InsideJapan uses new bullet train route with Hidden Zen tour

The latest cultural adventure from InsideJapan Tours, Hidden Zen, has now launched, offering a 14-night itinerary visiting lesser-known regions of Japan along the Hokuriku shinkansen bullet train route linking Kanazawa to Tsuruga.

Offering travellers an insightful self-guided tour product made possible via the recently opened Hokuriku shinkansen line between Kanazawa and Tsuruga, the new journey from InsideJapan includes unique accommodations and experiences that have opened post-pandemic.

InsideJapan senior product manager of Tailormade Experiences, Kate Samuel, said the ‘Hidden Zen’ itinerary is an exciting addition to InsideJapan’s eclectic lineup of tours that transport travellers beneath surface-level tourism options in Japan,” said Kate Samuel, Senior Product Manager of Tailormade Experiences at InsideJapan Tours.

“Through the new linking of Kanazawa and Tsuruga, it is significantly easier from a logistics standpoint to send our clients to these lesser visited yet culturally dense areas of Honshu.

“While Hidden Zen still includes time spent in popular staples like Tokyo and Kyoto, the goal of this self-guided tour is to give travellers exposure to the undiscovered gems in the Hokuriku region which are often overlooked by tourists in favour of more popular, over-touristed destinations within Japan.”

Over the course of 14-nights, travellers on the Hidden Zen journey will stay in eight different accommodations, five of which are new offerings from InsideJapan since Japan re-opened in 2022. All properties are Japanese owned and operated, ranging from luxury hotels offering culinary delights to traditional ryokans with on-site hot spring onsens.

“By focusing on locally owned accommodations and engagement with local communities in the lesser-known areas of Japan, the Hidden Zen itinerary is a great option for return travellers to Japan who likely have not experienced the destinations along the newly opened Hokuriku line” commented Samuel.

“As travellers immerse in tranquil bamboo forests along seaside cliffs, get in touch with their rural roots during a farmhouse stay in remote Toyama or experience rural Fukui’s spiritual zen while staying in a complex adjacent to the iconic Eiheji Temple, Hidden Zen is a cultural adventure like no other.”

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