message is returned.

Since 1991 · Glatt Mehadrin