3-Day Central Japan Itinerary: From Kyoto to Fukui’s Castle Towns and Temples

Our trip starts in Kyoto, the cultural heart of Japan, once home to emperors and samurai leaders.

Situated north of Kyoto Station and south of the Imperial Palace, the Former Imperial Palace Nijo-jo Castle is one of the most beautiful examples of Edo-period architecture. Built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the shogunate, Nijo-jo Castle was never meant for defense—it was built to show power, not fight for it.

Every element of its design conveys authority. The Tokugawa family crest, known as the Mitsuba Aoi, features three hollyhock (specifically wild ginger) leaves arranged in a circle. We find it repeated on roof tiles, gates, and fittings throughout the complex.

Inside the Ninomaru Palace, gilded sliding screens and lacquered wooden beams create an atmosphere of elegance and dignity. As you step inside, the famed “nightingale floors” emit their soft, melodic chirps beneath your feet.

Stepping outside, Ninomaru Garden offers a stunning blend of stone, water, and pine created by master designer Kobori Enshu and others. The garden perfectly balances architecture and nature, showing the refined sense of beauty of the Tokugawa era.

After exploring Nijo-jo Castle’s moats and peaceful grounds, we continue south to Naramachi in Nara, a beautifully preserved merchant district where wooden townhouses and narrow lanes capture the quiet rhythm of everyday Edo-era life.

While Nara is best known for its grand temples and deer, Naramachi offers a quieter side of the city where tradition lives on. Once a merchant quarter during the Edo period, the district’s narrow alleys are lined with machiya townhouses featuring lattice façades and tiled roofs.

Many have been beautifully renovated into cafes, craft shops, and small museums, creating the perfect setting for a slow stroll.

At the center of the district stands Gango-ji Temple, one of Japan’s oldest Buddhist temples and part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.” Its wooden halls and ancient roof tiles—some of the oldest in Japan—reflect the city’s deep Buddhist roots and architectural legacy.

Beyond the temple, Nara’s quiet streets are lined with restored kominka (traditional wooden houses), sweet shops selling colorful konpeito candies, and peaceful tea salons that invite us to pause and unwind.

Heading east into the mountains, the journey leads us to Iga-Ueno, a quiet town in Mie Prefecture known as the birthplace of Iga-ryu ninjutsu—one of Japan’s most respected schools of ninja arts.

The ninjas of Iga were not just the stuff of legend. During Japan’s Warring States period, they were in fact highly skilled intelligence specialists, mastering stealth, observation, and the art of blending into their surroundings.

At the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, we step inside a reconstructed ninja house filled with clever defenses—revolving doors for quick escapes, staircases disguised as shelves for hiding weapons, and trap panels that once deceived intruders. These small, practical inventions tell more about the ninjas’ way of thinking than any myth ever could.

Next to the museum, you’ll find Iga-Ueno Castle, rising quietly over the town. When we visited, the faint sound of a flute rehearsal from a nearby school drifted through the air, giving the whole place an almost dreamlike stillness.

Around the castle, some old kawara roof tiles still carry the image of a ninja, and traditional wooden buildings evoke the spirit of the old castle town.

Small craft shops and family-run eateries line the narrow streets, each preserving a piece of Iga’s gentle, timeless charm.

Staying overnight at Nipponia Hotel Iga Ueno Castle Town ties the experience together. The hotel is situated in restored machiya townhouses that once belonged to merchants serving the castle, preserving original features such as beams, earthen walls, and courtyards.

Dinner here is another highlight: a multi-course meal prepared with locally sourced ingredients, including the prized Iga beef, a delicacy found only in this region.

Spending a night here allows us not just to rest, but to feel how the town’s history, craftsmanship, and landscape all flow together in silence and depth.

Morning begins with a drive northeast into Omihachiman, a picturesque town in Shiga Prefecture on the eastern shores of Lake Biwa.

Once a prosperous hub for Omi merchants, the town thrived due to its strategic location and canal network, which connected it to Kyoto and the major trade routes. These waterways still define the landscape, reflecting willow trees and storehouses now turned into cafes and small museums.

We experience the town’s slower rhythm on a canal boat ride, gliding quietly past willow trees and old storehouses.

As the boat glides through the narrow waterways, rooftops lined with tiles made from Lake Biwa clay come into view. Their softly weathered tones blend with the canals and stone paths, reflecting the elegance that defines Shiga’s merchant culture.

After exploring the canals of Omihachiman, we continue north along the shores of Lake Biwa to Nagahama, a castle town that flourished under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who rose from humble origins to unify Japan in the late 16th century.

Once a strategic port and merchant hub, Nagahama grew around the castle he built, blending the influences of samurai, artisans, and traders.

