Japan, the Joanna Lumley way

In her 2016 docuseries, Joanna Lumley’s Japan, veteran actor and TV presenter Joanna Lumley journeyed across the far reaches of Japan, from the ice-strewn seas of Hokkaido to Okinawa’s subtropical islands. Thanks to its engaging storytelling, respectful handling of sensitive topics, and in-depth portrayal of Japanese culture, this much-respected series still resonates with us today — and remains popular on streaming services.

If you enjoyed watching Joanna’s journey, our specialists have recommended some like-minded experiences to include in your own trip to Japan to highlight lesser-known aspects of this multifaceted country. They’ll take you to the oldest geisha district, across virgin jungle, and through the ocean in an undersea bullet train tunnel.

Spotting Japan's migrating cranes

There’s an audible gasp from Joanna as she watches red-crowned cranes perform their erratic courtship dance in Hokkaido. These black and white cranes (there’s a circle of red on their heads if you look closely) have become such a quintessential Japanese sight that they’re often known as the Japanese crane.

Joanna observes the birds on a frosty, mist-shrouded river in the town of Tsurui, but, to learn more about their habitat and protection, you can visit the Akan International Crane Center, a four-hour drive from Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital. Between November and March, hundreds of red-crowned cranes gather in its snow-blanketed feeding area, which you can view from a heated indoor observatory (temperatures are typically far below freezing outside). Nearby Lake Akan is also a hub of winter activities, including snow trekking, ice skating, and smelt fishing.

Elsewhere, the Izumi Crane Observation Center, on the southern island of Kyushu, hosts one of the largest concentrations of cranes in Japan. The backdrop of murky wetland may not seem as photogenic as Hokkaido’s crisp snow, but the sheer number of cranes — more than 13,000 hooded and white-naped cranes migrate here each winter — creates an impressive sea of feathers. Volunteers supplement the crane’s food with donations of corn and rice, creating a noisy party atmosphere as the cranes scrabble to claim their share.

This vast fen attracts a variety of crane species. Squat, dark grey hooded cranes guzzle small fish alongside the elegant necks of the white-naped crane. Through binoculars at the observation tower, you’ll spot the rare sandhill and Siberian species, too.

While the nearest city, Izumi, is proud of its cranes (crane motifs decorate manhole covers and road signs), you’ll find few international visitors.

• Visit Hokkaido and see the cranes as part of this wildlife and hot springs trip idea.

Riding the bullet train

Appropriately enough, Joanna arrives into technologically advanced Tokyo by the most modern of transport, the sleek Shinkansen (bullet train). Tokyo is one end point on the Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen Line, among other lines, on Japan’s super-speed train network. A route that 10 years ago was only possible by a flight, or a tedious train and boat journey, you can now travel the 856 km (532 miles) in four hours — the equivalent of journeying the length of the UK.

You’ll glide through rural Japan at speeds reaching 320 km per hour (200 mph), passing along tunnels that bore right through mountain ranges — and under the sea. The trains have been decorated with a purple stripe to symbolise Hokkaido’s lavender fields. Travel from mid-July to August and you can watch the flower fields in full bloom from your train window.

• Travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido on the bullet train as part of this Central Japan trip idea.

Walking the Nakasendo Way

Once a busy highway trekked by samurai and imperial messengers, the Nakasendo route has become a rite of passage for many modern Japanese wayfarers. It traverses 500 km (310 miles) from Kyoto to Tokyo, and Joanna explores a section from the midway post town of Tsumago. As one of the most accessible points of the highway, many of the small, Edo-period ryokans (traditional inns) in the area sell out far in advance.

Further north, the post town of Narai makes a convenient alternative. You’ll find no flashes of neon or advertising here. The 200-year-old wooden-fronted buildings are carefully protected from modern development and illuminated by lantern light. The town acts as a gateway to the Kiso Torii Pass, a 6-km (4-mile) section of the highway. Following a cobbled, tree-lined path, the route takes you past the tiered roofs of Shinto shrines, stone statues, and red torii gates standing guard. When you finish this section, you can hop on a train back to Narai.

• Walk the Nakasendo Highway between Tsumago and Magome as part of this grand tour of Japan trip idea.

Meeting the elusive geisha

In an interview with Joanna, a maiko (trainee geisha) explains her lifestyle, including being one of the few Japanese people without a mobile phone. Kyoto’s geisha district is notoriously secretive and doesn’t pander to the curious visitor. It's not easy to access the authentic geisha experience, but Audley's connections and established relationships can help you achieve these encounters, not only in Kyoto but elsewhere. Kanazawa, on the northwest coast of Japan, boasts Japan’s oldest geisha district, and it has a more open attitude to visitors.

Some of Kanazawa’s ochayas (geisha houses) welcome visitors, enabling outsiders a rare glimpse of gold-trimmed tea ceremony rooms and red-walled banquet rooms. You might see one of the geisha practising her skills. The house of Kaikaro, run by the flamboyant Lady Baba, has a small museum and shop as well as a programme of seasonal geisha performances.

• Visit Kanazawa and spot geisha in Kyoto as part of this grand tour of Japan trip idea.

Learning about Japan's wartime history

Nagasaki and Hiroshima have risen past their infamy as atomic bomb sites to become thriving cities. Residents in Nagasaki show Joanna around a school that survived the explosion, where she meets current students and staff. While Joanna gained special access to visit the school, Japan doesn’t shirk away from publicly commemorating the importance of the attacks it suffered. We suggest visiting Hiroshima, which has more in place for visitors than Nagasaki.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has undergone extensive regeneration, most recently in 2017. The museum's exhibits were updated to include more information about the history of Hiroshima and the dangers of nuclear weapons. On your visit, you’ll be able to explore the museum’s facilities, including a science museum and a viewing tower. Volunteers provide guided tours in English, taking you through the peace gardens, museum, and into the city itself.

• Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum as part of this trip idea to Japan's cities.

Observing unusual monkey antics

The satisfied face of a fluffy Japanese macaque, sat in the steaming waters of an onsen (hot spring bath) in winter has graced many television documentaries, including Joanna’s. The Japanese macaque can be found across Japan, and it’s not only the snow monkeys of Jigokudani that have developed interesting habits.

Yakushima Island lies in the East China Sea on Japan’s southern tip. Hike through the island’s virgin rainforest and you might be able to spot a unique phenomenon — Japanese macaques riding on the backs of sika deer.

The monkeys use the deer as a form of transport, and the deer may look nonchalant, appearing not to notice when a monkey climbs aboard, but this is a symbiotic relationship. Each time the monkey jumps off to feed, the deer are in just the right place to eat otherwise unreachable fruit dropped from the trees. The monkeys groom their steeds for parasites, such as lice, a useful source of protein, but harmful to the deer. Scientists from Kyoto University have discovered that the deer have also learned to understand the monkeys’ feeding calls, leading them to newly found crops of fruit.

Discovering the secrets of old age

The lengthy life expectancy of Japanese people has been attributed to a healthy diet of fish, regular sake, and even a cultural penchant for living by the rules. The final destination on Joanna’s itinerary brings her to the island of Kohama to meet its elderly pop-star residents, a group known as KBG84, who have played sold-out shows all over Japan. As one of Japan’s southern points (it’s closer to Taiwan than Tokyo), it can be tricky to fit the island into a trip.

Ago Bay, in the Ise Shima region, is only a three-hour train ride from Kyoto and offers an intriguing alternative. Amanemu, a minimalist hotel that’s part of the luxurious Aman Group, has developed a relationship with the local ama — female free divers. Diving down more than 30 m (98 ft), the ama hope to find pearls but also collect shellfish, seaweed, and sea urchins — a catch they cook over a beachside barbecue. You can join one of the women for dinner to learn more about their way of life and, with many surpassing 90, how they still dive well into old age.

Exploring Japan's World War II sites

Okinawa saw one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, and Joanna toured the battleground. The outlying island is only accessible by flight, but Hashima Island, located off the coast of Nagasaki, is easier to reach. This concrete-walled island is now better known as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) due to its huge sea walls marking the location of a vast undersea coal-mining operation.

During the war, the mine became home to Chinese and Korean prisoners of war who worked the mine for many years. The island held the unenviable position as the most densely populated place on Earth with families, including Japanese miners, crammed into concrete tower blocks. It’s now an abandoned grey shell, with the skeletons of apartment blocks, a school, and hospital still remaining. On a tour of the island, you’re limited to a small sectioned-off area, but it’s enough to give a vivid idea of how life must have been for the inhabitants.

• Visit Okinawa as part of this city and beach trip idea.