The town still carries that atmosphere today, with quiet streets lined by restored machiya townhouses and glimpses of the lake.

In the heart of the old town stands Sennaritei Daidai, a long-established restaurant renowned for Omi beef—one of Japan’s three great wagyu varieties alongside Kobe and Matsusaka.

Here, we enjoy sukiyaki, where thin slices of richly marbled beef are simmered in a sweet soy broth with seasonal vegetables and local rice. The flavor is so deep and beautifully balanced—tender and full of warmth.

After lunch, we head to Nagahama Castle, originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1570s as his first stronghold. It was here that he began shaping the castle-town model that would later spread across Japan.

Although the current structure is a reconstruction, it stands on the same site overlooking Lake Biwa, offering sweeping views of the water and surrounding town. In spring, the castle park bursts into bloom with hundreds of cherry trees, making it one of the most beautiful spots in Shiga Prefecture.

By late afternoon, the road winds through the mountains toward Fukui Prefecture, where the journey takes a more spiritual turn.

Leaving the castle towns of Shiga behind, we continue north into Fukui Prefecture and arrive in the quiet temple town surrounding Eiheiji, one of Japan’s most important Zen monasteries.

Founded in 1244 by the monk Dogen, Eiheiji remains an active center of Zen practice, where around a hundred monks carry out centuries-old disciplines of meditation, study, and mindful labor each day.

Accommodation for the night is at Hakujukan, a serene inn designed for temple visitors.

You are invited to join evening prayers or early morning zazen meditation, listening to the echo of bells and the sound of wind through the cedar forest.

Dinner is a highlight in its own quiet way: a shojin ryori meal, or Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, prepared with seasonal vegetables, and tofu.

Each dish is arranged with care, reflecting the Zen principle that beauty lies in simplicity.

Dawn at Eiheiji Temple is an unforgettable experience.
Those who wake early can join the monks for morning prayers—an hour of rhythmic chanting, bowing, and zen meditation that fills the cedar halls with quiet strength.

English booklets are available to help visitors follow the rituals, and a brief English explanation is provided before the buddhist ceremony, making it easy to understand the flow and meaning of the practice even for first-time participants.
When we visited in autumn, the air was cool and clear around the temple.

Locals told us that in winter, the scene transformed completely—heavy snow bent the branches of ancient cedars, and the temple roofs disappeared beneath a deep white silence. Even then, the monks continued their routines as they had for centuries, sweeping the paths and zen meditation in the cold mountain air.
After a simple vegetarian breakfast, we continue eastward toward the castle town of Echizen Ono.

Surrounded by the mountains of Fukui Prefecture, Echizen Ono Castle stands atop Kameyama Hill, in a perfect position overlooking the entire town. Built in 1580, the castle is often called the ‘Castle in the Mist’ because, on certain mornings, it appears to float above a sea of clouds, creating a truly otherworldly scene.

Inside, exhibits display belongings of successive lords, offering a glimpse into daily life in their time. Down below, the castle town spreads out at the foot of the hill, with grid-patterned lanes, wooden townhouses, and shops selling sake and soy sauce, creating an atmosphere full of old-world charm.

Lunch is served at Urushiya, a long-established restaurant in Echizen known for its deep respect for local tradition.

The specialty here is the restaurant’s signature Oroshi Soba—buckwheat noodles enjoyed by dipping them into a sauce made from freshly squeezed daikon juice blended with raw soy sauce.

It is also said that Emperor Showa was so impressed by the flavor when he tasted it that, after returning to Tokyo, he yearned to eat that soba from Echizen once more. This episode is said to be the origin of the name ‘Echizen Soba.’

Our final stop is Hikone, a peaceful castle town on the shores of Lake Biwa that still has its Edo-period charm. (Though its name sounds similar to the well-known hot spring town Hakone, this Hikone lies in Shiga Prefecture, a serene destination defined by history and water rather than volcanic peaks.)

Perched on a low hill, Hikone Castle is one of Japan’s few remaining original castles and is designated a national treasure. Its wooden stairways and white walls have stood for over 400 years, overlooking the lake that once connected the region to Kyoto.

Below the castle lies Genkyuen Garden, built in the 17th century for tea gatherings and moon viewing.

The garden is composed of several small islands connected by bridges. Like many gardens built beside castles, it reflects the Japanese way of seeing nature not as something separate from ourselves, but as something to live alongside and draw peace from.

Strolling through Genkyuen feels like walking inside a painting. The reflections of pine trees ripple softly in the water, and the castle towers above like a quiet guardian of time. As the day fades and the bus begins to move, it feels as if the journey has come full circle.